Thomas Moonlight

Thomas Moonlight (September 30, 1833February 7, 1899) was an American politician and soldier. Moonlight served as Governor of Wyoming Territory from 1887 to 1889. Birth Moonlight was born in Forfarshire, Scotland. He was baptized on 30 September 1833 in St Vigeans, Angus, Scotland with birth record number 319/0040 0169. His family can be traced in Scotland back to the 1600s, and to Archibald Moonlight and his wife Margaret Elspet Andersone. Moonlight was one of 10 children. Moonlight's birth date is frequently quoted as 10 November 1833 (including on his grave marker), but his baptism records exist for 30 September 1833. Early Scottish and English record keeping relied on the church where more commonly the baptism date and not birth date was recorded. It was not until government record keeping began that formal birth dates were recorded. Early life When he was seven, records show he lived in Gallowden on a farm with about ninety acres. Moonlight lived with his family and a maid. By 1851, Moonlight no longer lived with his family, which supports evidence he left Scotland at an early age. Some think that he left Scotland alone, but family stories say he possibly left with his two cousins, George and Thomas.