Page 44 - Three Score Years & Ten
P. 44
“THREE SCORE YEARS AND TEN” MISSIONARY WORK IN CHINA
Amy Moore
ARTHUR MOORE
EARLY LIFE
Arthur Moore was born in Wolverhampton on 6 April 1878. He was the son of James Moore and
Helen Everall, born in Chester and Wolverhampton respectively, and the grandson of Joseph Moore
whose wife ( James' mother) came from Spain. Arthur's maternal grandfather was Charles Everall,
who is named in James and Helen's wedding certificate as a "coachman". James was twenty and
Helen only eighteen when they were married in the Parish Church of St. Mark, Wolverhampton in
Staffordshire. The date was 18 February 1868.
Joseph and his wife had four other sons and one daughter, but apart from James, the only other two
we know anything about are Thomas and Joseph.
Thomas , who was born in Chester, married and had one daughter, Margaret, who married a Mr.
Bethell. Their only daughter Anita, who called herself a "cousin" of Arthur and Esther Moore's
children, married rather late in life and settled in Gloucestershire with her farmer husband, Vernon
Merritt. They had no children.
Joseph went to Canada and married there. They had three sons, Harry, Earnest and George. I have
heard that Harry had a son called Cecil and Earnest a son called Roy, but apart from that I know
nothing of the Canadian Moores.
James and Helen Moore had eleven children of whom Arthur was the fifth. Older than he were
James, Joseph, Mary and Gertrude. Younger, were two brothers, Stephen and Percy, and four
sisters, Edith, Florrie and the twins Daisy and Lil. Arthur was very fond of his younger brother Percy,
and it was a great blow to him when he was accidentally drowned. He named his own eldest son
Percy after him.
James Moore was a master gardener, and when Lord Leverbrook began his model village at Port
Sunlight in the Wirral, he invited James Moore to be his head gardener. This was the first of this type
of village for working people in the United Kingdom. The homes of the factory workers were laid out
round a formal garden area with fountains and statues and, at the far end, the Lady Lever Art Gallery,
a magnificent building with its dome and Corinthian pillars.
Arthur Moore must have grown up in one of those homes, and he often spoke of his delight in the
lovely English countryside as he rode his bicycle through Chester and along the roads of North Wales.
Strange that while my father spent his early years in South Wales (Brynmaur and Nantyglo), Percy's
father was exploring the scenery of North Wales!
Arthur Moore was strong and energetic and well built, and at that time his delight was to take part in
Rugby matches. Later he became a member of the Everton team and his whole life became centred
in the weekly matches.
As he grew older he seems to have had a yearning for travel, perhaps inspired by the close proximity
of the docks at Liverpool, with shipping coming and going from every part of the world. At the age of
twenty two, he decided to see the world so signed on as a steward on a ship sailing to America. The
vessel was an 8,200 ton steamer called the "Cymric" and, going to New York. Arthur signed on on 3
August 1900, but by 11 September he was back in Liverpool signing off! Apparently he had had
enough of life as a ship's steward although his conduct and ability were both stated to be "very good".
44
Amy Moore
ARTHUR MOORE
EARLY LIFE
Arthur Moore was born in Wolverhampton on 6 April 1878. He was the son of James Moore and
Helen Everall, born in Chester and Wolverhampton respectively, and the grandson of Joseph Moore
whose wife ( James' mother) came from Spain. Arthur's maternal grandfather was Charles Everall,
who is named in James and Helen's wedding certificate as a "coachman". James was twenty and
Helen only eighteen when they were married in the Parish Church of St. Mark, Wolverhampton in
Staffordshire. The date was 18 February 1868.
Joseph and his wife had four other sons and one daughter, but apart from James, the only other two
we know anything about are Thomas and Joseph.
Thomas , who was born in Chester, married and had one daughter, Margaret, who married a Mr.
Bethell. Their only daughter Anita, who called herself a "cousin" of Arthur and Esther Moore's
children, married rather late in life and settled in Gloucestershire with her farmer husband, Vernon
Merritt. They had no children.
Joseph went to Canada and married there. They had three sons, Harry, Earnest and George. I have
heard that Harry had a son called Cecil and Earnest a son called Roy, but apart from that I know
nothing of the Canadian Moores.
James and Helen Moore had eleven children of whom Arthur was the fifth. Older than he were
James, Joseph, Mary and Gertrude. Younger, were two brothers, Stephen and Percy, and four
sisters, Edith, Florrie and the twins Daisy and Lil. Arthur was very fond of his younger brother Percy,
and it was a great blow to him when he was accidentally drowned. He named his own eldest son
Percy after him.
James Moore was a master gardener, and when Lord Leverbrook began his model village at Port
Sunlight in the Wirral, he invited James Moore to be his head gardener. This was the first of this type
of village for working people in the United Kingdom. The homes of the factory workers were laid out
round a formal garden area with fountains and statues and, at the far end, the Lady Lever Art Gallery,
a magnificent building with its dome and Corinthian pillars.
Arthur Moore must have grown up in one of those homes, and he often spoke of his delight in the
lovely English countryside as he rode his bicycle through Chester and along the roads of North Wales.
Strange that while my father spent his early years in South Wales (Brynmaur and Nantyglo), Percy's
father was exploring the scenery of North Wales!
Arthur Moore was strong and energetic and well built, and at that time his delight was to take part in
Rugby matches. Later he became a member of the Everton team and his whole life became centred
in the weekly matches.
As he grew older he seems to have had a yearning for travel, perhaps inspired by the close proximity
of the docks at Liverpool, with shipping coming and going from every part of the world. At the age of
twenty two, he decided to see the world so signed on as a steward on a ship sailing to America. The
vessel was an 8,200 ton steamer called the "Cymric" and, going to New York. Arthur signed on on 3
August 1900, but by 11 September he was back in Liverpool signing off! Apparently he had had
enough of life as a ship's steward although his conduct and ability were both stated to be "very good".
44
