was the son of John Moffatt and Katherine Cutt. According to his gravestone, he died December 17, 1736. He was 11 years, 8 months, and 12 days old. Assuming the carver did not make a mistake, John’s birth date would have been April 5, 1725. It is not known what he died from. There was a Diphtheria epidemic in New England in 1735-1740 which killed over 5000, mostly children, so it is possible that is what took his life so early.
His father, John Moffatt, began his life in the American Colonies as a ship captain. He was born to John and Elizabeth Moffatt, March 16, 1691 in Dunster, Somerset, England. Through trade and land speculation, he become one of the wealthiest men in the colony. The Moffatt-Ladd House on Market Street in Portsmouth, New Hampshire is one of the finest examples of his wealth.
John married Katherine Cutt (born September 30, 1700), daughter of Robert Cutt and Dorcas Hammond, on August 20, 1723. They had 5 children…
Elizabeth 1724-1762 Married John Sherburne
John 1725-1736
Katherine 1734-1821 Married William Whipple
Mehitable 1737-1783 Married William Knight
Samuel 1738-1780 Married Sarah Catherine Tufton Mason
Katherine Cutt Moffatt died December 7, 1769 and was followed 17 years later by her husband on January 22, 1786. Both are buried in the North Cemetery in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
Katherine Moffatt – Find a Grave
In the early 1900’s, a survey was done of the Point of Graves and the inscriptions of the gravestones present were noted. A gravestone for young John Moffatt was recorded, along with another broken stone nearby with the date of death just days before.
JOHN MOFFATT SON
TO M r JOHN & M r8
KATHERINE MOFFATT
AGED 11 YEARS 8 M°
& 12 D 8 DIED DEC 1
Y e 17 th 1736.
[Broken stone.]
7 D DIED DEC
10 th 1736.
THE NEW HAMPSHIRE GENEALOGICAL RECORD vol. i. July 1903— April 1904
Currently, there is no gravestone in the Point of Graves for young John Moffatt. One could assume that the passage of time has taken the stone, but upon further research, that is not the case.
The stone is very much intact… in the North Cemetery.
John Moffatt – Find a Grave North Cemetery
How did the stone get from the Point of Graves to the North Cemetery? Was the body of young John Moffatt exhumed over 150 years after burial and reburied near his parents in the North Cemetery?
Or was just the stone moved and is young John still buried in the Point of Graves with nothing to tell of his presence?
That… makes me sad.
John Moffatt – Find a Grave Point of Graves