Elias Moore
Encyclopedia
Elias Moore born into a Quaker
family in New Jersey
just after the American Revolution
began, later became a Member of Parliament
in Canada
.
His family
was traumatised "by the persecution Quakers suffered for their neutral stand during the American Revolution," and they soon moved to a Loyalist
refugee camp in New York City
. They then evacuated about 1784, to the Annapolis Valley
in Nova Scotia
where his father, Samuel, became a leader in the Quaker Community.
As a young adult, Moore returned to his home state of New Jersey, and his family followed later. His family had deep roots there, an ancestor, Samuel Moore
having held many offices in the early colony of East Jersey right after it had been settled in the 1660's.
In 1811 James Brown, drove a team to take Moore, his wife and five children, from Elizabethtown, New Jersey
, to the County of Norfolk
, in Upper Canada
. There were three other teams, and Brown reportedly led the van through the Grand River Swamp, the first team that ever went through after the brush was cleared away. The party reached Norfolk County in July.
Moore was farming in the township of Norwich
until 1818, when he moved with James Brown to Yarmouth, then in the County of Middlesex, now Elgin
. Brown later became the first mayor of Kincardine, Ontario
. While living in Norwich, Elias assisted Peter Lossing to assemble details for Gourlay's Statistical Account of Upper Canada, which was published in 1822.
The Yarmouth Friends soon applied to the Norwich monthly meeting to be allowed to establish a preparatory meeting. On First Days, Friends met alternately at the houses of John Kipp and Moore. Similarly, the first temperance
lecture in the Yarmouth district is said to have been given in Moore's home by David Burgess, who was probably an itinerant Methodist
preacher. Moore was instrumental in building the first meeting house of the Yarmouth Friends, and sat on the committee charged with establishing a school in the community.
In 1834, Moore and Thomas Parke
, a Wesleyan Methodist
from London
, won the two seats in the Middlesex riding for the Reformers in the 12th Parliament of Upper Canada
.
Then living west of Sparta, Moore stood again as a Reform candidate in the crucial election of 1836, as did Parke. Both retained their seats, in the last Parliament of Upper Canada, but the Tories returned to power nevertheless.
Groups of radicals met in Sparta in September 1837, and prepared to assist a rebellion should one occur. Some 50 men left Yarmouth to assist the western rebels who were gathered at the village of Scotland in present day Brant County
. But the rebellion
miscarried when the rebels disbanded and fled. Many were arrested and rewards were offered for the capture of their leader Dr. Charles Duncombe, plus David Anderson, Joshua Doan and others. Some of the suspects from the Sparta area - George Lawton, Dr. John T. Wilson, Joshua and Joel Doan, escaped to the United States. Joshua Doan was captured after engaging in a foolhardy attack against the village of Windsor in December 1838. Along with other exiles captured in the raid, Doan was tried, found guilty, and hanged. A memorial plaque at the edge of the Friends’ Cemetery on the west of Sparta village recalls Doan’s fate. Moore was also arrested for treason but, as the witness absconded, he was not tried. His brothers, John and Enoch, were retained in jail and convicted of treason. One of Elias’ nephews died in captivity. (See John Moore House and Enoch Moore (Loyalist turned rebel)
).
Around this same time, Elias's younger brother, Lindley Murray Moore
was founding an Anti-Slavery Society in Rochester, N.Y..
Moore continued to serve in the 13th Parliament of Upper Canada
until it was prorogued
in February, 1840. His seat-mate, Thomas Parke, returned to the House in 1841. “His party came into power and Mr. Parke was appointed Surveyor-General.” He became embroiled in a debate over patronage and was forced to run as an independent in the next election in which he could only gather 46 votes out of a total of 2039. He did manage to split the Liberal vote, and the Conservative candidate, Edward Ermatinger
, won the seat.
Up until his death, Moore served as clergy reserve inspector, helping to implement one of the post-rebellion recommendations of Lord Durham, that land set aside for the Church of England be sold off, as no other denomination had been granted land. The abuse, by the Family Compact, of clergy reserves and the income from them had been one of the sorest points for inciting the rebellions.
Moore's granddaughter, Isabella Sprague, married Thomas Scatcherd
, who sat in the Canada West Legislature for West Middlesex beginning in 1861.
Religious Society of Friends
The Religious Society of Friends, or Friends Church, is a Christian movement which stresses the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. Members are known as Friends, or popularly as Quakers. It is made of independent organisations, which have split from one another due to doctrinal differences...
family in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
just after the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
began, later became a Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
His family
Samuel Moore U.E.
