Richard Quiller Moody 1852-1902

Memorial 66

~ Freemason symbol, ‘Square and Compasses’ incised centrally into Gothic shaped top edge of brass plaque. Boarder and letters are inlayed with a crackle decoration of black and red.

~ Orientation ~ South Wall ~ 57 x 76 cm // 1’10” x 2’6″

  • Richard Quiller Moody 1852 – 19 May 1902
    • Aged 50 years
    • who died at Chelsea and was interred in this Churchyard of Talland
    • This Tablet is erected by his Mother

Richard Quiller Moody and brother William Ponsonby Moody (1854-1919), both born in Liskeard, are buried in a tombchest in the higher graveyard of Talland Church; next to a tombchest dedicated to Christopher Henry Moody (1820-1882) & Philippa Moody (1821-1909), their parents. They were married at Talland church in 1851.

From the census in 1881 the family was living in Battersea, London; head of the house Christopher, was a retired draper. The 1901 census shows that Philippa was now widowed and had returned to her place of birth, Polperro, with son William.

Whereas, Richard Quiller Moody now lived at 20 Oakley Crescent, Chelsea, paying 12s per/week for two furnished 1st floor rooms. He worked as a 1st Class Supplementary Clerk, for the War Office and he was a Freemason at Caxton Lodge, Covent Garden, from 1881 & Earl Spencer Lodge, Battersea, from 1886.

The tablet was erected by Richard’s mother, Philippa Moody, née Quiller.

A finely incised symbol of Freemasonry, a square and set of compasses joined, embellishes the centre arch of the tablet and stylised roman incised capital lettering, of varying sizes, is coloured black and red with a crackle appearance.

it will have been infilled with a wax that was melted in to the recess of the letters, and will have begun to perish as the years went by


Lewis Howes Signs & Engraving. Liverpool

It’s something that the majority of Victorian brasses have and I would think that each workshop, and there were many at this time, had their own ‘recipe’ for such an infill


Philip Whittemore – Church Recording Society

In the bottom right-hand corner of the tablet is the maker’s name: J Wippell & Co. Ltd. of Exeter & London.

Formed in 1789 supplying Clerical Garments & Church Furnishings and closed August 2023.

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