John Moot was born in Germany, and came to America in 1750. John Moot left his native land in May. He crossed the ocean in a sailing-vessel, being on the water more than six months, not touching shore until December 25 the same year. He was then a boy of 16, without money, obliged to work out his passage. The officers of the vessel sold his time for 5 years. He settled in New York and there married. Later he took up land from the government in Rensselaer County, where he spent the remainder of his life, dying at the age of 80 years. He had a family of 5 children.
Excerpted from: Names and sketches of the pioneer settlers of Madison County, New York. William H. Tuttle; edited by Isabel Bracy. Interlaken, NY: Heart of the Lakes Pub., 1984. (republished)