Person:Amy Moles (1)

Amy Moles was baptised on 25th April 1819 at Willian in Hertfordshire, daughter of Mary Ann Moles, formerly Best, and her husband Thomas Moles, an agricultural labourer.

At the age of 21, Amy was married to an agricultural labourer named James Jarvis. They married at Offley, a few miles west of Willian. Amy's sister Susannah had married in Offley eight years earlier and settled there.

Amy and James appear to have stayed in Offley for the rest of their lives. They do not appear to have had any children. The 1841 census finds them living at Mill House to the west of the village, next door to James's parents. In 1851, both Amy and James were described as agricultural labourers. Back in Willian, Amy's father died in 1853. After his death, Amy's mother came to live in Offley too. The 1861 census finds Amy and James looking after two nieces. Amy's mother died in Offley later in 1861, but was buried back at Willian.

In both the 1881 and 1891 censuses Amy and James were living at Clay Pit Cottages on the western edge of the village. Amy was described as a straw plaiter in 1881. In 1887 Amy was mentioned in a local newspaper report. It seems she had bought a hundredweight of coal from some carters who had no right to sell it. She complained to the court that she had lost her money but the police had then taken the coal, leaving her with neither money nor coal.

Amy and James died within a few days of each other in 1895; he was buried five days before her. She was buried on 6th April 1895, aged 75, at Offley where she had lived all her adult life.

1. ↑ Baptisms register, in Church of England. Willian Parish Registers.

   BAPTISMS solemnized in the Parish of Willian in the County of Hertford in the Year 1819
   No.	When Baptized	Child's Christian Name	Parents' Name		Abode	Quality, Trade, or Profession	By whom the Ceremony was performed
   			Christian	Surname
   51	April 25	Amey	Thomas & Mary	Mole	Willian	Laborer	William Wollaston Pym, 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 445; Book 12; Folio 30; Page 3, 6 Jun 1841.

   Address: Mill House, Offley, Hertfordshire
   Edward Jarvies, male, 40 [1796-1801], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], born in county
   Ann Jarvies, female, 50 [1786-1791], born in county
   David Jarvies, male, 19 [1821/2], born in county
   Caroline Jarvies, female, 17 [1823/4], born in county
   Rachel Jarvies, female, 15 [1825/6], born in county
   Esther Jarvies, female, 8 [1832/3], born in county
   Hannah Jarvies, female, 6 [1834/5], born in county
   ~ next household~
   James Jarvies, male, 22 [1818/9], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], born in county
   Amy Jarvies, female, 21 [1819/20], 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 403; Page 27, 30 Mar 1851.

   Address: Offley, Hertfordshire
   James Jarvis, head, married, male, 33 [1817/8], Farm Labourer, b. Offley, Hertfordshire
   Emma Jarvis, wife, married, female, 31 [1819/20], Farm Labourer, b. Willyan [sic], 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 22; Page 9, 7 Apr 1861.

   Address: Luton Road, Offley, Hertfordshire
   James Jarvis, head, married, male, 42 [1818/9], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], b. Offley, Hertfordshire
   Amey Jarvis, wife, married, female, 40 [1820/1], Agricultural] Lab[ourer] Wife, b. Willian, Hertfordshire
   Eliza Pratt, niece, unmarried, female, 16 [1844/5], Bonnet Sewer, b. Baldock, Hertfordshire
   Hannah Goodge, niece, unmarried, female, 10 [1850/1], Bonnet Sewer, b. Cockernhoe, Hertfordshire

   Eliza Pratt was daughter of Amy's late sister Mary. Hannah Goodge was daughter of James's sister Rachel, who had married a George Goodge - Hannah was baptised at Lilley on 8 Jun 1851 (with the baptism register giving the family's abode as Cockernhoe).

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 20; Page 1, 2 Apr 1871.

   Address: Offley, Hertfordshire
   James Jarvis, head, married, male, 52 [1818/9], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], b. Offley, Hertfordshire
   Amy Jarvis, wife, married, female, 51 [1819/20], b. Offley, 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 35; Page 33, 3 Apr 1881.

   Address: Clay Pitt Cottages, Offley, Hertfordshire
   James Jarviss, head, married, male, 63 [1817/8], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], b. Offley, Hertfordshire
   Amy Jarviss, wife, married, female, 61 [1819/20], Straw Plaiter, b. Wilian, 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 155; Page 22, 5 Apr 1891.

   Address: Cottage (Clay Pits), Offley, Hertfordshire
   Two rooms occupied
   James Jarvis, head, married, male, 72 [1818/9], (Formerly) Agricultural Labourer, b. Offley, Hertfordshire
   Amy Jarvis, wife, married, female, 71 [1819/20], b. Willian, Hertfordshire

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

   d. Amy JARVIS, June Quarter 1895, Hitchin Registration District, Volume 3a, page 265, aged 75 [1819/20]

9. ↑ Burials register, in Church of England. Offley Parish Registers, 1653-1943. (Hertford: Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies).

   BURIALS in the Parish of Offley in the County of Hertford in the year One thousand eight hundred and ninety five
   No.	Name	Abode	When buried	Age	By whom the Ceremony was performed
   399	Amy Jarvis	Offley	Ap[ril] 6th 1896	75 y[ea]rs	C.R.W. Hardy, Vicar

10.   Luton Reporter, in United Kingdom. The British Newspaper Archive
    Page 5, 26 Feb 1887.

    CARTERS PILFERING COALS.-Two men names Joseph Cross and Henry Janes, carters, Luton, were brought up at Hitchin last week, charged with stealing a quantity of coals, value 1s., the property of their employer, Mr. H.P. Newland, coal merchant, Luton, of February 10. Defendants pleaded guilty.-Complainant said he sold some coals to Mr. Richard Marsh, farmer, of Offley, and the two defendants were sent with about a ton each in two carts. The coal now produced was hard steam coal, the same as was sold to Mr. Marsh, and it was worth about 3s.-Amy Jarvis, of Offley, said a man sold her a hundred-weight of coal, but she could not identify either of the defendants as the man. The police came and took the coal away, so that she lost her money and coal as well.-Emma Sharp, beerhouse keeper, Offley, said two men came into her house, and had a pint of beer. One of them took a piece of coal and put it on the fire. Next day they came again for half a pint of beer and told her there was a piece of coal lying on the road which she could have if she fetched it. She afterwards went and fetched it, and the day afterwards the police came and took it away.-Mr. Marsh, said he bought 24 tons of steam coal of Mr. Newland, and thought it was short in weight as they went so fast. It was being delivered during five weeks, and he spoke to Mr. Newland about it.-Cross said he was very sorry, but Mr. Newland had made him a rogue first, because he told him one day when he went out with the cart to bring him a load of leaf mould when he came back, and he did so. He had this time been a rogue for himself.-The defendants were sentenced to one month's imprisonment with hard labour.