Profile:
Nancy MOORE (nee PODMORE)
(c.1798-1871)Servant to the Macquaries. Wife of John Moore.Ann Podmore was the daughter of Richard Podmore (c.1773-18**), a private in NSW Corps, who had arrived in NSW on the Pitt in 1792, and Phoebe Flarty (also listed as 'Phebee Flartee', or 'Flarherty')(c.1772-1817), who was transported to NSW in 1787 on board the Prince of Wales. Richard Podmore and Phoebe Flarty were married at St. Philips, Sydney on 30 July 1810 after at least 10 years of co-habitation. Phoebe's children by Podmore were Ann (1799), Sarah (1803), Richard (1808-1887), Elizabeth (1813-1818), and George (1815), and a female child unnnamed and unidentified. Ann's mother, Phoebe, died on 27 January 1817; her father, Richard, was employed as a shoemaker in 1828, though his death date is currently unknown.
Ann ('Nancy') Podmore married John Moore at St. Philips, Sydney on 5 August 1817. Their first child, William, was born on 2 May 1818, but seems to have died in infancy. A daughter, Elizabeth, was born on 20 December 1819.
Nancy and her husband (though there is no mention of their daughter) accompanied the Macquaries on board the Surry during their return voyage to England in 1822. In a letter addressed to Charles Whalan on 18 August 1823 Elizabeth Macquarie wrote:
"I hope that John & Nancy Moore are nearly arrived with you. I was never more shocked than when I heard of her having the Small Pox, do let me know if she be still marked, & if so, whether it is thought the marks will ever go off."Nancy returned to Sydney on board the Mary on 19 October 1823.
There were 10 children from their marriage, though at least two (2) children [possibly 3] died in infancy*:
William (1818)*
Elizabeth (1819-1863)
Henrietta (1824-1882)
Mary Ann Jane (1827-1890)
John (c.1829-1856)
Ann (c.1831-1857)
Charles James Bennett (1834)*
Margaret Bennett (1836 -c.1904)
James Bennett (1839-1920)
Thomas Bennett (1841)*
All the Moore children were born at Parramatta, with the exception of William who was born in Sydney.
Family life centred around business interests in the Parramatta district and their daughter, Elizabeth, subsequently married George Rouse (1816-1888), son of Richard Rouse (1774-1852), Superintendent of Public Works (under Bligh and Macquarie).Nancy Moore died at Phillip Street, Parramatta on 9 January 1871, and was buried in St John's Cemetery, Parramatta. Her tombstone records her age as 72, while the Burial Register for 11 January 1871 lists her age as 73. She predeceased her husband, John, by six (6) years.
REFERENCES
Primary Sources:
Whalan Family Papers 1791-1861. Mitchell Library, Sydney. [ML Ref: ML MSS 6].
Secondary Sources
Census of New South Wales November 1828. (eds.) Malcolm R. Sainty and Keith A. Johnson. Sydney: Library of Australian History, 1980. p.303.
Dunn, Judith The Parramatta Cemeteries St John's. Parramatta: Parramatta and District Historical Society, 1991 pp.149-150.
Gillen, Mollie The Founders of Australia: a biographical dictionary of the First Fleet. Sydney: Library of Australian History, 1989 pp.128-129.
The 1788-1820 Association's Pioneer Register (compilers) Dr. C. J. Smee and J. Selkirk Provis. Sydney: The 1788-1820 Association, 1981. [2nd ed.] see Vol. 1. [Entries for: 'John Moore' and 'Richard Podmore']
Parramatta Pioneer Register: Foundation to Federation. Parramatta: Parramatta & District Historical Society, 2000 p.161.
Copyright © 1998-2007 Macquarie University.
All rights reserved.