Jeremiah Moore

Jeremiah Moore (1746-1815) is the great great grandfather of Fannie LaRue Moore (1884-1960). His impact on Thomas Jefferson played a likely role in the drafting of the Bill of Rights as documented in the PBS film below.

PBS Frontline: God in America

Description from the PBS website. 

For the first time on television, God in America explores the tumultuous 400-year history of the intersection of religion and public life in America, from the first European settlements. A co-production of AMERICAN EXPERIENCE and FRONTLINE, this six-hour series examines how religious dissidents helped shape the American concept of religious liberty and the controversial evolution of that ideal in the nation's courts and political arena. Below we have the full episode, and separately the beginning portion of the program which recounts the role of Jeremiah Moore

This video is the episode titled "A New Eden". Starting at about the 3 minute mark in the video, the next 18 minutes is primarily devoted to Jeremiah Moore and his influence on Thomas Jefferson.


As God in America unfolds, it reveals the deep roots of American religious identity in the universal quest for liberty and individualism -- ideas that played out in the unlikely political union between Thomas Jefferson and defiant Baptists to oppose the established church in Virginia and that were later embraced by free-wheeling Methodists and maverick Presbyterians. 

Short Excerpt from PBS series "God in America" (5 minutes)

Full PBS Frontline Episode - A New Eden

Longer Excerpt from "A New Eden" (17 minutes)

William Cabell Moore

From "Virginia Genealogies, Volume III, Notes on some Moore and French Families in Virginia, and Carolina in the Colonial Period", by William Cabell Moore, page 775, published in 1934:

Fairfax county was formed from Prince William in 1742. There are no court records in Fairfax throwing light on the ancestry of Jeremiah, though there are a few records in the Clerk's office in which Jeremiah himself is mentioned. Jeremiah left Prince William in 1773, when he was twenty-seven years of age, and settled in Fairfax county on Difficult Run. Some years later he moved to "Moorefield", near Vienna. He was a farmer as well as a preacher, and was evidently a good business man, for he left a fair sized estate for his time. It is possible that when in 1773 he became a Baptist, and entered actively upon preaching this faith, then outlawed, he became estranged from his family, for he promptly moved from Prince Williiam and his son, Francis, says in a sketch of Jeremiah's life that after becoming a Baptist he "lost the friendship of many of his former friends, all of whom belonged to the Episcopal Church, and some of whom were enemies of the Baptists". His parents and other members of the family may also have given him up. 

Jeremiah Moore is the great great grandfather of Fannie LaRue Moore of Petersburg.

Jeremiah Moore (1917 clipping)

Excerpt from "The Sunday Star", Washington, D.C., July 15, 1917, part 4, page 3, Library of Congress, Washington D.C.

Turning into a rough road bordered on each side by big trees, the "Rambler" came to a long, low, frame house, the front of which was deeply shaded and nearly screened by box trees that are a century old. This place was the home of Jeremiah Moore, a man who died 102 years ago, after having lived seventy years.

The "Rambler" cannot hope that many of those persons whose eyes are following these lines will recall much or any of the life story of this remarkable man. The name will be familiar, however to those who have been interested in the religious history of colonial and republican Virginia, especially those who are familiar with the history of the Baptist Church in Virginia, for Jeremiah Moore was a conspicuous man in that church as well as a man of note in Virginia. He was born in the Episcopal faith, but became a Primitive Baptist or old-style Baptist. He sustained persecution from those who preferred creeds that were more numerously professed in his day, and he bore so long and well an honorable part of the upbuilding of the Baptist Church in the country near Washington that the history of the Baptist Church in Virginia cannot be written without references to his praise. Many men and women of his blood live in and close by the District of Columbia and his kindred dwell in the old home and from its windows look across the fields to a beautiful and solemn spot where he was buried. 

