Person:Walter Moss (3)

Walter Abimelech Moss was born on 18th December 1872 at Aley Green in the parish of Caddington. Caddington parish straddled Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire at the time, with Aley Green falling in the part of the parish which was in Hertfordshire. Walter was the son of a bonnet sewer called Bethia Moss, formerly King, and her husband William Moss, an agricultural labourer. Walter's unusual middle name was presumably intended to be "Abimelech", being a name used in the Old Testament, and this was the spelling used when his birth was registered. As an adult, Walter himself used the spelling "Bemerlick" when he signed his name. The 1881 census finds Walter living with his parents and siblings at Aley Green.

By 1891 the family had left Aley Green and moved to the nearby town of Luton, where they lived at 146 Chapel Street. Walter was working as a general labourer.

On 25th June 1894, aged 21, Walter married Albertina Tomkins at Christ Church in Luton. They stayed in Luton after their marriage, having seven children there between 1895 and 1906, with their youngest two children being twins. The 1901 and 1911 censuses both find the family living at 46 Albert Road in Luton. Walter worked for the local council, Luton Corporation, on the roads and sewers. Albertina was described as a straw machinist in 1911, presumably working in the straw hat industry which dominated the town at the time.

Walter's mother died in 1906, and his father died in 1911.

Walter was already in his forties when the First World War began. Nevertheless, he joined up just over a year into the war, volunteering in September 1915. He served with the Army Service Corps and the Chinese Labour Corps (alongside many Chinese recruits). His army records note that he was 5 feet 4¾ inches tall. He also gave his address when he joined up as being 49 May Street in Luton. He served in the Army until after the war ended, being discharged in 1919.

At the outbreak of the Second World War, Walter and Albertina were living with their youngest son at 49 May Street in Luton.

Walter died in 1962, aged 89. Albertina survived him by about eight years.

1. ↑ Births index, in General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration. (London: General Register Office).

   b. Walter Abimelech MOSS, March Quarter 1873, Luton Registration District, Volume 3b, page 462, mother's maiden name King

2. ↑ Baptisms register, in Church of England. Caddington Parish Registers. (Bedford: Bedfordshire Record Office).

   BAPTISMS solemnized in the Parish of Caddington in the County of Bedford in the Year 1873
   No.	When Baptized	Child's Christian Name	Parent's Name		Abode	Quality, Trade, or Profession	By whom the Ceremony was performed
   			Christian	Surname
   1463	Oct[ober] 5	Walter Bimeliel	William and Bathia	Moss	Aley Green	Labourer	W. Ally, Off[iciating] M[inister]

3. ↑ England. 1881 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands: . (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG11; Piece 1653; Folio 136; Page 4, 3 Apr 1881.

   Address: Aley Green, Caddington, Hertfordshire
   William Moss, head, married, male, 42 [1838/9], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], b. Caddington, Hertfordshire
   Bethia Moss, wife, married, female, 44 [1836/7], Bonnet Sewer, b. Caddington, Hertfordshire
   Victoria A. Moss, daughter, female, 13 [1867/8], Bonnet Sewer, b. Caddington, Hertfordshire
   Alice M.M. Moss, daughter, female, 11 [1869/70], Scholar, b. Caddington, Hertfordshire
   Walter A. Moss, son, male, 9 [1891/2], Scholar, b. Caddington, Hertfordshire
   Prince L. Moss, son, male, 6 [1894/5], Scholar, b. Caddington, Hertfordshire
   William A. Moss, son, male, 4 [1896/7], b. Caddington, Hertfordshire
   Bethia Moss, daughter, female, 2 [1898/9], b. Caddington, Hertfordshire

4. ↑ England. 1891 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG12; Piece 1274; Folio 59; Page 38, 5 Apr 1891.

