(This is a picture of Little Scotland near Blackrod taken in May, 2009. It was the area where William and Richard Moore lived around 1840. It looks like a nice area today! I bet it did not look like this in 1840!)
Now for a little speculation.
In the last post I stated that the earliest Moore that I know about was a William Moore who lived in Blackrod, England about 1814 and had a son named Richard. I got this information Basically from Richard’s marriage certificate and the 1851 census.
There is no William Moore in the 1841 Blackrod census that would be the age of Richard’s father, William Moore. I, personally, went over every page of that census for Blackrod. Therefore, it may be assumed, but not proven beyond a reasonable doubt, that William died prior to Richard’s marriage in 1840. There may be other explanations such as he moved away or he was missed by the census taker. I believe the best explanation is that he died before 1841. (1841 census found at ancestry.com. William Moore is not listed.)
My Wigan contact, Leo Turner, informed me there is a death of a William Moore listed in the FreeBMD web site. (This is a site that lists an index of English births, marriages and deaths beginning in September 1837. Its address is http://freebmd.org.uk) It states a William Moore in the Bolton District which is near Blackrod died in the first quarter of 1841. (Vol. 21 page 63).This could be the correct William. If so, it substantiates the hypothesis that William died before 1841. I believe that this is a good possibility although not proven.
How did he die? We have no record of his death. However, if he did indeed die young say before the age of 40, he probably died in a mining accident or more likely a disease brought on by poverty and/or working in the coal mines. But who knows?
If William Moore was about 20 when he had Richard in about 1814, that would make his birthday somewhere around 1794. On the 1841 and 1851 censuses from Blackrod there is a John Moore born about 1800 (Since the ages are rounded in the 1841 census I used the 1851 census to get a more accurate date.) In 1851 John Moore lived down the street from Richard. Many of the names in the two families are the same. Could John be Richard’s uncle or brother? I cannot prove it, but I believe this true.
False Leads
There is a William Moore that lives in area of Bolton called Edgworth. He is the right age. However in 1841 he was living with his son named Richard. The Richard Moore in our line was already married 1840. So unless this William had two sons with the same name, he is not the correct William Moore. Leo Turner wrote me agreeing that this is probably not the correct William Moore. (Sources: 1841 Blackrod census and the marriage registration of Richard Moore.)
There was William Moore of Aberdeen, Blackrod who died on Nov. 15, 1874. He was a sinker (a skilled laborer who drilled new shafts) in a colliery. His effects were less than 1000 pounds. The will was proved in Manchester by Jane Stock his sister and the wife of Thomas Stock who was as a shopkeeper in Aberdeen (an area next to Blackrod). (This information was found at ancestry.com at the England and Wales National Probate Center Index of Wills and Administration: 1961 to 1974.) I believe that this William and sister Jane were the children of John Moore. They maybe are William Moore’s nephew and niece. But,again, who knows?
The town of Goldbourne in Lancaster County had a city directory in 1861. It lists a William Moore as a reverend. I doubt this is the correct William Moore because the Moore’s were devout Roman Catholics. I listed it here because Goldbourne is the town where Richard’s wife Faith was born.
Also the town of Aspull which is next to Blackrod has a William Moore listed in their city directory in 1869. This William Moore is a shopkeeper and a farmer. I believe may be the son of John Moore.
(The directories can be found at the www.wiganworld.com web site. Goldboune; http://www.wiganworld.co.uk/stuff/towndgolb.php?opt=townd1869) and Aspull: http://www.wiganworld.co.uk/stuff/towndaspull.php?opt=townd1869)
Who were William Moore’s wife and children, other than Richard Moore, and when and how he died will be a mystery for a while longer. That is until someone breaks through this brick wall.
@copyright 2011 Paul F Moore
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