Person:Ellen Moss (4)

Ellen Sarah Moss was baptised on 4th September 1870 at Caddington in Bedfordshire, daughter of a bonnet sewer called Bethia Moss, formerly King, and her husband William Moss, an agricultural labourer. The family lived in the hamlet of Aley Green, which at the time was in the part of Caddington parish which was within Hertfordshire. Ellen appears in the 1871 census living with her parents and siblings at Aley Green. In 1881 she was staying with her mother's cousin in the neighbouring village of Markyate.

By 1891 Ellen and her parents had moved into the nearby town of Luton, appearing in the 1891 census at 146 Chapel Street there. By this time Ellen was working as a hat sewer.

On 20th May 1893, aged about 23, Ellen married Augustus George Baker at Christ Church in Luton. They went on to have eight children in Luton between 1893 and 1909, although three died young.

When Augustus died it was reported that he had spent many years in the Army, including having served during the Boer War of 1899-1902. He was back home in Luton for the 1901 census, appearing with Ellen and their children at 42 New Town Street and working as a bricklayer's labourer. Ellen worked as a straw hat machinist. By 1911 the family was living at 41 New Town Street and Augustus was described as a general labourer.

Ellen's mother died in 1906 and her father died in 1911.

At the outbreak of the First World War, Augustus rejoined the Army, aged forty, serving as a private in the 5th Bedfordshire Regiment. He was posted to the Gallipoli campaign in the Dardanelles, and served there for four months. One of his sons fought alongside him at Gallipoli. After four months there, Augustus was invalided back to Britain with dysentery. After a period in hospital he was discharged from the Army in May 1916. Augustus returned home but was in poor health, suffering with bronchitis, asthma and heart trouble. He died on 12th July 1917 at home at 23 Collingdon Street in Luton, aged 43. He was given military honours at his funeral.

Ellen continued living at 23 Collingdon Street for a few years after Augustus's death, appearing there in electoral registers with some of her adult children until the mid 1920s.

On 5th February 1927, aged nearly 57, Ellen sailed on the Oronsay from London to Fremantle in Western Australia, alongside her youngest son, Charles. They lived in the Perth area, as did Ellen's son Alfred, who had also emigrated. Ellen's other children stayed behind in Luton. Her daughter Florence died in Luton in 1941.

In February 1950, after 23 years living in Australia, Ellen returned to Britain with her son Charles. Her return was reported in the Luton News. She said that she would have stayed in Australia, but wanted to come back to see her surviving daughter and other son and grandchildren. She was nearly 80 when she travelled back, and was apparently the oldest passenger on the S.S. Ormonde on that voyage. She also said that she had missed Brussels sprouts and parsnips, which didn't grow in Australia, and she also wanted to see some snow, having not seen any in all the time she had been in Australia.

Ellen settled with her daughter Grace and her family at 54 Faringdon Road in Luton, appearing in the electoral registers there through the 1950s. Ellen died in 1959, aged 89.

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

   b. Ellen Sarah MOSS, June Quarter 1870, Luton Registration District, Volume 3b, page 450, mother's maiden name King

2. ↑ Baptisms register, in Church of England. Caddington Parish Registers. (Bedford: Bedfordshire Record Office).

   BAPTISMS solemnized in the Parish of Caddington in the County of Bedford in the Year 1870
   No.	When Baptized	Child's Christian Name	Parent's Name		Abode	Quality, Trade, or Profession	By whom the Ceremony was performed
   			Christian	Surname
   1304	Sept[ember] 4	Ellen Sarah	William and Bethia	Moss	Aley Green	Lab[oure]r	Tho[ma]s Prescott, Vicar

   Baptised same day as sister Alice Maud Mary.

3. ↑ 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 28; Page 15, 2 Apr 1871.

