Family history

demoss

Our 5^th great-grandmother Catherine Demoss, (also spelled as Demos), is reported to have been born in what was then Frederick County, Virginia* in 1743. The identification of her parents has yet to be fully proven. A good possibility is William Demoss born 22 Sep 1716 in Deer Creek Hundred, Baltimore County, Maryland, and died 1770 in that area of Frederick County which now lies in Berkeley County, West Virginia**, and his wife Rachel Winchell born 1717 at Deer Creek Hundred. William's parents are Louis DeMoss III born 1694 in Holland, died 19 Mar 1743 most likely at Opequon, Frederick County, Virginia***, and Catherine Callet, born 1684 in Harford County, Maryland, died 1743 at Opequon, Frederick County, Virginia.

Catherine married James Johnson of Frederick County, Virginia sometime around 1768. It is most probable that soon this marriage to Catherine and James migrated up into southwestern Pennsylvania. Here they settled on the edge of what was then the frontier of the English colonies in what would become Westmoreland County in 1773. Between 1769 and 1780 at least nine children are known to have been born to this union. One of these offspring is our 4^th great-grandfather Griffin Johnson. Catherine and James lived in the Westmoreland County area up until around 1798-1804. Sometime after this they moved west to Harrison County, Ohio most likely with their children’s families. Catherine lived the remainder of her years at this location where she passed away at age 72 years.

* In 1743 what is now Berkeley County, West Virginia was then a part of the newly organized Frederick County, Virginia. Berkeley County, Virginia did not come into existence until 1772. Berkeley County is now in the state of West Virginia.

** Ibid

*** Some sources name Opecan Parish, Orange, Virginia as place of death. This is unlikely as there is no Opecan Parish listed in Virginia at that time. In addition Opequon in Frederick County, Virginia is more in line with where the family resided during this time.

Origins of the surname

demoss

· An Introduction to the Name

· Meaning of the Name

· History of the Name

· Early Immigrants to North America

· More About Surname Meanings & Origins

An Introduction to the Name

The practice of inherited family surnames began in England and France during the late part of the 11^th century. With the passing of generations and the movement of families from place to place many of the original identifying names were altered into some of the versions that we are familiar with today. Over the centuries, most of our European ancestors accepted their surname as an unchangeable part of their lives. Thus people rarely changed their surname. Variations of most surnames were usually the result of an involuntary act such as when a government official wrote a name phonetically or made an error in transcription. Research into the record of this DeMoss family line indicates that the variations, meanings and history of this surname is most likely linked to that area of Europe where French, linguistic traditions are commonly found.

Meaning of the Name

As in other European countries French surnames developed from four major sources: (1) Occupational Surnames are also very common among French surnames, these last names are based on the person’s job or trade for instance Jean Tailleur i.e. John the tailor. (2) Patronymic & Matronymic Surnames that are based on a parent’s name, these are the most common origins of French surnames. The greater part of French patronymic and matronymic surnames are derived directly from the parent's given name like Michel Adolphe, i.e. Micheal son of Adolf. In some cases prefixes and suffixes are attached to a given name to create a patronymic surname such as Jacques de Edmé which means James the son of Edmond. (3) Geographical Surnames are those surnames based on a the place where person came from like Claude from the city of Lyon, becomes Claude Lyon. This type of name may also describe the location where the person resides within a village or town such as Jacques Jardin lives near a garden. (4) Descriptive Surnames are usually based upon a “nickname” (i.e., Moody, Wise, Armstrong); status (i.e. Freeman, Bond, Knight); and acquired ornamental names that were simply made up, for example Charles Leblanc come from Charles the white.

The meaning of the DeMoss name is not identified in the Dictionary of American Family Names. It is most probable that DeMoss is a habitational surname. An example of a place in France from which a person with this name could come is Moussé, or Moisson.

History of the Name

Coming from the medieval French word 'surnom' translating as "above-or-over name," surnames or descriptive names such as DeMoss trace their use back to 11th century France, when it first became necessary to add a second name to distinguish between individuals with the same given name. The custom of using surnames did not become common for several centuries, however. The French surname DeMoss, and its variant spellings, have traveled widely in many forms throughout Europe. First found in Bourgogne, where the family has been seated since ancient times. DeMoss is one of many surnames recorded in France.

