Person:Ellen Sharp (7)

Ellen was born on 14th March 1874 in Caddington, the daughter of a bonnet sewer called Sarah Sharp. When Ellen was two her mother married a Thomas King, and Ellen subsequently took King as her surname for all her childhood appearances in the censuses. However, when she married it was as Ellen Sharp. Ellen appears in the 1881 and 1891 censuses living with her mother, stepfather and siblings at Aley Green, in the part of Caddington parish which at that time was in Hertfordshire. By 1891 she was working as a bonnet sewer.

Ellen's mother died in 1892.

On 1st June 1898, aged 24, Ellen married James Moss, a soldier who was also from Caddington. They married at the Register Office in the neighbouring town of Luton, where their two sons were born in 1898 and 1900. It appears that their marriage was not a happy one and they separated around 1899, whilst Ellen was pregnant with their second son. Ellen secured a maintenance order against James in December 1899, and on a couple of occasions during 1900 she had to go back to court to compel James to continue the payments. After their separation James appears to have briefly lived with one of his half-brothers in Luton before moving about ten miles south to St Albans.

At the time of their separation, Ellen was living at 202 Wellington Street in Luton. She continued living there for the rest of her life. The 1901 census finds her living there with her stepfather, siblings and children. Her stepfather died in 1910. The 1911 census finds Ellen living there with her two sons and three of her siblings. In both these censuses she was working as a straw hat machinist.

At the outbreak of the Second World War, Ellen was living with two of her sisters at 202 Wellington Street, still working as a straw hat machinist.

Ellen died on 8th June 1945, aged 71. Her estranged husband outlived her. She left a will, and her elder son secured the grant of probate.

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

   b. Ellen SHARP, June Quarter 1874, Luton Registration District, Volume 3b, page 439, mother's maiden name blank

2. ↑ Church of England. Caddington Parish Registers. (Bedford: Bedfordshire Record Office).

   BAPTISMS solemnized in the Parish of Caddington in the County of Bedford in the Year 1874
   No.	When Baptized	Child's Christian Name	Parent's Name		Abode	Quality, Trade, or Profession	By whom the Ceremony was performed
   			Christian	Surname
   1504	July 5	Ellen	Sarah	Sharp	Caddington	-	Tho[ma]s Prescott, Vicar

3. ↑ ^3.0 3.1 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 1653; Folio 137; Page 6, 3 Apr 1881.

   Address: Aley Green, Caddington, Hertfordshire
   Thomas King, head, married, male, 42 [1838/9], Ag[ricutural] lab[ourer] (ploughman), b. Caddington, Hertfordshire
   Sarah King, wife, married, female, 35 [1845/6], Bonnet sewer, b. Caddington, Hertfordshire
   Matilda King, daughter, female, 17 [1863/4], Machinist sewer, b. Caddington, Hertfordshire
   Ellen King, daughter, female, 7 [1873/4], Scholar, b. Caddington, Hertfordshire
   Bethia King, daughter, female, 4 [1876/7], b. Caddington, Hertfordshire
   Thomas King, son, male, 2 [1878/9], b. Caddington, Hertfordshire
   Susan King, daughter, female, 4m [1880/1], b. Caddington, Hertfordshire

4. ↑ 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 1275; Folio 133; Page 5, 5 Apr 1891.

   Address: Aley Green, Caddington, Hertfordshire
   3 rooms occupied
   Thomas King, head, married, male, 52 [1838/9], Agricultural laborer, Caddington, Hertfordshire
   Sarah King, wife, married, female, 40 [1850/1], Bonnet sewer, b. Caddington, Hertfordshire
   Ellen King, daughter, single, female, 17 [1873/4], Bonnet sewer, b. Caddington, Hertfordshire
   Thomas King, son, male, 12 [1878/9], b. Caddington, Hertfordshire
   Susan King, daughter, female, 10 [1880/1], Scholar, b. Caddington, Hertfordshire
   Rose King, daughter, female, 9 [1881/2], Scholar, b. Caddington, Hertfordshire
   Annie King, daughter, female, 5 [1885/6], b. Caddington, Hertfordshire
   Lillie King, daughter, female, 3 [1887/8], b. Caddington, Hertfordshire

5. ↑ 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 1514; Folio 148; Page 14, 31 Mar 1901.

