Person:Eliza Moles (2)

Eliza Moles was baptised on 26th May 1833 at Willian in Hertfordshire, daughter of a straw plaiter named Hannah Moles, formerly Pratt, and her husband William Moles, an agricultural labourer. Eliza appears in the 1841 census living at Willian with her parents and siblings, and next door to her paternal grandparents. In the 1851 census she was still living with her parents and siblings in Willian, and working as a straw plaiter.

On 6th January 1855, aged 21, Eliza married a labourer named William Ellis. He was from the parish of Little Wymondley, a short way south of Willian. They married at Willian, but then moved to Graveley, another local parish, where their only child, George, was baptised exactly a year after their marriage. Shortly after George's baptism, William died, aged 27, leaving Eliza a widow at the age of 22, with a young baby to look after. In 1857, Eliza's mother also died.

By 1861, Eliza and her son George were living with her sisters and their recently widowed father in Willian. By 1871 Eliza's sisters had all left home, leaving just Eliza, George and her father William. In 1867 a new landlord, Charles Frederick Hancock, had bought the village and rebuilt many of its cottages.^[10] It is also from about this time that the names and numbers are recorded for the cottages. The 1871 census finds Eliza, George and William living at 32 Terrace Cottages, which stood on the south-east side of Church Road facing towards All Saints' Church. Terrace Cottages were rebuilt in the 1930s which suggests that perhaps they were not built in the 1867 remodelling of the village, but were older cottages.

In 1876 Eliza's 72 year old father was convicted of indecently assaulting a ten year old girl in the paddock behind their cottage. At his trial, Eliza was reported as having said "Father, I shan't be here when you come back, bringing this disgrace upon the family." He was sentenced to six months' imprisonment. It is not clear whether Eliza did take him back after his release from jail. He died in the Hitchin Union Workhouse in 1879.

The 1881 census finds Eliza still living at 32 Terrace Cottages, but now living alone. In 1891 Eliza was still the occupier of 32 Terrace Cottages, but she spent census night visiting one of her neighbours at 35 Terrace Cottages.

Some time between 1891 and 1897 Eliza left Willian and moved a few miles west to Offley. It is not clear why she did this, as her only son had moved north to Bedfordshire. Eliza died in 1897, aged 64. She died at the age of 64 and was buried at Offley on 20th September 1897.

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

   No. 202
   When baptised: 26 May 1833
   Name: Eliza
   Parents: William & Hannah
   Surname: Mole
   Abode: Willian
   Father's occupation: Laborer

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 437; Book 11; Folio 4; Page 1, 6 Jun 1841.

   Address: Willian, Hertfordshire
   Thomas Moles, male, 60 [1776-81], Lab[ourer], not born in county
   Thomas Moles jun[io]r, male, 13 [1827/8], Lab[ourer], born in county
   Mary Ann Moles, female, 59 [1781/2], not born in county
   Eliza Moles, female, 15 [1821-6], born in county
   ~ next house ~
   W[illia]m Moles, male, 35 [1801-6], Lab[ourer], not born in county
   George Moles, male, 10 [1830/1], Lab[ourer], born in county
   Eliza Moles, female, 8 [1832/3], born in county
   Thomas Moles, male, 3 [1837/8], born in county
   Hanah Moles, female, 35 [1801-6], born in county
   Maria Moles, female, 13 [1827/8], born in county
   W[illia]m Pratt, male, 20 [1816-21], 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 1709; Folio 137; Page 7, 30 Mar 1851.

   Address: Village, Willian, Hertfordshire
   William Moles, head, married, male, 47 [1803/4], Ag[ricultural] Lab[oure]r, b. Stotfold, Bedfordshire
   Hanah Moles, wife, married, female, 46 [1804/5], Platting, b. Willian, Hertfordshire
   Elizar Moles, daughter, unmarried, female, 18 [1832/3], Platting, b. Willian, Hertfordshire
   Betsy Moles, daughter, unmarried, female, 9 [1841/2], Platting, b. Willian, Hertfordshire
   Hannah Moles, daughter, female, 2 [1848/9], b. Willian, Hertfordshire
   Thomas Moles, son, unmarried, male, 12 [1838/9], b. Willian, 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 816; Folio 83; Page 3, 7 Apr 1861.

   Address: Cott[age], Willian, Hertfordshire
   William Moles, head, widower, male, 56 [1804/5], Farmers Laborer, b. Stotfold, Bedfordshire
   Elizer Ellis, daughter, widower, female, 28 [1832/3], Straw Platter, b. Willian, Hertfordshire
   Betsey Moles, daughter, unmarried, female, 18 [1842/3], Straw Platter, b. Willian, Hertfordshire
   Hannah Moles, daughter, female, 12 [1848/9], Scholar, b. Willian, Hertfordshire
   George Ellis, grandson, male, 5 [1855/6], Scholar, b. Graveley, 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 1365; Folio 20; Page 18, 2 Apr 1871.

   Address: No. 32 Terrace, Willian, Hertfordshire
   William Mole, head, widower, male, 67 [1803/4], Lab[ourer], b. Stotfold, Bedfordshire
   Eliza Ellis, daughter, widow, female, 38 [1832/3], Plaiter, b. Willian, Hertfordshire
   George Ellis, grandson, unmarried, male, 15 [1855/6], Lab[ourer], b. Graveley, 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 1416; Folio 119; Page 14, 3 Apr 1881.

   Address: Terrace Cottage 32, Willian, Hertfordshire
   Eliza Ellis, head, widow, female, 47 [1833/4], Straw Plaiter, b. Willian, 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 1105; Folio 102; Page 9, 5 Apr 1891.

   Address: 35 Terrace Cottage, Willian, Hertfordshire
   Sarah Ann Wheeler, head, widow, female, 72 [1818/19], Living on her means, b. Somersham, Huntingdonshire
   Elizabeth Ellis, visitor, widow, female, 54 [1836/7], occupier of No. 35 [sic] Terrace (own means), b. Willian, Hertfordshire

   32 Terrace Cottage has a note saying "Sleeping at No. 38 [sic] on the 5th April 1891".

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

   d. Eliza ELLIS, September Quarter 1897, Hitchin Registration District, Volume 3a, page 354, aged 62 [1834/5]

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 seven
   No. 429
   Name: Eliza Ellis
   Abode: Offley
   When buried: Sept[embe]r 20 1897
   Age: 62 y[ea]rs [1834/5]
   By whom the Ceremony was performed: C.R.W. Hardy, Vicar

10. ↑ Letchworth: The First Garden City, Mervyn Miller, Phillimore, Chichester, 1989 (2nd ed. 2002) p.32