Edmund Moody

Captain Edmund Moody (also spelled Mody, Moodye, and Mondye) MP (1495–28 May 1552) was an English soldier and Member of Parliament for Dover.

It is contended that Captain Moody is sometimes mistakenly credited with saving the life of Henry VIII, as he shares the same name as a footman who saved the king from drowning. That this is in fact the case has not been demonstrated by supplying evidence but entered here by simply stating that this the case. To change this entry to referring to two different people requires both evidence and sufficient facts about the two individuals to substantiate the claim and change this entry to a disambiguation of the name directing the reader to different sub-entries.

The person who overwrote the previous entry here was of the opinion that the person identified below, an obscure British politician is of more importance than the man of the same name (by his contention) who saved the life of King Henry VIII. In 1535 Edmund Moodye was attending the king on a falconing expedition in the countryside when they came upon a muddy stream with a thick clay bottom. As was common at the time the party attempted to vault the stream using a wooden pole. Henry had been quite an athlete early in his life but at this time he had put on quite a few pounds. When he tried to vault over the muddy brook the pole broke and he plunged into the stream, head first, his head lodged deeply and firmly in the bottom. Edmund jumped in and extracted the king's head from the mud, saving him from death. He was awarded initially with elevation from yeoman to gentleman and a stipend of a groat (four pence) a day and thus 365 times that amount in a year. He was later granted a family coat of arms as is documented in the records of the granting authority. Whether he received any further award is unknown. Further, whether this man and the man described below are the same person seems to be a matter of debate as this is claimed in various postings elsewhere. To settle the matter requires some evidence one way or the other, and not simply the contention of someone that they know the facts and we should take their word for it.

Biography

Captain and Bailiff of Dover Castle

Moody was appointed Captain of the newly constructed Black Bulwark at Dover in September 1534. In July 1537, Moody was granted the Baliffship of Dover, to which he succeeded in 1543, subsequent to the death of Thomas Vaughan. In 1543, he was made a freeman of Dover and bought property in the town’s Snargare and Werston wards. He was a member of the Brotherhood of the Cinque Ports.[1]

Moody is mentioned in The Inventory of Henry VIII’s assets on his death, which is now held in the British Library as Harley Manuscript no. 1419, where he is stated to be the occupant of a bulwark of Dover Castle that was adjacent to Dover Cliff.[2]

Member of Parliament for Dover

In 1545, Moody became Member of Parliament (MP) for Dover. In 1546, he was granted another annuity of £20. In 1547, he attended the Coronation of Edward VI.[1]

Marriage and Death

Moody married a woman named Margery and had at least one son, named Christopher.[1]

Moody died on 28 May 1552. In his will, he requested that he be buried in St. Mary's, Dover, 'in a chancel where the alderman do sit' and stipulated that small bequest were to be left to the officers of Dover Castle. His ship, named the Christopher, passed, together with his goods and leases, to his wife. He was succeeded as Bailiff of Dover by his deputy Thomas Portway.[1]

References
  1. "MODY, Edmund (by 1507–52), of Dover, Kent. History of Parliament Online".
  2. Inventory of the assets of Henry VIII of England. British Library, Harley ms. No. 1419.

Further reading
  • Hall, Edward (1498–1547) (1542). King Henry VIII. London. p. 38.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.