Person:Charles Allen (58)

Charles Allen was born on 17th January 1869 at Markyate, son of a straw hat sewer called Hannah Allen, formerly Habron, and her husband George Allen, a bricklayer and straw hat blocker. Markyate at this time straddled several parishes and two counties, and it would appear that Charles was born in the part of Markyate which fell within the Hertfordshire portion of the parish of Caddington. The 1871 census finds the family living on High Road in Markyate. Charles was baptised on 9th April 1873 at the chapel of St John at Markyate alongside three of his siblings. The 1881 census finds the family living on Windmill Lane in Markyate.

Charles has not been found in either the 1891 or 1901 censuses. He was not listed with his parents in 1891, who were still living in Markyate. Charles's next confirmed sighting is not until 8th August 1903, aged 34, when he married Elizabeth (or Lizzie) Moss at Caddington. At the time of their marriage Charles was described as a labourer of Aley Green, a hamlet in Caddington parish close to Markyate. Theirs was not the first marriage between their families; Charles's brother Frederick had married Lizzie's sister Emily in 1889. Lizzie was about ten years older than Charles and had two surviving children, who were about 19 and 16 years old at the time of Charles and Lizzie's marriage. Charles and Lizzie did not have any more children together.

The 1911 census finds Charles and Lizzie living at Aley Green along with Lizzie's son Albert. Charles was working as a jobbing gardener. Unusually for the time the 1911 census describes Lizzie as the head of the household and Charles as her husband, rather than Charles as the head and Lizzie his wife.

Lizzie appears to have died in 1934, aged 75.

By the outbreak of the Second World War, Charles had returned to Markyate, and was living alone at 9 Luton Road there. He was described as a general labourer. Charles appears to have died in 1952, aged 83.

1. ↑ Births index, in General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration. (London: General Register Office).

   b. Charles ALLEN, March Quarter 1869, Luton Registration District, Volume 3b, page 440, mother's maiden name Habron

2. ↑ England. England and Wales. 1871 Census Schedules. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG10; Piece 1568; Folio 9; Page 9, 2 Apr 1871.

   Address: High Road, Caddington, Hertfordshire
   George Allen, head, married, male, 34 [1836/7], Bricklayer, b. Markyate Street, Hertfordshire
   Hannah Allen, wife, married, female, 28 [1842/3], Sewer, b. Redbourne, Hertfordshire
   Amos Allen, son, male, 10 [1860/1], Sewer son, b. Redbourne, Hertfordshire
   Frederick Allen, son, male, 7 [1863/4], Sewer son, b. Markyate Street, Hertfordshire
   Emma Allen, daughter, female, 5 [1865/6], Sewer daughter, b. Markyate Street, Hertfordshire
   Charles Allen, son, male, 2 [1869/70], Sewer son, b. Markyate Street, Hertfordshire

   Although the census page itself does not explicitly say that this household is at Markyate, the enumerator's description of the district makes clear that it is the part of Caddington parish which included Markyate.

3. ↑ Baptisms register, in Church of England. Markyate Parish Registers, 1855-1972. (Hertford: Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies).

   BAPTISMS solemnized in the Parish of Caddington in the County of Hertford in the Year 1873
   No.	When Baptized	Child's Christian Name	Parents' Name		Abode	Quality, Trade, or Profession	By whom the Ceremony was performed
   			Christian	Surname
   171	1873 April 9th	Charles	George & Hannah	Allen	Markyate Street, Caddington	Labourer	F.W. Adye

   Baptised same day as siblings Frederick, Emma and Henry. Although top of page says baptisms in the parish of Caddington, start of book makes clear that this register belongs to the chapel of St John's at Markyate rather than the parish church of All Saints at Caddington. Markyate did not become a separate civil parish until 1897.

4. ↑ England. 1881 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands: . (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG11; Piece 1653; Folio 120; Page 2, 3 Apr 1881.

   Address: Windmill Lane, Markyate Street, Caddington, Hertfordshire
   George Allen, head, married, male, 49 [1831/2], Straw Hat Blocker, b. Flamstead, Hertfordshire
   Hannah Allen, wife, married, female, 39 [1841/2], Straw Hat Sewer, b. Redbourn, Hertfordshire
   Amos Allen, son, unmarried, male, 20 [1860/1], Ginger Beer Maker, b. Redbourn, Hertfordshire
   Frederick Allen, son, male, 17 [1863/4], Ginger Beer Maker, b. Markyate Street, Hertfordshire
   Charles Allen, son, male, 12 [1868/9], Scholar, b. Markyate Street, Hertfordshire
   Harry Allen, son, male, 8 [1872/3], Scholar, b. Markyate Street, Hertfordshire
   Arthur Allen, son, male, 6 [1874/5], Scholar, b. Markyate Street, Hertfordshire
   Lizzy Allen, daughter, female, 4 [1876/7], b. Markyate Street, Hertfordshire
   Minnie Allen, daughter, female, 1 [1879/80], b. Markyate Street, Hertfordshire

5. ↑ England. 1911 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom: The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), (formerly the UK General Register Office.))
   Class RG14; Piece 9026; Schedule 108, 2 Apr 1911.

   Address: Aley Green, Caddington, Bedfordshire
   Elizabeth Allen, head, female, 50 [1860/1], married eight years, no children born to this marriage, Straw Hat Turning Machinist - Straw Hat Manufacturer, worker, b. Aley Green, Bedfordshire
   Charles Allen, husband, male, 42 [1868/9], married, Jobbing Gardener, worker, b. Markyate, Bedfordshire
   Albert Moss, son, male, 24 [1886/7], single, Iron Foundry, worker, b. Aley Green, Bedfordshire

6. ↑ ^6.0 6.1 General Register Office. 1939 Register
   Hemel Hempstead Rural District, 29 Sep 1939.

   Address: 9 Luton Road, Markyate, Hertfordshire
   Allen, Charles / male / b. 17 Jan 1869 / widower / General Labourer

7. ↑ Deaths index, in General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration. (London: General Register Office).

   d. Charles ALLEN, June Quarter 1952, Hemel Hempstead Registration District, Volume 4b, page 62, aged 83 [1868/9]

   Place of death given as Markyate on basis that it was in the Hemel Hempstead registration district at the time and as Charles lived most of his life in or near Markyate quite likely that he would have died there too - death certificate would need to be obtained to confirm place of death.