Fonds P15 - The Moore of Moynehall Papers

Identity area

Reference code

IE 2135 P15

Title

The Moore of Moynehall Papers

Date(s)

  • 1803-1905 (Creation)

Level of description

Fonds

Extent and medium

3 standard boxes and 1 outsize box

Context area

Name of creator

(Fl. 1629-1857)

Biographical history

The Moynehall estate in county Cavan was granted by the Crown in 1629 jointly to Abigail Moigne née Dodd, widow of Thomas Moigne, Dean of St Patrick’s Cathedral; her son Captain Roger Moigne; and her brother-in-law John Greenham. Three years later, Abigail and John released their right to and interest in the lands to Roger. When Roger was slain in the Siege of Drogheda in 1641, his three daughters became jointly entitled to the Moynehall estate. The eldest, Abigail, married Major Nicholas Moore and in 1698 settled her part of the Moynehall estate on her descendants. Samuel Moore the elder (d. 1848) was her great-great-great-grandson. He married Frances Nesbitt of the Lismore family in 1809. Their son Colonel Samuel Moore lived at Rockville and married his first cousin Louisa Nesbitt in 1849. They had an only child, Frances, who in 1883 married Captain Ernest Edward Cator Nevile of Yorkshire.

In 1794, the Moores leased Moynehall to Samuel Adams, whose descendants remained in possession until 1857, when the property was advertised for sale in the Encumbered Estates Court. In 1876, Moynehall belonged to John Fay. Today, it is home to the Backyard Arts and Cultural Centre.

Archival history

Unknown

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Unknown; acquired c. 1997.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

The material consists of deeds, wills, marriage settlements, legal searches, statements, opinions, accounts and correspondence relating to the legal and administrative affairs of the Moore family of Moynehall, County Cavan. The documents are primarily concerned with Samuel Moore the elder and his younger son and namesake, who succeeded to the estate as a consequence of the untimely death of his elder brother. Of particular note is the material relating to the case of Moore v Jackson, which provides a good example of the complex set of procedures required to break an entail to facilitate the mortgaging of lands. Also of note are the copies of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century documents, the originals of which may no longer survive; and statements of title such as P15/1/2/1/1 which contain valuable genealogical information of the Moore family across three centuries.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

All records have been retained.

Accruals

No accruals are expected.

System of arrangement

No original order was discernible at the time of cataloguing. The material is now arranged into five series by the family member to which the material primarily relates. Thus, Series 1 comprises materials related to Samuel Moore the elder, Series 2 to his eldest son Gerard Moore, Series 3 to his younger son Samuel Moore, Series 4 to his daughter Louisa Noble née Moore, and Series 5 to his granddaughter Frances Nevile née Moore. Within each series, material has been subdivided by the case or matter to which it relates and thereunder listed chronologically by date. Owing to the considerable complexity of the collection and the interconnectedness of its individual parts, it has not always been possible to successfully reconstruct each legal case. For example, the documents concerning the birth and marriage of Samuel Moore the younger (P15/3/1/1-4) were used as evidence in the land transaction between Moore and William Hague (P15/3/5/1/1-P15/3/5/3/7).

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Unrestricted access to all items.

Conditions governing reproduction

Standard copyright regulations apply to all items. For photocopying or reproducing material, please consult with the staff.

Language of material

  • English
  • Latin

Script of material

    Language and script notes

    Physical characteristics and technical requirements

    Paper documents mostly in good or reasonable condition. A number of items are fragile and may require conservation treatment. These items have been identified in the descriptive catalogue.

    Finding aids

    Allied materials area

    Existence and location of originals

    Existence and location of copies

    Related units of description

    Related descriptions

    Publication note

    For a better understanding of the contents of this collection, the researcher is referred to the report on the case of Tennison v Moore in Irish Equity Reports, of Cases Argued and Determined in the High Court of Chancery and the Rolls Court, during the Years 1849 and 1850, vol. XII (Dublin: Hodges and Smith, 1852), pp. 424-443.

    Notes area

    Note

    The spelling of personal and place names appears in the catalogue as it appears in the documents.

    Alternative identifier(s)

    Access points

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    Name access points

    Genre access points

    Description control area

    Description identifier

    Rules and/or conventions used

    This description follows guidelines based on ISAD(G) 2nd edition (2000), Irish Guidelines for Archival Description (2009), National Council on Archives: Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names (1997) and EAP Guidance on Data Protection for Archive Services (2018).

    Status

    Level of detail

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        Sources

        Archivist's note

        Papers arranged and described by Arianna Shorey in May 2019. Revised by Anna-Maria Hajba in November 2022.

        Accession area