In coming upon this interesting place the "Rambler", after crossing the Chain bridge and passing Langley, McLean, Lewinsville, Strawberry Vale Manor and Tyson Cross-roads, reached Vienna. Walking along the main way of Vienna, which is the automobile road leading southerly to Fairfax Court House, he turned eastward into a narrow road with green and shrubby borders which is called the "Old Court House" road. This road is so-called because it is the older road leading from Vienna to the village of Fairfax. It is bordered for much of its way by massy hedges of bush and tree, while outside this fringe of wild green, broad fields stretch away to distant woods; some of the fields are fruitful with corn and wheat and some are set off in orchards. Others are white with daisies, daisy-fleabean, wild carrot and weeds that have no pretty flowers. They are "slacker fields" and the "Rambler" passed many of these lazy acres on his walk.

Under half a mile from the village of Vienna, the Old Court House road makes a turn to the south and two roads less traveled than it, strike off to the left. One leads into the farm of J. T. Ross and the other, after passing the site of a fire-ruined house and a nearly forgotten garden of box and fruit trees, crosses fields and comes to a gray and rambling home where the porch is covered with fragrant white magnolia roses and great purple flowers of clematis.

Moorefield - Home of Jeremiah Moore

This is the Broadwater house, the Virginia ancestral home of quite a celebrated family. From the garden of the home there is visible across the fields to the east, the home of Jeremiah Moore. Over this field the "Rambler" went, then under the shade of a grove of oaks, over a little stream and into a country road that connects with the Old Court House road. Opening a farm gate, he sauntered along the rough road bordered by big trees mentioned at the beginning of this narrative. This is the private road through the lands of "Moorefield" for that is the name of the home of Jeremiah Moore and many generations of the Moores."

Jeremiah Moore Obituary

The Alexandria Gazette, 25 February 1815

DIED, on the 23d instant, after a long illness, Jeremiah Moore, Senior, of Fairfax County, Va in the 69th year of his age. -- He has left behind him an aged widow, the companion of his youth, with nine children, to bemoan the loss of a kind husband and an affectionate father. The character of the deceased, is generally known in his own, and neighboring states. -- He was a laborious and fathful defender of the doctrines of the everlasting gospel -- nor did he more assert, and illustrate these in his writings and public di[s]courses, than he confirmed their heavenly origin, by a conduct according to Godliness. More than forty years he labored in the Vineyard of his Divine Master. He now is called home to receive his wages -- not of debt, but of grace. -- Grace, that theme which so many years employed his tongue, and rejoiced his heart.

The whole course of his public ministry proved that he was mindful of that divine injunction, "Buy the truth and sell it not." Many there are, who need not printed columns to revive in their minds a recollection of his labors -- many upon the fleshly tables of whose hearts his commendatory epistles are deeply written.

He signified to a familiar friend a few weeks before his death, that the time of his departure was at hand -- may we not add, that, "he has fought the good fight ; finished his course ; kept the faith."

Family Bible

The following record was copied in 1932 by James A. Strider from Ammishaddai Moore's Family Bible, then in the possession of W. Cabell Moore of Washington, DC. It appears as given to the contributor.

The Rev. Jeremiah Moore, b. June 7, 1746, d. Feb. 23, 1815, and Lydia Renno Moore, b. 1745, d. Oct. 8, 1835 of "Moorefield," in Fairfax Co., VA, were married Nov. 1, 1765 and are buried in the family graveyard at "Moorefield." Lydia Renno was a daughter of Francis Renno (Renneau) son of Louis Renneau, a Huguenot who came to Prince William Co, VA and was naturalized in 1688.

The children of Jeremiah and Lydia Renno More were:

Notes: The Rev. Jeremiah Moore founded the First Baptist Church of Washington in 1802; the First Baptist of Alexandria in 1803, and the Second of Washington in 1810. A tablet pertaining to him appears in the foyer of First Baptist Church of Alexandria, Virginia.

