Profile Text
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. She was known for her paintings of rural life, particularly in New England.
Grandma Moses was the daughter of Margaret (Shanahan) and Russell King Robertson, who ran a flax mill and was a farmer. Her sixth great-grandfather was Mayflower passenger Francis Cooke. She was raised on farmland in Greenwich, upstate New York, close to Bennington, Vermont. The school she attended is now the Bennington Museum in Vermont, housing many of her works. She left school at twelve, becoming a farm worker.
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 Cambridge, Washington, New York. Archibald was born in Scotland, and fought in the Revolutionary War. Martha was born in Argyle, Washington, New York, 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 Cambridge, Washington, New York, and was of Colonial American descent, with roots in Massachusetts tracing back to the 1600s. Hezekiah was born in Saybrook, Middlesex, Connecticut, 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