John Digges Moon

JOHN DIGGES MOON
John Digges, oldest child of William and Charlotte (Digges) Moon, was born September 13, 1794 (tombstone), at Stony Point.
John Digges Moon was called Senior to distinguish him from a cousin of the same name. According to the records at the War Department at. Washington, John D. Moon served for a short time in the War of 1812 as a private in Captain John Field’s Company. 8th Regiment (Wall’s) Virginia Militia.
In 1835, he became magistrate of Albemarle County.
He married Mary Elizabeth, daughter of Robert and Sarah Coleman (Turner) Barclay, at Viewmont, the home of her step¬ father, Capt. John Harris, a few days before she was sixteen.
The couple made their home at Mount Ayr, in Albemarle County, which John D. Moon purchased from the Gilmers at the request of Governor George Gilmer in 1838. (Records of Albemarle County, Deed Book 30, p. 199.)
The land was known as the mountain tract and contained 1417 acres. Gov. Gilmer is buried there.
Mount Ayr was on the Hardware River, six miles from Scottsville, and fifteen miles south of Charlottesville.
It was built about the time of the Revolution, but is not standing at present.
On each side of the house were planted locust trees to represent an army of soldiers facing each other.
The beautiful backyard ended in a bluff which went down to the Hardware River.
Numerous family portraits hung on the walls at Mount Ayr.
Among them were the portraits of John D. Moon and wife and his daughter, Lucy Reid.
Three of these portraits, well preserved, are in the possession of Mrs. Hunter F. Lewis of Richmond.
Since no member of the family has the other two portraits it is thought they were stolen from Mount Ayr.
The family graveyard is on the estate but about two miles to the right of the house when facing the front.
John Digves kept books with each of his five sons and charged their education to them, though they didn’t have to pay.
To each son he gave the choice of slaves or a higher education.
John Digges Moon was an Episcopalian, but in later life became a Baptist.
He died at Mount Ayr November 26, 1862, and is buried there.
His grave and that of his wife’s are marked by simple stones about 36 inches in height.
Issue:

1. Robert Barclay,
2. John Schuyler,
3. Lucy Reid,
4. Sallie T. E.,
5. William Franklin,
6. Anna Moylin,
7. James Nelson,
8. Mary Barclay, and
9. Jacob Luther.

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