MOSS in Florida From West Indies

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MOSS in Florida from West Indies/Bahamas (and Allied Surnames)

There were Moss descendants from The Bahamas living in Monroe County, Florida as early as 1860,

according to the federal census. Also, there were 31 Bethel (spelled with one L) descendants, including

Mary Bethel b ca 1792, Noah Bethel b ca 1804, Nicholas Bethel b ca 1813, Benjamin Bethel b ca 1815

and Winer Bethel b ca 1817all born in The Bahamas and living in Key West. They were alsoenumerated in the 1850 Key West census. In addition there were 35 Knowles descendants from The

Bahamas included in the 1860 census of Monroe County, Florida, Key West.

Background - Key West and Monroe County

Monroe County includes the islands of the Florida Keys. Its county seat is Key West, known as the

southernmost city in the Continental United States. Key West has a notably mild, tropical climate similar

to the Caribbean islands. Between the south coast of Florida's mainland and the Florida Keys is Florida

Bay, which contains numerous islets or keys.

In 1870 there were 5,657 inhabitants in the county. The total population for Monroe County in 1900 wasjust over 18,000 inhabitants. There were 1489 white people born in The Bahamas listed in the 1900

census for Key West.

In 2010 more than 99% of the Monroe County population lives in the island chain known as the Florida

Keys. Two thirds of the large area in what local residents call "mainland Monroe" is protected by virtue

of being part of the Everglades National Park, and the remainder by the Big Cypress National Preserve in

the northeastern interior.

Monroe Countys Location in Florida. Key West is at the End of the Island Chain.

Many of the residents of Key West were immigrants from the Bahamas, known asConchs(pronounced

'conks'), who arrived in increasing numbers after 1830. Many were sons and daughters of Loyalists who

fled to the nearest Crown soil during the American Revolution. In the 20th century many residents of

Key West started referring to themselves as "Conchs", and the term is now generally applied to all

residents of Key West.

Some residents use the term "Conch" (or, alternatively, "Saltwater Conch") to refer to a person born in

Key West, while the term "Freshwater Conch" refers to a resident not born in Key West but who has
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_Keyshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/County_seathttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Key_West,_Floridahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continental_United_Stateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_climatehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caribbeanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islandshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_Bayhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_Bayhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_Keyshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_Keyshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everglades_National_Parkhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Cypress_National_Preservehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immigranthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bahamashttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conch_(people)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conch_(people)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conch_(people)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Monroe_County_Florida_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Key_West_Highlighted.svghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Map_of_Florida_highlighting_Monroe_County.svghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Monroe_County_Florida_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Key_West_Highlighted.svghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Map_of_Florida_highlighting_Monroe_County.svghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conch_(people)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bahamashttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immigranthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Cypress_National_Preservehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everglades_National_Parkhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_Keyshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_Keyshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_Bayhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_Bayhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islandshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caribbeanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_climatehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continental_United_Stateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Key_West,_Floridahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/County_seathttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_Keys


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lived in Key West for seven years or more.

However, the true original meaning ofConch applies only to

someone with European ancestry who immigrated from the Bahamas. It is said that when a baby was

born, the family would put a conch shell on a pole in front of their home.

Major industries in Key West in the early 1800s includedfishing, salt production, and salvage. By 1860

wrecking made Key West the largest and richest city in Florida and the wealthiest town per capita in theU.S. A number of the inhabitants worked salvaging shipwrecks from nearby Florida reefs, and the town

was noted for the unusually high concentration of fine furniture and chandeliers that the locals used in

their own homes after salvaging them from wrecks.

During the American Civil War, while Florida seceded and joined the Confederate States of America, Key

West remained in U.S. Union hands because of the naval base. Key West was always an important

military post, since it sits at the northern edge of the deepwater channel connecting the Atlantic and the

Gulf of Mexico. Most locals were sympathetic to the South, flying Confederate flags over their homes.

In the late 1800s, salt and salvage declined as industries, but Key West gained a thrivingcigar-making

industry. By 1889, Key West was the largest and wealthiest city in Florida, even though it was located onan island. Key West was relatively isolated until 1912, when it was connected to the Florida mainland

via the Overseas Railway extension ofHenry M. Flagler's Florida East Coast Railway.

The original Key West settlement is located on the western part of the island is called Old Town. In this

historic district are found wood-frame classic bungalows and guest mansions set on foundation piers

about three feet above the ground dating from about 1886 to 1912. They have distinctive architectural

features, such as: peaked "metal" roofs, horizontal wood siding, gingerbread trim, pastel paint colors,

side-hinged louvered shutters, coverings built over the front areas of porches, balconies, galleries, or

verandas and wood lattice screens that cover over the area elevated by the piers.

Hurricanes rarely hit Key West, and the island has been relatively lucky. The Labor Day Hurricane of

1935 destroyed much of the railroad and killed hundreds of residents, including around 400 World War I

veterans living in camps and working on federal road and mosquito-control projects in the Middle Keys.