   Address: Aley Green (listed immediately after "The Boot"), Caddington, Hertfordshire
   William Moss, head, married, male, 33 [1837/8], Lab[ourer], b. Caddington, Hertfordshire
   Bethia Moss, wife, married, female, 34 [1836/7], Sewer, b. Caddington, Hertfordshire
   James Moss, son, male, 8 [1862/3], Scholar, b. Caddington, Hertfordshire
   Susan Moss, daughter, female, 5 [1865/6], Scholar, b. Caddington, Hertfordshire
   Alberta Moss, daughter, female, 3 [1867/8], Scholar, b. Caddington, Hertfordshire
   Maude Moss, daughter, female, 1 [1869/70], b. Caddington, Hertfordshire
   Ellen Moss, daughter, female, 8mo [1870], b. Caddington, Hertfordshire

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 1445; Folio 36; Page 3, 3 Apr 1881.

   Address: Bond's Row, Flamstead, Hertfordshire [N.B. "Ecclesiastical Parish of St John's Markyate Street"]
   Samuel Slough, head, married, male, 33 [1847/8], Ag[ricultural] Labourer, b. Flamstead, Hertfordshire
   Matilda Slough, wife, married, female, 30 [1850/1], Plait Sewer, b. Caddington, Hertfordshire
   Helen Moss, cousin, female, 10 [1870/1], Scholar, b. Caddington, Hertfordshire
   Herbert W. Woodward, nurse child, male, 6 months [1880], b. Flamstead, Hertfordshire

   Matilda Slough was the daughter of Ellen's mother's sister, Hannah King.

5. ↑ England. 1891 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 RG12; Piece 1274; Folio 59; Page 38, 5 Apr 1891.

   Address: 146 Chapel Street, Luton, Bedfordshire
   Five or more rooms occupied
   William Moss, head, married, male, 53 [1837/8], Agricultural Laborer, employed, b. Caddington, Bedfordshire
   Bertha Moss, wife, married, female, 55 [1835/6], employed, b. Caddington, Bedfordshire
   Susanah Moss, daughter, single, female, 25 [1865/6], Hat Sewer, employed, b. Caddington, Bedfordshire
   Alice M. Moss, daughter, single, female, 21 [1869/70], Hat Sewer, employed, b. Caddington, Bedfordshire
   Ellen S. Moss, daughter, single, female, 20 [1870/1], Hat Sewer, employed, b. Caddington, Bedfordshire
   Walter B. Moss, son, male, 18 [1872/3], General Laborer, employed, b. Caddington, Bedfordshire
   Prince L. Moss, son, male, 16 [1874/5], Agricultural Laborer, employed, b. Caddington, Bedfordshire
   William A. Moss, son, male, 14 [1876/7], Errand Boy, employed, b. Caddington, Bedfordshire
   Bethia Moss, daughter, female, 12 [1878/9], Scholar, employed, b. Caddington, Bedfordshire
   Thomas Lewis, stepson, married, male, 34 [1856/7], Rag & Bone Collector, employed, b. Aspley Guise, Bedfordshire
   Thomas Lewis, grandson, male, 5 [1885/6], Scholar, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Arthur Lewis, grandson, male, 4 [1886/7], Scholar, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Ethel Bert Lewis, grandson [sic], female, 3 [1887/8], b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Harry Lewis, grandson, male, 1 [1889/90], b. Luton, Bedfordshire

6. ↑ England. England. 1901 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 RG13; Piece 1516; Folio 112; Page 37, 31 Mar 1901.

   Address: 42 New Town Street, Luton, Bedfordshire
   4 rooms occupied
   Augustus G. Baker, head, married, male, 28 [1872/3], Bricklayers labourer, worker, b. Walthamstow, Essex
   Ellen S. Baker, wife, married, female, 31 [1869/70], Straw Hat machinist, worker, b. Aley Green, Bedfordshire
   Florence M. Baker, daughter, single, female, 7 [1893/4], b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Grace E. Baker, daughter, single, female, 5 [1895/6], b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Alfred J. Baker, son, male, 4 [1896/7], b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   George Baker, son, male, 1 [1899/1900], b. Luton, Bedfordshire

7. ↑ 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 8997; Schedule 33, 2 Apr 1911.

