Wednesday 1 March 2023

The Moore Baronets

THE RT HON SIR WILLIAM MOORE WAS THE SECOND LORD CHIEF JUSTICE OF NORTHERN IRELAND

JAMES MOORE migrated from Cumberland in the reign of JAMES I and settled at Ballynacree More, parish of Ballymoney, County Antrim.

His grandson,

JAMES MOORE (c1650-c1727), of Ballynacree, a member of the Society of Friends, distrained for tithes each year, 1675-82, by the priest of Ballymoney, married Elizabeth ________, and had issue, a numerous family, including,
William, of Killead;
James, of Ballynacree;
George;
John;
JOSEPH, of whom presently.
Alice.
The third son,

JOSEPH MOORE (c1684-), of Rosnashane, County Antrim, wedded, in 1707, Susan Brady, of Grange, in same county, and had issue,
WILLIAM, his heir;
James, of Desertderrin, ancestor of MOORE of Moorefort;
John, ancestor of MOORE of Lischeihan;
Joseph, of Ahoghill;
Samson, of Moore Lodge;
George.
The eldest son,

WILLIAM MOORE (1708-), of Rosnashane, espoused Elizabeth Courtenay, of Glenburn, and (with three daughters), had two sons,
JOSEPH, his heir;
William, of Killagan.
The elder son,

JOSEPH MOORE (c1735-), of Rosnashane, Barrister, married Susan, daughter of Joseph Courtenay, of Glenburn, and had issue (with two daughters), three sons,
William, died young;
Thomas, Midshipman RN, drowned;
SAMSON, his successor.
The third, but only surviving son,

SAMSON MOORE, of Rosnashane, Captain, Finvoy Yeomanry, wedded, in 1787, Jane Ramadge, of Mullens, and had issue,
Thomas, died unmarried;
ALEXANDER, his heir;
William, military officer;
Joseph, died young;
Elizabeth; Jane; Martha; Alice.
Captain Moore died in 1832, and was succeeded by his second son,

DR ALEXANDER MOORE (c1795-1840), of Rosnashane (which property was sold at his death), married, in 1821, Mary, daughter of Rev B Mitchell, and great-granddaughter of James Moore, of Desertderrin, and had issue,
WILLIAM, his heir;
Samson, died unmarried;
Alexander, Colonel in the US Army;
George;
Thomas;
Courtenay (Rev), Rector of Mitchelstown and Canon of Cloyne;
Mary; Jane; Elizabeth.
Dr Moore died in 1840, and was succeeded by his eldest son,


DR WILLIAM MOORE JP (1826-1901), of Moore Lodge, County Antrim, High Sheriff of County Antrim, 1890, President of the King and Queen's College of Physicians in Ireland, 1883-84, King's Professor of Medicine, Trinity College, Dublin, Physician-in-Ordinary to the Queen in Ireland, 1885 espoused, in 1863, Sidney Blanche, daughter of Captain Abraham Fuller, of Woodfield, King's County, and had issue,
WILLIAM, his heir;
John;
Alexander;
George Abraham (Dr);
Sydney William;
Roger Clotworthy.
The eldest son,

THE RT HON SIR WILLIAM MOORE (1864-1934), of Moore Lodge, married, in 1888, Helen Gertrude, fourth daughter of Joseph Wilson, of Clonmore, County Dublin (DL for Co Armagh), and had issue,
WILLIAM SAMSON, his successor;
Joseph Roger, b 1895;
Nina Mary Adelaide.
  • MP for North Antrim, 1899-1906
  • MP for North Armagh, 1906-17
  • PPS to Chief Secretary for Ireland, 1902-04
  • Puisne Judge, 1917
  • Lord Justice of Appeal, 1921
  • Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland, 1925-37

 PRIVY COUNSELLORS (IRELAND)
The KING has been graciously pleased, on the occasion of His Majesty's Birthday, to declare that the following shall be sworn of His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council in Ireland:- The Hon William Moore KC, One of the Judges of the King's Bench Division of the High Court of Justice in Ireland.


SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 3 JUNE, 1932 
The KING has been graciously pleased, on the occasion of His Majesty's Birthday, to signify his intention of conferring Baronetcies of the United Kingdom on the following:- The Right Honourable William Moore LL.D, DL, Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland.

Sir William was the eldest son of Queen Victoria's honorary physician in Ireland, Dr William Moore of Rosnashane, Ballymoney. 

His family had come to Ulster during the Plantation, at which time they were Quakers, and settled at Ballymoney (the Moore Lodge estate was to be inherited from a relative).

In 1903, he was one of the first landowners in Ireland to sell off their estates under the Land Acts.

