John Moore, Esq. of New York City (1745-1828) was the son of Thomas and Elizabeth (Channing) Moore, and the grandson of Col. John and Frances (Lambert) Moore and William and Anne (Bowne) Channing. John Moore was born in the house, called Whitehall, of his grandfather, Col. John Moore, near the tip of Manhattan at the corner of Moore and Front Streets. This house served as the Customs House for some time leading up to, and during the Revolutionary War, until it was destroyed in the Fire of 1776.
As an adult, John was employed as a civil servant who held several offices in the British government of the Province of New York, among them, Deputy Secretary of the Province, Deputy Collector of Customs and Deputy Naval Officer. During the Revolutionary War, he lived, as well as worked, in the Custom House, the house in which he was born.
In his duties, he kept careful records; as a citizen of New York, he had an active social life which he recorded in letters, memoranda, several versions of his memoirs and various other writings.