Edmund Moody, Gent.

Edmund was just a lowly knave in Henry 8th court. While out running along the sides of the horses of the titled men, Henry in full armour was crossing a creek and the horse slipped, thus dumping the King into the water. He could not get up without help, being a tad heavy in weight and with armour. Edmund ran over and held the King's head above the water until everyone could dismount and help right the King. For this bravery, he was awarded the title SIR EDMUND, given a manor at BURY ST EDMUND (a town), and a pension. The manor is STILL around and several generations later was "sold to George Washington's ancestors". A heraldity shield was also given.

Notes

• according to http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/GEN-MEDIEVAL/2004-01/1074715522

PLM: So, then he is not entitled to use the word Sir? He was also granted a Groat a day for life; so is this the equivalant of a penny?

• No, he wasn't a sir. A groat was a fourpenny-piece (worth four old pence!). There were 3 groats to a shilling (now 5p or £0.05) and there were 20 shillings in one pound. I'll let you work out the dollar/annual conversion.

Refs

• (1) Record in the College of Arms quoted by Davy in his MS collections- Additional MSS. 19142, folio 194, British Museum Library
• (2) Life of Henry VIII- Edward Hall, 1904 edition- p. 38, originally published in London in 1542
• (3) PRO- DR 37/2/72/14
• The Moody Family: Records of the Descendants of Mr. John Moody of Hartford, Connecticut- Rev. Plinius Moody- book I, generations 1-8
• The Moody family: A Full and Complete Text Transcribed from Davy's Suffolk Collections Pedigrees of Suffolk Families- David Elisha Davy, Additional MSS 19, 142 Folio 186 at the British Library MS Reading Room

Links

• http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mainegenie/MOODY.htm
• http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~edmundmoody/ps01/ps01_197.html