By the early 1920s, he owned a Belfast pied-à-terre called 'Glassnabreedon' at Whitehouse, north of Belfast, which was once owned by the son of Nicholas Grimshaw (1747-1805), Ireland's first cotton pioneer.

He was created a baronet in 1932, designated of Moore Lodge, County Antrim.

Sir William was succeeded by his eldest son,

SIR WILLIAM SAMSON MOORE, 2nd Baronet (1891-1978), JP DL, of Moore Lodge, High Sheriff of County Antrim, 1944, who wedded, in 1915, Ethel Cockburn Gordon, daughter of Walter Livingstone Wheeler, and had issue,
WILLIAM ROGER CLOTWORTHY, his successor;
Nina Pamela (1916-68).
Sir William was succeeded by his only son,

SIR WILLIAM ROGER CLOTWORTHY MOORE, 3rd Baronet (1927-2019), TD JP DL, of Moore Lodge, High Sheriff of County Antrim, 1964, Major, North Irish Horse, 1950-63, who married, in 1954, Gillian (d 2016), daughter of John Brown, of County Antrim, and had issue,
RICHARD WILLIAM, of Huxham House, Shepton Mallet, Somerset;
Belinda Jane Eve, b 1956.

Sir William was succeeded by his only son,

SIR RICHARD WILLIAM MOORE, 4th Baronet (1955-), who wedded, in 1985, Karen Furness, and has issue,
Charlotte; Sophie; Fenella.

MOORE LODGE, near Ballymoney, County Antrim, is a beautifully positioned house, set high above the River Bann, surrounded by trees and lawns in a small, good quality parkland.

In 1876, the Moores owned 1,470 acres of land in County Antrim.



It was described in 1814 as ‘certainly one of the prettiest and most retired spots in this county’.


The original 17th century house was apparently burnt in 1729 and replaced post 1759 by the present Georgian building, which was improved in the 1840s and had an extension added in 1901.



There was a notable garden in the early part of the 20th century, which is now only remembered by an unpublished account written in 1951, The Gardens of Moore Lodge 1902-1939.


The pigeon house or dovecote in the grounds dates from before 1832.

Moore Lodge remained continuously with the Moore family since the early 18th century.

It was for sale in 2021.

First published in June, 2010.

24 comments :

Anonymous said...

Tim, I came across your interesting blog quite by accident. I'm wondering if you were at Campbell at the same time as Richard Moore (Sir William 'Bill' Moore's son) as I indeed was. You are four years my junior and I can't place you at Campbell.

Richard is a great friend and I stayed with him on several occasions after we both moved to (different parts of) England.

Nick Stewart said...

The Moores lived for a time at Termon Rectory in Carrickmore (formerly a Stewart property) and were great friends of my parents. I recently contacted Richard in fact, he lives in Somerset now. Interesting to read a bit of his family history. I thought Moore Lodge had burned down a number of years ago?

James said...

So has the Lodge been turned into a bed and breakfast like so many of these historic homes in Northern Ireland? If so, does the family still own it? I am an American descendant of the Moores and am hoping to get back in touch with the family, since my grandfather last visited over 60 years ago at the end of the Second World War.

Jamie moore said...

My name is Jamie Marie Moore Smelser I live in USA Georgia. I am so glad I found your page. I have been trying to find out info on my earlier descendant Sir John Moore who came from Ireland. There was a drawing of his Family Crest in the old bible I found the same one above. This is so exciting Thank you for all this info.

Denise (Boyd) Clyde said...

I lived at Moore Lodge during my childhood it really was a wonderful and beautiful place. Any child's dream in fact and I love to tell my little ones all my stories of my time there.
We were not Moores and had the house for only a few years I should mention! I believe my father sold the house back to the original Moores. This was all around 1985-1990 I think, it was a dreamy time in my childhood and I very much still miss that wonderful home - was delighted to find this blog!

Anonymous said...

Hi I have found your blog after researching Sir William Moore who I believe to be my great grandfather. My grandmother I believe is his illegitimate child. The family resemblance is remarkable. Please could you tell me how to get in touch with the family? I think they would be a fascinated as me. Regards Annette

Anonymous said...

Hello Annette, I have read your post and am keen to identify to which Sir William Moore you are referring to. I am the great grandson of the original Sir William Moore.

Anonymous said...


Please note that Glassnabreedon is spelt as Glassabreedon in the Mark Bence-Jones book A Guide to Irish Country Houses (1996). It is described as 'a large Victorian house'.

nataliecampbellchandra said...

