Family and Education

b. 1756, 1st s. of John Moore, MP [I], of Drumbanagher by Gertrude, da. and h. of Capt. Francis Baillie of co. Down. m. Nov. 1781, Mary, da. of Sir Annesley Stewart, 6th Bt., of Fort Stewart, co. Donegal, s.p. suc. fa. 1811.

Offices Held

MP [I] 1783-90, 1791-7, 1799-1800.

Biography

Moore’s family were descended from an uncle of the ist Earl of Drogheda (d.1675). His father sat in the Irish parliament on Lord Drogheda’s interest and he himself sat for Ballynakill and Lisburn on the same interest. He generally supported government, but was not returned by his patron in 1797. He opposed the Union and was brought in for Newry on the strength of it with the concurrence of Lord Downshire in 1799, although the latter claimed ‘I know him not’. He kept his seat at the Union ballot and, according to Lady Downshire, voted with government, though he was not at first expected to do so. In 1802 the prime minister was anxious to see Corry, the Irish chancellor of the exchequer, seated for Newry, and although Lady Downshire pointed out that he had not given ‘the least cause of offence’, she withdrew her support for Moore, who duly stepped down. He died 21 May 1834.

Procs. R. Irish Acad. lix. sec. C, no. 1 (1957), 18; G. C. Bolton, The Passing of the Irish Act of Union, 137; Sidmouth mss, Lady Downshire to Addington, 4 July 1802.

Ref Volumes: 1790-1820

Author: P. J. Jupp

Notes