Given his family ancestry and because ‘dad did it’, most of Edward’s adult life was spent trying to get elected as either Mayor of Liverpool or MP for Liverpool, being quite open about the fact that this was basically the best way for him to make pots of money. Moore was quite horrified and never forgave the corporation of the Town who didn’t seem to it is as birthright to ‘not really’ represent them at all.
Sir Edward’s salvation seems to have come from the 1660s, when several merchants of London, sick of plague and the effects of the great fire, relocated to Liverpool’s clean air and rural charms ( not something you often hear). All of a sudden sugar refineries worth thousands appeared on fields previously home to sheep and peasants, and the Town centre became the place of opportunity. Moore may not have had a great deal of money at that time, but what he did have was well placed land. And so back to our story, and the advice given to his eleven year old son William on what to do with his lands, and the views on the people of Liverpool:
I know this by experience, that they are the most perfidious knaves to their landlords in all England ; therefore I charge you, in the name of God, never to trust them. They have deceived me twice, even to the ruin of my name and family, had not God in mercy saved me; though there was none at the same time could profess more kindness to me than they did, and acknowledge in their very own memories what great patrons my father and grandfather were to the town and them in particular. Yet when it came to that, as with but their vote would have done me five thousand pounds' worth of good, and them no harm, they most inhumanly denied me, and that two several times a year's distance betwixt them, when inevitably their voting against me might have been the utter extirpation of me and mine out of Lancashire ; and I believe, had they thought it would not have taken that effect, they would then have been for me.
So basically, they should have voted him Mayor or MP because he could make five grand out of it they did, and because of his dad. Edward had by this time sued or cajoled every penny he could from his tenants. And in Edward’s own admission, they probably would have made him Mayor on the strength of his ancestors if he wasn’t such a huge git himself. That just added to the already formed boulder ( formerly chip) on his shoulder.
Therefore, since God hath by me forewarned you, have a care you never trust them ; for there is no such thing as truth or honesty in such mercenary fellows, but what tends to their own ends. And this observe as a general rule, civility will do no good, but make them condemn you for a kind fool. And likewise observe for a certain rule, although you be never so great enemies, yet, if you be but a justice, and have power in the country, or once mayor of the town, they will lie like spaniels at your feet. Thus the old proverb is verified : a little fear is worth a great deal of love. In a word, trust them not, lest you may find by sad experience what I have here forewarned you of, which God in mercy divert; for such a nest of rogues was never educated in one town of that bigness.
Yes I know, he’s a charmer. And this is about his own tenants, some of whom he professes to like. It gets better in his strangely twisted logic about individuals.