John Robert Moore (1890–1973) was an American biographer and bibliographer of Daniel Defoe.

Early life and education

John Robert Moore was born in Pueblo, Colorado, the son of an Episcopalian minister. Moore attended the University of Missouri where he received an A.B. in 1910 and an A.M. in 1914.

Moore published research almost all areas of English and American literature, with special emphasis on English dramatic history, the poetry and fiction of Sir Walter Scott, the plays of Shakespeare, and early English ballads. From the early 1930s, he was internationally known as one of the leading scholars of Augustan literature and history and a specialist in the political and literary activities of Daniel Defoe. In 1930 he became convinced that A General History of the Pyrates was written by Defoe, and announced this finding in 1932. He went on to attribute also Robert Drury's Journal to Defoe alone (going much further than previous bibliographers William Lee who had rejected the idea, Samuel Pasfield Oliver, and William Peterfield Trent). This attribution turned out to be highly controversial. It was criticised by Arthur W. Secord in a 1945 paper. In later attacking Moore's work on the Defoe canon as a whole, Rodney Baine picked out the attribution of Robert Drury's Journal as an egregious example.

Death

Moore died at the age of 83 on July 18, 1973.

Works

His works include:

  • Defoe in the Pillory and Other Studies; 1939.
  • Daniel Defoe: Citizen of the Modern World; 1958, University of Chicago Press, .

References

  • Archives Online at Indiana University: John Robert Moore papers, 1910-1972, bulk 1930-1970

Further reading

  • John Robert Moore: a bibliography (1961), Indiana University.
  • P. N. Furbank and W. R. Owens (1994). Defoe De-Attributions: A Critique of J. R. Moore's Checklist. London: Hambledon Press. Google Books.