Lydia (Renoe) Moore was daughter of Francis Renoe Senior, whose will was made October 18, 1794, probated Prince William County, Virginia, on October 2, 1797 (Will Book H, page 224). Francis Renoe was son of Lewis Reno (Court Order Book 1755-1757, page 181, Prince William Court January 27, 1755; Prince William County Deed Book P, page 67, May 25, 1761.

From the "Genealogy of the Reno/Reneau Family in America 1600-1920", by Dr. Steven G. Fancy, and Sue Reneau Damewood

Article in William and Mary Quarterly January 1933 ; 3-10, "Jeremiah Moore, 1746-1815", by William Cabell Moore.

"Rev. Jeremiah Moore was raised as an Episcopalian and was a vestryman of Dettinger Parish Church. In 1772, he gave up this office and entered the ministry of the Baptist Church, and founded the first Baptist congregation in Alexandria, Virginia. For this he was prosecuted by the Episcopal Bishop for "preaching the gospel without a license", since Episcopalianism was then the established religion in Virginia. He was defended by Patrick Henry, after being jailed in Alexandria. Jeremiah and Lydia moved to their new home "Moorefield", about one mile southeast of Vienna, Virginia about 1789. Jeremiah's mother was Angelina French, and many of his children were given the middle name of French. In his August 1814 will, Jeremiah wrote about his wife: "She shall not be obliged to take out letters of administration, give any security or have any appraisement, whatever the law may say to the contrary notwithstanding, for I have more confidence in her justice, integrity, and uprightness than in all the Courts that ever sat in the Commonwealth or elsewhere". Lydia Reno died at Moorefield, and is buried there in the family graveyard. They had 11 children".

Excerpt from Alexandria Gazette, 1949

"FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH IS MONUMENT TO JEREMIAH MOORE, SPEARHEAD FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN NATION". Crusading Pastor Preached From Alexandria Jail in Long Struggle with British Crown for Rights; Lives to see Beliefs established in New Nation. 

The First Baptist Church on Washington Street (in Alexandria, Virginia) with its 2,000 members is the living testament of the contribution of one man to the cause of religious freedom. He was Jeremiah Moore, and itinerant of no great education, but endowed with a burning passion to preach the Gospel. Born on June 7, 1746 in Prince William County, he professed faith at 26, and went forth in the wilderness like John, the Baptist, to bring the humanity that had sprawled over the general Alexandria area, closer to the fold of righteousness. In this endeavor he traveled over uncertain and unknown paths and suffered all kinds of privations. Yet he lived to see his first congregation, which was established here in 1803, become a thriving church. 

For those who did not belong to the established Church of England, the task of preaching the Gospel was difficult. Throughout the land the word "treason" was being whispered guardedly and with fear that some overt word or deed might hurl one to England for a trial that easily could end upon the gallows.

The Presbyterians had been successful in obtaining some concessions under the Act of Tolerance, but Moore felt that all men had the God-given right to go forth and preach the Gospel, and in that thought he asked no quarter, and without license proceeded to draw people into the fold without asking any human permission for such a right. For that he was thrown into jail, and he continued to preach through the wooden stakes that barred him from physical freedom.

Meanwhile politically, the hand of destiny was shaping the Revolution that came swiftly enough when the colonies openly defied the tyranny of England. Patrick Henry's oratory had burst into a flame that was spreading rapidly. Beginning as a lay reader in Dettingen Church in Prince William County, Moore soon absorbed the freedom of the hills, the same freedom that had fired the zeal of George Washington and other leaders who struck at the power of the Crown with effective consequences.

It was natural, therefore, for Moore to refuse to obey the laws of the Established Church of which he was a lay reader. The vestry men of Fairfax Parish who had been elected by the freeholders, seemed determined to exercise civil and religious authority and no one thought of questioning a law of the Virginia Assembly enacted in 1643. 

Moore ventured forth and on one of his itineraries at Difficult Creek, Fairfax County, he was arrested. Since the jail was in Alexandria, the county seat, Moore was brought to this city in a drastic move to compel obedience. 

