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Hugh was born ca 1633 according to his testimony on March 4, 1662/3 when he said that he was "aged thirty or thereabouts." Evidence is convincing that he was a son of Nicholas, son of John Moger of Cucklington and Wincanton, Somersetshire, England. He had a sister, Mary, who married his wife's brother John Maxson, according to many genealogists, none of whom cites the proof. If that is correct, Hugh's mother was living with the Maxsons on October 24, 1677, when John Maxson was excused from jury duty because both his wife and his mother-in-law were ill. The mother-in-law in this instance had to be his wife's mother, rather than his stepmother because he had a stepfather, John Harndell. This mother-in-law may have been the Lydia Mosher whose name precedes Rebecca Mosher (wife of Hugh) in the membership list of the Tiverton Baptist church in 1680 for no other Lydia Mosher appears in the family until about 1695. Hugh first appears in the Rhode Island records on June 29, 1660 when he and five others of Newport, bought certain land at Misquamicut (Westerly), of the Indian sachem Socho, which had been given the latter by Canonicus and Miantonomi, for driving off the Pequots in 1637. Hugh probably lived for a time in Westerly, but in 1664 he was admitted freeman of Portsmouth. Town records show him there as early as 1668, and in 1670, 1673, 1676 and 1677. In 1665, Hugh married Rebecca Maxson, daughter of Richard & Rebecca (____) Maxson. Rebecca was born in Dartmouth, Massachusetts and died between December 29, 1707 and February 25, 1707/8. Hugh married secondly, Sarah Butcher, widow of Rev. John Harding. There were no children by this marriage. In 1684 at Dartmouth, Hugh was ordained as pastor of the First Baptist Church at its organization. This church soon embraced people living in Dartmouth, and the Rhode Island communities of Tiverton and Little Compton. A Portsmouth court record of July 8, 1668 indicates that Hugh, having purchased of Thomas Lawton part of his farm near Hunting Swamp, obliges himself and heirs to maintain a good fence in the line between himself and Thomas Lawton. On August 24, 1676 he was a member of the Court Martial, held at Newport for the trial of certain Indians charges with being engaged in King Phillip's designs. Several of them were sentenced to be executed. In 1680 Hugh was taxed £1, 4s., 1d. On November 7, 1691 he sold to Joseph Braman for 36s. "half my share belonging to purchasers of Westquadnoid. (The deed was witnessed by Rebecca Mosher and John Mosher.) John Harndell's will placed him in Portsmouth in 1685. Before April 16, 1690 he had moved to Dartmouth, for on that day John Walley of Bristol Co. wrote to Thomas Hinckley, governor of Plymouth Colony, "he is a substantial manÉwhatsoever Mosier doth, he doth publicly, and makes account he can in law answer anything he hath said or done." Deeds show him a resident of Dartmouth as late as 1708, one in 1707 giving his occupation as blacksmith. A deed of Dartmouth land on March 1, 1709 gives Newport as his residence. Hugh made his will at Dartmouth on October 12, 1709, and it was proved in Bristol Co. Massachusetts on December 7, 1713. The executors were his son James and friend Daniel Sabeere of Newport. Overseers, friend and kinsman, Jeremiah Clarke, and Captain John Stanton, of Newport. To son James, all land in Newport, with house, etc., there, and house and land in Dartmouth, and land in Squamicut (Westerly), Westquadnoid, etc. To grandson Hugh, son of Nicholas, 100 acres and to other grandsons of surname Mosher, 50 acres each. To wife, Sarah, all movables I had with her at marriage. To son James, ret of land. To each grandchild not of my name, 10s. To sons John, Nicholas, Joseph and Daniel, 12d. each. To each daughter, 10s. or 20s., as estate holds out. (He calls himself of Newport, at the time of making his will, but before his death had removed to Dartmouth.) His inventory totaled £290, 17s., 2d., and included purse and wearing apparel, bonds, bible and other books, dwelling-house and land, horse, 2 cows, 3 swine, carpenter's tools, pewter, silver plate, warming pan, estate brought him by wife, etc. His widow Sarah died in June 1716 at Newport, Rhode Island. Please send e-mail to Sam Behling.  See lineage of Mosher Family Read the biography of Hugh's grandfather, John Mosher Read the biography of Hugh's father, Nicholas Mosher Read the biography of Hugh's son, Nicholas Mosher Read the biography of Hugh's grandson, Nicholas Mosher Read the biography of Hugh's great grandson, Jabez Mosher Read the biography of Hugh's great, great grandson, Jabez Mosher Read the biography of Hugh's 3rd great grandson, David Mosher Read the biography of Hugh's 4th great grandson, Martin Mosher Read the funny story of The Mosher Millions Read the funny story of Uncle Ki Mosher & Spook Hill
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