Person:George Cain (10)

George Cain was baptised on 29th November 1824 at St Paul's Walden in Hertfordshire, the son of Mary Cain formerly Parsons and her husband Henry Cain, a tanner. The family lived in Whitwell, which is the main village in the parish of St Paul's Walden. His parents had also had a son called George baptised there in 1821, for whom no burial is recorded, and in the censuses George generally gave ages implying he was born closer to 1821 than 1824. It is therefore possible that he was actually the child baptised in 1821 and unnecessarily baptised again three years later. George's mother died in 1827.

The 1841 census finds George working as an agricultural labourer at Hoo End, a hamlet to the south of Whitwell.

On 14th October 1843, George married Rhoda Pierce, who was from the nearby village of Kimpton. However, they did not marry locally to Kimpton or St Paul's Walden, but at Hammersmith in Middlesex, some 30 miles to the south. They did not stay long in Hammersmith, and by early 1844 had settled back in Whitwell. They had ten children at Whitwell between 1844 and 1864: five boys followed by five girls, although three of the children died young.

The 1851 and 1861 censuses each find George, Rhoda and their children living in Whitwell, with George working as a tanner, having followed his father's trade. Presumably he worked at the tannery which was at the eastern end of the village. George's father died in 1862.

In 1871 Rhoda and the children appear to be at home as normal, but George was not at home on census night, being listed elsewhere in the village apparently on his own. The 1881 census finds George back at home with Rhoda, their youngest surviving daughter and a granddaughter.

By 1891 George had retired, and Rhoda and he were sharing their four-roomed cottage with a lodger who was a baker.

George died in 1892, and was buried at St Paul's Walden on 3rd February 1892. He was said to be 70 years old. Rhoda outlived him by twenty years.

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

   BAPTISMS solemnized in the Parish of Pauls Walden in the County of Hertford in the Year 1824
   No.	When Baptized	Child's Christian Name	Parents Name		Abode	Quality, Trade, or Profession	By whom the Ceremony was performed
   			Christian	Surname
   325	Nov[embe]r 28	George son of	Henry & Mary	Cain	Whitewell	Labourer	Char[le]s Chauncey, Vicar

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 438; Book 15; Folio 33; Page 10, 6 Jun 1841.

   Address: Hoo End, Pauls Walden, Hertfordshire
   John Wellingham, male, 40 [1796-1801], Farmer, born in county
   Sarah Weedon, female, 35 [1801-6], F[emale] S[ervant], not born in county
   William Mayes, male, 30 [1806-11], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], born in county
   George Cain, male, 15 [1821-6], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], born in county

3. ↑ England. 1851 Census Returns for England and Wales. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class HO107; Piece 1710; Folio 461; Page 4, 30 Mar 1851.

   Address: Whitewell, Paulswalden, Hertfordshire
   George Cain, head, married, male, 30 [1820/1], Tanners Labourer, b. Paulswalden, Hertfordshire
   Rhoda Cain, wife, married, female, 27 [1823/4], b. Kimpton, Hertfordshire
   Thomas Cain, son, male, 7 [1843/4], Scholar, b. Paulswalden, Hertfordshire
   Joseph Cain, son, male, 3 [1847/8], b. Paulswalden, Hertfordshire
   Charles Cain, son, male, 1 [1849/50], b. Paulswalden, Hertfordshire

4. ↑ England. 1861 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 RG9; Piece 821; Folio 59; Page 14, 7 Apr 1861.

   Address: Whitewell, Paulswalden, Hertfordshire
   George Cain, head, married, male, 39 [1821/2], Tanners lab[ourer], b. Paulswalden, Hertfordshire
   Rhoda Cain, wife, married, female, 36 [1824/5], b. Kimpton, Hertfordshire
   Thomas Cain, son, unmarried, male, 17 [1843/4], Tanners lab[ourer], b. Kimpton, Hertfordshire
   Charles Cain, son, male, 11 [1849/50], Tanners lab[ourer], b. Paulswalden, Hertfordshire
   Louisa Cain, daughter, female, 7 [1853/4], b. Paulswalden, Hertfordshire
   Clara Cain, daughter, female, 4 [1856/7], b. Paulswalden, Hertfordshire
   Rose A. Cain, daughter, female, 2 [1858/9], b. Paulswalden, Hertfordshire

5. ↑ 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 1370; Folio 77; Page 3, 2 Apr 1871.

   Address: Whitwell, Paulswalden, Hertfordshire
   George Cain, married, male, 48 [1822/3], Tanners Labourer, b. Whitwell, Hertfordshire

6. ↑ 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 1421; Folio 75; Page 11, 3 Apr 1881.

   Address: Whitwell, Paulswalden, Hertfordshire
   George Cain, head, married, male, 59 [1821/2], Tanner, b. Paulswalden, Hertfordshire
   Rhoda Cain, wife, married, female, 59 [1821/2], Wife, b. Kimpton, Hertfordshire
   Jemima Cain, daughter, unmarried, female, 19 [1861/2], b. Paulswalden, Hertfordshire
   Pauline Emma Clark, granddaughter, female, 8 [1872/3], Scholar, b. Paulswalden, Hertfordshire

7. ↑ 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 1108; Folio 192; Page 11, 5 Apr 1891.

   Address: Whitwell, Pauls Walden, Hertfordshire
   4 rooms occupied
   George Cain, head, married, male, 69 [1821/2], Retired Tanners laborer, b. Whitwell, Hertfordshire
   Rhoda Cain, wife, married, female, 67 [1823/4], b. Kimpton, Hertfordshire
   Albert Rolph, lodger, single, male, 20 [1870/1], Journeyman Baker, employed, b. Kimpton, Hertfordshire

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

   d. George CAIN, March Quarter 1892, Hitchin Registration District, Volume 3a, page 425, aged 70 [1821/2]

9. ↑ Burials register, in Church of England. St Paul's Walden Parish Registers. (Hertford: Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies).

   BURIALS in the Parish of St Pauls Walden in the County of Hertford in the Year 1892
   No.	Name	Abode	When buried	Age	By whom the Ceremony was performed
   631	George Cain	Whitwell	3rd Feb[ruary]	70 [1821/2]	Henry Leigh-Lye, Off[iciating] Minister