Many years ago when I was a small boy my grandmother, Elizabeth Moseley (neé Fellows) used to tell me a tale about her cousin Bill from Bridgnorth.

Bill was born William Henry Fellows on 3rd March 1883, the fourth of nine children born to Benjamin and Isabella of Bernard’s Hill, Bridgnorth. Bill’s father Ben was the brother of my gran’s father Thomas who lived in Hospital Street, Walsall.

Bill began his working life as a bricklayer’s labourer in Bridgnorth according to the 1901 census but 10 years later he was living in lodgings in Islington, North London and was now a prison warder at Pentonville Prison.

The tale she told of Bill was his connection to the infamous wife murderer, Dr. Harvey Crippen. The tale my gran’ told was of her cousin Bill finding Dr. Crippen with his wrists slashed, using the broken glass from his monocle in an attempt to cheat the hangman from performing his duty. As the old adage goes “never spoil a good story with the truth”, that’s being a little cruel to my dear old gran’….she was almost right!Read More »

Emma Moseley (neé Emery 1855-1926) with her four children, from the left, William (1882-1956), Henry (Harry 1881-1933), Sarah Ann (1879-1957) and the youngest Patience (1884-1959), the old lady seated is the mother of Emma, Emma Green (neé Chambers 1820-1898). This photograph was taken in the backyard of 2 Caldmore Road, Walsall around 1890. Next to the family group is what is thought to be the only known picture of Emma’s husband, Henry Moseley (1850-1886). I cannot be absolutely sure it his Henry but in the top left corner of the negative the name “Moseley” is inscribed preceded by what looks like a letter “H”. The fellow in the picture looks an affluent chap, would a silver-plater, that was his occupation, have looked like this? Henry died aged 36 on the 30th November 1886 at the Brompton Isolation Hospital, Kensington, London, what was he doing in hospital 120 miles away from his home town and more to the point why?Read More »