| Thomas Edward Laws Moore | |
| Honorific Suffix: | FRS |
| Birth Date: | 9 February 1816 |
| Death Date: | 30 Apr 1872 (aged 56) |
| Birth Place: | Gillingham, Kent |
| Death Place: | East Stonehouse, Plymouth, Devon |
| Allegiance: | United Kingdom |
| Branch: | Royal Navy |
| Rank: | Rear-Admiral |
| Awards: | FRS |
| Spouse: | Emma Jane Taplen, daughter of Lieutenant Thomas Taplen |
| Children: | Commander Robert Seppings Moore |
| Relations: | Admiral Richard Boger of the Blue |
| Laterwork: | Governor of the Falklands |
Rear-Admiral Thomas Edward Laws Moore, FRS (9th February 1816 – 30 April 1872) was a Royal Navy officer and explorer. He was Governor of the Falkland Islands from 1855 to 1862.[1] Laws is spelled Lawes in some sources.[2]
Moore was born to John Moore and Mary (née Mearns) in Brompton, Kent, on the 9th Februrary 1816. Not much is known about his family prior to his birth; however, both his father and paternal grandfather, Robert Moore, were shipwrights in the Chatham Dockyards. These men were likely successful and forged important connections, which would later support Moore’s advancement through the ranks. John and Mary also had 3 other children, thomas being the youngest, including Commander Robert Seppings Moore, RN.
He joined the Royal Navy in 1833 as a first-class volunteer and was mate of HMS Terror during the Ross expedition.
After his service on the Ross expedition, he became commander of the barque Pagoda and conducted surveys in the Antarctic. From 1847 to 1852, he commanded HMS Plover, which was searching for Franklin's lost expedition; during the voyage, he called at Stanley, Falkland Islands in 1848. He was promoted to Captain in 1852 and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1854.
In 1855, Moore accepted the governorship of the Falkland Islands, arriving on 7 November with his family.