Moses B. Canney (1809-1886)                                      

Moses Canney was born in Ossipee, May 20, 1809, and died at Union, April 19, 1886.  He was
 the oldest child of Isaac and Hannah (Thompson) Canney, who had eight children: Moses
B., Zalmon, Benjamin, Eliza, William, Priscilla, Isaac, and Sylvester G.

From an early age Moses felt the necessity of taking care of himself. He walked to Salem,MA
and began an independent life by working on a farm.  When about twenty-one he married Mary,
daughter of Hull and Mercy (Twombly) Abbott, of Berwick, Maine.  She died January 23,
1886, twelve weeks previous to her husbands death.  They had two children Mary Frances,
 born Sept 23, 1830 and Eliza A., born October 2, 1836 (died in infancy).

Many times Mr. Canney had come home from a day's work and sawed wood for others until
far into the night.  This shows what material he was made. The business of his life was varied,
beginning first on a farm, and then going into the stables of  the old "Coffee-Houses" now the
"Essex", in Salem, MA where he drove "extras" until established on a regular line from Salem to
 Boston. Mr. Canney bought and sold things quite extensively such things as the farmers on his
route produced, butter, eggs, poultry, etc., on his own account and this spirit of trade continued as
long as he did business.

In 1856 Mr. Canney, in connection with L.W. Perkins, established "Canney & Company
Express" from Conway to Boston and continued in that business until 1872 the business was
purchased by American Express. from 1872 until his death Mr. Canney spent most of his time
 at home engaged in farming. He was a member of Unity Lodge of Masons, No. 62 at Union.

History of Carroll County New Hampshire 1889
by Georgia Drew Merrill