Person:George Moles (2)

George Moles was baptised on 22nd May 1831 at Willian in Hertfordshire, son of a straw plaiter named Hannah Moles, formerly Pratt, and her husband William Moles, an agricultural labourer.

George appears in the 1841 census living at Willian with his parents and siblings, and next door to his paternal grandparents. In 1852, George borrowed some money from his aunt, Elizabeth King (his father's sister). When she asked for her money back, George refused to pay it and became violent, swearing at her and hitting her in the face. George was fined £2 for the assault.

George was married on 25th April 1857, aged 26 to Emma Rook, a straw plaiter originally from Biggleswade in Bedfordshire, a few miles north of Willian. George's mother died less than three months later.

For the first few years of their marriage George and Emma lived in Willian. They went on to have thirteen children together between 1857 and 1883, although four died young, including two, Sarah and Susan, who were buried within four days of each other having both died of scarlet fever in 1864. The 1861 census finds the family living in Willian, with George working as a shepherd. Around 1871 the family briefly lived in the hamlet of Jacks Hill in the neighbouring parish of Graveley, before settling in the local market town of Baldock in the early 1870s.

George's father died at the Hitchin Union Workhouse in 1879.

The 1881 census finds the George and Emma living at Bygrave Lane in Baldock, whilst in 1891 they were in the adjoining street of Norton End.^[11]

Emma died in 1893, aged 55, and was buried back at Willian.

The 1901 census finds George living with some of his children and grandchildren at Norton End in Baldock. George outlived Emma by eleven years, and by the end of his life was living in Hitchin Union Workhouse. He died in 1904, aged 72, and was buried at Willian on 29th February 1904.

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

   BAPTISMS solemnized in the Parish of Willian in the County of Hertford in the Year 1831
   No.	When Baptized	Child's Christian Name	Parents' Name		Abode	Quality, Trade, or Profession	By whom the Ceremony was performed
   			Christian	Surname
   181	May 22	George	William & Hannah	Mole	Willian	Laborer	W.W. Pym, Vicar

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. 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 82; Page 4, 7 Apr 1861.

   Address: Cott[age], Willian, Hertfordshire [listed immediately before Willian Rectory]
   George Moles, head, married, male, 30 [1830/1], Farmers Shepherd, b. Willian, Hertfordshire
   Emma Moles, wife, married, female, 24 [1836/7], Wife of Farmers Shepherd, b. Biggleswade, Bedfordshire
   Eliza Moles, daughter, female, 3 [1857/8], Dau[ghter] of Farmers Shepherd, b. Willian, Hertfordshire
   Sarah Moles, daughter, female, 2 [1858/9], Dau[ghter] of Farmers Shepherd, b. Biggleswade, Bedfordshire
   Susan Moles, daughter, female, 6 months [1860], Dau[ghter] of Farmers Shepherd, b. Willian, Hertfordshire

4. ↑ 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 1364; Folio 100; Page 22, 2 Apr 1871.

   Address: Jacks Hill, Graveley, Hertfordshire
   George Moules, head, married, male, 40 [1830/1], Ag[ricultural] Lab[oure]r, b. Willian, Hertfordshire
   Emma Moules, wife, married, female, 34 [1836/7], Ag[ricultural] Lab[oure]r Wife, b. Biggleswade, Bedfordshire
   Eliza Moules, daughter, female, 13 [1857/8], Plaiter, b. Willian, Hertfordshire
   Anne Moules, daughter, female, 8 [1862/3], Scholar, b. Willian, Hertfordshire
   Fanny Moules, daughter, female, 7 [1863/4], Scholar, b. Willian, Hertfordshire
   William Moules, son, male, 4 [1866/7], b. Willian, Hertfordshire
   Emma Moules, daughter, female, 2 [1868/9], b. Willian, Hertfordshire

5. ↑ 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 61; Page 7, 3 Apr 1881.

