Person:Hannah Swallow (3)

Hannah Swallow was baptised on 17th July 1814 at Wheathampstead in Hertfordshire, daughter of Sarah Swallow, formerly Hopkins, and her husband William Swallow, a labourer. The baptism register notes that the family lived at Hollybush, a row of cottages near the hamlet of Mackerye End in the west of the parish.

On 31st July 1832, when Hannah was just 18, she had an illegitimate daughter named Eliza. Hannah at this time was still living at Hollybush. Eliza's father was a shoemaker named William Pearse from the nearby town of St Albans. The local magistrates had to issue an order against William demanding he pay maintenance for the girl.

Two years after Eliza's birth, Hannah married a man named William Thompson at Wheathampstead on 20th October 1834. They stayed in the Wheathampstead area and had seven more children together between 1835 and 1850, although one died as a baby. Hannah's father died in 1835.

The 1841 census finds Hannah, William and their children living at Marshalls Heath, close to Hollybush. Hannah was working as a plaiter, whilst William was an agricultural labourer. Hannah's daughter Eliza at this time was living with Hannah's mother and brother's family at nearby Gustard Wood. Hannah's mother died in 1848.

By 1851 Hannah and William had moved to Wheathampstead Hill, the main road leading out of the village to the south. Hannah's daughter Eliza was living with them, described as Eliza Thompson. In 1861 Hannah and William were living in the village of Wheathampstead.

William died in 1864, aged 54. Hannah appears in the 1871 census working as a straw plaiter and living at Amwell to the south-west of Wheathampstead.

On 24th March 1874 Hannah was admitted to the Three Counties Asylum at Stotfold in Bedfordshire. She would spend the rest of her life there. She was there for just over ten years, dying there on 2nd April 1884, aged 69.

1. ↑ Baptisms register, in Church of England. Wheathampstead Parish Registers. (Hertford: Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies).

   BAPTISMS solemnized in the Parish of Wheathampstead in the County of Hertford in the Year 1814
   No.	When Baptized	Child's Christian Name	Parent's Name		Abode	Quality, Trade, or Profession	By whom the Ceremony was performed
   			Christian	Surname
   70	July 17th	Hannah daughter of	William & Sarah	Swallow	of Hollybush House	Labourer	Henry Craven A.M.

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 442; Book 8; Folio 23; Page 8, 6 Jun 1841.

   Address: Marshall Heath, Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire
   William Thompson, male, 40 [1796-11], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], born in county
   Hannah Thompson, female, 30 [1806-11], Pl[aiter], born in county
   Susan Thompson, female, 4 [1836/7], born in county
   James Thompson, male, 3 [1837/8], born in county
   Mary Thompson, female, 1 [1839/40], 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 1713; Folio 56; Page 22, 30 Mar 1851.

   Address: Wheathamstead Hill, Wheathamstead, Hertfordshire
   William Thomson, head, married, male, 40 [1810/11], Staw factor, b. Codicote, Hertfordshire
   Hannah Thomson, wife, married, female, 37 [1813/14], b. Wheathamstead, Hertfordshire
   Eliza Thomson, daughter, unmarried, female, 18 [1832/3], Straw plaiter, b. Wheathamstead, Hertfordshire
   Susan Thomson, daughter, female, 15 [1835/6], Straw plaiter, b. Wheathamstead, Hertfordshire
   James Thomson, son, male, 13 [1837/8], Scholar, b. Wheathamstead, Hertfordshire
   Mary Thomson, daughter, 10 [1840/1], Scholar, b. Wheathamstead, Hertfordshire
   Charles Thomson, son, male, 7 [1843/4], Scholar, b. Wheathamstead, Hertfordshire
   Sophia Thomson, daughter, female, 5 [1845/6], Scholar, b. Wheathamstead, Hertfordshire
   Henry Thomson, son, male, 5mo [1850], b. Wheathamstead, 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 827; Folio 41; Page 6, 7 Apr 1861.

   Address: Village, Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire
   William Thompson, head, married, male, 50 [1810/11], Labourer, b. Wheathamstead, Hertfordshire
   Hannah Thompson, wife, married, female, 47 [1813/14], Wife of Labourer, b. Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire
   Susan Thompson, daughter, unmarried, female, 26 [1834/5], Plaiter, b. Wheathamstead, Hertfordshire
   Sophia Thompson, daughter, unmarried, female, 16 [1844/5], Plaiter, b. Wheathamstead, Hertfordshire
   Henry Thompson, son, male, 10 [1850/1], Scholar, b. Wheathamstead, 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 1376; Folio 51; Page 17, 2 Apr 1871.

   Address: Hamwell, Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire
   Hannah Thompson, head, widow, female, 55 [1815/16], Straw plaiter, b. Wheathamstead, Hertfordshire
   Jane Stephens, visitor, unmarried, female, 18 [1852/3], Straw plaiter, b. Gadsden Row, Hertfordshire

6. ↑ UK, Lunacy Patients Admission Registers, 1846-1912 (The National Archives, Kew / ancestry.co.uk)
   Class MH94; Piece 22.

   No. 84424
   Name: Thompson, Hannah
   Pauper Female
   Date of Admission: 24 Mar 1874
   Asylum: Beds
   Date of Death: 2 Apr 1884

7. ↑ 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 1632; Folio 104; Page 17, 3 Apr 1881.

   Address: Three Counties Asylum, Stotfold, Bedfordshire
   [many inmates, including:]
   H.T., pauper patient, widow, female, 69 [1811/12], Labourer's Widow, Lunatic

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

   d. Hannah THOMPSON, June Quarter 1884, Biggleswade Registration District, Volume 3b, page 197, aged 72 [1811/12]