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James Leith Moody
James Leith Moody (1816–1896) was a British clergyman who was Chaplain of the Royal Navy in China; and of the British Army in the Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Malta, and Crimea. FamilyJames Leith Moody was born at St. Ann's Garrison, Barbados, on 25 June 1816,[1] into a traditional merchant family with a history of military service.[2] He was named after Sir James Leith,[1] to whom his father had served as aide-de-camp during the Napoleonic Wars.[2][3][1] He was the fifth child and third son,[4] of ten children,[5][6] of Colonel Thomas Moody, CRE WI, Kt.,[2] by Martha Clement (1784 - 1868) who was the daughter of the Dutch landowner Richard Clement (1754 - 1829)[7][8] through whom he was related to the Belgravia cricketers Reynold Clement and Richard Clement.[9] His paternal grandmother was Barbara Blamire of Cumberland who was a cousin of the MP William Blamire and of the poet Susanna Blamire.[10] James Leith Moody's siblings included: Major Thomas Moody (1809 - 1839);[6] Major-General Richard Clement Moody (1813 – 1887) (who was the first British Governor of the Falkland Islands, and the founder of British Columbia);[6][5][1] Colonel Hampden Clement Blamire Moody CB (1821 - 1869)[6][5] (who was Commander of the Royal Engineers in China[11][12] during the Second Opium War and the Taiping Rebellion); and the Etonian[13][14] engineer[15][16][17] Shute Barrington Moody (b. 1818). Career James Leith was educated at Tonbridge School, from 1827 to 1835, from which he won a Smythe Exhibition, and at St. Mary Hall, Oxford (BA, 1840; MA, 1842).[4][1] He was ordained as a priest, by John Kaye, Bishop of Lincoln, in 1841.[1] Leith served as chaplain to the Royal Navy in China; and to the British Army in the Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Malta, and Crimea.[7][4] Leith arrived in the Falkland Islands in October 1845, subsequent to which he was found to be 'querulous and eccentric', by his brother Richard Clement Moody, the Governor of the Falkland Islands;[7] and also by his brother's successor as Governor George Rennie.[1] Leith left the Falkland Islands in 1854.[1] Leith was Assistant Chaplain to the British Armed Forces at Aldershot in 1859.[4][1] He on 15 October 1863 married, at Winchester, Mary Willan, who was the daughter of The Rev. Willan, by whom he had 5 children.[1] He during 1865 lived at Walmer in Kent.[1] He was Rector of Virginstow, at Launceston, Cornwall, from 1876 to 1879.[4][1] He was Vicar of St. John the Baptist, at Clay Hill, Enfield, from 1879 to 1885, after which he retired to Dulwich[4] where he died in 1896.[1] He left chattels that were worth £4000 (about £200,000 in 21st century money).[1] His wife Mary died on 28 July 1930 at the age of 99 years.[1] He is commemorated on a 1994 stamp of the 'Foundation of Stanley Series' that was issued in the Falkland Islands.[1] References
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