This couple were Cynthia's maternal grandparents. Francis Moore was born on 2 July 1847 at Needham's Row, Beaufort, Monmouthshire, and he married Hannah Muxworthy in September 1870 at Pontypool. They had nine children, of whom two daughters married two of the Roebuck brothers. One of these was Annie Louisa Moore who married George Thomas Roebuck I. Hence some people in the next generation were cousins twice over!
Left: This photo was taken at their wedding on 16th August 1870. Cynthia sent this photo to a fashion expert at a university in Liverpool in order to date it from the clothes, and therefore identify the couple. When we find the information we will add it. More recent research bears out this date:
It was the fashion then to take full length shots, moving in closer later in the century. The studio backdrop is typical 1860s, being quite plain, with architectural features such as the arch, and to have a drape in the picture, sometimes hiding a support. To the left of Francis' legs you can see where the backdrop has been pinned on badly - they were changed according to what the customer wanted. The people would both be supported by wooden stands to keep them still for up to 20 seconds depending on the light available, and the white spot behind Francis' feet shows up on the bigger picture as being the polished base of such a support. Hannah is holding a purse and gloves to keep her hands still, and her left hand is deliberately visible on a wedding photo to show off the ring (which we can not spot). They are both looking pensive and reflective deliberately as was the fashion - smiles are difficult to hold for that long. Her seated position and his crossed legs and relaxed pose are typical.
Hannah's hairstyle and dress are quite up to the minute. She has a full skirt which probably has a bustle behind - the crinoline has gone. Her blouse has epaulette decoration on the shoulders, and the neck is high. The sleeves are full all the way down. Her hair is parted in the centre - no fringe - and elaborately curled. She has slides or a headband in it. Her ears are showing.
Francis' clothing is more 1860s fashion, especially the wide lapels and medium length of his jacket. His shirt has a stand-up collar. His pale waistcoat, which has a level hem rather than pointed, does not match his jacket or trousers - that came much later. His jacket and trousers are two different colours, which is correct, but it was more usual to have the jacket darker. The sleeves and trouser legs of this time are quite full.
In summary therefore, although Hannah is dressed very fashionably, both Francis' clothing and the studio setting are from a few years before. All these features mentioned contrast with those of the decades before and after.
Right: We do not have any details of when this photo was taken, but would estimate that Hannah is in her 60s, and it was taken about 1910. In Edwardian times, the first decade of the new century, blouses and skirts were fashionable rather than dresses. Hannah probably has her hair in a bun at the back. She has either a scarf or another blouse underneath, and is wearing a brooch on that. She now has a ring on the middle finger of her left hand. Her blouse is decorated by a fringe on the collar, and is loose and allowed to drape over her waistband. The sleeves are full, but gathered at the wrist.
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Left: Hannah again as an elderly lady, but the group from which it was taken shows Grace Langley, Cynthia's sister, as a teenager, therefore would be towards the 1920s. |
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Left: Hannah as a guest at the wedding of George Thomas II's wedding on 6th September 1924. Note the hat which is almost a cloche hat, popular in the 1920s. |
Hannah died on 15th August 1937 at Sheffield.