Charles Herbert Moore was born on 12 April 1869 and died at Stalybridge on 2 February 1949. He collapsed at his home during the previous week and never recovered.
Moore was a life member of the Conchological Society, having joined in 1902. He was deeply interested in many subjects besides conchology, being an ornithologist, entomologist, gardener, photographer, musician, Rugby football and cricket enthusiast, and a great worker for his church. Sparely built and bearded he was well known to many people as a somewhat eccentric man who liked to feed wild birds as well as hunt the canals and countryside for shells. His wife predeceased him by several years. She was a constant companion in his jaunts to the country and especially to the Lake District. In his youth he walked all over the Lake District again and again and never tired of it. Only last summer he went tramping in that area by himself. He gave many lectures illustrated with slides made by himself. He retained his remarkable physical and mental vigour almost to the end of his life.
Our departed member, one of the old Manchester school, was for many years Librarian and Curator of the Society. He made several contributions to the Journal relating to some of his discoveries. His first exhibit was in 1903, consisting of Vertigo alpestris from Holker, North Lancashire. This was followed by a short paper on the subject. He obtained his first specimens in September 1902, the first record for North Lancashire, and he was very proud of this. In 1904 I collaborated with him in a joint paper on the Mollusca of the Grange-over-Sands district, forty-seven species being recorded, seven being additions to v.c. 69. In that year he joined my party on an excursion to Knott End, near Fleetwood, in search of marine Mollusca. In later years he exhibited shells from Grange and Cark, in North Lancashire, and from the canals at Bardsley and Droylsden, near his home. In 1914 he allowed me to go through his large collection of non-marine shells for the purpose of obtaining records for the Lancashire and Cheshire Fauna Committee. The collection contained many species from the canals near his home obtained from 1901 onwards. He was a member of that Committee and auditor for many years: he was also a member of the North-West Naturalist Union.
Before his retirement in 1922 Moore was employed at the Anglo-Syrian Trading Company, Manchester, and in the office of Messrs. Wilson and Roberts of Millbrook, Stalybridge. He was also for a long period one of the most active members of the Stalybridge Harmonic Society, and his love and knowledge of music found expression in the St. Paul’s Operatic Society, Stalybridge, of which he was for long its inspiring leader. His service at St. Paul’s was great, for he held many appointments such as teacher, librarian, register secretary, school secretary and superintendent over a period of over fifty years. The Young Men’s Society had a special place in his life, while be played for his church cricket team for many years. He was interred at St. Paul’s, Stayley, following a service in the church conducted by the Vicar, Canon Slater, and the curate. The Vicar paid a last tribute to an esteemed colleague and valued friend. The service was attended by a large concourse of his late wife’s relatives and friends.
The collection of the late C. H. Moore has been disposed of as follows: his local shells have been given to the Stalybridge Library and Art Gallery, a small collection of British shells has gone to Stockport Museum, and all his foreign shells are in Leeds Museum.
J. WILFRID JACKSON.