Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Moore, Francis (fl.1744)
MOORE, FRANCIS (fl. 1744), traveller, born in Worcester, was appointed in 1730 by the Royal African Company of England a writer at James Fort on James Island in the river Gambia. In January 1732 he was promoted to be factor at Joar in conjunction with William Roberts. He had much trouble with his colleague, who was a slave to drink and whose jealousy was extreme. Roberts finally betook himself to a town called Cower, about three miles away, along with all the servants of the factory, except the cook. He incited the natives to molest and threaten Moore, and was at length cashiered. Soon afterwards Moore went up five hundred miles inland, making careful observations and drawings. He left Africa in May 1735. In the ensuing October he was engaged by the trustees for establishing the colony of Georgia in America as storekeeper, and accompanied James Oglethorpe thither, staying there until July 1736. He made another voyage to Georgia in 1738, and remained until 1743, having witnessed the siege of Saint Augustine in 1740 and the Spanish invasion of Georgia in 1742.
Moore kept journals of his.travels and published:
- 'Travels into the Inland Parts of Africa, containing a description of the several nations for the space of six hundred miles up the river Gambia … to which is added Capt. Stibbs's Voyage up the Gambia in … 1723 … also extracts from … authors concerning the Niger Nile, or Gambia,' &c., with map and plates after drawings by the author, 2 pts. 8vo, London, 1738; 2nd edit, about 1740, a valuable work, included in 'A New General Collection of Voyages and Travels,' 1745 (vol. ii.), in J. J. Schwabe's 'Allgemeine Historie der Reisen,' 1747 (vol. iii.), and in 'The World Displayed,' 1774 (vol. xvii.)
- ' A Voyage to Georgia begun in … 2735, containing an account of the settling the town of Frederica … also a description of … Savannah,' 8vo, London, 1744. He would have published his journal of his second visit to Georgia had he received sufficient encouragement.
[Moore's Works; Stevenson's Hist. Sketch, p. 600, in vol. xviii. of Kerr's Collection of Voyages and Travels, 1824.]