Frank Clarence Moffatt is a mysterious ancestor. To this date no information about his whereabouts before 1880 have been found. Nor has a birthplace or date been found. The only documented evidence of this ancestor comes from the marriage certificate of Frank and Mary Melinda and the 1880 census. Frank had died before the 1900 census. On his marriage certificate he states that he was born in St. Catherine’s, Canada West (present day Ontario) and that his father was born in New York and his mother was born in Ireland. In the1880 Census in Cairo, Henderson, Kentucky he says he is born in Pennsylvania, his father in Canada and his mother in Ireland. Census and marriage documents indicate his birth about 1857.

He signed his marriage certificate with beautiful penmanship. He told friends he had papers that they should find if “something happened to him” and that they would take care of his wife. Mollie, however, was illiterate and supposedly burned all the papers before any of his friends could get to them.

In 1880, after getting married, Frank and Mollie moved to Henderson County and were living with Mollie’s uncle John Hogan, at the time of the census.

1880 Kentucky, Henderson County, Cairo, page 503D Film T9-0419
(living in boarding house with Mary’s uncle John Hogan)
Frank Moffett, head, male, white, age 23, laborer, born Pennsylvania, father born Canada, mother Ireland
Mary Moffett, wife, female, white, age 15, keeping house, born Kentucky, father born Ireland, mother born Kentucky