(1769 - 1810), s. of Rev. George Moir of Peterhead; sec. to Ld. Minto [Gilbert Elliot] in Calcutta 1806; d. Calcutta.
1785 - 1805 Rome [Scotland 1797]
Patrick Moir succeeded to his uncle James Byres's business in Rome as cicerone and dealer in 1790, when he had already worked with him, along with Christopher Norton, for five years. He was probably the 'Monsieur Patrizj Ptte.' listed as staying with Byres in 1787 - 8 and he was clearly the 'Patrizio Mour' at the same address as Byres in 1790 and on his own in 1792 - 6 (the records are incomplete).1 In May 1791 Hewetson recorded that Moir had 'had no employment at the commencement of the Winter, but of late has had his hands quite full and is likely to succeed'.2 He guided Sir William Forbes through Rome in April - May 1793; Forbes had had to wait for Moir to complete courses with the Dowager Viscountess Spencer and Sir John and Lady Throckmorton, and at the end, he wrote, 'we took a kind & friendly leave of Moir, who had been most useful & attentive ... and for whom I entertain a real regard on his own account as well as on that of his witty uncle Mr Byres'.3
Byres had agreed with Moir that he should retain 10% of all the profits he made in Rome, but in 1793 Byres commented that these 'were greately too smal', and proceeded to advise him on charges, saying he had sometimes received £50 or £100 per person; parties should comprise 'five or not more than seven', and select travellers should be entertained with 'a Hansom Breakfast, Dinner or Supper'.4 Byres also advised him 'to push your Banking Business as far as you conveniently can'.5 In 1793 Forbes had employed him in this capacity, and in 1796 he was acting as banking agent for the Academy to pay William Artaud's pension in Italy.6 In 1800 certain monies from England were transfered through him to Cardinal York.7
On 19 April 1797 Byres wrote to him suggesting he could stand in for him if he wished to visit home,8 and Lady Knight, who 'liked him well', confirmed Moir's departure from Rome in May 17979 (bearing a letter from Artaud6). Exports by Moir of works of art from Rome to England are listed in 1790 - 2, 1794, 1796, and 1802 - 4,10 and Moir finally left Rome in 1805.(11)
1. AVR sa, S.Lorenzo in Lucina. 2. Add.36496, f.333 (14 May 1791). 3. Forbes jnl.mss (Apr. - May 1793). 4. Byres mss (11 Sep. 1797). See Byres 1987, 134 - 5. 5. Byres mss (26 Jul. 1793). 6. Artaud letters mss (25 Apr. 1797). 7. Skinner, Scots in Italy, 17. 8. Byres mss. 9. Attingham mss (5 May 1797). 10. Bertolotti, 4:87 - 90. ASR aba 13, ff.296 - 7; 14, ff.298 - 9, 300 - 1; 9, f.225; 15, f.302. 11. Byres 1987, 136.