Genealogy Forum UK

Hi everyone,

I am new to this forum but have been stuck at the same brick wall for over two years and am hoping someone might be able to shed some light. I live in the US but am trying to trace my great-grandfather, Henry MOODY who I believe was born in 1866 in Stourbridge.

I can’t find any record of his birth, and the info I have found in my research doesn’t seem to mesh with the family history version I had been told: my grandfather (Henry’s son) told me in a letter about 20 years ago that Henry was the son of a wealthy family and that he had 2 brothers, one who was the organist at Ripon Cathedral for over 50 years (Charles Harry Moody, b. Stourbridge in 1874) and one who served as the mayor of Stourbridge and ran the County Express newspaper (Arthur Hatfield Moody, b. Stourbridge 1875). I was told that Henry became the “black sheep” of the family because “his crime was to have married beneath him.” However, I have researched these two Moodys and there is no sign of them being related to each other or to Henry. My grandfather also told me that Henry’s parents were Henry Moody, a musician (b. Luton, Bedfordshire) and Selena Durrant. I found a Charles Moody (b. 1831 in Ampthill, Beds.), a musician who married Selena Durrant in 1861 in Luton. They had 8 children between 1862 and 1889, including Harry Moody b. 1866 in Luton…but he is still with the family in subsequent census years. The people my grandfather identified as family members clearly exist but I can’t find any connection, and how would he (or his father) have had access to all this info to make up?! (I can see how he would have known about the two Moodys with Stourbridge connections who were supposedly his brothers, but how would he have known about Charles and Selena Durrant?) To make things more complicated, in the 1911 census Henry is listed for the first time as having been born in Ross, Herefordshire, but I haven’t had luck tracking his birth there either.

Here’s what I have been able to track:

1911 (living at 20 Queen St, Stourbridge) (census record is signed by Henry)
Henry Moody (age 45), Boot Maker & Dealer, b Ross, Hereford
Sarah Ann Moody (age 45) b. Stourbridge, as were the kids
Ethel Doris (age1 9)
Marjorie Gwendoline (age 12)
Cecil Harry (age 3) -- my grandfather

1901 (living at 158 Enville St, Stourbridge), all b. Stourbridge
Henry Moody (age 35), Boot Maker, Dealer and Leather Seller
Sarah Ann Moody (age 33)
Ethel D (age 9)
Marjorie G (age 2)

1 November 1891
Henry Moody (Bootmaker) of Enville Street married Sarah Ann Bowen in Stourbridge (I ordered the marriage certificate from the GRO but no father was listed for Henry)

1891 census (living at 18 Enville St, Stourbridge)
Henry Moody (age 25, b. Stourbridge), Lodger; Boot maker and leather seller

1881 census (living at 44 Market St., Stourbridge)
“Harry” Moody (age 15, b. Stourbridge), Apprentice Boot maker
Living with Charles Jenkins (bootmaker) and family (they immigrated to the US in 1882)

Jan 1877 Henry Moody (age 11, parents deceased) was apprenticed to Charles Jenkins for a period of 8 years. I hired the Staffordshire records office to do some research and they told me Henry was apprenticed from the Stourbridge Union Workhouse but they couldn't find any sign of his parents' names or any siblings in the workhouse documents.

1871 census:
Henry Moody (age 6, b. Kingswinford), inmate at the Stourbridge Union Workhouse

27 January 1871: Henry Moody, b. 1866 was admitted to the Stourbridge Union Workhouse

I can't go any further back! Does anyone have any ideas? I have tried to research all the Moody families listed above to see if there are any secret connections, but I haven't been able to come up with anything. I would love any help you can offer.
Thanks,
Joanna

Relies On BCC ? http://bcconnections.tribalpages.com/tr ... onnections

1 Nov 1891 St Thomas Stourbridge
Harry MOODY 25 Bootmaker Enville Street Stourbridge Father Harry Moody (Deceased) (Crossed out by clergy initialled) Occupation Blank
Sarah Ann BOWEN 25 S Longlands Stourbridge Father William Bowen (Deceased) Furnaceman
After Banns Both Signed
Wit; David Mills / H Watson Smith

Not sure why we have Henry moody b 1827 on Bcc

cant see him on census for that family

is there a bapt for him?

if not I will delete him from that family as no proof that Henry b 1827 is part of that family

re your post Joanna this is a very interesting one.....just reading thru seems like your Henry Moody
is in workhouse from age 6....was there no info on the workhouse info ie who he was with ...or who brought him in?

is he born stourbridge or elsewhere ...puts different places in census?

that marriage is interesting if father is down as Henry and crossed out....

Alot of people with the name Henry were also called Harry.