   Address: Bygrave Lane, Bygrave Parish, Baldock Urban Sanitary District, Hertfordshire
   George Moles, head, married, male, 49 [1831/2], Labourer, b. Willian, Hertfordshire
   Emma Moles, wife, married, female, 43 [1837/8], Straw Plaiter, b. Biggleswade, Bedfordshire
   Eliza Moles, daughter, unmarried, female, 23 [1857/8], Straw Plaiter, b. Willian, Hertfordshire
   Fanny Moles, daughter, unmarried, female, 17 [1863/4], Servant, b. Willian, Hertfordshire
   William Moles, son, unmarried, male, 14 [1866/7], Labourer, b. Willian, Hertfordshire
   Emma Moles, daughter, unmarried, female, 12 [1868/9], Straw Plaiter, b. Willian, Hertfordshire
   George Moles, son, unmarried, male, 9 [1871/2], Scholar, b. Graveley, Hertfordshire
   Charles Moles, son, unmarried, male, 6 [1874/5], Scholar, b. Willian, Hertfordshire
   George Moles, grandson, unmarried, male, 2 [1878/9], b. Baldock, Hertfordshire
   Ernest Moles, son, unmarried, 2 months [1881], b. Bygrave, Hertfordshire

6. ↑ 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 113; Page 13, 5 Apr 1891.

   Address: Norton End, Norton Parish, Baldock Urban Sanitary District, Hertfordshire
   4 rooms occupied
   George Moles, head, married, male, 60 [1830/1], Agricultural Laborer, employed, b. Willian, Hertfordshire
   Emma Moles, wife, married, female, 54 [1836/7], Plaiting Straw, neither employer nor employed, b. Biggleswade, Bedfordshire
   George Moles, son, male, 18 [1872/3], Agricultural Laborer, employed, b. Willian, Hertfordshire
   Charles Moles, son, male, 15 [1875/6], Agricultural Labourer, employed, b. Willian, Hertfordshire
   Earnest Fred[eric]k Moles, son, male, 10 [1880/1], Scholar, b. Baldock, Hertfordshire
   James Moles, son, male, 7 [1883/4], Scholar, b. Radwell, Hertfordshire

7. ↑ 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 1298; Folio 49; Page 26, 31 Mar 1901.

   Address: Norton End, Baldock, Hertfordshire
   4 rooms occupied
   Eliza Moules, head, single, female, 43 [1857/8], b. Willian, Hertfordshire
   Arthur Moules, son, single, male, 13 [1887/8], Labourer Farm, worker, b. Baldock, Hertfordshire
   John E. Moules, son, single, male, 4 [1896/7], b. Baldock, Hertfordshire
   George Moules, boarder, widower, male, 71 [1829/30], Labourer Farm, worker, b. Willian, Hertfordshire
   Fred Moules, boarder, single, male, 20 [1880/1], Labourer Farm, worker, b. Baldock, Hertfordshire
   Albert J. Moules, boarder, single, male, 17 [1883/4], Labourer Farm, worker, b. Radwell, Hertfordshire

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

   d. George MOULES, March Quarter 1904, Hitchin Registration District, Volume 3a, page 396, aged 76 [1827/8]

9. ↑ Burials register, in Church of England. Willian Parish Registers.

   No. 440
   When buried: 29 Feb 1904
   Name: George Moules
   Abode: Hitchin Workhouse
   Age: 74 [1829/30]

10.   Hertford Mercury and Reformer, in United Kingdom. The British Newspaper Archive
    Saturday 27 Nov 1852.

    PETTY SESSIONS, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23
    ASSAULT.-George Mole, of Willian, was charged with assaulting Elizabeth, the wife of John King, of the Three Horse Shoes. Complainant stated that, on Saturday, the 20th inst., at about half-past 10o'clock in the evening, George Mole was sitting in my house; he owed me some money, and I asked him for it; he told me he would not pay it; and I said I would see if I could not make him: he was very abusive, and swore at me, and I opened the door, and tried to put him out, and he got me to the threshold of the door and struck me in the face two violent blows, which knocked me down on the stones, and blackened both my eyes, and made my nose bleed very much; two men came and picked me up, and carried me into the house, and aid me upon a form, and bathed my face for half an hour before I came to myself, being stunned by blows.- After hearing collateral evidence, the BENCH fined the defendant 40s., including costs. In default, one month's imprisonment. A week was allowed for payment.

11. ↑ Bygrave Lane was still nominally within the parish of Bygrave, and Norton End in the parish of Norton, but both had been added to the Baldock Urban Sanitary District when its boundaries were enlarged in 1880, making these areas part of the town of Baldock for administrative purposes. The parish boundaries were changed to match the Urban Sanitary District boundary in 1894, when it became Baldock Urban District.