Samuel Moore notable as a leader in the early establishment of the Religious Society of Friends in Maritime Canada, and as the progenitor of a number of civic, religious and political leaders in both Canada and the United States....
was traumatised "by the persecution Quakers suffered for their neutral stand during the American Revolution," and they soon moved to a Loyalist
Loyalist
In general, a loyalist is someone who maintains loyalty to an established government, political party, or sovereign, especially during war or revolutionary change. In modern English usage, the most common application is to loyalty to the British Crown....
refugee camp in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. They then evacuated about 1784, to the Annapolis Valley
Annapolis Valley
The Annapolis Valley is a valley and region in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. It is located in the western part of the Nova Scotia peninsula, formed by a trough between two parallel mountain ranges along the shore of the Bay of Fundy.-Geography:...
in Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
where his father, Samuel, became a leader in the Quaker Community.
As a young adult, Moore returned to his home state of New Jersey, and his family followed later. His family had deep roots there, an ancestor, Samuel Moore
Samuel Moore (colonial official)
The Honorable Samuel Moore was born around 1630 and died on 27 May 1688, aged about 58, and was notable as one of the civil leaders in the early years of the Province of New Jersey....
having held many offices in the early colony of East Jersey right after it had been settled in the 1660's.
In 1811 James Brown, drove a team to take Moore, his wife and five children, from Elizabethtown, New Jersey
Elizabeth, New Jersey
Elizabeth is a city in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 124,969, retaining its ranking as New Jersey's fourth largest city with an increase of 4,401 residents from its 2000 Census population of 120,568...
, to the County of Norfolk
Norfolk County, Ontario
Norfolk County is a rural city-status single-tier municipality on the north shore of Lake Erie in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Bloomsburg is a small town located in Norfolk County and is the hometown of David Slater. The county seat and largest community is Simcoe...
, in Upper Canada
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. There were three other teams, and Brown reportedly led the van through the Grand River Swamp, the first team that ever went through after the brush was cleared away. The party reached Norfolk County in July.
Moore was farming in the township of Norwich
Norwich, Ontario
The Township of Norwich is a municipality located in Oxford County in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Preferred pronunciation of the town name is 'NOR-witch' , different from the city of Norwich, England, though its origin is more likely Norwich in Upper New York State, the area from which the...
until 1818, when he moved with James Brown to Yarmouth, then in the County of Middlesex, now Elgin
Elgin County, Ontario
Elgin County is a county and census division of the Canadian province of Ontario with a current population of approximately 46,000. The county seat is St. Thomas.It consists of:*Town of Aylmer*Municipality of Bayham*Municipality of Central Elgin...
. Brown later became the first mayor of Kincardine, Ontario
Kincardine, Ontario
The Municipality of Kincardine is located on the shores of Lake Huron in the County of Bruce in the province of Ontario, Canada. It has a population of 12,000, and covers an area of 580 square kilometres...
. While living in Norwich, Elias assisted Peter Lossing to assemble details for Gourlay's Statistical Account of Upper Canada, which was published in 1822.
The Yarmouth Friends soon applied to the Norwich monthly meeting to be allowed to establish a preparatory meeting. On First Days, Friends met alternately at the houses of John Kipp and Moore. Similarly, the first temperance
Temperance movement
A temperance movement is a social movement urging reduced use of alcoholic beverages. Temperance movements may criticize excessive alcohol use, promote complete abstinence , or pressure the government to enact anti-alcohol legislation or complete prohibition of alcohol.-Temperance movement by...
lecture in the Yarmouth district is said to have been given in Moore's home by David Burgess, who was probably an itinerant Methodist
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
preacher. Moore was instrumental in building the first meeting house of the Yarmouth Friends, and sat on the committee charged with establishing a school in the community.
In 1834, Moore and Thomas Parke
Thomas Parke
Thomas Parke was an architect, builder, journalist and political figure in Upper Canada.He was born in County Wicklow in Ireland in 1793 and came to York in 1820. He worked with John Ewart as a master carpenter on a number of construction projects, including the new parliament buildings at York....
, a Wesleyan Methodist
Wesleyanism
Wesleyanism or Wesleyan theology refers, respectively, to either the eponymous movement of Protestant Christians who have historically sought to follow the methods or theology of the eighteenth-century evangelical reformers, John Wesley and his brother Charles Wesley, or to the likewise eponymous...
from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, won the two seats in the Middlesex riding for the Reformers in the 12th Parliament of Upper Canada
12th Parliament of Upper Canada
The 12th Parliament of Upper Canada was opened 15 January 1835. Elections in Upper Canada had been held in October 1834. All sessions were held at York, Upper Canada. This parliament was dissolved 28 May 1836 by the new Lieutenant Governor, Sir Francis Bond Head. Head ordered a new election...
