A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Moor, Philip
MOOR. (Lieut., 1815. f-p., 9; h-p., 32.)
Philip Moor was born 2 June, 1793. His brother James, a Lieutenant R.M., died in the island of Marie-galante in 1808.
This officer entered the Navy, 30 Aug. 1806, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Windsor Castle 74, Capt. Chas. Boyles, in which ship, after witnessing Sir Sam. Hood’s destruction of four heavy French frigates off Rochefort, he passed the Dardanells with Sir John Duckworth, and was present at the destruction of the Turkish squadron off Point Pesquies. Joining next, in Oct. 1808, the Unicorn 32, Capts. Lucius Ferdinand Hardyman and Alex. Robt. Kerr, he assisted, as Midshipman, in embarking the army after the battle of Corunna in Jan. 1809, and in the ensuing April beheld Lord Coohrane’s brilliant attack on the French shipping in Aix Roads. In Sept, of the same year he rejoined Capt. Hardyman on board the Armide 38; but, previously to doing so, he appears to have attracted the notice of Lord Gambier by his gallant defence of the Unicorn’s launch against nine of the enemy’s gun-boats after his commanding-officer, Lieut. Hamilton, had been killed. On leaving the Armide, in May, 1810, he became in succession attached to the Dreadnought 98, flagship of Rear-Admiral Thos. Sotheby, and to the Impérieuse 38, Lively 38, and Trident 64, bearing each the flag of Bear- Admiral Boyles, to whom he acted as aide-de-camp. In the Lively, commanded by Capt. Geo. McKinley, it was Mr. Moor’s misfortune to be wrecked, 10 Aug. 1810, on a reef of rocks near Point Coura, in the island of Malta. During an after servitude of 13 months in the Scout sloop, Capt. Alex. Ronton Sharpe, he had charge for some time of a watch, carried two prizes safely into port, and aided, in company with the Pomone 38, and Unité 36, at the destruction, 1 May, 1811, after a gallant action of an hour and a half, in Sagone Bay (where the Scout incurred a loss of 3 men killed and 9 wounded), of the two armed store-ships 'Giraffe' and Nourrice, each mounting from 20 to 30 guns, and protected by a 5-gun battery, a martello-tower, and a body of about 200 regular troops. In Dec. 1811, three months after he had returned to the Trident, he was received on board the Thames 32, Capt. Chas. Napier, by whom he was soon awarded the rating of Master’s Mate. While in that ship, besides being thrice deputed to perform the duties of prize-master, he had command of a tender, and came into frequent contact with the enemy on the Calabrian coast. He once, when on shore on impress service at Malta, received a very severe wound in the under-jaw, and had five of his teeth knocked out, the remainder being so broken and displaced as to be afterwards rendered unserviceable. He was on two other occasions also slightly wounded, and (a fact well attested) had a piece of his hat in one instance shot away by a cannon-ball while in charge of a boat. During the two years which preceded his attainment of the rank of Lieutenant, 16 Feb. 1815, he served, as Midshipman and Master’s Mate, in the Bellerophon 74, Capt. Edw. Hawker, flag-ship of Sir Rich. Goodwin Keats at Newfoundland. In Dec. 1814, having volunteered his services, he took charge of a recaptured vessel, deeply laden with crockery-ware, and, after a desperate passage of 11 days, succeeded in carrying her into Plymouth. During eight days of the time the sea was perpetually washing over, and, as there existed no possibility of opening the hatches or of going below, those on board were reduced to the necessity of subsisting entirely upon raw meat. The conduct exhibited by Mr. Moor on this, as on a previous occasion, afforded Capt. Hawker an opportunity of recommending him to the Admiralty as an officer most fully deserving promotion. Since the receipt of his commission he has been on half-pay.