One of the first records of a Moseley in the family dates back to about 1801 when George Moseley, was born in Marston Sicca, Gloucestershire In the 1941 Census he is living with his 3 children, Mary aged 6, Rhoda aged 5 and Hannah aged 3. He was listed as being an Agricultural labourer. There is no record of a wife or partner on that census and it seems that his wife Ann Moseley (nee Kinchin) born in 1812 had died at the age of 27 on 26th October 1839. George then married Hannah Field from nearby Quinton on 17th January 1842. Hannah was about 32 years old at the time and George was 41. They had two children, the first was John Moseley born in April 1843 followed by Thomas born in November 1845, however just one month before Thomas’s birth his father George died. So at this stage Hannah was left with 3 children from George’s first wife Ann, and two of her own, before further tragedy struck and John died at the young age of just under 4 years on 24th January 1847. They were all living in Marston Sicca at the time.
“MARSTON SICCA, (or Long Marston), a parish in the upper division of the hundred of Kiftsgate, county Gloucester, 6 miles N. of Chipping Campden, its post town, and 4 from the Honeybourne station on the Oxford, Worcester, and Wolverhampton railway. The village, which is small, is wholly agricultural, consisting of a long line of houses irregularly built. The parish takes the suffix to its name from the scarcity of water in the immediate neighbourhood. Charles II. is said to have disguised himself for a few days as a domestic here, after the battle of Worcester.
Hannah then went to live in Marston Sicca with William Dyer a man who had moved to Marston Sicca from Didbrook just outside Cheltenham. He was already widowed and had 3 children, David born in 1837, Jane born in 1839 and Simon born 1841. In the 1851 Census William Dyer, Hannah Dyer – I can find no official marriage record, but they were both listed as “married” – and David Dyer 14, Harriet Moseley 12, Jane Dyer 11, Simon Dyer 9 and Thomas Dyer 5 – we have to assume that this is actually George Moseley’s son Thomas Moseley born in 1845. William Dyer is unusually listed as being a Lawyer, yet in previous – 1841 and subsequent 1861 and 1881 he is listed as an Agricultural Labourer.
The other two children from Georges marriage to Ann Kinchin were also in the village at this census in 1851, with Mary Moseley 16, being a “visitor” to the Kinchin household, probably her Uncle, and Rhoda listed as being a Servant at the household of Edward Hutchings, a Blacksmith with a wife and 4 children and an apprentice. Mary went on to become the Housekeeper of William Wren Siddell, the vicar of Cowley, near Cheltenham for well over 20 years and died in 1893. Rhoda moved to become a servant for a retired Merchant in Kings Norton and then married a Bricklayer, William Alliband in 1864 and continued to live in the Solihull area untill she died in 1914. Harriet the third daughter of George and Ann married George Dyde in Edgbaston in 1859. George was a carpenter and came from Pebworth just a couple of miles from Marston Sicca, and they had 8 children and went on to run the grocers shop in Marston Sicca, where she eventually died in 1926.
Other notable members of the Moseley family.
Francis James Lawson Moseley 1893 – 1918. Francis or Frank as he was known as started of life as a farmer but went on to work for Bomford & Evershed in Evesham, an agricultural machinery manufacturer and distributor. He joined the army in May 1917, married Mary J Stretton in July 191 and had their only child Phyllis in September 1917 before he was killed in action in July 1918. His war grave is in France.
3rd Aug 1918
Evesham Standard & West Midland Observer (text shown below)
Gunner Frank Moseley’s War Grave
LONG MARSTON GUNNER’S DEATH. The sad news of the death of her husband, Gunner Frank James Lawson Moseley, was received by Mrs Moseley of Long Marston a few days ago, and for her and parents (Mr. Thomas and Mrs Moseley, late of Pettifers Farm). Much sympathy is felt throughout the parish. Gunner Moseley before joining the army worked for Messrs. Bomford and Evershed of Evesham He joined the Army in May 1917 and on the following Shrove Tuesday crossed to France, where he was killed in action in the recent German offensive on July 16th. He was 25 years of age and leaves a wife and one child. The following letter was received by Mrs Moseley from his commanding officer. “Dear Madam, it is with deep regret I have to inform you your husband was killed in action on the 16th inst. whilst gallantly helping to sight his gun a shell fell into the pit, killing him instantly. He received Christian burial in a military cemetery, the location of which will be notified to you later. His loss is deeply mourned by his comrades in the Battery, who attended his funeral, and with whom he was very popular. I had no better soldier under my command. He was reliable, cheerful, and brave. I trust the gallant manner of his death may alleviate the deep sorrow you must feel in this bereavement. All ranks offer you their respectful and deep sympathy in your great loss. —Yours sincerely, C W Fryers. Major.”
John Albert Moseley 1877 – 1946
