Person:Eleanor Pestell (1)

Eleanor (or Ellen) Pestell was baptised on 22nd December 1826 at Hitchin in Hertfordshire, daughter of Frances Pestell, formerly Everitt, and her husband William Pestell. The family lived at Walsworth, a hamlet to the north-east of the town. When Ellen was nine years old her mother died. Ellen's father then moved to the neighbouring village of Ickleford, where he married again in 1838.

The 1841 census finds Ellen working as a servant at a house in Back Street in Hitchin.

On 4th February 1843, aged 16, Ellen was married at Ickleford to a man named George Hall. They had a son, George, baptised less than three months after their marriage. However, Ellen had either died giving birth to George or shortly afterwards, as he was not baptised until after she had been buried. She was buried at Ickleford on 11th May 1843, aged 16. Her husband George married again in 1846, and in the 1850s emigrated with their son to America. Her father also outlived her.

1. ↑ Baptisms register, in Church of England. Parish Registers of St Mary's Church, Hitchin. (Hertford: Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies).

   BAPTISMS solemnized in the Parish of Hitchin in the County of Herts in the Year 1826
   No.	When Baptized	Child's Christian Name	Parents' Name		Abode	Quality, Trade, or Profession	By whom the Ceremony was performed
   			Christian	Surname
   1493	Dec[ember] 22	Eleanor D[aughte]r of	William & Frances	Pestell	Walsworth	Lab[oure]r	H. Wiles

2. ↑ England. 1841 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 HO107; Piece 445; Book 3; Folio 3; Page 1, 6 Jun 1841.

   Address: Back Street, Hitchin, Hertfordshire
   W. Smith, female, 67 [1773/4], born in county
   Ellen Pestell, female, 15 [1821-6], F[emale] S[ervant], born in county

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

   d. Ellen HALL, June Quarter 1843, Hitchin Registration District, Volume 6, page 353, aged 17 [1825/6]

4. ↑ Burials register, in Church of England. Ickleford Parish Registers, 1749-1937. (Hertford: Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies).

   BURIALS in the Parish of Ickleford in the County of Hertford in the Year 1843
   No.	Name	Abode	When buried	Age	By whom the Ceremony was performed
   302	Ellen Hall	Ickleford	May 11	17 [1825/6]	T.W. Thirlwall