Grandma Moses

Birth Name: Anna Mary Robertson

Date of Birth: September 7, 1860

Place of Birth: Greenwich, New York, U.S.

Date of Death: December 13, 1961

Place of Death: Hoosick Falls, New York, U.S.

Ethnicity: Irish, English, Scottish

Grandma Moses was an American folk artist.

Grandma Moses was the daughter of Margaret (Shanahan) and Russell King Robertson, who ran a flax mill and was a farmer. She was raised on farmland in Greenwich, upstate New York, close to Bennington, Vermont.

Grandma Moses was married to Thomas Salmon Moses, until his death. They had ten children, five of whom died in infancy. In 1905, the couple settled on a farm in Eagle Bridge, New York. Grandma Moses, who was also known as “Mother Moses” and “Mrs. Moses,” began her painting career as a prominent artist at the age of 78, after her husband’s death.

Grandma Moses’s paternal grandfather was William Alexander Robertson (the son of Archibald Robertson and Martha Selfridge). William was born in New York. Archibald was born in Scotland, and fought in the Revolutionary War. Martha was the daughter of William Selfridge and Catherine McMaster.

Grandma Moses’s paternal grandmother was Sarah King (the daughter of Pvt. Hezekiah King and Mercy Thornton). Sarah was born in New York, and was of Colonial American descent, with roots in Massachusetts tracing back to the 1600s. Hezekiah was the son of Captain John King and Elizabeth Fenner. Marcy was the daughter of Ezra Thornton and Ruth Shepperd/Sheperd.

Grandma Moses’s maternal grandfather was named Gregory Shanahan. Gregory was born in Rosslare Harbour, Wexford, Wexford, Ireland.

Grandma Moses’s maternal grandmother was named Bridget Devereaux/Deveraux. Bridget was born in Ireland.

Sources: https://www.thisisvermont.com

Genealogies of Grandma Moses – https://www.geni.com
https://www.findagrave.com

Genealogies of Grandma Moses (focusing on her father’s side) – https://famouskin.com
https://www.wikitree.com