Name: Henry Moody.
Gender: Male.
Christening Date: 28 Dec 1825.
Christening Place: WESLEYAN,STOURBRIDGE,WORCESTER,ENGLAND.
Birth Date: 02 Dec 1825.
Father's Name: Benjamin Moody.
Mother's Name: Mary.
Indexing Project (Batch) Number: C09385-1 , System Origin: England-ODM , GS Film number: 0816600 (RG4 3430).

1841. Heath, Oldswinford.
Benjamin Moody 50. Glass maker.
Mary Moody 55.
George Moody 30.
Jane Moody 25.
Eliza Moody 20.
Louisa Moody 15.
Harry Moody 15.
James Moody 12.


1851. Oldswinford.
Mary Moody 65. Widow.
Jane Moody 35. Dau.
Louisa Moody 30. Dau.
Henry Moody 25. Son. Glass cutter.
James Moody 22. Son.

All born Oldswinford.

Benjamin Moody.
Spouse's Name: Mary Bate.
Event Date: 21 Aug 1808.
Event Place: Old Swinford, Worcester, England.
Indexing Project (Batch) Number: I04840-9 , System Origin: England-EASy , GS Film number: 291595 , Reference ID: item 2.

1861. Oldswinford.
Henry Moody 35. Glass cutter.
Mary Moody 36. Netherton.
Mera M Moody 4. Dau.
Joseph H Moody 2. Son.
George A Moody 1/12. Son.

Others born Stourbridge.

1871. Oldswinford.
Henry Moody 45. Glass cutter.
Mary Moody 48. Netherton.
George A Moody 10.
Joseph H Moody 12.

Others born Stourbridge.

1881.
Henry Moody 55. Glass cutter. Netherton.
Mary Moody 57.
Henry Moody 22.
George Moody 20.
Albert E. Adams 2. Grand son.

Others born Stourbridge.

From Ancestry,

Henry Moody. Bachelor. Glass cutter.
Birth Year: abt 1826.
Marriage Date: 6 Feb 1853.
Marriage Age: 27.
Marriage Place: Birmingham, St George, Warwickshire, England.
Spouse: Mary Perkins. Spinster.
Spouse Marriage Age: 30.
Father: Benjamin Moody. Glass cutter.
Spouse's Father: Joseph Perkins. Miner.
Reference Number: DRO 9.
Archive Roll: M22.

Henry signed Mary made her mark.

Deaths Jun 1887.
Moody Henry. 62. Stourbridge. 6c. 82.

Wow, you all are amazing! Thanks so much for your help!
Rockyfowler, is that from the original marriage certificate?! I ordered mine from the GRO a couple of years ago and didn't understand at the time that it was just a transcribed copy and that I could have ordered a copy of the original. The copy I have says Henry Moody for the groom (and nothing for his father)--it is so interesting that they wrote in Harry Moody as his father and then crossed it out. I wonder what the story could be around that?!
Northernlass--all the workhouse admission documents said were "Admitted 27 January 1871, Henry Moody, born 1866 (aged 5). Religion: Church of England. Admitted by the Board from the parish of Upperswinford." There was no indication of the names of any parents or guardian. When he was apprenticed in 1877, the record says his parents are dead. He's listed at the top of the page in the 1871 census (in the workhouse) and it doesn't say he's an orphan, so I'm not sure. I had assumed his parents were already dead but maybe they weren't.
Jimmy, thank you for researching all that info about Henry Moody! I have looked all through it trying to figure out any sign that he is related to my Henry. The Henry b. 1825 has a son Joseph Henry b. 1859 who is still with him in the later census years (when I have records for my Henry), so that makes me think he can't be my Henry's dad.
Is it possible that there's a baptism record for Henry even though there isn't a birth record? If he really was Church of England from Upperswinford then I think he would have been baptized at St. Mary in Stourbridge, but I haven't been able to find those records online anywhere.
Thanks again for all your efforts and for helping me chip away at this mystery!
Joanna

I could'nt see a baptism.

It looks like his birth was not registered.

I will delete the henry moody born 1827 we have with parents Henry and Phoebe as we have no record
that he belongs to that family dont know why he was added there.

have added the "new" henry ie the one with sarah to Bcc here
http://bcconnections.tribalpages.com/tr ... =456486674

So we dont know who his father is...it maybe this henry moody crossed out...or not...

Jimmy my family search doesnt work on my vista....is it working for you ok?

is there no bapt for a henry moody born stourbridge in 1866.


wonder if he is born in Stourbridge or was it ross herefordshire???

Do we have the date of death for Henry moody born 1866?

Joanna do you want me to add your username to Bcc in notes for henry then if anyone sees it they can contact you via here?

Familysearch okay on my XL pro,

I have loked ervery where for a birth and baptism and can't see anything that fits, looks like he was not registered, or registered under a different name.

Name: Harry Moody
Registration Year: 1866
Registration Quarter: Jan-Feb-Mar
Registration district: Luton
Inferred County: Bedfordshire
Volume: 3b
Page: 446