Locals say that Hurricane Wilma on October 24, 2005, was the worst storm in memory. Fortunately, the

entire island was told to evacuate. After the hurricane had passed, a storm surge sent eight feet of

water inland, completely inundating a large portion of the lower Keys.

(Source May 2010: Wikipedia)

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Earliest Moss descendants from The Bahamas living in Monroe Co FL:

1860 Monroe Co FL, Key West

Sarah Moss age 38 b ca 1822 Bahamas, Seamstress (is husband Mr. Moss, deceased?); Josephus Moss

14 b ca 1846 Bahamas; Emma Moss age 13, b ca 1847 Bahamas; Ellen Moss age 11, b ca 1849 Bahamas;

Henry Moss age 3, b ca 1857 Florida

(Living next to other families from The Bahamas & nearly every adult female works as a seamstress.)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrieshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fishinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fishinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_salvagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wrecking_(shipwreck)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Per_capitahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shipwreckhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reefhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Furniturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chandelierhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Civil_Warhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confederate_States_of_Americahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cigarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cigarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overseas_Railwayhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Morrison_Flaglerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_East_Coast_Railwayhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labor_Day_Hurricane_of_1935http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labor_Day_Hurricane_of_1935http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_Ihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Wilmahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Wilmahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_Ihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labor_Day_Hurricane_of_1935http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labor_Day_Hurricane_of_1935http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_East_Coast_Railwayhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Morrison_Flaglerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overseas_Railwayhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cigarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confederate_States_of_Americahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Civil_Warhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chandelierhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Furniturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reefhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shipwreckhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Per_capitahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wrecking_(shipwreck)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_salvagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fishinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industries


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1870 Monroe Co, FL, Key West

Sarah Moss age 48, b ca 1822 Bahamas, Housekeeper, Henry Moss age 13, b ca 1857 Florida living with

family of: William H. & Ellen Edgar. She was born in The Bahamas.

Joseph H. Moss age 24, b ca 1846 Bahamas, Carpenter, living with the family of: John I. and Emma

Warren. She was born in The Bahamas.

(Both families are next door to each other.)


Joseph Moss, Head, age 34, b ca 1846 Bahamas, White, Occupation carpenter, Both parents b Bahamas

Lydia, wife, age 24, b ca 1854 FL, Both parents b Bahamas

Lewis, son, age 6 , b ca 1874 FL

No Federal Census for 1890. It was destroyed.


(Lots of Eleuthera, Harbour Island surnames in 1900 Federal Census for Monroe Co, FL, Key West.)

At U.S. Marine Hospital (small hospital with 9 patients of all whom are seamen)

Thomas Moss age 39, b Mar 1861 Bahamas, White, Seaman, Immigrated in 1894, Resident for 6 yrs;

Both parents b Bahamas.

At Key West City

Henry Moss age 44, b Dec 1855 FL, White, Both parents b Bahamas, Occupation Cigar ManufacturerJulia, wife, age 42 , b Dec 1857 FL, Both parents b Bahamas; Married 19 yrs, 7 children & 7 living;Sarah, dau, age 18, b Dec 1881 FL; Nellie, dau, age 15, b Aug 1884 FL; Joseph, son, age13, Jun 1886 FL;

Henry, son, age 11, b Dec 1888 FL; Mary, dau, age 9, b Sep 1890 FL; Edgar, son, age 4, b Apr 1896 FL;

William, son, age 4, b Apr 1896 FL

J. W. Allen age 43, b Jan 1857 NY, Marr date 1888, Storekeeper, Parents b NY

Cornelia Allen, wife, age 36, b Sep 1864 FL, Married 12 yrs, No children, Parents b Bahamas

Lydia Moss, sis in law, age 45, b Apr 1855 FL, Widow, Married 12 yrs, 1 child, Parents b Bahamas

Annie B. Brown, sis in law, age 33, b Dec 1867 FL, Widow, Married 2 yrs, 1 child, P O Clerk, Parents b

Bahamas

Louis H. Moss, nephew, age 26, b Jan 1854 FL, Clerk, father b Bahamas & mother b FLWilliam Brown, nephew, age 11, b Dec 1889 FL, father b US & mother b FL

(NOTE: That places Lydia and Annie as sisters-in-law of J. W. Allen. Since their parents were both born

in The Bahamas, while his were both born in NY, they must have been the sisters of Cornelia.

_____________________________________________________________________________________


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A number of the Griffin family immigrated to Monroe Co FL from Eleuthera Island, The Bahamas.

Rootsweb.com World Connect Project Family Group ofParker_Brady_Zimmerman Ancestor Tree

July 2009 Email: Claire at [email protected]

From the Griffin Family Genealogy

John Thomas GRIFFIN(Thomas ? GRIFFIN2, Ann ? ?? w\o John ? GRIFFIN1) was born 8 SEP 1824 in

Governor's Harbour, Eleuthera, Bahamas, and died 24 JUN 1897 in Eleuthera, Bahamas. He was buried

in Bayside Cemetery there also.

