William Henry Moss was born in London in 1814 and was articled as a solicitor. He came to Hull in the 1840’s and married Eliza Charlotte Blundell, daughter of Henry Blundell, (founder of Blundell, Spence & Co) and his wife Maria (Porter) in 1840. The marriage resulted in seven children.
The couple are recorded as living in Russell Place, Linnaeus Street in 1841. In the subsequent census’ they are living at 4 Kingston Terrace, Beverley Road, adjacent to the Mariner’s Almshouses (now Kingston Youth Centre). In 1848 he is recorded as being in partnership with Francis Lowe of Moss, Lowe Solicitors, later, Blundell, Moss, Lowe & Co, at 19 Parliament St.
Civic responsibility
William was the company solicitor to the Hull Docks Company, and was very active in local politics. He promoted the Free Library in Hull, and was twice elected Mayor of Hull, firstly in 1856, and again in 1862.
He remained an Alderman for many years. Whilst Mayor, he paid for the marble statue of Queen Victoria in Pearson Park. The statue had been commissioned in 1861 by Zachariah Charles Pearson to commemorate an earlier Royal Visit. However due to Pearson’s bankruptcy, he was unable to pay for the work. Moss picked up the bill.
Grief for the family
His daughter Maria Blundell Moss died aged only two months in 1858. His son, Bernhard Martin, died two years later aged four.
William died of pleurisy in 1874 aged 60, and his wife Charlotte died aged 71 in 1888.
The family are buried in Hull General Cemetery, but their headstone was removed in the 1970’s. The East Yorkshire Family History Society recorded the inscription.
Bill Longbone has had a long relationship with the Hull General Cemetery. He is an active member of the FOHGC and manages the work of the volunteers on the site. His biographical sketches of some of the people buried in the cemetery are one of the highpoints of the success of the Facebook site.