Moore, Hugh
Private
No. 24855, 2nd Battalion, Border Regiment
Killed in action on Thursday 4 October 1917 (aged 27)
No known grave
Commemorated:
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium (Panel 85 to 86)
BIOGRAPHY
Hugh Moore was born on 14 August 1890 at Ballymacormick, Bangor, and he was a son of William and Mary Ann (sometimes Anne) Moore (nee McBurney) who were married on 11 May 1882 in Mourne Presbyterian Church, Kilkeel. William Moore, a gamekeeper in Mourne Park, Kilkeel was a son of John Moore, a labourer. Mary Ann McBurney from the townland of Magheramurphy, Kilkeel was a daughter of John McBurney, a land-steward.
There is evidence to suggest that Mary Ann McBurney had children before she was married.
In 1901 William Moore (aged 51) and his wife Mary Ann Moore (aged 49) were living in Houston Street, Pottinger, Belfast with their son Hugh Moore (aged 10), and Mary Ann Moore’s siblings Hugh McBurney, a land-steward (aged 36), and Emily McBurney (aged 23).
Emily McBurney and William Thompson were married on 8 April 1901 in Railway Street Presbyterian Church, Lisburn. They moved to Alberta, Canada with their daughter Kathleen who was born on 25 February 1902. At least two more children were born in Canada – Emily and Hugh. Also with them in Canada was Hugh McBurney (aged 47).
Hugh Moore’s father, William Moore, died of liver cancer at 28 Houston Street, Belfast on 30 March 1907 (aged 57). William’s wife, Mary Ann, was present at his death.
In 1911 the widowed Mary Ann Moore was living in Houston Street, Pottinger, Belfast with her son Hugh Moore (aged 20), a carter.
Hugh Moore went to live with his uncle Thomas Speirs (sometimes Speers) and his aunt Jane Speirs (nee McBurney) at 13 Hilden Cottages, Cleator, Cumberland. Thomas Spiers (son of William Speirs, a farmer) worked as a shoemaker and he and Jane McBurney (daughter of John McBurney, a land-steward) were married on 26 June 1885 in Mourne Presbyterian Church, Kilkeel.
Thomas and Jane Speirs (nee McBurney) had at least nine children:
John (born 10 April 1883 at Mourne Park, Kilkeel)
Sarah E (born around 1886/1887)
Janie (born around 1887/1888)
William J (born around 1890/1891)
Thomas (born around 1892/1893)
Sam (born around 1894/1895)
Emily (born around 1896/1897)
Alexander (born around 1898/1899)
Robert (born around 1900)
Hugh Moore’s widowed mother, Mary Anne Moore, died of breast cancer at 26 Houston Street, Belfast on 15 March 1915 (aged 63). Sarah Burns was present at her death.
In England, Hugh Moore worked as a blast furnace-man before he enlisted on 24 February 1916 at Cleator Moor, Cumberland. In his attestation papers it was noted that he was 5 feet 8¼ inches tall and that his teeth were defective but not sufficiently bad to cause rejection. He cited his aunt Jane Speirs of 13 Hilden Cottages, Cleator, Cumberland as his next-of-kin and it was noted that both of his parents were deceased; he had no grandparents, no brothers, no sisters, no wife and no children. He declared his age to be 25 years 6 months.
Private Hugh Moore was mobilized on 12 May 1916, and he sailed from Folkestone to France on 6 October 1916. On 30 December 1916 he was admitted to hospital suffering from acute nephritis. He was transferred by hospital ship (Dunluce Castle) to England and was in hospital for 130 days from 13 January 1917 to 22 May 1917. On 29 July 1917 Private Hugh Moore sailed from Folkestone to Boulogne and then travelled on to Etaples. He joined battle on 16 August 1917 and was 27 when he was killed in action on 4 October 1917. He has no known grave and he died intestate.
Private Hugh Moore (No. 24855) is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial in Belgium.