He marriedAnn Eliza BETHELBEF 1850 in Governors Harbour, Eleuthera, Bahamas, daughter ofThomas

BETHEL and Martha ? MOSS. She was born 26 OCT 1828 in Governor's Harbour, Eleuthera, Bahamas,

was christened 26 JUL 1829 there also. She died JUN 1904 in Governor's Harbour, Eleuthera, Bahamas

and was buried in Bayside Cemetery there also.

Also, three children of George F. GRIFFIN , Sr. and Elizabeth ? HUTCHESON of Eleuthera Island Bahamas

and Abaco Island, Bahamas came to Key West, Monroe Co FL:

George F. GRIFFIN , Jr. was born ABT 1820 in Bahamas, and died 20 MAR 1894 in Key West, Monroe

County, Florida. (As per the list of his childrens births, he and his wife moved to Key West, Monroe Co,

FL between 1844 and 1850.)

Albert Saunders GRIFFIN was born 1 AUG 1825 in Governor's Harbour, Eleuthera, Bahamas, was

christened 19 JUL 1829 in Governor's Harbour, Eleuthera, Bahamas, and died 29 DEC 1915 in Key West,

Monroe County, Florida.

Benjamin ? GRIFFIN was born ABT 1834 in Hope Town, Abaco, Bahamas, and died 22 JAN 1901 in Key

West, Monroe County, Florida.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Abraham G. Griffin immigrated from The Bahamas to New London CT with his family in 1869.

1900 New London Co, Connecticut, New London City

Living with Abraham G. Griffin & family, age 43, b Apr 1856 Bahamas, Head of family, Married 22 yrs, 3

children, 2 living, Occupation grocer, Immigrated in 1869, Resident for 30 yrs, Naturalized, Both parents

b Bahamas (Wife Jennie E. and her father, DeWitt C. Reed age 73, living with family also)

Living with them wastheir nephew Harmon V Moss age22, b Dec 1877, Bahamas, White, Single,

Nephew, Clerk Hardware, Both parents b Bahamas

Harmon was the son of Silas Wheelock Moss and the grandson of James Robert Moss, brother to John

Thomas Moss of Eleuthera Island.

_____________________________________________________________________________________
mailto:[email protected]://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=caj1937&id=I09671http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=caj1937&id=I09671http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=caj1937&id=I09680http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=caj1937&id=I09680http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=caj1937&id=I09680http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=caj1937&id=I02318http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=caj1937&id=I09120http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=caj1937&id=I02319http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=caj1937&id=I02319http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=caj1937&id=I09120http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=caj1937&id=I02318http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=caj1937&id=I09680http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=caj1937&id=I09671mailto:[email protected]


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From Rootsweb.com World Connect Project Bethel Family Group Sheet online

17963

Updated: Fri Feb 22 10 Contact: Email to [email protected]

ID: I380

Name: WILLIAM H. BETHEL

Birth: 12 JUN 1824 in Green Turtle Cay, Abaco, Bahamas

Death: 15 JAN 1895 in KEY WEST, MONROE, FL

Burial: 16 JAN 1895 KEY WEST, MONROE, FL

Marriage 1 SARAH PINDER b: 7 MAR 1824 in Green Turtle Cay, Abaco, Bahamas

Children

1. Euphemia BETHEL b: 15 DEC 1844 in Green Turtle Cay, Abaco, Bah.2. WILLIAM BETHEL b: 5 SEP 1859 in Green Turtle Cay, Abaco, Bah.3. LOUISE EVELYN BETHEL b: 16 APR 1866 in Green Turtle Cay, Abaco, Bah.4. Arthur Lockhart BETHEL b: 29 APR 1867 in Jacksonville, Fl Or Bahamas5. Alicia ANN BETHEL b: ABT 18686. Ludwig BETHEL b: ABT 1869

(Note: Abaco Island had a large timber industry.)

_________________________________________________________________________________________


William H. Bethel age 55 Bahamas, Laborer; Sarah A. age 55 Bahamas; William H. age 23 Bahamas,

Seaman; Winer age 21 Bahamas, Seaman; Samuel age 18 Bahamas, Cigar maker

(Living next to two Pinder families.)
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=:a17963&id=I381http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=:a17963&id=I382http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=:a17963&id=I384http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=:a17963&id=I386http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=:a17963&id=I390http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=:a17963&id=I378http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=:a17963&id=I388http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=:a17963&id=I388http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=:a17963&id=I378http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=:a17963&id=I390http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=:a17963&id=I386http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=:a17963&id=I384http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=:a17963&id=I382http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=:a17963&id=I381

MOSS in Florida From West Indies

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