The Professor of Waipawa

Thomas Frederick Moore advertised his services like dentistry openly.
But many in Waipawa knew it was really a front for performing abortions.
Moore, who was believed to have come to New Zealand from Victoria, Australia, was supposed to have been a steam engineer before he set up shop in then tiny Central Hawke’s Bay town.
He was born on May 25, 1835, in Castle Cary, Somerset England, son of Samuel and Jane Moore.
It’s unclear when he came to New Zealand or even if it's true he had been in Australia but he married Elizabeth Maria Brooks who had been born in Nelson.
By 1870, he was living in Waipawa and calling himself Professor T F Moore. But what his qualifications were is anyone’s guess.
Moore lived in Rose Street, but leased a store in High St, called the Medical Hall, now demolished. At first he advertised photography, then a wholesale chemist then as a doctor.
He was mentioned several times in the first southern HB newspaper, the Waipawa Mail.
Moore had a certain notoriety. He barricaded his home and was living with Mary Ann Mills and her grandchild there. What had happened between him and Elizabeth - with whom he had at least six children, is uncertain. He lived with Mills for over 20 years.
People, in particular women, came and went from his shop.
In 1886, he was before the courts for unlawfully pretending to be a doctor, with the word surgery posted outside his home and business.
Atarata Ropiha was treated by him at the local pā - he gave her a medicine which turned out to be oil of kupeba, used for the treatment of venereal disease. Ropiha had typhoid.
Later that year he was back before the court for assaulting a woman and fined 10 shillings after an argument about a piece of leather.
But it was in 1902 that it all came to an end when a young woman came to his store.
In October Lottie Ancell, came into Moore’s shop. Ancell said she was unwell and needed to lie down and Mills sent her upstairs. Moore said he found the girl foaming at the mouth and ran for help.
Lottie appeared to have died from asphyxia.
It seemed a mystery as Lottie had been seen getting off the train earlier in the day, went shopping and appeared quite well.
An inquest, however, found she was nearly five months pregnant. And police’s suspicions were aroused when they found an instrument, used for things like causing an abortion, at Moore’s.
Moore and Mills were arrested and tried for her murder.
The first trial, in Napier, resulted in a hung jury. They said they would have acquitted Mills but were unable to agree on Moore.
At a second trial, Moore was found guilty of manslaughter and went on to be sentenced to seven years' hard labour.
The Crown withdrew the charge of murder against Mills but promptly charged her with perjury, for lying about Lottie being ill before she came into the shop. She was given 12 months' probation and a fine. She died only a few months later - likely from a stroke.
It wasn’t, however, the last time Moore was before the court. After the death of Mills he petitioned the court through the Public Trustee for £100 and interest from her estate.
One of Moore’s sons then petitioned the courts for leniency due to his age and failing health and he was released early from jail in 1907 having served nearly four years of his sentence.
Moore never returned to Waipawa after he was released, but lived with his son in Pahiatua for the rest of his life until his death on July 14, 1930. He is buried in the Mangatinoka/Pahiatua Cemetery.