Person:Rhoda Pierce (2)

Rhoda Pierce was baptised on 7th January 1827 at Kimpton in Hertfordshire, daughter of a labourer called Thomas Pierce and his wife Charlotte. She was baptised on the same day as her sister Hannah, and it is notable that Rhoda generally gave ages implying that she was born around 1823 or 1824, suggesting she may have been baptised when a couple of years old, once her sister had been born. The 1841 census finds Rhoda living with her parents and siblings at Kimpton Green in the centre of the village.

On 14th October 1843 Rhoda married George Cain, who was from the neighbouring village of Whitwell, in the parish of St Paul's Walden. However, they did not marry locally to Kimpton or St Paul's Walden, but at Hammersmith in Middlesex, some 30 miles to the south. They did not stay long in Hammersmith, and by early 1844 had settled back in Whitwell. They had ten children at Whitwell between 1844 and 1864: five boys followed by five girls, although three of the children died young.

The 1851 and 1861 censuses each find Rhoda, George and their children living in Whitwell, with George working as a tanner. In 1871 Rhoda and the children appear to be at home as normal, but George was not at home on census night, being listed elsewhere in the village apparently on his own. The 1881 census finds George back at home with Rhoda, their youngest surviving daughter and a granddaughter.

By 1891 George had retired, and Rhoda and he were sharing their four-roomed cottage with a lodger who was a baker. George died in 1892.

After George's death, Rhoda went to live with her daughter Louisa and her husband William Chamberlain, who also lived in Whitwell. The 1901 and 1911 censuses each find Rhoda living with the Chamberlains on High Street in Whitwell.

Rhoda died on 15th May 1912. She was said to be 88 years old. She left an estate worth £177 10s 4d.

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

   BAPTISMS solemnized in the Parish of Kimpton in the County of Hertford in the Year 1827
   No.	When Baptized	Child's Christian Name	Parents' Name		Abode	Quality, Trade, or Profession	By whom the Ceremony was performed
   			Christian	Surname
   513	1827 Jan[ua]ry 7	Rhoda Daughter of	Thomas Charlotte	Pierce	Kimpton	Labourer	Char[le]s Chauncey Curate

   Baptised same day as sister Hannah.

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 445; Book 9; Folio 17; Page 7, 6 Jun 1841.

   Address: Kimpton Green, Kimpton, Hertfordshire
   Thomas Pierce, male, 45 [1791-6], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], born in county
   Charlotte Pierce, female, 40 [1796-1801], born in county
   Joseph Pierce, male, 20 [1816-21], born in county
   Rhoda Pierce, female, 15 [1821-6], born in county
   Hannah Pierce, female, 15 [1821-6], born in county
   Emma Pierce, female, 6 [1834/5], born in county
   William Pierce, male, 4 [1836/7], 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 1710; Folio 461; Page 4, 30 Mar 1851.

   Address: Whitewell, Paulswalden, Hertfordshire
   George Cain, head, married, male, 30 [1820/1], Tanners Labourer, b. Paulswalden, Hertfordshire
   Rhoda Cain, wife, married, female, 27 [1823/4], b. Kimpton, Hertfordshire
   Thomas Cain, son, male, 7 [1843/4], Scholar, b. Paulswalden, Hertfordshire
   Joseph Cain, son, male, 3 [1847/8], b. Paulswalden, Hertfordshire
   Charles Cain, son, male, 1 [1849/50], b. Paulswalden, 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 821; Folio 59; Page 14, 7 Apr 1861.

   Address: Whitewell, Paulswalden, Hertfordshire
   George Cain, head, married, male, 39 [1821/2], Tanners lab[ourer], b. Paulswalden, Hertfordshire
   Rhoda Cain, wife, married, female, 36 [1824/5], b. Kimpton, Hertfordshire
   Thomas Cain, son, unmarried, male, 17 [1843/4], Tanners lab[ourer], b. Kimpton, Hertfordshire
   Charles Cain, son, male, 11 [1849/50], Tanners lab[ourer], b. Paulswalden, Hertfordshire
   Louisa Cain, daughter, female, 7 [1853/4], b. Paulswalden, Hertfordshire
   Clara Cain, daughter, female, 4 [1856/7], b. Paulswalden, Hertfordshire
   Rose A. Cain, daughter, female, 2 [1858/9], b. Paulswalden, 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 1370; Folio 59; Page 4, 2 Apr 1871.

   Address: Whitewell Village, Paulswalden, Hertfordshire
   Rhoda Cain, wife, married, female, 47 [1823/4], b. Kimpton, Hertfordshire
   Joseph Cain, son, unmarried, male, 23 [1847/8], Tanners Labourer, b. Paulswalden, Hertfordshire
   Charles Cain, son, unmarried, male, 21 [1849/50], Tanners Labourer, b. Paulswalden, Hertfordshire
   Louisa Cain, daughter, unmarried, female, 17 [1853/4], Plaiter, b. Paulswalden, Hertfordshire
   Clara Cain, daughter, unmarried, female, 14 [1856/7], Plaiter, b. Paulswalden, Hertfordshire
   Rosa Ann Cain, daughter, female, 12 [1858/9], Plaiter, b. Paulswalden, