Sir Henry Monck-Mason Moore (18 March 1887 – 26 March 1964) was British Governor of

British Sierra Leone The Colony and Protectorate of Sierra Leone (informally British Sierra Leone) was the British colonial administration in Sierra Leone from 1808 to 1961, part of the British Empire from the abolitionism era until the decolonisation era. The Crow ...

Kenya ) , national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi ...

and Ceylon. The son of Rev. Edward William Moore, he was educated at Rokeby, KCS, Wimbledon and

Jesus College, Cambridge Jesus College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college's full name is The College of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint John the Evangelist and the glorious Virgin Saint Radegund, near Cambridge. Its common name comes fr ...

, graduating in 1909. In

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, he was a lieutenant in the

Royal Garrison Artillery The Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA) was formed in 1899 as a distinct arm of the British Army's Royal Regiment of Artillery serving alongside the other two arms of the Regiment, the Royal Field Artillery (RFA) and the Royal Horse Artillery (RHA) ...

based in

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from 1916 to 1919. He served as

Governor of Sierra Leone This is a list of colonial administrators in Sierra Leone from the establishment of the Cline Town, Sierra Leone, Province of Freedom Colony by the Committee for the Relief of the Black Poor which lasted between 1787 and 1789 and the list of colo ...

from 1934 to 1937. As governor of Sierra Leone he undertook surveys of infrastructure. He undertook a campaign that began by successfully "repairing every road and bridge in the area around Port Loko." It was considered one of the most ambitious and successful such efforts in colonial Africa during the era of the Great Depression. Adding to this, he then began a similar campaign in the Pejehun area, Bonthe and the surrounding area as well as Bo and the surrounding villages. This succeeded in providing employment for large numbers of native workers, as well as increasing commercial infrastructure for later development. However, when the area surrounding

Magburaka Magburaka is the capital and largest city of Tonkolili District in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone. Its population was 16,313 in the 2004 census. and a current estimate of 40,313. It is located at around , along the Rokel River. Magburaka ...

asked for the same improvements, Goveror Moore was unable to get the funds from the colonial office. This led to some sections alleging that the coastal areas were being "favoured" by the British government. Governor Moore found this dynamic "most distressing." While it was true that the funds simply had run out, and that Moore's efforts were genuinely made in good faith, the perception of favoritism became one which Moore had to consciously combat from then on.

Albert Margai Sir Albert Michael Margai (10 October 1910 – 18 December 1980) was the second prime minister of Sierra Leone and the half-brother of Milton Margai, Sir Milton Margai, the country's first Prime Minister. He was also the father of Sierra Leone ...

later wrote that he remembered Moore "fondly," and that "he had a reputation for being sincerely compassionate towards us." Milton Margai said Moore was "unhypocritical" and was "never patronising," adding "Moore did not have the sort of superiority complex or condescension that some others from Europe have had." Milton Margai said later, "Monk-Mason Moore was one of the men who gave the British Empire a good name in the eyes of many Africans. It is unfortunate there were not more like him."

Siaka Stevens Siaka Probyn Stevens (24 August 1905 – 29 May 1988) was the leader of Sierra Leone from 1967 to 1985, serving as Prime Minister of Sierra Leone, Prime Minister from 1967 to 1971 and as President from 1971 to 1985. Stevens' leadership was ofte ...

said Moore "was a good man." And that "he (Moore) genuinely meant well, and in most cases he did measurably good things."Kpundeh, Sahr John. Elites, Non-elites and Corruption: An Attitudinal Analysis of Data from Sierra Leone. United States: Howard University, 1993. In 1937 Moore joined the Colonial Department in

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as Assistant Under Secretary of State from 1937 to 1939 and Deputy Under Secretary of State from 1939 to 1940. From 1940 to 1944, he was

Governor of Kenya This article contains a list of chairmen, administrators, commissioners and governors of British Kenya Colony. The office of Governor of Kenya was replaced by the office of Governor General in 1963 and then later replaced by a President of Kenya ...

and then from 1944 to 1948 he was

Governor of Ceylon {{Use dmy dates, date=November 2019 The Governor of Ceylon can refer to historical vice-regal representatives of three colonialism, colonial powers: Portuguese Ceylon * List of Captains of Portuguese Ceylon (1518–1551) * List of Captain-majors of ...

. After the independence of Ceylon in 1948, he served as Governor-General until 1950. He married Daphne, daughter of William John Benson in 1921. He was the brother of the psychoanalyst Sylvia Payne.

Awards and honours

* Awarded a BA degree in

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, 1909 * Companion of The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George (CMG), 1931 * Knight Commander of The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George (), 1935 * Knight Grand Cross of The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George (

GCMG The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George IV, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, King George III. It is named in honour ...

), 1943 * Knights of Justice (

KStJ The Order of St John, short for Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem (french: l'ordre très vénérable de l'Hôpital de Saint-Jean de Jérusalem) and also known as St John International, is a British royal order of ...

) of the

Venerable Order of Saint John The Order of St John, short for Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem (french: l'ordre très vénérable de l'Hôpital de Saint-Jean de Jérusalem) and also known as St John International, is a British royal order of ...

References

*Hankinson, C. F. J. (ed.) ''Debrett's Baronetage, Knightage and Companionage, 1954'', Odhams Press, 1954 {{DEFAULTSORT:Moore, Henry Monck-Mason 1887 births 1964 deaths People educated at King's College School, London Alumni of Jesus College, Cambridge Governors-general of Ceylon Governors of British Ceylon Royal Garrison Artillery officers Knights Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George British Army personnel of World War I Colonial governors and administrators of Kenya British Kenya people