Looking for Henry MOODY's birth in Ross c. 1866

[JoannaMCO]

I am trying to track down my great-grandfather Henry Moody's birth and parents.  Although he shows up on the census for several years as having been born in 1866 in Stourbridge Worcestershire (although I have never been able to track down any records for his birth there) , in the 1911 census his place of birth is listed as "Ross, Hereford."  I can't find any record of his birth there either. But I think he actually filled out the 1911 census himself (since his signature is on it), which makes me believe that he probably really was born in Ross.
Henry spent most of his life in Stourbridge, and I have traced him back as far as the 1871 census, where he was (at age 6) in the Stourbridge workhouse (he had been admitted in January of that year as an orphan.)  I paid the Staffordshire records office (where the workhouse records are located) to do some research but they couldn't find any sign of his parents' names or any siblings in the workhouse documents. 
My grandfather had told some interesting stories about his father and his supposed siblings, but they seem to be all made up (He was supposedly the "black sheep" son of a well-to-do family, but instead I found out he lived in the workhouse.  The two people I was told were his siblings were real relatively well-known people with the surname Moody who don't appear to be related to each other at all.)  I don't know if my grandfather made this stuff up or his dad did, but I am at a loss! Henry's 1891 marriage certificate has the spot for "Father" left blank.
Can anyone find any sign of a Henry Moody, born around 1866 in Ross, or know of other Moody families there? Any other ideas? Thanks for your help!

[mazi]

I can find births on familysearch in the area,  all to henry and Louisa Moody

Elizabeth 1862
William 1861
John Henry 1858

john henry in Weston under penyard, other two in ross
A john henry is listed as being inmate in ross on 1871.

not much help but worth a look, maybe

[mazi]

Henry Moody seems to have married Louisa Longford in Gloucester reg. distict sept quarter 1857.
so possibilities for more children elsewhere from this marriage.


Free bmd has the county for the marriage indexed as goucester  without the first "L"

[mazi]

There is a death for a possible Louisa moody in Ross in march quarter 1864, if this was in childbirth or shortly after this child would have been 6 or just 7 in 1871.

I cannot see a death for Henry senior 1864-1871 but his family may have been split up.

I am just offering possibilities here.

[mazi]

I have just seen your post on the Staffordshire board about this family and wonder if you have seen the Wikipedia entry for Charles Harry Moody, composer and musician, born in Stourbridge in 1874.
this may answer your question as to how your gtgrandfather knew about his unlikely  brother.

I am wondering if a six year old orphan brought into a workhouse may not have known his real name, or may be reluctant to give his real name, and was given a name by the workhouse, it really depends on who brought him to the workhouse

[JoannaMCO]

Wow, thank you for looking into this for me and responding so quickly!  I had found Henry and Louisa's three children, and then Louisa's death in 1864.  After that (in 1871) the three children show up as inmates in the Ross workhouse and their father Henry is a servant in Kentchurch, Herefordshire.  I had assumed this must be a different family but perhaps if Louisa died in childbirth, they would have sent the baby (Henry) to someone else (maybe near Stourbridge) to take care of.  But I can find FreeBMD birth records for the first 3 kids and Christenings for 2 of them and then nothing for Henry.
Interestingly, it looks like Henry got remarried a few years later to Anne and had 7 more kids, including 2 with the same names (Elizabeth and John Henry) as the ones he had sent to the workhouse earlier.
I know you could be right about Henry or someone at the workhouse just making up his name...but I just hope that isn't the case! Otherwise I'll never be able to go back any further.
I can understand how Henry would have known about Charles Harry Moody and Arthur Hatfield Moody (his alleged brothers) since they both lived in Stourbridge for at least part of their lives and would have been well known.  But I don't know where he could have come up with the information about his "father" Charles Moody, a musician who married Selena Durrant and lived in Luton, Bedfordshire.  They are real people but I can't find any connection between them and Stourbridge or Henry Moody.
I really appreciate the time you took looking into this Mazi! I hope one day I can find the missing link.

[mazi]

Its interesting that we both arrived at the ross-on-wye family independently, have you traced the henry moody who married Louisa back to see if he has links to the moody's in Stourbridge.
It could be that he was the "black sheep of the family" rather than your great grandfather.

I'm just speculating but if I was left a widower with three youngsters and a newborn, registering the birth would be the last thing on my mind.

mike