MORE, ROBERT (1671–1727?), writing-master, born in 1671, was the son of a writing-master living in King Street, Westminster. Having been educated by his father in the same profession, he ‘taught writing, arithmetic, merchants' accounts, and shorthand, at the sign of the Golden Pen in Castle Street, near the Queen's Mews, Leicester Fields,’ where he also announced that ‘youths were boarded, or taught abroad.’ He succeeded Colonel John Ayres [q. v.] in his school at St. Paul's Churchyard before May 1704 (Massey). More died about 1727, either going to or returning from a visit to the north of England. He was married, and had a ‘dutifull daughter, Elizabeth More,’ who wrote one or more of the pages for his ‘Writing Master's Assistant.’ Sir Richard Steele had a high opinion of his artistic penmanship (cf. Noble, ii. p. 358n.)
More published in 1696 (the dedication to his father was dated 4 Nov.) ‘The Writing Master's Assistant.’ A second edition was issued in 1704 with a preface by Ayres, who says he ‘extorted it from him that strangers might judge how early he began to deserve well of all ingenious persons.’ He also published (without a date) ‘A Striking Copybook’ of English, French, and Italian capitals. It contains eleven plates, but no engraver's name, and is dedicated to Josiah Diston, merchant, London. About 1710 followed ‘Specimens of Penmanship,’ and in 1716 ‘The First Invention of Writing. An Essay Compendiously Treating of the Whole Art. More particularly; Of Letters, their Number, Order, and of how many Variations capable: Of their First Invention; by ancient Writers ascribed to Adam himself, and for what Reasons. Of Short-hand. Of Secret Writing, Decypherable by the Key. Of Arithmetick, &c. Interspers'd with diverting History and Poetical Entertainments on the Subject. Whereunto are added, Several Pieces of the Hands in Use, not before Published.’ This work is dedicated to ‘Mr. George Shelley, Writing-Master of Christ's Hospital in London,’ 23 April 1716. A fine portrait drawn and engraved by William Sherwin [q. v.] is prefixed. The portrait was reproduced, with the addition of the words ‘ætatis 54 domini 1725,’ in ‘The General Penman,’ published by More in that year. It was also included in a group of six writing-masters engraved by George Bickham, senior [q. v.], above his ‘Poem on Writing,’ no date (print room, British Museum). More is the author of some lines in the ‘British Apollo,’ 2nd edit. i. 173, on the art of writing.
[Noble's Continuation of Granger's Biog. Hist. of England, ii. 357–9; Massey's Origin and Progress of Letters, 1763, pt. ii. pp. 103–8; Ames's Cat. of English Heads, 1748, p. 119.]
MORE, ROGER (fl. 1620–1652), Irish rebel. [See O'More, Rory.]
MORE, SAMUEL (1594–1662), parliamentarian, born in 1594, was eldest son of Richard More [q. v.] of Linley, Shropshire, whom he succeeded in December 1643. Like his father, More became a zealous parliamentarian, an active soldier, and member of the ‘committee of parliament for Shropshire, whose business it was to raise money for the good cause,’ and whose proceedings are said to have been satirised in the ‘Committee,’ a comedy, by Sir Robert Howard (1626–1698) [q. v.] Soon after his father's death, More was summoned in February 1643–4 to take command of Hopton Castle, one of the few parliamentary strongholds in Shropshire. With thirty-one men he defended the castle for more than a month against a force of upwards of five hundred foot and horse; ‘the siege, of which he has left a circumstantial account (printed in Blakeway, The Sheriffs of Shropshire, pp. 217–20), ended in unconditional surrender, and the whole garrison, with the exception of More, was put to death. More was imprisoned in Ludlow Castle, and then (Hist. MSS. Comm. 4th Rep. p. 266) exchanged for Edward Cresset, one of the leading royalists in Shropshire (cf. The Ingagement and Resolution of the principal Gentlemen of Salop, Oxford, 1642, 4to). From 18 May 1645 to 25 March 1647 he had charge of Montgomery Castle, with a salary of 20s. a day (Cal. State Papers, Dom. 1648–9, p. 14). On 9 Aug. 1645 he was also governor of Monmouth, and on 26 Sept. was ordered to ‘improve his forces,’ so as to alarm the Welsh and prevent them sending relief to Chester, which was being besieged by the parliamentarians (ib. 1644–1645 p. 308, 1645–7 p. 163). In December he was governor of Ludlow Castle, and on 6 June 1646 his appointment was confirmed (Hist. MSS. Comm. 6th Rep. p. 120, 7th Rep. p. 113). On 17 June 1647 he became governor of Hereford Castle. On 8 Aug. 1648 he was ordered to repair to Montgomery Castle and report on the state of the garrison (Cal. State Papers, Dom. 1648–9, p. 235). On 25 Feb. 1653–4 More was placed on the committee for assessment in Shropshire, and took a leading part in the internal regulation of the county. He was