   Address: 146 Chapel Street, Luton, Bedfordshire
   Five or more rooms occupied
   William Moss, head, married, male, 53 [1837/8], Agricultural Laborer, employed, b. Caddington, Bedfordshire
   Bertha Moss, wife, married, female, 55 [1835/6], employed, b. Caddington, Bedfordshire
   Susanah Moss, daughter, single, female, 25 [1865/6], Hat Sewer, employed, b. Caddington, Bedfordshire
   Alice M. Moss, daughter, single, female, 21 [1869/70], Hat Sewer, employed, b. Caddington, Bedfordshire
   Ellen S. Moss, daughter, single, female, 20 [1870/1], Hat Sewer, employed, b. Caddington, Bedfordshire
   Walter B. Moss, son, male, 18 [1872/3], General Laborer, employed, b. Caddington, Bedfordshire
   Prince L. Moss, son, male, 16 [1874/5], Agricultural Laborer, employed, b. Caddington, Bedfordshire
   William A. Moss, son, male, 14 [1876/7], Errand Boy, employed, b. Caddington, Bedfordshire
   Bethia Moss, daughter, female, 12 [1878/9], Scholar, employed, b. Caddington, Bedfordshire
   Thomas Lewis, stepson, married, male, 34 [1856/7], Rag & Bone Collector, employed, b. Aspley Guise, Bedfordshire
   Thomas Lewis, grandson, male, 5 [1885/6], Scholar, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Arthur Lewis, grandson, male, 4 [1886/7], Scholar, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Ethel Bert Lewis, grandson [sic], female, 3 [1887/8], b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Harry Lewis, grandson, male, 1 [1889/90], b. Luton, Bedfordshire

5. ↑ England. England. 1901 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG13; Piece 1515; Folio 10; Page 11, 31 Mar 1901.

   Address: 46 Langley Road, Luton, Bedfordshire
   Walter Moss, head, married, male, 29 [1871/2], Labourer in Sewers & Roads, worker, b. Aley Green, Bedfordshire
   Albertina Moss, wife, married, female, 27 [1873/4], b. Tebworth, Bedfordshire
   Bertie Moss, son, male, 5 [1895/6], b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Gladys M. Moss, daughter, female, 11 months [1900], b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Horace Tompkins, boarder, single, male, 22 [1878/9], Painter, worker, b. Tebworth, Bedfordshire

6. ↑ England. 1911 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom: The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.))
   Class RG14; Piece 8998; Schedule 127, 2 Apr 1911.

   Address: 46 Langley Road, Luton, Bedfordshire
   5 rooms occupied
   Walter Bemerlick Moss, head, male, 38 [1872/3], married, Labourer General - Luton Corporation, worker, b. Aley Green, Bedfordshire
   Albertina Moss, wife, female, 37 [1873/4], married 16 years, 7 children born to marriage, 7 children still living, Straw Machinist, worker, b. Tebworth, Bedfordshire
   Herbert Walter Moss, son, male, 15 [1895/6], single, Errand lad, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Violet May Moss, daughter, female, 12 [1898/9], single, School, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Gladys Maud Moss, daughter, female, 10 [1900/1], single, School, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Doris Moss, daughter, female, 8 [1902/3], single, School, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Frederick Charles Moss, son, male, 6 [1904/5], single, School, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Nellie Moss, daughter, female, 4 [1906/7], single, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Cyril Moss, son, male, 4 [1906/7], single, b. Luton, Bedfordshire

7.   British Army Service Records, 1914-1920 (The National Archives, Kew).

   British Army World War One Service Records
   Summary of information:
   Name: Walter Bemerlick Moss
   Address: 49 May Street, Luton, Beds
   Age: 42
   Height: 5 feet 4¾ inches
   Trade: Labourer
   Appointed to Army Service Corps, 13 Sep 1915
   Transferred to Labour Corps 1 Aug 1917 and to Chinese Labour Corps Base Depot 8 Nov 1917. Discharged 12 Sep 1919.

8. ↑ ^8.0 8.1 General Register Office. 1939 Register
   Luton Municipal Borough, 29 Sep 1939.

   Address: 49 May Street, Luton, Bedfordshire
   Moss, Walter B. / male / b. 18 Dec 1872 / married / General labourer
   Moss Albertina / female / b. 19 Sep 1873 / married / Unpaid domestic duties
   Moss, Cyril / male / b. 18 Nov 1906 / single / General labourer

9. ↑ Deaths index, in General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration. (London: General Register Office).

   d. Walter B. MOSS, December Quarter 1962, Luton Registration District, Volume 4a, page 158, aged 89 [1872/3]