Stewart Stevenson Moore

Stewart Stevenson Moore was born in Peel, Isle of Man, on New Year's Day, 1860. He hailed from an old and established Manx family, of Lhergydhoo in the Parish of German. His father, the Reverend John Stevenson Moore, was Vicar of Dagenham, Essex and his grandfather John Stevenson Moore (1804-1896) had been a Member of the House of Keys for Glenfabaand a Wesleyan preacher. As a consequence of his father's vocation, Stevenson Moore was brought up in England however the family maintained a strong connection to the Isle of Man.

Following his schooling Stevenson Moore went up to Keble College, Oxford, where he took his B.A. and M.A. He was admitted to the Middle Temple in 1883 and practiced on the South Eastern Circuit, specialising in tithe and common law. In 1900 Stevenson Moore succeeded Thomas Kneen as Second Deemster, subsequently being appointed First Deemster following the death of Sir James Gell in 1905. On the death of Deemster Kneen he became Clerk of the Rolls in 1916.

Deemster Stevenson Moore was part of the Manx Legislature in the days when Deemsters sat on Boards of Tynwald, and he was Chairman of the Local Government Board and Chairman of the Board of Agriculture.

Upon his retirement as First Deemster and Clerk of the Rolls in 1921, Deemster Moore returned to live in England. However he returned to the Isle of Man in 1931 to preside over the retrial of a case of negligence against the Highway Board. This was the first time a Deemster had emerged from retirement to hear a lawsuit in the High Court. His return was due to an invitation from the Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man, Sir Claude Hill who was asked to appoint a special judge for the retrial of a protracted lawsuit.

Before the court assembled on Friday July 17, 1931, Deemster Stevenson Moore was sworn in by the then Clerk of the Rolls, Deemster Frederick LaMothe. This was the second time in his career that Deemster Stevenson Moore had taken the ancient "herring bone oath," to deal justly and indifferently between party and party "as the herring backbone both lie in the midst of the fish."

Death

Stevenson Moore passed away at his home at 32, Hans Place, Chelsea on March 28, 1951. Following his funeral his body was cremated at Golders Green Crematorium.

• Second Deemster, 1900-1905
• First Deemster, 1905–1916
• First Deemsters and Clerk of the Rolls, 1916-1921