No. 1. April 1988. a Family Forum for the Moxons and Their Friends
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No. 1. April 1988. A family forum for the Moxons and their friends. Appears April and October. By Subscription. follow it up. And the Moxons of EDITORIAL Australia, New Zealand, U.S.A. and Canada are fast developing In so many ways 1987 was a histories of their own. Hopefully remarkable year for the Moxon the Moxon Family Research Trust family. First of all it was the (see page 6 ) will progressively 350th anniversary of the Revd. be able to research and co- George Moxon's participation in ordinate these still the founding of that great New comparatively "grey" areas. England city of Springfield, It is in order that the Masachusetts when he took up his Moxons (and indeed our Maxon, post in 1637 as the brand-new Moxham and Megson cousins) can settlement's first pastor and share such research and schoolmaster as well as being a discussion that "The Moxon foundation magistrate, Magazine", starting with the administrator and ambassador with inaugural issue, will endeavour the neighbouring Indian to give us twice each year a communities. I had the honour to medley of Moxon memories. And represent the Moxon family at the though we start with a celebrations and to help to subscription list of less than a unveil the portrait in oils of hundred we hope that by personal George Moxon that had been recommendation, Christmas gifts faithfully copied from the etc., and good value for money, original still in possession of our circulation will grow fast so his descendents in England (vide that our overheads may be covered pp 108/109 of The Moxons of and the scope for this magazine The Reverend Michael Moxon, Royal Yorkshire). A few months later widened. Chaplain, conducting a 1984 George Moxon was the central A group of Moxons also baptism at Tewkesbury Abbey figure in a second celebration - observed 1987 as the centenary of the 300th anniversary of his the death of William Moxon, the Michael Moxon became a foundation of the First barrister-at-law and foxhunting "television personality" when in Congregational Meeting House in younger brother of Edward Moxon, 1981 as Minor Canon at St Paul's Congleton, Cheshire in the month the eminent Victorian publisher. Cathedral he sang the wedding and year of his death, September The occasion is reported on page 2. responses at the marriage of the 1687. There is a picture and And last, but far from Prince and Princess of Wales. article on page 3 of this least, 1987 marked 100 years of Soon afterwards Michael and magazine. The founder of two the growth of its pre-eminent Sarah Moxon and their three separate Congregational churches position in the world of high children moved to Tewkesbury quality worsted production of Abbey in Gloucestershire, the - 3000 miles amd 50 years apart, second largest parish church in both of which flourish today and Moxon Huddersfield which is the subject of our centre page Britain, where he was appointed continue to hold the memory of Vicar. The Abbey, largely of their founder in great reverence spread. In a letter to us the Managing Director, Mr Eric Wood, Norman design and construction, - George Moxon has every claim to is famous for its music and be one of the most eminent of our states "Our researches have shown that the Moxon family was one of choral festivals. forebears and one of whom we can In 1986 Michael Moxon was be truly proud. the most respected in the district and I think you can be appointed a Royal Chaplain and Perhaps the next most very proud of your heritage." We when we asked him for a few notes notable Moxon event in 1987 was are! And we wish Moxon on this appointment he told us: the publication in midsummer of Huddersfield a great future not "It took place at the end of 1986 "The Moxons of Yorkshire" which only in its enviable business and I was first approached by the is in essence the work of three performance but in continuing to Clerk of the Closet, Bishop John great Moxon historians, the Revd. equate the name Moxon with Bickersteth who recently retired Charles St Denys Moxon (1820- excellence. J.M. as Bishop of Bath and Wells. It 1881), Canon R.S. Moxon D.D. is his job to approach potential (1873-1950) and Prebendary T.A. chaplains to see if they are Moxon M.A. (1877-1943), my own COME TO MOXON COUNTRY willing to stand and it was after father. I had the pleasure of Plans are well advanced to I had indicated my enormous being able to update,edit and organise Tours of Moxon Country pleasure and agreed I would be publish it. It stands now as a in Yorkshire. In late June and happy to serve as a chaplain that kind of focal point of basic early July 1988 the organisers I was then formally contacted by Moxon history around