Person:Elizabeth Silso (1)

Elizabeth Silso claimed to have been born around 1774 at St Ippolyts in Hertfordshire. No baptism has been found for her there, although there had been a couple called Edward Silsoe and Sarah Chandler who had married there in 1769, and the family later appears in some non-conformist registers, suggesting they may not have had their children baptised as infants.

In 1793 Elizabeth appears to have fallen foul of the Poor Laws, being removed from St Ippolyts to the neighbouring parish of Hitchin.

On 15th February 1798, Elizabeth married John Primet at Great Wymondley, just east of both St Ippolyts and Hitchin. They went on to have a son early in 1799, also called John. However, both Elizabeth's husband and son died shortly afterwards, being buried at Great Wymondley in January and March of 1799.

On 21st January 1801, Elizabeth married again. Her second husband was a labourer called Thomas Hull. They married at Great Wymondley, but then moved to St Ippolyts. Between 1801 and 1818 they had seven children, who were all baptised at the Back Street Independent chapel in Hitchin, although the family's abode was always given as either St Ippolyts or more specifically as the hamlet of Gosmore in that parish.

Thomas appears to have died some time before 1837; when their daughter Hannah married in 1837 there was a note saying "no father living" on the marriage register. The Back Street Independent chapel did have its own burial ground, but there is a note at the start of the register of burials acknowledging that not all burials had been recorded, and the register has many blank pages between entries. Perhaps Thomas's burial was one of those omitted.

The 1841 census finds Elizabeth working as a nurse in Hitchin living with a couple with a baby. In 1851 Elizabeth was living at Windmill Cottage in Hitchin with her daughter Ann and Ann's husband and children.

Elizabeth later moved to Cheshunt, where her son William and daughter Jane had already moved (both had been living there by 1851). Elizabeth died on 29th June 1858 at Park Lane in the Flamstead End area of Cheshunt. She was said to be 83 years old.

1.   Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies. Hertfordshire Names Online.

   Name: Elizabeth Silsoe
   Date: 11 Sep 1793
   Removal from Ippollitts to Hitchin
   Ref: D/P53/13/4

   Needs to be confirmed at Hertfordshire Archives for details.

2. ↑ ^2.0 2.1 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 3; Folio 42; Page 7, 6 Jun 1841.

   Address: Hitchin New Town, Hitchin, Hertfordshire
   W[illia]m Fells, male, 25 [1811-16], Nursery Man, born in county
   Ann Fells, female, 20 [1816-21], born in county
   Infant N.K., female, 5 months [1840/1], born in county
   Eliz[abe]th Hull, female, 65 [1771-6], Nurse, 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 163; Page 19, 30 Mar 1851.

   Address: Windmill Cottage, Hitchin, Hertfordshire
   Benjamin Stratton, head, married, male, 42 [1808/9], Journeyman Bricklayer, b. Hitchin, Hertfordshire
   Ann Stratton, wife, married, female, 41 [1809/10], Plaiter, b. Ippollitts, Hertfordshire
   Ann Stratton, daughter, female, 14 [1836/7], Plaiter, b. Hitchin, Hertfordshire
   William Stratton, son, male, 13 [1837/8], Plaiter, b. Hitchin, Hertfordshire
   Rebecca Stratton, daughter, female, 9 [1841/2], Plaiter, b. Hitchin, Hertfordshire
   John Stratton, son, male, 6 [1844/5], Plaiter, b. Hitchin, Hertfordshire
   Thomas Stratton, son, male, 3 [1847/8], b. Hitchin, Hertfordshire
   Lizzy Stratton, daughter, female, 8mo [1850], b. Hitchin, Hertfordshire
   Elizabeth Hull, mother in law, widow, female, 76 [1774/5], (Pauper) Nurse, b. Ippollitts, Hertfordshire

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

   d. Elizabeth HULL, June Quarter 1858, Edmonton Registration District, Volume 3a, page 105, aged 83 [1774/5]

5. ↑ ^5.0 5.1 Cheshunt Cemetery, in Deceased Online - The central database for UK burials and cremations.

   REGISTER INTERMENTS in the Burial Groud of the Parish of CHESHUNT, in the County of HERTFORD
   No. 262
   Name of Person interred: Elizabeth Hull
   Quality, Profession, or Calling: Widow of Thomas Hull, Laborer
   Age: 83 [1774/5]
   Date of Death: 1858 June 29
   Ordinary Abode of Deceased: Park Lane, Flamstead End, Cheshunt
   Parish or Place where Death occurred: Park Lane, Flamstead End, Cheshunt
   Date of Interment: 1858 July 2d
   Grave space: 43M
   Name of Clergyman or Minister: Revd. A. Brown, Curate