Author of Central News letters identified - 1891

[lynn cates]

mind games

Hello Trade and Phil. That was my impression too. (Or else he could read my mind presciently.)

Cheers.
LC

[Math]

John Moore - News Agent

Hi,

I came across this website whilst researching my GG Grandfather, John Moore of the Central News Agency.. I was amazed to find the connection to the Dear Boss letter. No one in our family had any idea.

I'll endeavour to post further information about him when I can, but thought I'd put right a mistaken post from earlier:

The census records from 1881 posted earlier are for the wrong men. The search had been for John Moore, journalist, but on that census he put his occupation as News Agent. The reference is RG11/685 f.90, and he was living at 14 Philbrick Terrace, Nunhead Lane, Peckham, with his wife, Charlotte, and two sons. His age was given as 28 and he was born in Calstock, Cornwall.

He was the son of a miner, later a mine agent, Richard Moore, from Cornwall.

Interestingly, on the 1871 census, he is listed as being in the Metropolitan Police. His age is given as 21, but really he would have been 18. His wife was the daughter of a policeman in Cornwall.

Cheers, Math

[Tom_Wescott]

Hi Math, welcome to the boards, and thank you for any information you can provide. If you have not yet read the 'Littlechild Letter', you might want to do so, as Inspector Littlechild seems to have thought that your gg grandfather was the originator of the name Jack the Ripper! I believe if you select 'Official Documents' to your left, you'll find the letter.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[Ally]

Welcome to the boards, Math. I wish I could find someone interesting in my family tree. Look forward to reading more.

[lynn cates]

welcome

Hello Math. Welcome to the boards.

Very interesting. Please keep everyone posted.

Cheers.
LC

[Archaic]

Hi Math.

Welcome to Casebook, and thanks for your interesting information!

I just hoped you've braced yourself for the ride, because it looks like you're about to get sucked into the vortex that is Ripperology...


You see, the rest of us can't seem to climb out.

Best regards,
Archaic

[Math]

John Moore - News Agent

A few more details about John Moore:

He was the son of Richard and Elizabeth Moore, ne Shenale, who was first a miner, then a mine agent, in Gunnislake, Cornwall. Richard died in Plymouth in 1868, of congestion of the lungs, aged 44, when John was just 16 and the eldest son. He may have taken over his father's Mineral Brokerage at 14 Liverpool St, EC, for short while and may have inherited and sold a quarry.

By 1871, the surviving family was living in Paddington, where Elizabeth ran a boarding house, but John was living in Streatham, married to Charlotte (Laws), apparently aged 21 (when he was only 18) and a Metropolitan Police Constable. He was still a policeman when his first son was born in 1872 (Arthur Herbert, who would also become a journalist, for Hansard, and marry the daughter of a journalist).

I don't know when he left the police or became a journalist. There is a PO Directory entry for John Moore and Son - shorthand writers and proprietors of the press agency, 35 Parliament Sq, in 1875, I think, and similar entries subsequent through to 1908.

In 1881, he is on the census as a News Agent, aged 28, with a daughter and two sons. '91 and 1901 list him as a journalist (Editor and Newsagent resp.), and as an author in '91, still living in south London.

1887-89, with John Edward Wright, he took a number of patents covering improvements in printing telegraphs, which allowed telegraphs to be printed in columns.

Having been manager for many years, he was elected Chairman of Central News in 1892 and honoured with a banquet.

In 1897, he was Warden of the Worshipful Company of Glass Sellers, and in 1898, the Master. He wrote a history of the Company in 1899.

He retired from journalism in 1907, after 35 years with Central News. He settled in Great Holland, Essex, where he pressed for educational reform, for the building of a Reading Room, and where he gave talks and lectures on his life in journalism (including his first balloon ride and the execution of 'the notorious Wainwright').

He died of TB, aged 64, at his house in Clapham in August 1916, leaving over £3000 in his will. Reports appeared in The Times and The East Essex Advertiser.

That's much of what I know of the bare bones of his life. There are some newspaper articles I'll try and post up. As I said, the family had no idea he was in any way involved in the Ripper investigation.

Cheers, and thanks for the welcoming words...

Math

[Math]

John Moore - News Agent

From The Times

"Mr. John Moore, a well-known journalist, died yesterday at his residence at Clapham Common, aged 65. He was a former Chariman of the Central News (Ltd.) and for many years manager of that agency, from which position he retired in April, 1907, owing to failing health."