He was told: "You shall lie in jail till you rot, or obey the law". But the authority which made that provision had not reckoned with other factors that swiftly were taking form.

All other non-conformity preachers obeyed the law and obtained permission as required, but this youth followed a different course. He stood firmly against a law that would permit such an outrage and rather than retract from his position, he remained in jail and continued to preach. . .through the lattice door.

The very novelty of this procedure attracted crowds, and in that day and in that small town, it was not long before such news spread over the countryside. Washington and Mason frequently were here. They heard about everything else in town and must have been informed of this young preacher. (continued below)

(continued from Alexandria Gazette, 1949) While no actual records are available to prove the point, tradition in the Moore family says that Patrick Henry, known for his ability before the bar, came to Alexandria and became interested in the case. Henry is said to have taken an immediate and positive stand. Nothing of record specifically says that Henry ever represented Moore, except tradition which the Moore family members themselves cherish in that respect.

At any rate Henry's views on the subject of all phases of human freedom either had been by that time or soon were to be thoroughly understood by the English Crown. It is not surprising, therefore, that he should have flinched under the knowledge of a preacher being jailed for expounding the Gospel, and he is quoted as saying with reference to Jeremiah Moore: "Great God, gentlemen, a man in prison for preaching the Gospel of the Son of God". 

"Moorefield", Jeremiah Moore's home, is the oldest house in Fairfax County and sits on dedicated park land in Vienna, Virginia. Interestingly, Jeremiah Moore's house is less than 1/4 mile from my son's front door, in fact my son's little piece of Fairfax County probably belonged to Jeremiah Moore, the colonial fire brand. 

The War for Independence in Virginia was as much about religious freedom as it was any other cause. Young Jeremiah Moore corresponded with Thomas Jefferson while Jefferson was developing his concept of religious freedom. Moore was instrumental, with concrete support from Jefferson, in formulating and circulating a petition in Virginia which called for religious freedom. Many copies of this petition, now known as "The Baptist Petition", were signed and collected, submitted to the new Virginia government, and preserved. Over 10,000 Virginia men signed this petition, all neatly collected in groups according to proximity of residence - though locations are not identified. This is pretty spectacular when you consider that only about 90,000 souls lived in Virginia at this time. 

I discovered the existence of this petition about 12 years ago, found that no one had transcribed it, had it copied by the Virginia Archives, and began transcribing it. Soon after, my life changed to such a degree that I put it, and all other study of the historical family, away until about six months ago. Guess I'd better pull that old petition out again. It still lies untranscribed, and probably undisturbed, in the Archives of Virginia."

  

  

This video documents the deconstruction of Moorefield in 2003 as a preservation measure. The house prior to disassembly  is shown in the photo below.

Moorefield: Virginia Department of Historic Resources

Moorefield in Fairfax County was the home of Jeremiah Moore (1746-1815), a pioneer Baptist preacher and reformer who was an early advocate of religious freedom and of the separation of church and state in Virginia. Moore was known to Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, George Mason, and Patrick Henry, and he encouraged their active support of his principles. His home, now surrounded by modern housing, was originally a simple wood-frame vernacular farmhouse, typical of the area, but was significantly modified in the 1950s when it was veneered with brick and had its dormers altered. Much of the original fabric remains intact beneath the later work. Now owned by the town of Vienna, long-term plans call for restoration to its original appearance. Pastor Moore lies buried in a family cemetery near the house.

In 1975 the house and its surrounding 1/2-acre parcel were acquired by the Town of Vienna, which planned to restore the house and develop it as a cultural amenity. The building gradually declined until it was decided it would be too expensive to restore. The building was dismantled in September of 2003, and its parts were put into storage. During the summer of 2006 a Baptist group purchased the house and planned to reassemble it somewhere outside of Fairfax County. Moorefield has been removed from the registers.