Early Immigrants to North America

During the 17^th, 18^th and 19^th centuries hundreds of thousands of Europeans made the perilous ocean voyage to America. For many it was an escape from economic hardship and religious persecution. For most it was an opportunity to start over, own their own land, and make a better future for their descendents. Immigration records show a number of people bearing the name of DeMoss, or one of its variants, as arriving in North America between the 17^th and 20^th centuries. Some of these immigrants were: Louis Demoss has been identified as an early settler in America. Records show that he came to Maryland colony from Holland around 1715; John Moises settled in Virginia in 1663; Timothy Moise settled in Virginia in 1622; Frans P. Moits settled in Philadelphia in 1855; William Mosson settled in Maryland in 1697.

Use the following links to find more early immigrants with this surname:

$ Search Ancestry.com Immigration Records; or Free Ship’s Passenger lists at OliveTreeGenealogy.com

More About Surname Meanings & Origins

French Surnames

Suffixes & Prefixes - While not in common use as in Italy or Sweden, some French surnames are formed by the addition of various prefixes and suffixes. A variety of French suffixes including -eau, -elet, -elin, -elle, and -elot, mean "little son of" and can be found attached to a given name to form a patronym. Prefixes of French surnames also have specific origins. The prefixes "de," "des," "du," and "le" each translate as "of" and may be found used in patronymic and geographical French surnames. Some French-Norman patronymic surnames will have the prefix "fritz," from the Old French for "son of" (Fitzgerald - son of Gerald).

Alias Surnames or Dit Names - In some areas of France, a second surname may have been adopted in order to distinguish between different branches of the same family, especially when the families remained in the same town for generations. These alias surnames can often be found preceded by the word "dit." Sometimes an individual even adopted the dit name as the family name, and dropped the original surname. This practice was most common in France among soldiers and sailors.

Germanic Origins of French Names - As so many French surnames are derived from first names, it is important to know that many common French first names have Germanic origins, coming into fashion during German invasions into France. Therefore, having a name with Germanic origins does not necessarily mean that you have German ancestors!

Official Name Changes in France - Beginning in 1474, anyone who wished to change his name was required to get permission from the King. These official name changes can be found indexed in: Jérôme, archiviste. Dictionnaire des changements de noms de 1803 à 1956 (Dictionary of changed names from 1803 to 1956). Paris: Librairie Française, 1974.

Variations of the surname

Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to unfold and expand often leading to an overwhelming number of variants. As such one can encounter great variation in the spelling of surnames because in early times, spelling in general and thus the spelling of names was not yet standardized. Later on spellings would change with the branching and movement of families. Spelling variations of this family name include: Moisson, Moissonne, Moissone, Moissonnes, Moissones, Moisonne, Moisone, Moisonnes, Moisones, Moissan, Moissen, Moissanne, Moissenne, Moissane, Moissene, Moisan, Moissang, Moisang, de Moisson, de la Moisson, la Moisson, le Moisson, Lemoisson, Lamoissonne, Demoisson, Demoissonne, Mosson, Moise, Moises, Moisond, Moisonde, Moisont, Moisent, Moisen, Moisons, Moisanc, Moisand, Moissond, Moissond, Moissonde, Moissont, Moissent, Moissons, Moissanc, and many others.

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Coat of arms

demoss

In the Middle Ages heraldry came into use as a practical matter. It originated in the devices used to distinguish the armored warriors in tournament and war, and was also placed on seals as marks of identity. French heraldry is the use of heraldic symbols in France. Although it had a considerable history, like England, existing from the eleventh century, such formality has largely died out in France. The role of the herald (héraut) in France declined in the seventeenth century. Many of the terms in international heraldry come from French.

Fig. 1

There are no known associated armorial bearings for DeMoss and 3 for the close variant spelling of Moisson recorded in Reitstap’s Armorial General or Sir Bernard Burke’s General Armory. The following additional information has been found regarding the coat-of-arms shown at the left:

Figure 1: purported to be the arms of a DeMoss of France it features a shield divided quarterly: 1st and 4th, red; 2nd and 3rd, red with three silver bars.

A Coat of Arms is defined as a group of emblems and figures (heraldic bearings) usually arranged on and around a shield and serving as the special insignia of some person, family, or institution. Except for a few cases, there is really no such thing as a standard "coat of arms" for a surname. A coat of arms, more properly called an armorial achievement, armorial bearings or often just arms for short, is a design usually granted only to a single person not to an entire family or to a particular surname. Coats of arms are inheritable property, and they generally descend to male lineal descendents of the original arms grantee. The rules and traditions regarding Coats of Arms vary from country to country. Therefore a Coat of Arms for an English family would differ from that of a German family even when the surname is the same. The art of designing, displaying, describing, and recording arms is called heraldry. The use of coats of arms by countries, states, provinces, towns and villages is called civic heraldry. Some of the more prominent elements incorporated into a coat of arms are :

Crest - The word crest is often mistakenly applied to a coat of arms. The crest was a later development arising from the love of pageantry. Initially the crest consisted of charges painted onto a ridge on top of the helmet.