   Address: 41 New Town Street, Luton, Bedfordshire
   6 rooms occupied
   Augustus George Baker, head, married, male, 38 [1872/3], married, General Labourer, worker, b. Walthamstow, Essex
   Ellen Sarah Baker, wife, female, 40 [1870/1], married 17 years, 8 children born to marriage, 5 children still living, Straw Hat Machinist, worker, working at home, b. Aley Green, Bedfordshire
   Florence Mary Baker, daughter, female, 17 [1893/4], single, Straw Hat Machinist, worker, working at home, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Grace Ellen Baker, daughter, female, 15 [1895/6], single, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Alfred John Baker, son, male, 14 [1896/7], single, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   George Baker, son, male, 11 [1899/1900], single, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Charles Edward Baker, son, male, 6 [1904/5], single, b. Luton, Bedfordshire

8.   Passenger lists leaving UK, 1890-1960 (The National Archives / findmypast.co.uk)
   BT27.

   Ship: Oronsay
   Departed London 5 Feb 1927 bound for Fremantle, Western Australia
   Baker, Mr. C.E. / 229 Sayer St., New Kent Road, SE17 / Capstan hand / aged 22 / intended future residence Australia
   Baker, Mrs. E.S. / 47 Turners Rd., Round Green, Luton, Beds. / aged 57 / intended future residence Australia

9.   Luton News, in United Kingdom. The British Newspaper Archive
   Page 10, 23 Feb 1950.

   After 23 Years
   [Picture of Ellen, her daughter Grace, son Charles and several other unnamed relatives.]
   Eighty-years-old Mrs. Ellen S. Baker, who has returned home after a 23 years' stay in in Australia, is served with a cup of tea by her daughter, Mrs. Grace Howes, of 54 Faringdon-road, Luton, on arrival on Saturday. Other members of the family gather round. Second from left is her son, Mr. Charles Baker, of the Salvation Army, who returned with her.
   BACK TO GOOD OLD ENGLISH DINNER
   SATURDAY'S menu at 54, Faringdon-road, Luton, included "a good old English dinner," with a large helping of brussels sprouts.
   If you think there is nothing special about that, just try going without one for 23 years, like 80-years-old Mrs. Ellen Baker.
   As Mrs. Baker told a "Luton News" reporter on Monday, "When you've been in Australia, particularly Perth, where we were, for 23 years, you can appreciate an English dinner. Australia is a wonderful country, but their soil won't grow brussels and neither will it grow parsnips."
   The oldest person travelling home on the S.S. Ormonde, Mrs. Baker reached Luton on Saturday, and is now settling with her daughter, Mrs. Grace Howe.
   "WONDERFUL" AUSTRALIA
   Folding her beautifully-manicured hands ("They did them on the boat to keep my mind off off the Bay of Biscay crossing although it wasn't at all rough"), Mrs. Baker offered this advice to would-be emigrants:
   "Australia is a wonderful country, and there is everything there, if only you work - gold, copper, silver and many more things.
   "If you go there you have got to work: you must not go for an easy life. Some of them haven't given themselves a chance. You can't expect to go to a new place and have everything smooth at once.
   "Coming over on the boat everyone was wonderful to me. The had to keep retrieving me from various parts of the boat. I got lost every day," she laughed.
   Her daughter added, "They all thought that mother was wonderful."
   Also making the return journey was her son, Mr. Charles Baker, who is a captain in the Salvation Army. He went out with his mother and brother, Alfred, 23 years ago. Alfred has a prosperous farm and intends to stay.
   CHANGED LUTON
   "And so should I have stayed," said Mrs. Baker, "if it had not been that I wanted to see my daughter and my other son, and also all my grandchildren." The "other son" is Mr. George Baker, of 76, Austin-road.
   While Captain Baker was in Australia he made many friends, not least among the aborigines, where his work often took him. They all tried to persuade him to return, and much as he would like to, he prefers to stay with his mother.
   Perth musicians will also miss him, as he has a fine tenor voice and was asked to join an Australian opera company.
   Mrs. Baker has not yet been able to compare the old and new Luton, but intends to cover quite a bit of ground when she looks up her four sisters and three brothers, all of whom live in the town.
   Leaving behind her a broiling summer, one would think Mrs. Baker would be feeling cold. Not a bit of it. She wants to see some snow! Since leaving England she has not seen one flake, although when it hails in Australia it hails!
   Now all the family are looking forward to Saturday, when there will be a grand-scale family reunion party.

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

    d. Ellen S. BAKER, September Quarter 1959, Luton Registration District, Volume 4a, page 118, aged 89 [1869/70]