Francis Moore, the Man Who did not Wear Disguise

(1741-1833)

Almost every historic text about the Boston Tea Party mentions the fact that the participants disguised themselves as Indians. The documents however disagree with illustrations that show elaborate Indian costumes - in reality the cover was more modest. The costumes also helped to create the mystery of who were the exact participants. Even in our days the lists of participants are disputed due to inaccuracies. But interestingly at least one participant was known to wear no disguise - Francis Moore of Cambridge, MA.

Mr. Moore was born in 1741 and at the time of the protest was thirty-two years old. He passed away in 1833 at the age of ninety-three.

Moore was a baker by occupation and had a shop in Cambridge, MA. During the Revolutionary war, when bread became in short supply, he reportedly provided bread to the patriot’s army on very generous terms. His dedication and generous patriotism attracted the special notice of Washington, and at the time of his death, special mention was made of the fact that his life had been marked throughout by generosity and personal sacrifice.

But the most interesting biographical fact is that the Francis Moore was the only documented participant who participated in the Boston Tea Party undisguised. This fact is mentioned on his headstone at a cemetery in Lynn, MA.

Moore moved to Lynn soon after the Revolution and spent the remainder of his long life there. The Lynn Record of August fourteenth, 1833, in a notice of his death gives a short account of the part that he took in the Revolutionary struggle. It speaks of him as one of the few daring individuals who participated in the celebrated act of throwing over the tea in Boston Harbor. Unlike most of his comrades who were dressed as Indians, Francis Moore participate in the Tea Party openly and without disguise.

Source: Lynn & Nahant town site.

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