Wreath or Torse – The torse is a twist of cloth or wreath underneath and part of a crest. Always shown as six twists, the first tincture being the tincture of the field, the second the tincture of the metal, and so on.

Mantling – The mantling is a drapery tied to the helmet above the shield. It forms a backdrop for the shield.

Helm or Helmet - The helmet or helm is situated above the shield and bears the torse and crest. The style of helmet displayed varies according to rank and social status, and these styles developed over time, in step with the development of actual military helmets.

Shield or Arms - The basis of all coats of arms. At their simplest, arms consist of a shield with a plain field on which appears a geometrical shape or object. The items appearing on the shield are known as charges.

Motto - The motto was originally a war cry, but later mottoes often expressed some worthy sentiment. It may appear at the top or bottom of a family coat of arms.

Direct ancestors

Descendant Register

Generation 1

Catherine Demoss-1 was born on 17 Jun 1743 in Frederick County, Virginia. She died on 1815 in Harrison County, Ohio. She married James Johnson on Aft. 1764 in Virginia, son of William Johnson. He was born on 1740 in Virginia ?. He died on 1849 in Freeport, Harrison Co., Ohio.

Children of Catherine Demoss and James Johnson are:

2. Rachel Johnson, B: Abt. 1769 in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, M: Abt. 1800.

3. Deborah Johnson, B: Abt. 1771 in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania.

4. James Johnson, B: Abt. 1773 in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, M: 31 May 1804 in Jefferson County, Ohio.

5. Disberry Johnson, B: Abt. 1773 in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, M: Abt. 1800.

6. John Johnson, B: Sep 1775 in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, D: Bef. 1851 in Monroe County, Ohio.

7. Andrew William Johnson, B: 26 May 1776 in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, D: 07 Jan 1855 in Short Creek Twp., Harrison Co., Ohio, M: Abt. 1800 in Pennsylvania.

8. Henry Johnson, B: 04 Feb 1777 in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, D: Aft. 1852 in Antioch, Monroe Co., Ohio.

9. Griffin Johnson, B: 11 Aug 1778 in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, D: 19 Jul 1861 in Tamaroa, Perry Co., Illinois, M: 20 Oct 1798 in Pennsylvania ?.

10. Sarah Ann Johnson, B: 1780 in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, D: Abt. 1856 in Cincinnati, Hamilton Co., Ohio, M: 03 Jul 1798 in Jefferson County, Ohio.

11. Mary Johnson, B: Abt. 1782 in Washington County, Pennsylvania.

12. Nancy Johnson, B: Abt. 1784 in Washington, County, Pennsylvania.

Additional information about our DIRECT ANCESTORS as well as a complete listing of individuals with this surname may be reviewed by clicking on the following LINK.

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Ancestral locations

demoss

Researching the locations where our ancestors lived has provided us with valuable evidence needed to fill-in the gaps in our family trees. It has also led us to many interesting facts that enhance the overall picture of each family group. The names of states and counties on the following list were derived from the known places where the persons in the “Direct Ancestors” list (see above) were born, married, and / or died.

COUNTRY

STATE

COUNTY / SUBDIVISION

UNITED STATES

VIRGINIA

Frederick County (now Berkeley County, West Virginia)

OHIO

Harrison County

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ANCESTRAL LOCATIONS

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Source documents

demoss

The documents contained within the “Source Documents Archives” have been located during my research of this family, and used as evidence to prove many of the facts contained within the database of this family’s record.

Most of these documents can be considered as primary or secondary evidence. Primary evidence is usually defined as the best available to prove the fact in question, usually in an original document or record. Secondary evidence is in essence all that evidence which is inferior in its origin to primary evidence. That does not mean secondary evidence is always in error, but there is a greater chance of error. Examples of this type of evidence would be a copy of an original record, or oral testimony of a record’s contents. Published genealogies and family histories are also secondary evidence.

Classifying evidence as either primary or secondary does not tell anything about its accuracy or ultimate value. This is especially true of secondary evidence. Thus it is always a good idea to ask the following questions: (1) How far removed from the original is it, (when it is a copy)?; (2) What was the reason for the creation of the source which contains this evidence?; and (3) Who was responsible for creating this secondary evidence and what interest did they have in its accuracy? SOURCE: Greenwood, Val D., The Researcher’s Guide to American Genealogy, 2^nd edition, Genealogical Publishing Co., Baltimore, MD 21202, 1990, pgs. 62-63

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SOURCE DOCUMENTS

Web resources

demoss

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Fred
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USA

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