May Moar

May Moar or Marjory Moar born May Hectorson (1825 – 2 June 1894) was a British crofter in the Shetland Isles who was awarded an RNLI silver medal for rescuing fishermen off the island of Yell.

Life Moar was born in Unst in 1825. She was one of six children born to Williamina Anderson and Laurence Hectorson. Her father was drowned the following year. She was fostered by another family and she went to live on the nearby island of Yell. She married a fisherman named David Moar in 1847. She balanced on a ledge and she was able to throw a lifebuoy to the crew. Once caught they were able to be pulled to the shore. Her husband saved others.

She was awarded a medal by the Royal Humane Society and a silver medal by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. She returned as a widow to Unst.

Moar died in Baltasound in 1894. After her death her silver medal was found discarded in a dyke. It was retrieved and is now in Shetland Museum. Jessie Saxby who was a writer and suffragette from Unst wrote a short story about Moar called "Daughter of Sea Kings".