Person:Hannah Moles (2)

Hannah Ann Moles was baptised on 3rd September 1848 at Willian in Hertfordshire, daughter of a straw plaiter named Hannah Moles, formerly Pratt, and her husband William Moles, an agricultural labourer. She appears in the 1851 census living with her parents and siblings at Willian. Hannah's mother died in 1857, when Hannah was only eight years old.

Hannah became a straw plaiter, as her mother had also been. On 24th July 1866, when Hannah was 17, a bunch of straw plait made by her was sold in the nearby market town of Hitchin. When sold, the bunch was said to be 230 yards long. It was found to only measure 125 yards. She could have been prosecuted for the short selling but, Hannah having confessed her guilt to an inspector, the Straw Hat Manufacturer's Association chose instead to make a public spectacle of her. On the morning of Tuesday 18th September 1866, as soon as the plait market opened in Hitchin's Market Place, the town crier made an announcement setting out what Hannah had done, after which the deficient bunch of plait was publicly burned, generating considerable excitement. The spectacle was clearly designed to try and deter others from trying to sell short lengths of plait. Such a punishment was sufficiently unusual that it was reported not just in the local newspaper, but was repeated in other newspapers as far afield as Devon, 200 miles away.

By the time of the 1871 census, Hannah was no longer working as a straw plaiter. Instead she was a servant in the household of a farmer named Raymond Marsh at Great Wymondley, immediately south of Willian. Later that year, she married an agricultural labourer named Frederick Horton at Great Wymondley. Hannah and Frederick went on to have seven children between 1871 and 1884, although three died young. Hannah's father died in 1879.

The 1881 census finds Hannah and Frederick living with three children at Great Wymondley, and Hannah had resumed working as a straw plaiter. The family appears to have remained in Great Wymondley, appearing there in the 1891, 1901 and 1911 censuses. In 1911 Hannah reported that four of her children were still living. Two grandchildren were living with Hannah and Frederick in 1911.

Hannah died in 1928 aged 79. Frederick outlived her by nearly four years.

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

   b. Hannah Ann MOLE, September Quarter 1848, Hitchin Registration District, Volume 6, page 579, mother's maiden name Pratt

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

   No. 344
   When baptised: 3 Sep 1848
   Name: Hannah Ann
   Parents: William & Hannah
   Surname: Mole
   Abode: Willian
   Father's occupation: Labourer

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 1366; Folio 69; Page 7, 2 Apr 1871.

   Address: Manor Farm, Great Wymondley, Hertfordshire
   Raymond Marsh, head, married, male, 55 [1815/6], Farmer of 400 acres employing 29 men & 7 boys, b. Spraughton Ipswich, Suffolk
   Clarissa Marsh, wife, married, female, 47 [1823/4], Farmers Wife, b. London Lambeth, Surrey
   Horace James Marsh, son, male, 13 [1857/8], Scholar, b. Great Wymondley, Hertfordshire
   Ernest Raymond Marsh, son, male, 12 [1858/9], Scholar, b. Great Wymondley, Hertfordshire
   Ralph Hart Marsh, son, male, 8 [1862/3], Scholar, b. Great Wymondley, Hertfordshire
   Hannah Moules, servant, unmarried, female, 22 [1848/9], Domestic Servant, b. Willian, 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 1417; Folio 120; Page 2, 3 Apr 1881.

   Address: Great Wymondley, Hertfordshire
   Frederick Horton, head, married, male, 30 [1850/1], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], Wymondley, Hertfordshire
   Hannah Horton, wife, married, female, 32 [1848/9], Straw Plaiter, b. Willian, Hertfordshire
   William Horton, son, single, male, 7 [1873/4], Scholar, b. Great Wymondley, Hertfordshire
   Hannah Horton, daughter, female, 5 [1875/6], Scholar, b. Great Wymondley, Hertfordshire
   Frederick Horton, son, single, male, 3 [1877/8], b. Great Wymondley, 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 1106; Folio 55d; Page 3, 5 Apr 1891.

   Address: Village, Great Wymondley, Hertfordshire
   3 rooms occupied
   Fredrick Horton, head, married, male, 40 [1850/1], Agricultural Labourer Horse Keeper, employed, b. Great Wymondley, Hertfordshire
   Hannah Horton, wife, married, female, 42 [1848/9], b. Great Wymondley, Hertfordshire
   Hannah Horton, daughter, single, female, 15 [1875/6], b. Great Wymondley, Hertfordshire
   Fredrick Horton, son, male, 13 [1877/8], Agricultural Labourer, employed, b. Great Wymondley, Hertfordshire
   Fanny Horton, daughter, female, 9 [1881/2], b. Great Wymondley, Hertfordshire
   Florence Horton, daughter, female, 6 [1884/5], b. Great Wymondley, Hertfordshire

8. ↑ 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 1299; Folio 98; Page 7, 31 Mar 1901.

   Address: Great Wymondley, Hertfordshire
   Five or more rooms occupied
   Frederick Horton, head, married, male, 50 [1850/1], Stockman on Farm, worker, b. Great Wymondley, Hertfordshire
   Hannah Horton, wife, married, female, 52 [1848/9], b. Willian, Hertfordshire
   Frederick Horton, son, single, male, 23 [1877/8], Gardener, worker, b. Great Wymondley, Hertfordshire
   Florence Horton, daughter, single, female, 16 [1884/5], b. Great Wymondley, Hertfordshire

9. ↑ 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 7581; Schedule 119, 2 Apr 1911.

   Address: Great Wymondley, Stevenage, Hertfordshire
   Five rooms occupied
   Frederick Horton, head, male, 60 [1850/1], married, Farm Labourer (Herdsman), worker, b. Great Wymondley, Stevenage
   Hannah Horton, wife, female, 62 [1848/9], married 39 years, 7 children born alive, 4 children still living, b. Willian, Hitchin
   Emily Clarke, grandchild, female, 12 [1898/9], b. Great Wymondley, Stevenage
   William Horton, grandchild, male, 3 [1907/8], b. Great Wymondley, Stevenage

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

    d. Hannah HORTON, June Quarter 1928, Hitchin Registration District, Volume 3a, page 781, aged 79 [1948/9]

11.   North Devon Journal, in United Kingdom. The British Newspaper Archive
    Thursday 20 Sep 1866.

    SELLING PLAIT SHORT IN MEASURE.
    On Tuesday morning, as soon as the plait market opened, considerable excitement was created amongst its members assembled in the Market-square by the town crier giving out the following announcement:-"Notice is hereby given, that this bunch of plait was sold in the Hitchin market on the 24th July last, as measuring eleven scores and ten yards, whereas it was found to consist of two lengths of eight yards each, thirteen lengths of seven yards each, and three of six yards only, making together only six scores and five yards. This plait was made by Hannah Moles, daughter of William Moles, of Willian, near Hitchin, and she would have been prosecuted, for her dishonesty, but in consideration of her having confessed her guilt to the inspector, it is resolved that the plait be publicly burnt in the market, which will be done accordingly. By order of the committee of the Straw Hat Manufacturer's Association.-THOMAS ERSKINE AUSTIN, Secretary." The condemned bundle of plait, fastened to the end of a stick, was then held up to, and the terrible punishment, in the shape of a lighted match, applied. The frail mass, held at stick's length by the executioner, was rapidly consumed to ashes. Let us hope the example will be lasting; we are informed that short measure in the scores is a growing evil, reaching in some cases to a greater deficiency even than the lot thus publicly exposed.-Hertfordshire Express.