Joseph Moseley was born in approximately 1760 in Nixonton, North Carolina, to Emperor (born 1715/1720) and Elizabeth (b. about 1730) Moseley. He went to Salem, Massachusetts, on one of the Yankee vessels that traded with Albemarle, Virginia, in or about the year 1780. He became a master mariner living in Salem. He was, for several years, commander of the brig Volant, which belonged to William Gray, Jr. Her voyages were mostly to European ports. In 1792 he went on a voyage to Calcutta, in the ship Grand Turk, as mate, with Captain Benjamin Hodges, and in 1793 to St. Petersburg, as captain of the same ship. In 1795 he commanded the schooner Active belonging to Ichabod Nichols and Benjamin Hodges on a voyage to St. Petersburg, and in 1797 the ship Francis, belonging to Mr. Gray on a voyage to Havre De Grace and St. Petersburg.

On October 20, 1782, Moseley married Elizabeth Crowninshield (1757-1833), daughter of John and Mary (Ives) Crowninshield and sister of Clifford Crowninshield. They had eight children together: Elizabeth (born 1783); Mary (born 1784); Abigail (born 1786); Joseph (born 1787); Emperor (born 1789); Nancy (born 1794); Clifford Crowninshield (born 1797) and Martha (born 1797).

His last voyage was in the ship Enterprise in 1799. On the 16th of July, in the North Sea, he was hailed by a privateer which showed Dutch colors. While standing upon the deck, a shot from the privateer struck him in the head and he died in the arms of his men. He was buried in Norway.