James Moir (merchant)

In 1836, Moir came to America and began his career with the dry goods importing house of Andrew Mitchell & Co. He was later involved with Wilmerdings, Priest & Mount, followed by Crafts & Stell, before becoming senior partner in the Manchester, England based firm of Starvart, Zigomala & Co. before his retirement in 1869.^[1]

In 1870, he formed Aborn, Moir & Co. with Robert W. Aborn, the Rhode Island born father-in-law of Mayor William Lafayette Strong. The firm was dissolved in 1877 upon his second retirement.^[1]

At the time of his death, he was a director in the Bank of New York, to which he had been elected in 1878.^[1]

On June 3, 1845, he married Mary McElroy (1825–1896),^[3] daughter of Marianne Fox (née Walker) McElroy and the Rev. Joseph McElroy, D.D., who was pastor of the Scotch Presbyterian Church in New York from 1820 to 1876.^[2] Mary's uncle was Robert J. Walker, the first Governor of Kansas. Together, they were the parents of eight children, including:^[4]

• Joseph McElroy Moir (1846–1909), who married Agnes Pond (1856–1929), a daughter of Gideon Hollister Pond.^[5]
• Marianne Walker Moir (1848–1874), a twin who married James Robertson Walsh.^[5]
• Margaret Stenhouse Moir (1848–1877), a twin.^[5]
• Josephine Mason Moir (1851–1927), who married Henry Thomas Lee (1840–1912), son of Thomas Rathbone Lee.^[6]
• James Moir (b. 1855)^[5]
• William Wilmerding Moir (1857–1902), a Reverend who was the rector of the Church of the Holy Communion.^[7][8]
• Ann Poyntelle Moir (1861–1863), who died in infancy.^[5]
• Arthur Duncan Moir (1864–1942),^[9] who married Laura Merriam Russell (1863–1936).^[10] After her death, he married Theodora Hastings Bates (1883–1969), granddaughter of Charles Theodore Russell and niece of Governor William E. Russell, in 1937.^[11]

He was a member of the Union Club, the New York Society Library and the Saint Andrew's Society of the State of New York, of which he served as president from 1872 to 1873.^[1]

Moir died on December 7, 1899, at his residence, 26 West 10th Street in New York City.^[12][13] A staunch Presbyterian his entire life, his funeral was held at the University Place Presbyterian Church.^[1]