The re-imagined story …
“You remember Moses Willoughby?”
“Do I?”
“Yes, used to live in King Street, before his wife died.”
“No, I don’t remember him.”
“Yes you do – we always thought she was a lot older than him. Turned out there was only two years in it. We talked about it.”
“Did we?”
“He married again just a few months after she died. Don’t you remember?”
“No, I can’t say I do.”
“He moved up to Gorse Hill. We all reckoned his new wife had a bob or two.”
“Oh yes, I remember now. She was older than him.”
“No, that was his dead wife. His last wife was much younger than him. Give me strength – I think you’re losing your marbles.”
“No, I do remember him now. Moses Willoughby. Used to live in King Street. Moved to Gorse Hill.”
“Yes, that’s him. Well he’s dead.”
The facts …
Thanks to the numerous genealogical resources available online it is now possible to piece together the history of those buried in Radnor Street Cemetery, even when the inscription on the headstone has deteriorated.
Moses Willoughby was born on October 22, 1818 and baptised in Highworth. He was the son of Charles and Ann Willoughby and grew up in Eastrop.
He married his first wife Ann Lay in Highworth on November 21, 1840. Their son John was baptised in Highworth on February 6, 1842.
Ann died in 1847. On the 1851 census Moses, 28 was working as an agricultural labourer and living at Bailey’s Piece, Highworth with his ten year old son John.
In 1855 he married for a second time. His bride was Mary Glass and the couple married in the parish church at Purton. They had a daughter Emily Kate baptised at Highworth on June 22, 1857. However, at the time of the census in 1861 there is no mention of Emily Kate, nor John, although he could well have left home/married by then.
By 1871 the couple had moved to Swindon and were living in Cetus Buildings on the canal side where Moses continued to work as a farm labourer. Moses declared that he was 46 and Mary 48.
At the time of the 1881 census Moses was employed as a factory labourer, almost certainly in the railway works. He states that he is 60 and Mary is 62.
Mary died at their home 3 King Street in February 1890, she was 72 years old. The funeral took place on February 19 when Mary was interred in plot A790.
On July 16, 1890 Moses married for the third time. His wife was Mary Ann Haskins, a 49 year old spinster. At the time of the 1891 census the couple were living at 255 Cricklade Road, Gorse Hill. Moses was still working as a General Labourer in the GWR Works and they had two lodgers, both labourers in the Works.
Moses died on March 9, 1892. He left effects valued at £84 0s 7d to his widow Mary Ann Willoughby. He was buried three days later in Radnor Street Cemetery in plot A790, which he shares with his second wife.
Attempts to trace John Willoughby and his half sister Emily Kate have so far been unsuccessful.
Radnor Street Cemetery 