.
Then living west of Sparta, Moore stood again as a Reform candidate in the crucial election of 1836, as did Parke. Both retained their seats, in the last Parliament of Upper Canada, but the Tories returned to power nevertheless.
Groups of radicals met in Sparta in September 1837, and prepared to assist a rebellion should one occur. Some 50 men left Yarmouth to assist the western rebels who were gathered at the village of Scotland in present day Brant County
Brant, Ontario
The County of Brant is a single-tier municipality and a census division in the Canadian province of Ontario. Despite its name, it is not a county by the standard definition, as all municipal services are handled by a single level of government. The county has service offices in Burford, Paris...
. But the rebellion
Rebellions of 1837
The Rebellions of 1837 were a pair of Canadian armed uprisings that occurred in 1837 and 1838 in response to frustrations in political reform. A key shared goal was the allowance of responsible government, which was eventually achieved in the incident's aftermath.-Rebellions:The rebellions started...
miscarried when the rebels disbanded and fled. Many were arrested and rewards were offered for the capture of their leader Dr. Charles Duncombe, plus David Anderson, Joshua Doan and others. Some of the suspects from the Sparta area - George Lawton, Dr. John T. Wilson, Joshua and Joel Doan, escaped to the United States. Joshua Doan was captured after engaging in a foolhardy attack against the village of Windsor in December 1838. Along with other exiles captured in the raid, Doan was tried, found guilty, and hanged. A memorial plaque at the edge of the Friends’ Cemetery on the west of Sparta village recalls Doan’s fate. Moore was also arrested for treason but, as the witness absconded, he was not tried. His brothers, John and Enoch, were retained in jail and convicted of treason. One of Elias’ nephews died in captivity. (See John Moore House and Enoch Moore (Loyalist turned rebel)
Enoch Moore (Loyalist turned rebel)
Enoch Moore ,son of Samuel Moore U.E. and Rachel Stone, married Elizabeth Smith, daughter of James Smith and Hannah Hawksworth, on March 30, 1803 in Old Holy Trinity Church, Lower Middleton, Annapolis, Nova Scotia...
).
Around this same time, Elias's younger brother, Lindley Murray Moore
Lindley Murray Moore
Lindley Murray Moore is notable for his activities as an abolitionist, and educator....
was founding an Anti-Slavery Society in Rochester, N.Y..
Moore continued to serve in the 13th Parliament of Upper Canada
13th Parliament of Upper Canada
The 13th Parliament of Upper Canada was opened 8 November 1836. Elections in Upper Canada had been held 20 June 1836. All sessions were held at Toronto.The House of Assembly had five sessions 8 November 1836 to 10 February 1840....
until it was prorogued
Parliamentary session
A legislative session is the period of time in which a legislature, in both parliamentary and presidential systems, is convened for purpose of lawmaking, usually being one of two or more smaller divisions of the entire time between two elections...
in February, 1840. His seat-mate, Thomas Parke, returned to the House in 1841. “His party came into power and Mr. Parke was appointed Surveyor-General.” He became embroiled in a debate over patronage and was forced to run as an independent in the next election in which he could only gather 46 votes out of a total of 2039. He did manage to split the Liberal vote, and the Conservative candidate, Edward Ermatinger
Edward Ermatinger
Edward Ermatinger was a Canadian fur trader, businessman and political figure.He was born on the isle of Elba in 1797, the grandson of Lawrence Ermatinger, was educated in England and went to York Factory in 1818 with his brother Francis as a clerk for the Hudson's Bay Company...
, won the seat.
Up until his death, Moore served as clergy reserve inspector, helping to implement one of the post-rebellion recommendations of Lord Durham, that land set aside for the Church of England be sold off, as no other denomination had been granted land. The abuse, by the Family Compact, of clergy reserves and the income from them had been one of the sorest points for inciting the rebellions.
Moore's granddaughter, Isabella Sprague, married Thomas Scatcherd
Thomas Scatcherd
Thomas Scatcherd was a Canadian lawyer and political figure. He represented Middlesex North as a Liberal member of the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1876....
, who sat in the Canada West Legislature for West Middlesex beginning in 1861.