His father, a physician who was a surgeon in the British Navy during the first Napoleonic Wars, was taken prisoner after being wrecked on the coast of France and lived on parole for several years in Verdun, where Dr. Moir and his wife were received "with great kindness and hospitality" by the Emperor Napoleon.
[1] His older brother was Dr. John Moir, president of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh who was one of the founders of the Free Church of Scotland.
His younger brothers were Dr. William Moir, Post Captain of the Port of Bombay, and Hon.
[2] In 1836, Moir came to America and began his career with the dry goods importing house of Andrew Mitchell & Co.
He was later involved with Wilmerdings, Priest & Mount, followed by Crafts & Stell, before becoming senior partner in the Manchester, England based firm of Starvart, Zigomala & Co. before his retirement in 1869.