Robert Offley 'Holy Moses'

Robert Offley 'Holy Moses'

In 1909 J Kemp Foster wrote sixteen articles for the Hunts Post entitled 'Reminiscences'. In these he gave great detail about St Ives and its people from the late 1800s. Joseph recalled some of St Ives more colourful characters, one of whom was Holy Moses. He wrote:

It is said that when a certain King set out to discover the happiest man on earth he found the object of his search without a shirt to his back. 'Holy Moses', who was never a swell, was better off than that, and if the King in question had come to St Ives he would probably agreed that no one on earth was happier than the gentleman who drove pigs for a living, with sometimes a sermon up the Thicket or elsewhere, with a collection as an interlude. 'Holy Moses' was original, even to the smile on his face, which never seemed to come off. He was quite a character in his way, and many people out of St Ives will recall his quaint, happy figure.

There were many rumours about the past of Holy Moses. One that he had a rich wife in London who wouldn't live with him because of his roaming. Another that his father was an important clergyman and as he travelled the country he would deposit money in various banks.

Read on to learn the truth about Holy Moses and his children's desperate fate.

Robert Offley, 'Holy Moses', c1900.

Background
Born in St Ives in 1831, Holy Moses' name was Robert Offley. He was one of three boys born to John Offley, a butcher, and Elizabeth Linton. The family home was in Market Hill.

In 1851 Robert's father was publican of the Jolly Butcher, formerly the Spread Eagle, in the Bullock Market (today the Broadway). The family continued the father's trade of pork butcher. Robert, aged 20 years, sold the pork.

In 1854 Robert married Harriet Anne Hard. They had two daughters, Elizabeth and Anna Maria. In 1861 the family were the only residents of Woolpack Lane. Harriet's occupation was 'Wife of Robert Offley, pork butcher'. Robert was not at home. There is no record for him, so he may have been on the road droving on the day of the census.

Harriet died in 1862. In 1870 Robert married Eliza Smith, who had two illegitimate children. Eliza died in 1874.

Robert lodged at the Crown and Mitre in Wellington Street, St Ives, in 1881, a lodging house of the very cheapest type. His occupation was 'traveller on roads'. He shared the accommodation with another twenty travellers, as well as Robert Carman, the publican and grinder, his wife and four children.

In 1891 Robert lodged at the Princess Victoria, St Johns Street, Peterborough. His occupation was a cattle drover. That year he appeared at Peterborough Petty Sessions for hawking without a certificate. Recorded as a preacher, lecturer and drover of no fixed abode, Robert stated he was too poor to buy a certificate. He was given 7 days' imprisonment.

Robert boarded at Dutton End, Gamlingay in 1901, aged 70 years. He still showed his occupation as drover. The last sighting of Robert on the road was about this time. Robert's image above was taken about 1900 after he'd spent the night in a barn. He died in 1910, aged 79 years.

Drover, tramp

Robert's drover occupation meant he spent days on the road. When droving work was thin he begged, or hawked trinkets, on a regular beat over a carefully chosen area and traversed it methodically. Some routes might take weeks or months to complete. In this way residents in the St Ives, Huntingdon and Bedford areas got used to seeing Robert trudging along the road.

In 1953 an article appeared in the Bedfordshire Times and Independent about the exhumation of Robert's body. Presumably this was to transfer him to another cemetery because of planned development. The article generated considerable interest and memories recalled.

Readers remembered Robert dressed in filthy rags, with unkempt hair and a long beard. Despite his forbidding and pitiable appearance, he was always smiling. 

Most beggars were disliked. Robert was an exception, fondly remembered by many, otherwise tolerated, because of his natural gifts and unusually cultivated character. He was described as 'an old rascal, a fifty-fifty mixture of craftiness and sagacity, stocky of form and grinning like a jinn, ready-witted and cheerful, his smiling eyes could break through a cold greeting'.

Children made fun of him, but Robert always won them round by telling them tales. In moments he would have them spellbound.

He often went into the workhouse when weather was inclement or money short. In 1900 the Relieving Officer of Bedford Union Workhouse complained Robert was continually in and out of the workhouse. To discourage repeated visits, the Guardians imposed a week's notice before Robert could claim his release.

Prophetic rhyming

The earliest record of Robert as Holy Moses is in 1867, when St Neots Petty Sessions convicted Thomas Clark of assaulting him. After Robert's first wife died in 1862, further tragedy struck when first his father died in 1863, then his mother in 1865. Possibly these events so closely timed turned Robert to religion.

Robert preached in the tradition of Jane Hawkins, a prophetic rhymer. Robert added song. Sometimes his rhymes were worldly and topical. As he approached a row of cottages or a farmhouse, Robert would start singing. He did this to see if there were any unfriendly dogs around.

In shops and pubs or on street corners Robert would recite bits of prose and poetry and collect a few coppers or halves of beer. His repertoire included both literary and unprintable material. Robert boasted he was equally at home as entertainer or preacher and could satisfy the wishes of and draw tears and smiles from any class of audience, be it moral or not so moral.

Robert disliked the prefix 'Holy', although there is a record of him signing his name as 'Robert Offley x Holy Moses'.

Here are a few of Robert's rhymes. As one person recalled, who could resist these begging lines?

Too proud to beg, too honest to steal.

But it's many a day since I had a good meal.

Robert would hold up his tatty bible and recite:

Holy Moses is my name,

England is my nation.

St Ives is my dwelling place,
And Christ is my salvation.

When I am dead and in my grave,

And all my bones are rotten,

Take up this book and in it look,

You'll see I'm not forgotten.

Another version of this rhyme was:

Holy Moses is my name,

England is my nation.

Bedford is my dwelling place,
And Heaven my destination.

The parsons and the squires,

They meet us in the street.

They think no more of us
Than the dirt beneath their feet.

Some verses were topical, such as this reflecting troubled times

What will become of England
If things go on this way?
Thousands of honest working men

Are starving by the day!

They cannot get employment.

For bread their children cry.

Then cheer up my lads, the rich may scheme and plan,

But England's greatest ornament is the poor hard-working man.

Neglect of family

When Robert married Eliza Smith in 1870 he became responsible for four children. He proved unable or unwilling to care for them.

In 1871 Eliza's children were in Bedford Union Workhouse, Robert's in St Ives Union Workhouse. St Ives Petty Sessions gaoled Robert for one month with hard labour for neglecting to maintain his daughters.

In the same year Robert and Eliza lodged at 2 Allhallows Lane, Bedford. They had an unnamed newborn baby. The baby, named Harriet, died that year.

In 1873 Robert and Eliza had another daughter, Charlotte, who died aged 10 weeks. The verdict of the inquest into Charlotte's death was that she died through 'starvation and improper treatment'. Robert tried to clear himself from blame, but the evidence was so overwhelming he soon stopped. The Coroner decided there was insufficient evidence for a verdict of wilful murder.

A witness said Robert and Eliza would go off 'preaching for beer or anything they can get' about 7.00pm and not return until 2.00am, leaving the baby alone. They would frequently sit up all night and go to bed in the morning, not arising until the afternoon. The witness told Robert and Eliza they were 'killing the child by inches' and gave distressing details of the lack of care for the baby. Neighbours gave food. The family was very poor, had nothing for the baby and used to beg.

Robert's children were still in the St Ives union Workhouse in 1874. In that year Robert appeared in the Priory Road courthouse, charge with failing to contribute to the support of his two children. Robert cared for the souls of his fellow creatures. He showed little concern for the physical wellbeing of his children.