John Taylor More
Encyclopedia
John Taylor More was a man of considerable influence in the Catskill region of the state of New York. He served in several political capacities in the Township of Roxbury, NY and in the State of New York.
. They resided in Catskill, NY several years.
Several years later the family had grown a considerable amount and they decided to try and resettle their claim in Harpersfield in 1786. They ended up trading claims with another man and gained claim to what is now Grand Gorge, New York
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After settling their claim, John T.'s father attracted more settlers to the area and within several years the town of Moresville, named after the family and now known as Grand Gorge, was well underway.
John T. raised his family in Moresville where he operated a hotel and a large farm adjacent to it.
Mr. More was also very active in the Presbyterian Church in the town of Moresville (within the township of Roxbury, NY).
. He was reelected to the assembly in 1808, 1810, and in 1814.
In 1819, he was nominated to, and ran for a position as a State Senator. He was elected and served in that capacity for four years.
Mr. More was not only involved in state politics, he also took an interest in matters closer to home. He was elected to the position of Town Supervisor of the Township of Roxbury (which Moresville lies within) in 1826, 1827, and in 1830. He was the first town clerk, occupying the post until 1809. He was also the postmaster for Moresville for twenty years.
After Eleanor died in 1832, John T. married a second time to Rachel Stewart (????-1855) of Stamford, NY, on January 9, 1833, the daughter of James and Maggie Stewart.
Early life
John Taylor More was born on February 27, 1771 in Rothiemurchus, Inverness Shire, Scotland to John More and Betty Taylor More. When still young his family, consisting of him, his parents, and his brother Robert, moved to the United States. They first settled near Harpersfield, NY but were driven back out by the Native AmericansIndigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
. They resided in Catskill, NY several years.
Several years later the family had grown a considerable amount and they decided to try and resettle their claim in Harpersfield in 1786. They ended up trading claims with another man and gained claim to what is now Grand Gorge, New York
Grand Gorge, New York
Grand Gorge is a hamlet in Roxbury, Delaware County, New York, United States. Although it is unincorporated, it has a post office, with the ZIP code of 12434...
.
After settling their claim, John T.'s father attracted more settlers to the area and within several years the town of Moresville, named after the family and now known as Grand Gorge, was well underway.
Marriage
After his family had settled the Moresville claim, John began courting Eleanor Laraway of Schohariekill (now Prattsville, NY). They were married on December 16, 1792 and had a total of twelve children, two of which died while in infancy.John T. raised his family in Moresville where he operated a hotel and a large farm adjacent to it.
Mr. More was also very active in the Presbyterian Church in the town of Moresville (within the township of Roxbury, NY).
Politics
In 1807, More he was elected as a member of the New York State AssemblyNew York State Assembly
The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature. The Assembly is composed of 150 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 128,652...
. He was reelected to the assembly in 1808, 1810, and in 1814.
In 1819, he was nominated to, and ran for a position as a State Senator. He was elected and served in that capacity for four years.
Mr. More was not only involved in state politics, he also took an interest in matters closer to home. He was elected to the position of Town Supervisor of the Township of Roxbury (which Moresville lies within) in 1826, 1827, and in 1830. He was the first town clerk, occupying the post until 1809. He was also the postmaster for Moresville for twenty years.
Personal life
John T. More was first married to Eleanor Laraway (1774–1832) on December 16, 1792, the daughter of Jonas and Cornelia Laraway. They had 12 children together:- John Laraway More (May 11, 1793 – May 24, 1862)
- Jonas Laraway More (December 18, 1794 – July 30, 1887)
- Robert Laraway More (March 4, 1797 – November 8, 1876)
- Mary More (January 6, 1799 – February 11, 1868)
- Andrew More (February 8, 1801 – September 28, 1877)
- Betty More (December 25, 1802 – November 18, 1803)
- Elizabeth Taylor More Foote (October 30, 1804 – November 5, 1886)
- Jane More Peck Howell Hoagland (November 28, 1806 – April 30, 1872)
- Samuel More (February 26, 1809 – December 26, 1843)
- Jacob Lansing More (March 2, 1811 – June 4, 1813)
- David Laraway More (June 13, 1814 – November 2, 1901)
- Jacob Laraway More (September 6, 1816 – May 26, 1891)
After Eleanor died in 1832, John T. married a second time to Rachel Stewart (????-1855) of Stamford, NY, on January 9, 1833, the daughter of James and Maggie Stewart.