Moss Family History: Cotheridge Parish
Photo: the parish church of St. Leonard, Cotheridge, Near Worcester
Since all the information that I could glean from the London records pointed consistently to Cotheridge Parish as being the locale from which John Moss departed, I determined to go there. I proceeded to the city of Worcester in the county of Worcestershire and found that Cotheridge Parish is merely a collection of old farms four miles west of Worcester and just east of the river Teme. The most important propery in the area is owned by the family of Sir Rowland Berkley. I found the old Parish Church of St. Leonard which was built in the first half of the 12th century and generally restored in the year 1684. It is a unique structure, the main walls being entirely of chestnut and oak. The nave of the church is forty-five feet long by twenty-three feet wide and there are four bells in the tower. The building appears to be little used now (1976) except for the north chapel. I peeked in through a small opening and could see little but dust and cobwebs throughout the gloomy interior. Outside, I rambled about through weeds and tall grass checking the gravestones. I could find no Moss names, however. Many of the old stones that were in a good state of preservation belonged to members of the Rowland Berkley family.