which will carry out one or more the Lord Chamberlain and my current and future research can short exploratory tours in their appointment was registered on rally and develop. There is own transport and would be 31st October, 1986. I was then indeed so much basic Moxon interested to know of others who equipped with a scarlet cassock history that is not touched upon might wish to take part in this and a beautiful badge to wear on in "The Moxons of Yorkshire", research exercise. my preaching scarf. The duties e.g. the growth of the very early are to be in waiting should it be Moxon sheepfarming and weaving Please make contact with Dick Moxon, 132 Howards Grove, necessary whenever the Sovereign enclaves on the Pennine slopes to comes to Gloucestershire and also the west of Huddersfield, Shirley, Southampton, SO1 5PT, telephone 0703 784596. to preach once a year in her Penistone and Sheffield - on the chapel in London and that will Howden and Bradfield Moors - and IN OUR NEXT ISSUE occur this year on 1st May. I the subsequent Moxon settlements You will find less Moxon clergy also get invited with my wife to in the vicinity of Kirkburton, (God bless them) and less of the attend a Royal Garden Party and Silkstone, Cawthorne and Editor (bless him too). The last summer received the honour Thurgoland complemented later by centre page spread will explore of being presented to the Queen." the coalmining Moxons north and the Moxon/Mackson connection and The Reverend Michael Moxon is south of Barnsley - that there is a Trustee of the Moxon Family almost unlimited research in there is a feature on Peter Research Trust. His grandfather store for us, if we choose to [continued on page 8] was Sheffield born. 1 MOXONS IN THE NEWS New Zealand A cutting from the Christchurch "Star" for 18 May 1987 describes a new Anglican prayer book with everything from a J.K. Baxter poem to a monastic hymn to be introduced in New Zealand. The new book to contain Maori, Fijian, Tongan, Samoan and Hindi languages, gleans from about 10 prayer books currently in use and is to be used as an alternative to the Book of Common Prayer. It was described by the Rev. David Moxon as a book not just for Sundays but appropriate to the entire week. Mr Moxon, director of theological education in Hamilton, said it was also for the "Youth" leader who wanted a contemporary prayer, as well as for those who wanted a traditional style of matins. The Rev David Moxon (37) is a grandson of John Wood Moxon, the younger of two brothers who Seven kinsmen of William Moxon with Bishop John Daly (3rd from emigrated to New Zealand from right) at the centenary ceremony Chatteris in Cambridgeshire and established in the building trade. The elder brother Richard, who left home at the age of 19 in FOXHUNTING 1907, founded a well-known Palmerston North firm of building ANCESTOR contractors which is carried on by his son Richard E. Moxon REMEMBERED today. The Moxons still maintain their links with Chatteris. Bishop John Daly of Honington, who has served as a bishop in four different dioceses, pronounced the blessing at a short service of thanksgiving on Monday 23rd November 1987 at Book Review Tidmington Parish Church, Warwickshire in memory of William Geoffrey Mcxon "Spycracker" Moxon, Barrister-at-Law, who had (Merlin Books, Braunton, Devon. died at Tidmington House exactly 1984. £2.90) 100 years previously. The service was conducted by the Revd W. John Moxon of The publisher's blurb reads, Weston-sub-Edge, Chipping Camden "In a few days ycu will and was attended with others by receive a visit from Mr Green. He Mr R. E. A. Moxon, great great will be bringing with him a nephew of William Moxon, and his locked briefcase family and by Mr James Moxon, When Ian Carfax, a London O.B.E. A wreath was laid by the lawyer, receives a letter from a family on the marble gravestone. wealthy client instructing him to take the briefcase to William Moxon was a Switzerland, he decides to take successful London Barrister at on the job - intending to mix Law and lived at Tidmington House Joseph Moxon, F.R.S., (1627- business with pleasure. for forty years. He was a J.P. 1691), the prolific author, However, Ian has hardly for Warwick and Worcester and an engraver, map and globe maker, arrived before he finds himself active member of the North astronomer, mathematician, entangled in the shadowy world of Cotswold Hunt. scientist, publisher, printer, espionage. Beset by dangers and and hydrographer to King Charles difficulties, he relies on the He was the younger II, dedicated in the year 1675 to help of a beautiful Swiss girl, brother of Edward Moxon, the Madam Ellen Gwyn (Nell Gwyn, the Erika Holz, who hides him in her Victorian poet, who was also the King's mistress) a book that he remote mountain chalet.