Person:Eliza Hoffman (2)

Eliza Hoffman was born on 13th March 1867 at Hitchin in Hertfordshire. She was the daughter of Ruth Hoffman, formerly Knight, and her husband John Hoffman, a general dealer who was from Germany. Eliza appears in the 1871 census living with her parents and siblings at 22 Hitchin Hill, the main road leading out of the town to the south. By 1881 Eliza's mother had died, and Eliza was living with her widowed father and two younger siblings at Hitchin Hill. She was working as a straw plaiter at this time.

On 11th September 1886, aged 21, Eliza married George Moles (or Moules), who was also from Hitchin. They went on to have four sons together between 1887 and 1893. The first two boys were born in Hitchin: Thomas George in 1887 and Jim in 1889. The family then left Hitchin and moved about thirty miles south to the New Southgate area in Middlesex, in the rapidly expanding outer suburbs of London.^[10] They appear in the 1891 census living at 86 Stanhope Road in New Southgate. George was working as a railway labourer. Their younger two sons were both born in the New Southgate area: Frederick in 1891 and Percy John in 1893.

The 1901 census finds the family living at 2 York Terrace on Palmers Green Road in Southgate, and by 1911 they had settled at 34 Palmers Road in New Southgate, which appears to have been their home for the rest of their lives. George was working as a general labourer in the building trade by this time.

Eliza's youngest son, Percy, was killed in action during the First World War. He died on 18th August 1916 at the Somme in France, aged 22. Eliza's son Jim also died as a young man - he died just after the war in 1919, aged thirty.

George died in 1929, aged 63.

Five years later, Eliza married again, at the age of 67. Her second husband was a John Richard Bird, and they continued to live at 34 Palmers Road, appearing there in the 1939 Register taken at the outbreak of the Second World War. Living with them at that time was Eliza's granddaughter Betty Moles, daughter of her son Frederick.

John Bird died in 1942. Eliza survived him by nearly ten years. She died aged 84 in 1952 in the Wood Green district, which included Southgate.

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

   b. Eliza HOFFMAN, March Quarter 1867, Hitchin Registration District, Volume 3a, page 305, mother's maiden name Knight

2. ↑ 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 Hertford in the year One thousand eight hundred and Sixty Seven
   No. 43
   When Baptized: 1867 April 24
   Child's Christian Name: Eliza
   Parents' Name - Christian: John & Ruth
   Surname: Hoffman
   Abode: Hitchin Hill
   Quality, Trade, or Profession: Lab[oure]r
   By whom the Ceremony was performed: J. Dennly

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 1368; Folio 79; Page 5, 2 Apr 1871.

   Address: 22 Hitchin Hill, Hitchin, Hertfordshire
   John Hoffman, head, married, male, 45 [1825/6], Dealer, b. Germany
   Ruth Hoffman, wife, married, female, 39 [1831/2], Dealers Wife, b. Hitchin, Hertfordshire
   Henry Hoffman, son, unmarried, male, 17 [1853/4], Dealers Son, b. Hitchin, Hertfordshire
   William Hoffman, son, male, 15 [1855/6], Labourer, b. Hitchin, Hertfordshire
   Elizabeth Hoffman, daughter, female, 13 [1857/8], Scholar, b. Hitchin, Hertfordshire
   Selina Hoffman, daughter, female, 11 [1859/60], Scholar, b. Hitchin, Hertfordshire
   Eliza Hoffman, daughter, female, 4 [1866/7], b. Hitchin, 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 1419; Folio 54; Page 4, 3 Apr 1881.

   Address: Hitchin Hill, Hitchin, Hertfordshire
   John Hoffman, head, widower, male, 57 [1823/4], Dealer in Marine Stores, b. Germany
   Eliza Hoffman, daughter, unmarried, female, 14 [1866/7], Straw Plaiter, b. Hitchin, Hertfordshire
   Frederick Hoffman, son, male, 7 [1873/4], Scholar, b. Hitchin, Hertfordshire
   Lucy Hoffman, daughter, female, 4 [1876/7], b. Hitchin, Hertfordshire

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 1058; Folio 73; Page 37, 5 Apr 1891.

   Address: 86 Stanhope Road, New Southgate, Friern Barnet, Middlesex
   3 rooms occupied
   George Moles, head, married, male, 25 [1865/6], Laborer Railway, employed, b. Hertford
   Lizzie Moles, wife, married, female, 24 [1866/7], b. Hertford
   Thomas Moles, son, male, 4 [1886/7], b. Hertford
   James Moles, son, male, 2 [1888/9], b. Hertford

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 1267, Folio 70; Page 28, 31 Mar 1901.

   Address: 2 York Terrace, Palmers Green Road, Southgate, Middlesex
   George Moles, head, married, male, 35 [1865/6], General Labourer, worker, b. Hitchin, Hertfordshire
   Eliza Moles, wife, married, female, 34 [1866/7], b. Hitchin, Hertfordshire
   Tom Moles, son, single, male, 14 [1886/7], b. Hitchin, Hertfordshire
   James Moles, son, single, male, 12 [1888/9], b. Hitchin, Hertfordshire
   Fred Moles, son, single, male, 9 [1891/2], b. New Southgate, Middlesex
   Percy Moles, son, single, male, 7 [1893/4], b. New Southgate, Middlesex
   Rose Taylor, niece, single, female, 19 [1881/2], Laundress, worker, b. Hitchin, Hertfordshire
   Alice Chapman, lodger, single, female, 20 [1880/1], Laundress, worker, b. New Southgate, Middlesex
   Sam Sharman, boarder, single, male, 20 [1880/1], General Labourer, worker, b. Finchley, Middlesex

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 7403; Schedule 38, 2 Apr 1911.

   Address: 34 Palmers Road, New Southgate, Southgate, Middlesex
   3 rooms occupied
   George Moules, head, male, 45 [1865/6], married, General Labourer - Builder, worker, b. Hitchin, Hertfordshire
   Eliza Moules, wife, female, 44 [1866/7], married 24 years, 4 children born to marriage, 4 children still living, b. Hitchin, Hertfordshire
   Thomas Moules, son, male, 24 [1886/7], single, Carman for Compactor - Builders, worker, b. Hitchin, Hertfordshire
   Fred Moules, son, male, 19 [1891/2], single, Painter's Labourer - Decorator, worker, b. New Southgate, Middlesex
   Percy Moules, son, male, 17 [1893/4], single, Junior Assistant at shop, worker, b. New Southgate, Middlesex
   James Greenstock, boarder, male, 50 [1860/1], single, Coal Porter - Coal merchant, worker, b. Redburn [sic], Hertfordshire

8. ↑ ^8.0 8.1 General Register Office. 1939 Register
   Southgate Municipal Borough, 29 Sep 1939.

   Address: 34 Palmers Road, Southgate, Middlesex
   Bird, John / male / 24 May 1869 / married / Retired General Labourer
   Bird, Eliza / female / 13 Mar 1867 / married / Unpaid Domestic Duties
   Moles [crossed out and replaced 'Bennett' - which in turn crossed out and replaced 'Walker'], Betty / female / 26 Nov 1926 / single / at School

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

   d. Eliza BIRD, March Quarter 1952, Wood Green Registration District, Volume 5f, page 459, aged 84 [1867/8]

10. ↑ New Southgate straddled the parishes of Friern Barnet and Edmonton when Eliza and George first moved there - they appear to have lived in the Friern Barnet part of New Southgate.