   Address: 202 Wellington Street, Luton, Bedfordshire
   5 or more rooms occupied
   Thomas King, head, widower, male, 64 [1836/7], Horse keeper, b. Aley Green, Hertfordshire
   Susan King, daughter, single, female, 19 [1881/2], Straw hat finisher, b. Aley Green, Hertfordshire
   Thomas King, son, single, male, 22 [1878/9], Lining runner, b. Aley Green, Hertfordshire
   Annie King, daughter, single, female, 16 [1884/5], Straw hat finisher, b. Aley Green, Hertfordshire
   Lily King, daughter, single, female, 13 [1887/8], Straw hat finisher, b. Aley Green, Hertfordshire
   Ellen Moss, daughter, married, female, 27 [1873/4], Straw hat machinist, b. Caddington, Bedfordshire
   Thomas Moss, son, single, male, 2 [1898/9], b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Fred[eric]k Moss, son, single, male, 10m [1900], b. Luton, Bedfordshire

6. ↑ 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 9013; Schedule 300, 2 Apr 1911.

   Address: 202 Wellington Street, Luton, Bedfordshire
   5 rooms occupied
   Mrs Ellen Moss, head, female, 38 [1872/3], married 12 years, 2 children born to marriage, 2 children still living, Machinist of Straw Hats, worker, b. Caddington Parish, Bedfordshire
   Thomas James Moss, son, male, 12 [1898/9], School, Bootmakers Errand Boy, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Fredrick Herald Moss, son, male, 10 [1900/1], School, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Thomas King, brother, male, 32 [1878/9], single, Net Lining Runner - Straw Hats, worker, b. Aley Green, Hertfordshire
   Annie King, sister, female, 26 [1884/5], single, Finisher of Straw Hats, worker, b. Aley Green, Hertfordshire
   Lily King, sister, female, 23 [1887/8], single, Finisher of Straw Hats, worker, b. Aley Green, Hertfordshire

7. ↑ ^7.0 7.1 General Register Office. 1939 Register
   Luton Municipal Borough, 29 Sep 1939.

   Address: 202 Wellington Street, Luton, Bedfordshire
   Moss, Ellen / female / b. 14 Mar 1874 / married / Straw Hat Machinist
   King, Annie / female / b. 8 Oct 1885 / single / Unpaid domestic duties
   Dass, Lily / female / b. 14 Jul 1887 / married / Incapacitated Lifelong

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

   d. Ellen MOSS, June Quarter 1945, Luton Registration District, Volume 3b, page 422, aged 71 [1873/4]

9. ↑ England. National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations),1858 onwards. (Ancestry.com).

   1945
   MOSS Ellen of 202 Wellington-street Luton Bedfordshire (wife of James Moss) died 8 June 1945 Probate Llandudno 18 June to Thomas James Moss brass finisher.
   Effects £145 18s. 11d.

10.   Luton Times and Advertiser, in United Kingdom. The British Newspaper Archive
    Page 6, 8 Dec 1899.

    MAINTENANCE.
    Ellen Moss, 202 Wellington street, applied for a maintenance order under the Married Women's Act 1895, against her husband, JAMES MOSS, 41 Park street.
    Mr. Lathom appeared for Mrs. Moss.
    Defendant made an offer of 5s. per week, and an order for that amount was made, the mother to have the custody of the child.

11.   Luton Times and Advertiser, in United Kingdom. The British Newspaper Archive
    Page 3, 2 Feb 1900.

    WIFE MAINTENANCE.
    JAMES MOSS, 46, Langley-road, was summoned for non-payment of arrears amounting to £2 2s. 6d. and costs made under a maintenance order.
    Mrs. Moss said that the order was made of Dec. 6th, but she had only received 4s. from him.
    Defendant, who said he was out of a job, was directed to pay 5s. a week, and an additional 1s. weekly until the arrears were paid off.
    Defendant: I can't afford to pay it.

12.   Luton Times and Advertiser, in United Kingdom. The British Newspaper Archive
    Page 6, 12 Oct 1900.

    MAINTENANCE ARREARS.
    JAMES MOSS, of St. Albans, was summoned by his wife Ellen, of 202, Wellington-street, for £2 16s. 6d., being the arrears on an order dated 16th December, 1899.
    Detective Smith deposed to arresting Moss.
    Ellen Moss, the wife, said he could well afford to pay 5s. per week. He earned 30s. per week.
    Defendant said he could not pay that amount, and suggested 2s. per week. He said the last time he came out of gaol his wife promised to let him off with 3s. per week.
    The wife admitted this, but said her husband had not even fulfilled that.
    After some advice from the Chairman, the defendant agreed to pay 4s. down and regularly pay 5s. per week, with 2s. added to pay off the arrears.