William Scott Moody & Virginia Tabb

Date: 14 Nov 2012 [unknown]
Location: Lowndes County, Mississippi
Surnames/tags: Mason Moody

William Scott Moody studied to become a physician, but I am not sure he ever practiced medicine. In March 1869 he married Virginia Tabb, also known as “Sippi”. (She did not like to be called Virginia, claiming she was not from Virginia but from Mississippi—thus the nickname.) Sippi was the younger sister of Laura (Tabb) Moody who was married to John Mason Moody, Jr. Upon the death of their parents Laura had physical guardianship of Sippi. On Laura’s death in September 1868 Martha and John Mason Moody brought Sippi back to Woodland to live. It seems from letters that Sippi and Martha did not get on well, whereas Martha liked Laura very much. My impression is that Sippi was rather wild. The 1870 census records show William and Sippi were living in Mississippi where he is a farmer and physician. (? Her land? I believe so.) In 1875 William bought a store, barroom and shoe store, in Waverly (Sussex Co.) VA. Apparently this was not a successful venture as he was force to sell within four years claiming the Homestead Exemption. In the 1880 census Sippi and the children (Charlie and Lena) were in Mississippi, and William was in Petersburg, Virginia.

William and Sippi had five children. Gordon, Nellie and Willie died in childhood and are buried in Blandford Cemetery in Petersburg, Virginia. Charlie and Lena grew to adults. After William’s death Lena was raised by Dr. H.G. Leigh and his wife, Martha Alice (Moody) Leigh who was Williams’s sister. Charlie was raised by Nathaniel Gregory and his wife Laura (Moody) Gregory, another of William’s sisters. William died September 17, 1882, and is buried in Blandford Cemetery. This date was recorded in the record book at the cemetery. The tombstone gives his birth and death dates as b. 9-17-1835 d. 4-26-1883. After William’s death Sippi had a child out of wedlock, a daughter, Bessie, born in October 1884. On Dec 2, 1888 Sippi married William A. Bohannon and had a son, Alexander. Mr. Bohannon doesn’t appear to have had much to offer and ended up in the poor house. In a chancery Court case in Chesterfield, Sippi indicated that she did not know when marrying that he was a “lunatic” and had been hospitalized in both Stanton and Williamsburg insane asylums. Sippi asked the Court to enter a restraining order as she feared for her life. She also asked the Court to annul the marriage. A restraining order was issued, but a hearing was ordered for the marriage issue. There is no indication that that hearing ever took place. Sippi died in Chesterfield County in 1898, having retaken the Moody name. She spent her last years unsuccessfully trying to save her Tabb inheritance for Bessie and Alex. Bessie and Alex were sent to an orphanage upon her death, not raised by family as Charlie and Lena were.

Virginia Leigh Refo, November 14, 2012

Acknowledgement

• Many thanks to cousin Virginia Leigh Refo whose research and transcriptions added to this profile. The originals were donated to the Library of Virginia in 2004 by Liz Edens Vermillion with the help of Virginia Refo [Moody Family Papers, 1750-1881. Accession 40535, Personal Papers Collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.]