Person:William Moss (43)

William Arthur Moss was born on 26th June 1876 at Aley Green in the parish of Caddington. Caddington parish at the time straddled Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire, with Aley Green in the part of the parish in Hertfordshire. William was the son of a bonnet sewer called Bethia Moss, formerly King, and her husband William Moss, an agricultural labourer. William appears in the 1881 census living with his parents and siblings at Aley Green. By 1891 they had moved into the nearby town of Luton, living at 146 Chapel Street, William was working as an errand boy at the time.

On 12th February 1898, aged 21, William married Minnie Moss at St Mary's Church in Luton. Later that year their first child was born at Pepperstock in the parish of Flamstead, a couple of miles south of Luton. They later returned to Luton, where they had another eight children between 1900 and 1924, one of whom died as a baby.

The 1901 census finds the family living at 33 Windsor Street in Luton, with William working as a carter on a farm, whilst Minnie was a straw hat sewer. William's mother died in 1906.

By 1911 William and Minnie and their children had moved to 152 Chapel Street, which is also where William's father and sister's family lived. William by this time was working as a coal carter. William's father died four days after the 1911 census.

William and Minnie's marriage was not always happy. In 1915 Minnie applied for a separation order on the grounds of William's cruelty. Nevertheless, they continued to live together and have more children after that time. William was also prosecuted for failing to ensure his children regularly attended to school. He maintained that his son took after him in disliking school.

At the outbreak of the Second World War, Minnie and William were living at 17 Farley Hill in Luton with two or three of their children. Their daughter Irene was described as being incapacitated at the time. She died in 1940, aged 23.

Minnie died in 1952, aged 72. William survived her by nearly eleven years. He died in 1963, aged 86.

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

   b. William Arthur MOSS, September Quarter 1876, Luton Registration District, Volume 3b, page 441, mother's maiden name King

2. ↑ ^2.0 2.1 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 1879
   No.	When Baptized	Child's Christian Name	Parent's Name		Abode	Quality, Trade, or Profession	By whom the Ceremony was performed
   			Christian	Surname
   1727 [born] June 26 1876	Aug[ust] 3	William Arthur	William & Bethia	Moss	Aley Green	Labourer	Tho[ma]s Prescott, Vicar

   Baptised same day as sister Bethia.

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 1514; Folio 85; Page 29, 31 Mar 1901.

   Address: 33 Windsor Street, Luton, Bedfordshire
   4 rooms occupied
   William A. Moss, head, married, male, 24 [1876/7], Carter on Farm, worker, b. Aley Green, Hertfordshire
   Minnie Moss, wife, married, female, 21 [1879/80], Straw Hat Sewer, worker, at home, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Arthur W. Moss, son, single, male, 2 [1898/9], b. Luton, 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 9013; Schedule 606, 2 Apr 1911.

   Address: 152 Chapel Street, Luton, Bedfordshire
   2 rooms occupied
   William Moss, head, male, 34 [1876/7], married, General Laborer - Coal Carter, worker, b. Cadonton [sic], Bedfordshire
   Minnie Moss, wife, female, 30 [1880/1], married 13 years, 5 children born to marriage, 4 children still living, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Arthur Moss, son, male, 13 [1897/8], single, School, b. Peperstock [sic], Hertfordshire
   Sidney Moss, son, male, 9 [1901/2], single, School, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Cecil Moss, son, male, 3 [1907/8], single, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Doris Moss, daughter, 14 days [1911], single, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Sidney W. Plummer, son, male, 8 [1882/3], Scholar, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   May Plummer, daughter, female, 5 [1885/6], Scholar, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Gertrude E. Plummer, daughter, female, 2 [1888/9], b. Luton, Bedfordshire

7. ↑ General Register Office. 1939 Register
   Luton Municipal Borough, 29 Sep 1939.

   Address: 17 Farley Hill, Luton, Bedfordshire
   Moss, William A. / male / b. 26 Jun 1876 / married / Coal Carter (Heavy Work)
   Moss, Minnie / female / b. 14 Feb 1880 / married / Unpaid domestic duties
   Moss Irene M. / female / b. 11 Nov 1916 / single / Incapacitated
   Moss, Stanley G. / male / b. 21 Dec 1919 / single / Coal Carter (Heavy Work)
   [one record closed]

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

   d. William A. MOSS, June Quarter 1963, Luton Registration District, Volume 4a, page 109, aged 86 [1876/7]

9.   Luton Times and Advertister, in United Kingdom. The British Newspaper Archive
   Page 8, 18 Jun 1915.

   AN HEREDITARY TRAIT. - A Luton man named William Arthur Moss, of 12, Duke street, appeared at the Borough Session on Saturday in respect of an application by his wife, Minnie Moss, for a separation order on the ground of persistent cruelty. Mrs. Moss was not present, and her husband said he knew she was not coming, because he paid her every halfpenny of his week's money on Friday night, the same as he always did. The Clerk told him that his wife said she had no money to pay for the summons, and apparently she had been making use of the Court to settle domestic differences. It was suggested that the case should be adjourned so that she should be made to attend, unless he was prepared to pay the cost himself. The defendant agreed to pay the costs 5s., and the case was struck out, the Chairman remarking, "I hope this is the last we shall see of you in connection with these matrimonial differences." The defendant was also summoned in respect of the irregular attendance of two of his children, and he remarked that one of his lads was like himself in his boyhood - he could not stand school. "Mr. Sell will remember that is so," he added, but Mr. Sell replied that it was such a long time ago that he could not remember. "But it was so," said the defendant, "and the boy is just like I was - his head can't stand school. I can't read or write myself." The magistrates made an attendance order.