People of the Moss Persuasion

 Edward Moss was the first Moss to emigrate to America. His name was first recorded in the York County, Virginia Court in 1625. However, other references give a much later date of 1644 for is residence in York County, Virginia. The most logical explanation for the difference in dates is that Edward Moss, being only 15 when first coming to America, may have returned to the colony of Virginia during the English Civil War (1642-1649), where he lived only a short time before his death.

Little else is known about Edward Moss except that he was a member of the Anglican church.

The name Moss dates back to the days of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is derived from their residence near a peat bog. As a local surname, Moss belongs to the category of hereditary surnames. There are a variety of types of local surnames, some of which include: topographic surnames, which could be given to a person who lived beside any physical feature, such as a hill, stream, church or type of tree. Habitation names form the other broad category of surnames that were derived from place-names. They were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. Other local names are derived from the names of houses, manors, estates, regions, and entire counties. This surname may also come from the religious personal name, Moses. The form Moss, was common vernacular for Moses, in the Middle Ages.

Spelling variations include: Moss, Mos, Mosse and others.

First found in Lancashire where they were seated from very early times and were granted lands by Duke William of Normandy, their liege Lord, for their distinguished assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D.Some of the first settlers of this name or some of its variants were: Richard Moss (my 11th Great grandfather) who settled in Virginia in 1635; Joe and Jane Moss settled in Virginia in 1635; Edward, James, John, Joseph, Patrick, Richard, Rose, Samuel, Thomas and William Moss all arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1860.

Motto Translated: I flourish in the rose.