[taken from Chapter 3 Manx Worthies, A.W.Moore, 1901]

GEORGE MOORE, Knight (b. 1709, d. 1787),

was the second son of Philip Moore, of " The Hills," Douglas, and Margaret Bradshaw, and the owner of the estate of Ballamoore near Peel. He was Speaker of the House of Keys, and their leader in their efforts to obtain better terms for Manx commerce after the Revestment. It was largely due to his exertions that the intention of annexing the island to Cumberland was not carried out He received knighthood, in 1781, in recognition of his services.

Possibly the least informative of A.W.Moore's entries ! George Moore was a major merchant very heavily involved in the running trade. Dolley describes him as a crudely political Protestant which attitude so infuriated the 2nd Duke of Atholl - possibly out of mechantile jealously of the Dublin Traders who had moved so successfully into the Running Trade before it came to an end in 1765.

Had a country house at Ballamoore (Kk Patrick) where he spend much time on the grounds and gardens. Owned (or had shares in) various vessels and was also a partner in a Glasgow Bank. His letter books survive (in Manx Museum) from which Mathieson drew for the biographies of his sons and grandsons; Wilkins also drew on them for the various trading deals.

References

David Craine A Manx Merchant of the Eighteenth Century Proc IoMNH&ASoc IV pp640/662

N Mathieson Sir George Moore and his Sons Proc IoMNH&ASoc V # 2 pp144/168 1950

F Wilkins George Moore and Friends Wyre Forrest Press 1994 (ISBN 1-897725-07-8) - deals with the letters of George Moore, Peel merchant.

M. Dolley Things are not always what they seem..! The Manxman Summer 1978