[From Manx Families, A.W.Moore, MS 1889]

Moore's of the Hills

Arms: Arg, or a fess eng ay, three mullets of the field in chief, a sphynx ppr all with a bordiae, arg, gu.

Crest: The head of a Saracen in profile: ppr couped at the neck; the turban arg, the cap vert. A crescent

Motto: Duri non frangor

The Moore's 'of the Hills,' so called from their property of that name in Douglas, were a branch of the old family of the Moore's of Corswell, Co. Wigton [Scotland]. The earliest members of this family that we know of were Captain Charles and Philip. From the former were descended John (grandson), the author of 'Yelieco,' 'Edward & Mordaunt,' and other plays. His eldest son was Sir John (KB) Lieut General, born at Glasgow in 1761 and killed at Corunna in 1809 and his second son, Sir Graham (GCB), was an admiral. It is, however, with the family of the younger brother Philip, who was described as a citizen of London and a Norway merchant that we have to do. He was born in 1650, and seems to have settled in the Isle of Man during the latter years of his life. He died at Bishop's Court when on a visit to Bishop Wilson on the 20th of December 1728. His daughter Isabel (born 1684, died 1756) married William Gell, Vicar of Conchan. His eldest son Philip (born 1674, died 1746, buried at Conchan) carried on a merchant's business in Douglas. He married (1) Dorothy daughter of the Rev. Thomas Robinson, Vicar of Conchan, in 1702 in which year she died. (2) Margaret Bradshaw (married 1707, died 1715, buried at Conchan) by whom he had issue (1) Philip, (2) George, (3) James, (4) John. For Philip's issue see below. (3) James (born 1711) was a clergyman and M.A. He resided in Dublin where he died in 1763, without progeny. He left gifts to Manx Schools. (4) John (born 1712, died 1734) leaving issue Peregrine, who died in South Carolina in 1751. (2) George (Sir) (born 1709, died 1787) was for many years Speaker of the House of Keys and was knighted in 1781 in recognition of his services. He purchased the Estate of BallaMoore near Peel. By his wife Catherine daughter of Patrick Callan of Dublin whom he married in 1733, he had issue, among others: Margaret (born 1735) married John Quayle of Castletown, C.R. and had issue (see Quayle's of Bridge House), Philip born 1738, Sarah married William Callow of Castletown and had issue; Callan (died without progeny); George (born 1744) married Isabella, daughter of John Joseph Bacon ¹(married 1778, died 1792) and had issue Catherine married Thomas Moore ² (see Moore's of the Abbey), George( born 1779) who settled at Trieste where he married (1) a Turkish lady, and had issue George, Consul at Richmond, USA, and at Trieste. He married and had issue Isabella who married in 1832 Charles Grote, banker of London. (2) an Italian lady, by whom he had issue one son and 4 daughters. James, the youngest son of George and Catherine Callan (born 1754) married Catherine daughter of Hugh Cosnahan (see Cosnahan's) and had issue a daughter of Catherine, who married James, son of the Rev. James Wilks. They had a daughter Eliza who married G.H. Newton, whose daughter is now (1888) living at Castletown. The eldest son Philip (born 1738, died 1827), married … and had issue Philip (born 1734, died 1815) of BallaMoore who in 1812 married Jane Maw and had issue, among other, Margaret, who married William St. John (their descendants, all daughters are in Canada); and Philip who married (1) Miss Farrant (died sans progeny 1822), (2) Margaret Mylrea by whom he had issue Philip St Andrew who married Miss Shimmin and had issue Jane Price married John Kelly, advocate, Peel, and Philip Shimmin married Miss Farrant of Peel.³

To return to the elder branch: Philip, born 1708, died 1788, buried at Conchan, married (1) Ann Birkett of Workington in 1728, by whom he had issue Margaret, born 1733, married 1752, buried at Conchan in 1782, who married Deemster Thomas Moore and had issue (see Moore's of Abbey) and Mary, born 1734, married in 1751 William son of the Rev W.L. Quayle, Vicar of Malew and had issue. Ann Birkett died in 1735 and in 1739 Philip married (2) Eunice Hinks, born 1708, died 1795,⁴ buried at Conchan, by whom he had issue (1) Elizabeth, born 1740, married Captain James Oates of Oatland and had issue. (3) Ann, born 1753, married in 1770 John James Murray of Ronaldsway and had issue John S Murray, who died without progeny in Martinique; and Eunice Ann,⁵ who succeeded to the property. She married (1) William Oats, (2) Thomas Christian of Ballacurry by whom she had issue (1) Thomas, who sold Ronaldsway to General Goldie in 1817 (see Taubman's of the Nunnery), (2) John Murray, (3) William Watson of Ballacurry, Water Bailiff, born 1799, living in 1888 at Ballacurry, died in 1893. Philip, the eldest surviving son of Philip and Eunice Hinks married Caterina Felicia Fortunata Astandi, an Italian at Calcutta,⁶ where he died in 1804, and had issue 2 daughters, one of whom Eunice Terresa Caterina (born 1771), who was heiress of the Hills Estate, married (1) James Oats, who died without progeny, and (2) John Moore, of Pulrose (see Moore's of Pulrose) by whom she had issue (1) Cornelius who died without progeny, (2) Teresa who died young, (3) Ella married in 1834 Henry Green and had issue William and Henry John, both are dead [in 1888] and a daughter. It is not known that there is any male descendant of the Moore's of the Hills now living on the Island.

1 JMO: Goodwin’s Scraps, Bacon: 1792, A stone in Mansfield Churchyard says: Isabella Moore, relict of George Moore, H.M.Consul at Saxxxx, eldest daughter of John Joseph Bacon, Isle of Man, died 1792, age 34½ years. A family Bible of Geo. Moore says she was married at Braddan 19^th Sep 1778. The family Bible says that Isabella Bacon and Geo Moore had the following children: George b 1779, died at Triest 1871 (md 1^st 1804 at Constantinople, Mary Froding and had the following: Clara, Isabella [md C Groti, banker, London], George, Mary; md 2^nd, 1817 at Baltimore USA to Sarah Nicholson) Jane b 1780, died at Exeter 1872; Catharine b 1782, d in Isle of Man 1859; Isabella b 1784, d 1787; Joseph b at Salonica 1788, Basil Born and died at Salonica 17xx. The Bible in 1896 was in the hands of Cap Sterling who is md to one of the Groti family.

2 Thomas died in 1828 in Douglas.

3 A grocer living in Peel in 1855 [or 1888].

4 JMO: Eunice died about 1798, per Archdeacon Wills 1798 #26, Santon, of Eunice Moore als Hinks, widow of Philip Moore of the Hills: Eunice mentions only daughters Ann Murray widow & Elizabeth Oates widow in her will; James Oates, Esquire, son of Elizth, is mentioned in Court when will is proved

5 JMO: Eunice Ann appears to be the daughter of John James Murray & Ann Moore his wife

6 She died in Douglas