I have found your posts as part of research into my own Moore ancestry. Do you perhaps have further information on James Moore's other two sons -

John Moore who married Ruth Hoope from Lurgan in 1702 and George Moore who married Mary Hoope in Lurgan in 1702. All were members of the Society of Friends. The line I am researching would be that of John Moore, whose surviving sons were William (born 1704) and James (born 1708). John Moore disappears from the Friends records in Lurgan soon after the death of his wife (around 1717) and there is a suggestion that he emigrated to America with his son James. William it would seem remained. After this there is little information available, although there are mentions of Moores in the minutes of the Lurgan Friends' meeting up until around 1798 (Sampson Moore - who was disowned by the Society for a second time at this point).

Any assistance would be most gratefully received! Natalie

BIll Moore said...

Glad to see this thread. My name is William Henry Moore, Jr. I found this thread tracing George Moore, son of James Moore born around 1691 in County Antrim according to one publication. If this is correct, James Moore would be my 7th Great Grandfather. Another publication/family tree shows George W Moore born in 1691 in Prince George's County Maryland, USA. George Moore had a son, John Nathaniel Moore in 1736.

Seems everyone in my tree has the name William, George, Aaron, or John.

Any input on whether this is related to the James Moore I am looking for?

Unknown said...

Bill, I have 2 books published in 1865 titled "Andrew Moore and his descendants"
Andrew was the son of James Moore son of John.

Unknown said...

I am just wondering. Do the Moore’s have anything to do with Ballynacree house. On the ban river.

Unknown said...

Hi this is Annette who posted above a few years ago.. My grandmother was born in around 1910 so thay would be around the time her mother was a maid for sir william moore. My brother and mother look so like him its funny. Please email if you would like to get in touch. I guess that makes us cousins??

Unknown said...

Your blog is very interesting! Can you tell me if Moore Lodge became known as Rosnashane House? Are they one and the same? My great-aunt married a wealthy widower and they lived at Rosnashane House until she died in 1953.

There is presently a Bed and Breakfast called Rosnashane House and I wonder if it was their home, and if it was also Moore Lodge at one time.

Thank you.

Colleen from Canada

cenantua said...

Hi Bill,

We might be related. I'm descended from James Moore of PG County, and we currently have a number of DNA test takers in our group of descendants. Have you tested?

Unknown said...

Hello I have recently been doing some research into the house. There was rumour years ago of a secret passage between finvoy Lodge and Moore Lodge. I'm not sure if it was folks talk but I would love to talk to the son or daughter of sir william lodge. Concerning the matter. Do j have any information on them?? Thank you

Unknown said...

My Gr Gr Gr grandmother was Martha Moore born in 1803. She came to Anerica in 1828 and went to Providence Rhode Island.
She married William Stewart Hutchinson in Tolland Co. Connecticut in 1833.
They settled in Marion Ohio. They had several children. William Thomas Hutchinson was my Gr Gr Grandfather.
I believe Samson Moore and Jane Ramadge are my Martha's parents.
If there is more information that anyone has on this family I would very much appreciate it.
Thank you!
Deanna First

Lorene Taurerewa said...

I am a Moore Clotworthy descendant. I saw the name Clotworthy , a prominent Northern Irish, name was given to Moore sons . Does anyone know how the name entered the family?

David Brewster said...

My mother worked for the Lord Chief Justice in Belfast, and retained several pages of names of people who wrote or telegramed in 1932. These papers, now in my possession, may be of interest to his descendents. If anyone knows how to contact the family, please pass on this email address: annie_jessie@sympatico.ca

David Brewster, originally from Ballymoney, Co. Antrim

Andrew Dineen said...

I was wondering if the location of Rev. Canon Courtney Moore's grave I'd known? He died in 1922 but no record seems to exist of his burial in Ballymoney or elsewhere.

Heather Longhurst said...


Hi there my Mum Martha McCaughan (née Morrison) is 95 years old. She was born in 1928. When she was approx 14yrs, she nannied 2 very young children of Moore Lodge. Mum was telling me today that she lived in and had a room adjacent to the children. She speaks with fondness of her time at Moore Lodge. Mentioned Sir William as being a ‘kind’ man and said while the parents of the children were out of the country, the grandmother used to pop into the nursery to make sure everything was ok. Mum and Dad emigrated to NZ in 1960.

David Brewster said...

To Heather L,
would you be willing to share your mother's parents and sibling names? If so you could use my email annie_jessie@sympatico.ca to avoid going off topic in this blog.
David Brewster (having a Morrison mother)

Anonymous said...

OMG My Aunt and Uncle stayed in the servants area of the property in the 1980s. Its definitely haunted. No joke my Mum and I had an exceptionally ghost like experience and my Aunt made sure every door had a cross and holy water the day after.

Anonymous said...

Do you have thé adress of fenella Moore daughter of richard and karen moore
Anne