Author Topic: What happened to James Moore of Belfast?  (Read 377 times)

Offline darianb

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What happened to James Moore of Belfast?
« on: Friday 04 September 20 22:33 BST (UK) »
My 2nd great grandmother, Victoria Moore (nee Brown) moved from Belfast to New Zealand in 1872 (via Scotland and Australia) with three children (James Morgan, Frederick William, and Amy Louise) and two sisters (Brown and Haslett). I can't work out what happened to her husband, James Moore, if he died or something else. In their 1859 marriage, he is listed as a merchant of Belfast, son of Andrew Moore the farmer. If he died, I'd have expected an announcement in the newspaper as the Brown family had money and announced all of the daughter's weddings.

This week I've discovered a DNA connection to a descendant of Nancy/Nannie Moore, daughter of Andrew Moore but I don't know if they are the same family yet. Her witness in 1868, James Moore, has different writing to James Moore at his wedding in 1859. Gaffy, an immense help, found a George Moore, son of Andrew and Nancy/Annie but I haven't worked out yet how to link him to the others. These people all have a connection to Randalstown.

I've tried to find James in street directories or deaths but had no luck yet spotting the correct one as it's a common name.I'm hoping for some help working out what happened to him and who his family was.

Thanks in advance for any hints.

Offline iluleah

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Re: What happened to James Moore of Belfast?
« Reply #1 on: Saturday 05 September 20 12:24 BST (UK) »
Not sure if this is any help or any connection to your James https://sites.rootsweb.com/~rosdavies/SURNAMES/M/MooreJ.htm certainly looks like 'a' James along with wife and 1 child migrated in 1862 to NZ
Leicestershire:Chamberlain, Dakin, Wilkinson, Moss, Cook, Welland, Dobson, Roper,Palfreman, Squires, Hames, Goddard, Topliss, Twells,Bacon.
Northamps:Sykes, Harris, Rice,Knowles.
Rutland:Clements, Dalby, Osbourne, Durance, Smith,Christian, Royce, Richardson,Oakham, Dewey,Newbold,Cox,Chamberlaine,Brow, Cooper, Bloodworth,Clarke
Durham/Yorks:Woodend, Watson,Parker, Dowser
Suffolk/Norfolk:Groom, Coleman, Kemp, Barnard, Alden,Blomfield,Smith,Howes,Knight,Kett,Fryston
Lincolnshire:Clements, Woodend

Offline darianb

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Re: What happened to James Moore of Belfast?
« Reply #2 on: Saturday 05 September 20 13:40 BST (UK) »
Not sure if this is any help or any connection to your James https://sites.rootsweb.com/~rosdavies/SURNAMES/M/MooreJ.htm certainly looks like 'a' James along with wife and 1 child migrated in 1862 to NZ
I should have mentioned in my post - the three children were born in Belfast in 1860, 1863, and I have 1864 recorded but her death age in NZ would put her birth at 1867. I've just realised though I could only find an unnamed daughter born to a Moore/Brown couple in Belfast in 1865. I'll have to order that to check if it's really them to narrow down the possible date of death.

My understanding is that they travelled on the Ben Ledi from Scotland to Melbourne in 1872 then to  NZ on the Hero in 1873. I don't know how or why they travelled to Scotland but her brother-in-law was an iron monger and they travelled on a ship carrying mostly metal and very few people to Melbourne (Australia).

But thanks for the link, that is new to me. It should help me cross off a few names on my list of James Moores.

Offline Elwyn Soutter

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Re: What happened to James Moore of Belfast?
« Reply #3 on: Saturday 05 September 20 14:29 BST (UK) »
This looks to be the 1865 birth you mention:

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1865/03576/2318054.pdf

Parents were John Moore and Sarah Jane Brown.

It was quite common for emigrants going to North America or Australia to leave from Scotland or England. There were more sailings there than from Ireland. (There were very few direct sailings from Ireland to Australia at all). Crossing from Belfast to Scotland is just a few hours and shipping agents often threw in passage to Britain as part of the package.
Elwyn