Graham Moore (Royal Navy officer)

Admiral Sir Graham Moore, Template:Post-nominals (1764 – 25 November 1843) was a Royal Navy officer. As a junior officer he took part in the Great Siege of Gibraltar during the American Revolutionary War. As captain of the frigate Template:HMS, he took part in the Battle of Tory Island in October 1798, capturing the Template:Ship two days later, during the French Revolutionary Wars. He went on to be First Naval Lord, then Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet, and finally, Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth. He was the younger brother of General Sir John Moore.

Naval career

Moore was born in Glasgow, Scotland, the son of Jean Simson and John Moore, doctor and author. He entered the Navy in 1777<ref name=odnb>Template:Cite DNB</ref> at the age of 13. He was promoted to lieutenant on 8 March 1782 to serve aboard Template:HMS, taking part in the relief of Gibraltar under Lord Howe, and the subsequent battle of Cape Spartel in October. During the peace he travelled through France, but was recalled to serve aboard Template:HMS, Template:HMS, and then Template:HMS, the flagship of Sir Richard Hughes on the North American Station. On 22 November 1790 he was promoted to commander in the sloop Template:HMS, before finally returning to England in 1793.<ref name=odnb/>

File:WarrensAction1798Ireland.jpg

Battle of Tory island on 12 October 1798 by Nicholas Pocock; Moore took part in the action

Moore was promoted to post-captain on 2 April 1794, soon after the start of the Revolutionary War, with command of the 32-gun frigate Template:HMS,<ref name="obyrne">Template:Cite book</ref> in the North Sea and the coast of France. He then commanded the 36-gun frigate Template:HMS from September 1795.<ref name=odnb/> In her he took part in the Battle of Tory Island on 12 October 1798, capturing the Template:Ship two days later.<ref name="obyrne"/> In February 1800 he went out to the West Indies, but was invalided home after eighteen months.<ref name=odnb/>

File:Sir Graham Moore's action off Cape St. Mary, Oct 5th 1804. 02379 0610.jpg

Sir Graham Moore's action off Cape St. Mary, 5 October 1804

On the renewal of the war in 1803 he was appointed to Template:HMS (44),<ref name=odnb/> and with three other frigates – Template:HMS (32), Template:HMS (38) and Template:HMS (32) – under his command, captured a Spanish treasure fleet of four frigates – Medea (40), Clara (34), Fama (34) and Mercedes (36) – carrying bullion from the Caribbean back to Spain off Cádiz in the action of 5 October 1804.<ref name=odnb/>

Moore was then attached to Sir Robert Calder's squadron blockading Ferrol. In 1808, he served as commodore, flying his broad pennant in the new ship Template:HMS<ref name=odnb/> assisting Admiral Sir Sidney Smith with the Portuguese royal family's escape to Brazil,<ref name=odnb/> and was subsequently made a Knight of the Order of the Tower and Sword.<ref name="obyrne"/>

He later served as part of the North Sea fleet for several years.<ref name=odnb/> At the close of the Walcheren campaign in December 1809, he was entrusted with destroying the basin, arsenal, and sea defences of Flushing (Vlissingen).<ref name="obyrne"/>

Moore commanded Template:HMS from March 1812, until promoted to rear-admiral on 12 August 1812,<ref name="obyrne"/><ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> and served as Commander-in-Chief in the Baltic for a short time, flying his flag in Template:HMS. In 1814 he served as captain of the fleet to Lord Keith in the Channel, and, having been appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath on 2 January 1815,<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> he became second-in-command, Mediterranean Fleet in 1815.<ref name=odnb/> He joined the Board of Admiralty<ref name=Sainty-18-31>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> as First Naval Lord<ref>Rodger, p. 69</ref> in the Liverpool ministry in May 1816.<ref name=odnb/>

Promoted to vice-admiral on 12 August 1819,<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> he left the Board of the Admiralty in March 1820.<ref name="obyrne"/> He was Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet between 1820 and 1823<ref name=odnb/> and was advanced to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath on 11 March 1836.<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> Promoted to full admiral on 10 January 1837,<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> he served as Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth from 1839 to 1842<ref name=odnb/> flying his flag in Template:HMS.<ref name=odnb/>

File:Tomb-Admiral Sir Graham Moore.JPG

Tomb of Sir Graham Moore at St. Andrew's Church, Cobham, Surrey

Moore died at his home, Brook Farm, Cobham, Surrey,<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> on 25 November 1843,<ref name=odnb/> and was buried at St. Andrew's Church.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Family

In 1812 he married Dora Eden, daughter of Thomas Eden, and niece of William Eden, 1st Baron Auckland; they had one son, Captain John Moore, RN (d. 1866).<ref name=odnb/>

Diary

Moore kept a detailed diary from 1784 until 1843, comprising thirty-four volumes, which provide a unique account of his service as a lieutenant, commander and captain.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> The diary is held at Cambridge University Library.<ref>Fulton, p. 403</ref>

Namesakes

Several places were named in his honour: the Sir Graham Moore Islands,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Cape Graham Moore,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and Graham Moore Bay,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> in northern Canada were named by William Parry, while the Sir Graham Moore Islands, Western Australia, were named by Phillip Parker King.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Sources

• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite book

Further reading

• Template:Cite book

External links

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