Samuel Moore (colonial official)

The Honorable Samuel Moore was born around 1630 and died on 27 May 1688, aged about 58. Samuel Moore (called Moores in Savage's Genealogical Dictionary) removed from Newbury, MA to Middlesex Co., NJ probably in 1666, and certainly soon after the Duke of York had ceded the Province of New Jersey to John, Lord Berkeley and Sir George Carteret in 1664. He was one of the first in Massachusetts to convert to Quakerism, and as such was unwelcome in that Puritan colony. Locating at Woodbridge, he filed surveys for a number of tracts of land in the Woodbridge and Piscataway townships; on the 27 Dec. 1667, a patent was issued to him for 70 acres of land at a yearly rental of a half-penny sterling per acre. This 70 acre lot is situated in the lower end of what is now called "Lower Rahway". Part of the old tract remained in the family until the latter part of the 19th century. His house lot at Woodbridge encompassed sixteen acres of land.

Samuel Moore and Robert Dennis were chosen as delegates to represent the town of Woodbridge at the 2nd General Assembly of the Province of East Jersey which convened at Elizabethtown on 3rd Nov. 1668, Philip Carteret being Governor.

Samuel Moore was appointed Treasurer of the Province of East Jersey on 4 Dec. 1675 and reappointed in 1678, with compensation set at nine pence per pound. In 1682, he was ordained by an act of the Legislature one of the Commissioners for laying out highways, bridges, landings and ferries in the county of Middlesex.

At the first division of the public land of Woodbridge among the freeholders, in about 1670, Samuel Moore received a double portion amounting to about convert|356|acre|km2; his brother Matthew [known as "Moores"] received but convert|177|acre|km2.

His fellow townsmen elected him to various positions of trust, including: Assistant Justice of the Township Court, 1669-71, 1671 and 1681; President of the Court 1672-74; Marshall 1676; Clerk of the Court 1676-87; Overseer of the Highway 1669-70; Ratemaker (Assessor) during most of the period 1672-87; Rategatherer 1675-79 and 1683; Overseer of the poor 1682; Deputy in the General Assembly 1669, 1670, 1683 and 1688; Lieutenant of the military 1675. During the year 1683, he held the office of High Sheriff of Middlesex County, Deputy to the Assembly, Messenger of the House of Deputies, town clerk of Woodbridge and Tax Collector of the township.