Person:Mary Hobbs (37)

Mary Ann Hobbs was baptised on 18th September 1825 at Flamstead in Hertfordshire, daughter of Martha Hobbs, formerly Kingham, and her husband Thomas Hobbs, a labourer. Mary appears in the 1841 census living at Little Wood End in Flamstead with her mother, siblings and a older man called John Kingham who was quite likely her grandfather.

On 29th September 1845, Mary married a man called Reuben Dean at Great Gaddesden, just west of Flamstead. They had a daughter called Eliza the following year, but she died as a baby. In 1847 they had a son called Thomas.

In late 1848 Reuben was arrested for stealing straw plait. It was not his first offence, and early in 1849 he was sentenced to be transportation for seven years. He was sent to Western Australia. He never returned to England.

After Reuben's departure, Mary moved in with a man called James Moss (or Musk). He was a widower whose first wife had died in 1849. Mary and James went on to have another eight children together between 1851 and 1869, although at least one died young. The 1851 census finds Mary, James and their children living at Pepsal End in Flamstead, with Mary working as a straw plaiter and James as an agricultural labourer.

Some time between 1853 and 1855 the family left Flamstead and moved to the nearby town of Luton. On 27th November 1860 Mary and James married at Luton, presumably relying on the convention that Mary could consider herself a widow as she had not had any contact with her previous husband for over seven years. As it happens, Reuben was still alive; he died in Western Australia in 1864, aged 49.

The 1861 and 1871 censuses each find Mary, James and their children living on Old Bedford Road in Luton, with Mary working as a hat sewer and James as a sawyer.

On 9th November 1876 Mary was admitted to the Three Counties Asylum at Stotfold in Bedfordshire. She spent the rest of her life there. Back in Luton, James continued to live on Old Bedford Road, appearing there in the 1881 census. He died in Luton in 1893, aged 73.

After nearly nineteen years in the asylum, Mary died on 19th June 1895, aged 69.

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

   ch. 18 Sep 1825, Flamstead, Hertfordshire: Marianne / Thomas & Mary / Hobbs

   Seems likely that an error made on mother's name - Thomas Hobbs and Martha Kingham had married at Flamstead in 1824.

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 441; Book 1; Folio 27; Page 4, 6 Jun 1841.

   Address: Little Wood End, Flamstead, Hertfordshire
   John Kingham, male, 65 [1771-6], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], born in county
   Martha Hobbs, female, 35 [1801-6], born in county
   Mary Ann Hobbs, female, 15 [1821-6], born in county
   Eliza Hobbs, female, 13 [1827/8], born in county
   David Hobbs, male, 10 [1830/1], born in county
   Hannah Hobbs, female, 6 [1834/5], born in county
   Daniel Hobbs, male, 3 [1837/8], born in county
   Thomas Hobbs, male, 6m [1840/1], born in county

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 1715; Folio 358; Page 4, 30 Mar 1851.

   Address: Pipsell End, Flamstead, Hertfordshire
   James Moss, head, widower, male, 30 [1820/1], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], b. Caddington, Hertfordshire
   Charles Moss, son, unmarried, male, 4 [1846/7], b. Flamstead, Hertfordshire
   Mary Deen, housekeeper, married, female, 25 [1825/6], Straw plaiter, b. Flamstead, Hertfordshire
   Thomas Deen, son, unmarried, male, 4 [1846/7], b. Gaddesden, Hertfordshire
   Hannah Deen, daughter, unmarried, female, 1mo [1851], b. Flamstead, 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 1014; Folio 25; Page 6, 7 Apr 1861.

   Address: Old Bedford Road, Luton, Bedfordshire
   James Moss, head, married, male, 37 [1823/4], Sawyer, b. Caddington, Bedfordshire
   Mary A. Moss, wife, married, female, 36 [1824/5], Hat Sewer, b. Markyate Street, Hertfordshire
   Charles Moss, son, unmarried, male, 14 [1846/7], Scholar, b. Great Gaddesden, Hertfordshire
   Thomas Dean, son in law, unmarried, male, 14 [1846/7], Scholar, b. Flamstead, Hertfordshire
   Hannah Moss, daughter, unmarried, female, 9 [1851/2], Scholar, b. Flamstead, Hertfordshire
   Louisa Moss, daughter, unmarried, female, 7 [1853/4], Scholar, b. Flamstead, Hertfordshire
   Eliza Moss, daughter, unmarried, female, 5 [1855/6], Scholar, 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 1573; Folio 53; Page 46, 2 Apr 1871.

   Address: 44 Old Bedford Road, Luton, Bedfordshire
   James Moss, head, married, male, 49 [1821/2], Sawyer, b. Gadston [sic], Hertfordshire
   Mary Moss, wife, married, female, 46 [1824/5], Hat sewer, b. Markyate Street, Hertfordshire
   Luisa Moss, daughter, unmarried, female, 18 [1852/3], Hat sewer, b. Hertford, Hertfordshire
   Eliza Moss, daughter, unmarried, female, 16 [1854/5], Hat sewer, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   James Moss, son, male, 10 [1860/1], Scholar, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Amy Moss, daughter, female, 1 [1869/70], b. Luton, Bedfordshire

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 1632; Folio 106; Page 22, 3 Apr 1881.

   Address: Three Counties Asylum, Stotfold, Bedfordshire
   Many patients, including:
   M.A. Moss, pauper patient, married, female, 56 [1824/5], Bonnet Sewer, Lunatic

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 1258; Folio 120; Page 36, 5 Apr 1891.

   Address: Three Counties Asylum, Stotfold, Bedfordshire
   Many patients, including:
   M.A.M., married, female, 64 [1826/7], Formerly Bonnet Sewer, b. not known, Lunatic

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

   d. Mary Ann MOSS, June Quarter 1895, Biggleswade Registration District, Volume 3b, page 208, aged 70 [1824/5]

9. ↑ UK, Lunacy Patients Admission Registers, 1846-1912 (The National Archives / ancestry.co.uk).

   Name: Mary Ann Moss
   Date of admission: 9 Nov 1876
   Asylum: Beds
   Died 19 Jun 1895