HORATIO NELSON MOORE #8 52 ANCESTORS IN 52 WEEKS

In January 2014, Amy Johnson Crow of the Ancestry blog "No Story Too Small"  issued the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge.

 

The premise: write once a week about a specific ancestor. It could be a story, a biography, a photograph, a research problem — any that focuses on that one ancestor. The next week, write about a different ancestor. In 52 weeks, you’ll have taken a closer look at 52 people in your family tree… and maybe learned a little bit more about them in the process.

Horatio Nelson Moore was born 26 March 1825 the same day his older brother died, so he was named after his brother.

 

He was one of 15 children born to Tristram and Thankful (Foster) Moore of Moore’s Mill, New Brunswick, Canada. He was my 2nd Great Grandfather.

 

 

As soon as he was old enough to work, he apprenticed with an older brother, John, at John's furniture and Piano making factory, eventually becoming a craftsman in this field.

 

Horatio married Mary Christiana Rose in 1850 in St. Stephen, New Brunswick, Canada and had 4 children, Tristram born 1851, Kathleen born 1853, Anna Rose (Nanny) born 1855 and Bessie Agnes born in 1857.

 

One of Horatio’s sisters, Emily and her husband Charles Williams travelled down to Alabama for work in 1850.  Apparently they were doing very well with a milling company that they convinced Horatio and his family to join them down south.  I found Horatio's family living in Mobile, Alabama in the 1860 census.  He was there just in time to get involved with the Civil War. He was foreign born so he was not drafted into service but was a Volunteer.  He belonged to the British Brigade (a company of foreign born men) and was put to work guarding the Mobile waterfront for the Confederate States.

 

Horatio was a very talented musician particularly on the piano and was a voice teacher and choir leader.

Many of the letters Emily Williams wrote home to their Mother mentioned Rache, as he was called, having small concerts in his home.

 

Horatio began working for the Chickering Piano Company of Boston.  He was asked to work in Savannah, Georgia and loved the city.  He moved the whole family there around 1880.

 

Another company he worked for was the Ludden & Bates Piano Company. They owned the Southern Music Company Store in Savannah where Horatio was the piano tuner and his son Tristram worked as a clerk.  At times Horatio would have to travel for the piano companies.  Some of his sister's letters mention him going to California, New York and Boston to work but he never lived anywhere but Savannah after 1880. I had the pleasure of touring around Savannah and seeing all the different houses the family lived in while in Savannah. 

 

Horatio Nelson Moore died 1 January 1901 and is buried in the Laurel Grove Cemetery in Savannah, as is most of his family.