The Times
1st September 1916



"DEATH OF MR. JOHN MOORE

A Former Resident of Great Holland

Mr. John Moore, a well-known journalist, died on Thursday afternoon at his residence at Clapham Common.
Mr Moore, who was 65 years of age, was a former Chairman of the Central News Ltd., and for many years the manager of the Central News Agency, from which position he retired in April, 1907, owing to failing health.
The deceased gentleman was famous throughout the newspaper world as an organiser, and as a pioneer in association with the late William Saunders, M.P., and the late Bennett Burleigh in news agency activity and enterprise.
On his retirement from business he came to reside at Grea Holland, in which village he interested himself for a number of years in the affairs of the parish and was one of the prime movers in the erection of the Parish Hall. He was an enthusiastic advicate of the Secondary Education movement and in connection with this matter he contributed a number of special articles to this journal. For some years he was a valued member of the Parish Council."

East Essex Advertiser & Clacton News
Saturday, 2nd September 1916

[William Saunders was a radical journalist, philanthropist & social reformer, who established the Central News Agency. He served as MP for Hull East (1885-6), and later Walworth (1892-5). He retired from journalism in 1887 and died in 1895.
Bennett Burleigh was a “brilliant” War Corespendent, first with the Central News, then the Daily Telegraph. He died 17/6/1914.]

[Math]

John Moore - News Agent

"VETERAN JOURNALIST RETIRES.

Mr. John Moore, who for thirty-five years has been associated with the Central News Limited, acting for a considerable period as chairman and manager of the company, severed his connection with the company yesterday.
Mr. Moore is one of the best-known men in Fleet-street, and it is largely due to his efforts that the Central News has attained the position it occupies to-day as one of the leading news agencies in the country.
A keen journalist, his invariable coutesy in dealing with the numberless persons whose business took them to the offices of the agency in New Bridge-street made him hosts of friends."

Sorry, I lost the newspaper this came from. Ca. April 1907



"Ex -Chairman [of Central News] John Moore, who was also manager for a good many years, took to farming and pig-breeding (he came of West of England yeoman stock) in his retirement."

“The Street of Ink” by H. Simonis
London 1917


"“THIRTY-FIVE YEARS OF NEWSPAPER LIFE,” - The Great Holland Reading Room and Institute have commenced their winter season well, The rooms were opened to members the first Monday in October, and on Turesday last a lecture was given to the members and their friends by Mr. John Moore, entitled “Thirty-five Years of Newspaper Life.” The lecturer first gave a description of a highly-equipped newspaper; then some explanations of quick-speed telegraphy, and finally some striking incidents of his own experiences. The story of his first balloon trip, and how he was led to take it, convulsed the audience, whilst his realistic recital of the hanging of the notorious Wainwright caused his hearers many a thrill of horror. Altogether a highly interesting and successful evening. Mr. A. Drinkwater presided."

East Essex Advertiser & Clacton News
Saturday, October 17th 1908

[lynn cates]

views

Hello Math. Thanks for this update.

Do you know whether he left behind any opinions about what was happening in Whitechapel in 1888? It is always good to see a contemporary point of view.

Cheers.
LC

[Math]

John Moore - News Agent

Just to give some picture of the man:

From the East Essex Advertiser
November 7, 1908

Editorial

"NEGLECTED EDUCATION.

We print today another interesting letter from Mr. Moore on neglected education, and one so far reaching in its character that it deserves the most serious consideration...

...Mr. Moore’s plan here is one that will rouse the most intense interest and curiosity. He proposes, with his friends, putting up a series of artistic country cottages, to let them at present prices, and them to shame landowners, vicars, farmers, and all the local authorites into doing their duty to their poorer neighbours. It almost takes our breath away. For a moment we were inclined to regard him as a dreamer of dreams, but when we realise what he has done in Great Holland in six short weeks we are forced to admit that he is a man of action. To finance such a scheme would, to most of us, be an impossibilty. But when we turn to his record and note how he raised single handed £5,000 in a fortnight, and saved scores of Achill Islanders from starvation, we are free to acknowledge that such a word as failure finds no place in his vocabulary..."

[Math]

Hi, Lynn,

No, I don't. If I ever find anything I'll certainly post it. :-)

[Bridewell]

Welcome

Hi, Lynn,

No, I don't. If I ever find anything I'll certainly post it. :-)

Hi Math,

Thanks for what you've posted to date. An interesting and informative debut!
I add my own welcome to those already posted.

Best Wishes, Bridewell.

[lynn cates]

thanks

Hello Math. Thanks. I shall look forward to it.

Cheers.
LC

[TradeName]

Lord Kelvin on Column Printing Telegraph

Comments by Lord Kelvin (William Thomson) on Moore and Wright's Column Printing Telegraph:

The Belfast News-Letter (Belfast, Ireland), Wednesday, June 11, 1890

Page 8, Columns 5-6