Moza Hurt (also known as Moses) was born in 1730 probably in or near Bedford County, Virginia. A number of records exist pertaining to his life. His land deeds, marriage records, and will, as well as records of his children’s marriages, are all preserved. He held substantial amounts of land in three counties: Bedford, Halifax, and Caroline, and he bought and sold land all his life. He acquired land on the Rappahannock River, where he lived in St. Margaret’s Parish in Caroline County. He was appointed Constable there in 1752. From 1755 to 1758 he was road-overseer.
He married a young lady named Mary (last name unknown) by 1758. They had seven children: Philemon, born 1758; Jane, Betty, Sarah Ellen, born by 1763; James, born 1763; and twins Patience and Prudence, born by 1774.
Children of Moza and Mary Hurt
- Jane Hurt was born in 1754; died by January 5, 1782, before Moza, married John Adams in 1770.
- Elizabeth “Bettie” Hurt was born in 1756; died died in 1793; married Michael Prewitt, Jr.
- Philemon was born on October 6, 1758 in Caroline County, Virginia.
- Sarah Ellen was born in 1760. She married Byrd Prewitt. Her father signed his consent in February, 1782. Children: Robert Hurt Prewitt. She died in 1823 in Kentucky.
- James Hurt was born in 1763 in Caroline or Campbell County. He married his stepsister, Agnes Mann Harrison, daughter of Robert and Phebe Mann, and widow of Peterson Harrison, on June 10, 1782. He died in Campbell County in 1819.
- Patience Hurt. She married Samuel Hubbard in 1791. Since Patience married in 1791, and had to be at least 17 years old to do so, she must have been born by 1774.
- Prudence Hurt. Born about 1774.
Elizabeth (Betty) and Sarah apparently were not taught to write because they did not sign their names on official documents, but simply made their marks.
In 1763, at the urging of his wife, Moza gave some slaves to his then four children: Philemon, Jane, Bettey, and Sarah. Why he did this, and why young children needed slaves of their own, I have yet to find out.
Three and one half months before his second marriage, Moza persuaded his children to file a disclaimer to the slaves given them by Deed of Gift about 1763 in Caroline County.
He then married Phebe Vaden, daughter of William Vaden and Frances Wilson, on April 10, 1782. She was the widow of Robert Mann who had died of smallpox.
Military Service
The Hurts fought with the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. It doesn’t look like Moza fought, but he did supply aid to the Continental Army. The Bedford County Lists of publick claims filed by citizens lists Moza Hurt being returned provisions that had been collected in 1781 by Christopher Irvine. A Moses Hurt was recorded as having supplied 1 beef, 9 diets, 4 pecks corn. A Mosses Hurt supplied 2 diets and 2 pecks of corn.
Residence
In 1776, the family moved to Bedford County (cut from Lunenburg County in 1753) where they bought 284 acres of land.
In 1782, a new county, Campbell, was cut from Bedford County, where the Hurts had been living. Sometime by 1782, Moza’s wife, Mary, died, and he moved to Halifax County (cut from Lunenburg County in 1752), not necessarily in that order.
The 1782 Heads of Households Census from Halifax County, Virginia, lists Moza Hurt with fourteen whites and nineteen blacks in the household.
The 1785 Heads of Families Census from Halifax County, Virginia, lists Moza Hurt with eight whites, one dwelling, and eight other buildings.
Death
Moza died 1793 in Halifax County. His sons, James and Philemon, were the executors of his will. Phebe died two years later in 1795. His will read:
Sons Philemon and James, Executors.
To my son James Hurt, land whereon he now lives in Campbell County Virginia 617 acres
To my daughters: Patience and Prudence Hurt
To my married daughters: Sarah, wife of Michael Prewett, Jane, deceased wife of John Adams (“my poor daughter Jane, already departed this life”)…whereas: by the tender indulgence and earnest importunity of my wife in the year 1763, I believe, I made a deed of gift of sundry of my negroes to my then four children, namely, Jane, Betty, Philemon and Sarah Hurt, which is recorded at Campbell Court House,
and whereas some years ago I loaned John Adams and Jane his wife, my daughter, a negro, and to Michael Prewett and Billy his wife, a negro girl–I give to those who have had the greatest trouble raising the negro children should have their preference in their choices.I appoint my son Philemon and my son James as my sole executors –
Witnesses: William Mann, Stitts Harrison, Robert Mann, Polly Mann
Source: Will of Moza Hurt, 1793, Halifax County, Virginia. Will Book III, page 35
Thank you for this information. I am a descendant of Sara Ellen and Byrd Prewitt through their son, Robert Hurt Prewitt.
Prudence Hurt married Edmund Tompkins. She was my great great great grandmother.
Patience married Cornelius Jr. who is my GGG grandfather. They had Lafayette Felix McHaney who married Samantha Henry and they had James Robert who married Martha McClerkin who had my grandfather Thomas Cornelius who married Julia Grace Sando. They had my father Felix Lafayette McHaney.