Person:Mary Best (39)

Mary Ann Best's origins have yet to be confirmed. She claimed in the censuses to have been born around 1783 in the parish of St Sidwells in Exeter, the county town of Devon. However, her first confirmed sighting is her marriage in 1803, which took place at Hatfield in Hertfordshire, nearly 200 miles from Exeter. It is not clear why or when Mary moved from Exeter to Hatfield, or whether she came alone or with her parents. It is perhaps worth noting that one of the witnesses to the marriage, Grace Strode, had her own marriage witnessed by Lord Salisbury, who owned Hatfield House.

Mary's husband was Thomas Moles, an agricultural labourer originally from Stotfold in Bedfordshire, 20 miles north of Hatfield. Straight after their marriage they moved to Stotfold, where their first child was baptised in 1804. However, they did not stay long in Stotfold, but settled at Willian, five miles south of Stotfold, where their other nine children were baptised between 1807 and 1829. By the time Mary's youngest child was born, her eldest son had already married and had his first child - Mary had become a grandmother in 1828.

In the 1841 census, Mary was living in Willian with her husband and two youngest children, and next door to her eldest son and his family. Mary's daughter Mary Ann died as a young woman of 29 in 1846.

Mary and Thomas were still living in Willian in 1851, and she described as a 'letter woman' - possibly something to do with working for the post office. Mary's daughter Sarah died in 1852, aged 45.

Thomas died in 1853, aged 72. After his death, Mary moved to Offley, the other side of the market town of Hitchin. Two of her daughters had moved there, although the family Mary was living with in Offley in the 1861 census do not appear to be relatives.

Mary died on 7th November 1861 at Offley. She was said to be 77 years old. She had lived to see 53 grandchildren born in her lifetime, although some of them had died young. Mary was buried back at Willian, where she had spent most of her life.

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 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

2. ↑ ^2.0 2.1 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 8, 30 Mar 1851.

   Address: Village, Willian, Hertfordshire
   Tho[ma]s Moles, head, married, male, 69 [1781/2], Ag[ricultural] Lab[oure]r, b. Stotfold, Bedfordshire
   Mary Ann Moles, wife, married, female, 67 [1783/4], Letter Woman, b. St Sidwells Exeter, Devon

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 821; Folio 21; Page 8, 7 Apr 1861.

   Address: Luton Road, Offley, Hertfordshire
   James Hanscombe, head, married, male, 42 [1818/19], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], b. Pirton, Hertfordshire
   Elizabeth Hanscombe, wife, married, female, 38 [18223], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer] Wife, b. Offley, Hertfordshire
   Eliza Hanscombe, daughter, unmarried, female, 21 [1839/40], Ag[ricultual] Lab[ourer] Dau[ghter], b. Offley, Hertfordshire
   Lucy Hanscombe, daughter, unmarried, female, 9 [1851/2], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer] Dau[ghter], b. Offley, Hertfordshire
   Mary Moles, lodger, widow, female, 78 [1782/3], Labourer's Widow, b. Exeter, Devon

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

   Registration District Hitchin
   1861 DEATH in the Sub-District of Hitchin in the Counties of Hertford and Bedford
   No.	When and where died	Name and surname	Sex	Age	Occupation	Cause of death	Signature, description and residence of informant	When registered	Signature of registrar
   234	Seventh November 1861 Offley	Mary Ann Moules	Female	77 years	Widow of Thomas Moules a Farm Labourer	Old age Asthma Certified	X The mark of Sarah Bottoms Present at the death Offley	Eighth November 1861	William French, Registrar

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

   No. 272
   When buried: 10 Nov 1861
   Name: Mary Ann Moles
   Age: 77 [1783/4]
   Abode: formerly of Willian residing at Offley