Person:Ellen Smith (68)

Ellen Smith was born in 1851 in Luton, daughter of a straw plaiter and charwoman named Mary Ann Smith, formerly Cain, and her husband William Smith, a labourer. She appears in the 1851 and 1861 censuses living with her parents and siblings in Luton, being described in 1861 as a bonnet sewer, working in Luton's hat-making industry.

In 1869, aged eighteen, Ellen had a daughter, called Emily. The 1871 census finds Ellen and Emily living on John Street in Luton with another young woman and her baby daughter.

Shortly after the 1871 census Ellen married a hat blocker called Frederick Pakes, who was a few months younger than her. Between 1872 and 1881 Ellen and Frederick went on to have a further twelve children together, although one died at the age of two. Ellen's mother died in 1878.

The 1881 census finds Ellen and Frederick and their children living at 25 John Street in Luton, with Ellen working as a straw sewer and Frederick working as a blocker.

Frederick died in 1890, aged 38. Ellen appears in the 1891 census living at 34 Dudley Street with her children, working as a straw hat sewer.

Ellen died in 1894, aged about 43.

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

   b. Ellen SMITH, March Quarter 1851, Luton Registration District, Volume 6, page 138, mother's maiden name Cain

2. ↑ 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 1757; Folio 748; Page 17, 30 Mar 1851.

   Address: New Town (Bailey Field), Luton, Bedfordshire
   William Smith, head, married, male, 27 [1823/4], Farm Labourer, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Mary Ann Smith, wife, married, female, 25 [1825/6], Straw Plaiter, b. Whitewell, Hertfordshire
   Mary Ann Smith, daughter, female, 7 [1843/4], At Home, b. Whitewell, Hertfordshire
   Sarah Smith, daughter, female, 3 [1847/8], At Home, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Ellen Smith, daughter, female, 1mo [1851], b. Luton, Bedfordshire

3. ↑ England. Births and Christenings, 1538-1975. (FamilySearch, Ancestry.com, Findmypast).

   ch. 7 Feb 1858, St Mary, Luton, Bedfordshire: Ellen daughter of William & Mary Smith (baptised on same date as several siblings)

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 1014; Folio 50; Page 19, 7 Apr 1861.

   Address: Park Lane, Luton, Bedfordshire
   William Smith, head, married, male, 40 [1820/1], Farmer's Labou[re]r, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Mary A. Smith, wife, married, female, 35 [1825/6], Char-woman, b. Whitwell, Hertfordshire
   Sarah Smith, daughter, unmarried, female, 14 [1846/7], Bonnet Sewer, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Ellen Smith, daughter, unmarried, female, 11 [1849/50], Bonnet Sewer, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   James Smith, son, unmarried, male, 7 [1853/4], Scholar, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Esther Smith, daughter, unmarried, female, 5 [1855/6], Scholar, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   William Smith, son, unmarried, male, 2 [1858/9], b. Luton, Bedfordshire

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 1571; Folio 56; Page 16, 2 Apr 1871.

   Address: 8 John Street, Luton, Bedfordshire
   Maria Peck, head, unmarried, female, 21 [1849/50], Hat & Bonnet Sewer, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Lizzie Peck, daughter, female, 8mo [1870], b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Emily Smith, boarder, unmarried, female, 21 [1849/50], Hat & Bonnet Sewer, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Emily Smith, boarder, unmarried, female, 1 [1869/70], b. Luton, Bedfordshire

   Although her name is given here as Emily rather than Ellen, the fact that she is living with a one year old daughter Emily, who appears in the 1881 census as Emily Pakes, suggests that this is actually Ellen. Moreover she is living in the same street that she would later live in with Frederick Pakes, and no sign of her listed as Ellen in this census has been found.

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 1650; Folio 113; Page 14, 3 Apr 1881.

   Address: 25 John Street, Luton, Bedfordshire
   Frederick Pakes, head, married, male, 31 [1849/50], Blocker, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Ellen Pakes, wife, married, female, 30 [1850/1], Straw Sewer, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Emily Pakes, daughter, female, 11 [1869/70], Scholar, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Frederick Pakes, son, male, 9 [1871/2], Scholar, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   George Pakes, son, male, 8 [1872/3], Scholar, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Rose Pakes, daughter, female, 7 [1873/4], Scholar, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Harry Pakes, son, male, 5 [1875/6], Scholar, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Thomas Pakes, son, male, 3 [1877/8], Scholar, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Kate Pakes, daughter, female, 2 [1878/9], b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Arthur Pakes, son, male, 8mo [1880], b. Luton, Bedfordshire

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 1271; Folio 160; Page 8, 5 Apr 1891.

   Address: 34 Dudley Street, Luton, Bedfordshire
   Ellen Pakes, head, widow, female, 40 [1850/1], Straw Hat Sewer, employed, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Frederick Pakes, son, single, male, 19 [1871/2], Straw Hat Blocker, employed, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   George Pakes, son, single, male, 18 [1872/3], Straw Hat Packer, employed, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Rose Pakes, daughter, single, female, 17 [1873/4], Straw Hat Finisher, employed, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Thomas Pakes, son, male, 14 [1876/7], Errand Boy, employed, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Kate Pakes, daughter, female, 13 [1877/8], Straw Hat Finisher, employed, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Arthur Pakes, son, male, 10 [1880/1], Scholar, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Annie Pakes, daughter, female, 8 [1882/3], Scholar, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Charles Pakes, son, male, 6 [1884/5], Scholar, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Bert Pakes, son, male, 4 [1886/7], Scholar, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Sidney Pakes, son, male, 2 [1888/9], b. Luton, Bedfordshire

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

   d. Ellen PAKES, March Quarter 1894, Luton Registration District, Volume 3b, page 325, aged 45 [1848/9]