Capt. John Moberly
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John Moberly was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, of English parentage, in 1789, and entered the navy in 1801 when only in his 12th year and became post Captain in 1815, serving on a number of ships.
In 1834, Capt. John Moberly, R.N., was appointed to the post of naval commander with the rank of Admiral, in control of all operations appertaining to the navy, at the Naval and Military Establishment, at Penetanguishene, Ontario. Although the naval section of the Post was closed in that year, in 1835 Penetanguishene had 40 rank and file known as a bateaux establishment for the conveyance of provisions, military stores, etc. and this in view of the facts that a general sale of craft and naval and marine appliances was ordered in 1832 and continued for some time.
Captain Moberly married in 1825 Miss Mary Fock, daughter of General Fock of the Russian Imperial Service. She was born in Sebastopol, Crimea, where her father was then stationed. General Fock, her father, who was a member of a Polish family of distinction, had command of the Russian Imperial Artillery at the famous Battle of Borodino in Russia which gave Nepoleon entrance to Moscow in 1812. Of this union were born nine children, six sons and three daughters, viz.:
Mary, born at Sowerby, Yorkshire, 1829; married in 1850 Sir Harford Jones-Brydges, Radnorshire, Wales.
George, born born at Sowerby, Yorkshire, 1830, barrister, Collingwood, Ontario, married Fanny Maria, third daughter of the late Col. E. G. O'Brien, Shanty Bay, Ontario.
Walter, born at Steeple Ashton, Oxfordshire, 1832, became a Civil Engineer.
Harvey John, born at Penetanguishene, 1835. He Entered the Hudson Bay Company's service in 1854.
Clarence Wishaw, born at Penetanguishene, 1838. became a Civil Engineer.
Arthur, born at Penetanguishene, 1840, became a doctor and married Caroline Jean, daughter of J.O.Bouchier of Sutton, Ontario, and died in 1879.
Sophia, born at Penetanguishene, 1843, died in infancy.
Frank, born at Barrie in 1845, became a Civil Engineer.
Emma, born at Barrie, 1847, unmarried, lived with her sister Lady Brydges, Radnorshire, Wales.
Mrs. Capt. Moberly died in 1879.
In 1837, Capt. John Moberly was offered a commission as Colonel in a regiment at Barrie; but as he was a sailor and not a soldier he relegated the the honor to one of his sons. Capt. Moberly was appointed License Inspector for Simcoe County in 1843 and on moving to Barrie in 1844 was appointed Agent for the Bank of Upper Canada, opening the first bank branch in the County of Simcoe. He died in 1848 at Barrie at the comparatively early age of 59 years.
External Links:
Simcoe County pioneer papers, by Simcoe County Pioneer and Historical Society Barrie, Ontario, 1908. http://www.ourroots.ca/f/page.aspx?id=587397 See chapter: “Commanders of the Fleet” from page 106. http://www.ourroots.ca/f/page.aspx?id=587700
