C S Lewis and Mrs Moore

C S Lewis (author)

Aronsyne, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Mrs. Jane King Moore

From - https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/156508230/janie-king-moore

Courtney Edward Moore and his wife Jane King Moore lived at Millbrooke, located on Mill Road in 1907, when and where their daughter Maureen Daisy Helen was born. The family later resided at Avonmore in Delgany between 1911 – 12. Jane and Courtney married in Dublin in 1897. The couple also had a son named Edward Francis Courtenay Moore (later called Paddy). Courtenay Edward Moore was a Civil Engineer, who in 1916 replaced Mr. Shannon as chief civil engineer for the Dublin & South Eastern Railway, at a salary of £450. C E Moore and Jane separated in 1908 after 11 years of marriage. C E Moore was the son of Rev Courtenay Moore, who was a director of the Mitchelstown and Fermoy Light Railway Company. Later C E Moore became the heir to the baronetcy of Dunbar of Hempriggs in Caithness, Scotland, though Moore died in Dublin in 1951 prior to his inheritance and was recorded as a widower when he died. This title went to his Maureen his daughter, who also inherited the family estate in Scotland from her 2nd cousin, though this estate would have been inherited by her brother Paddy, had he survived the War.

Janie King Moore

Jane King Moore nee Atkins was the daughter of Reverend William James Askins, rector of Dunamy and Jane the daughter of Reverend James King. Her brother was the Dean of Kilmore. Mrs. Moore married at the age of 26, though they would separate, they did not divorce.

C S Lewis and Mrs. Moore

Patrick Moore the son of Mrs. Moore and C E Moore, died on the 24th of March 1918. Patrick was killed in action in the First World War at Pargny in France , he was only 19 years of age. Prior to joining up Patrick was a room mate of the noted author C S Lewis at Oxford University. Paddy was awarded a military Cross posthumously for conspicuous gallantry and initiative. After Paddy’s death Lewis fulfilled his pledge to Paddy by providing a home for Mrs. Moore for the rest of her life. He also promised to look after Paddy’s sister.
Mrs. Moore was recorded as being “not an easy person for him to live with, she was autocratic, demanding, controlling and not well educated.” She became very close to Lewis, too much so according to Lewis’s father, that when he got 6 weeks vacation while at Oxford, 5 would be spent with Mrs. Moore. Mrs. Moore became like a mother to Lewis, as Lewis’s own mother had died when Lewis was young. Mrs. Moore and C S Lewis and his brother Warnie bought a house together in Oxford in 1930, named The Kilns. Lewis cared for Mrs. Moore as she grew increasingly infirm in her later years. Mrs. Moore died in January 1951, before Lewis went on to meet his future wife, the American Joy Davidman.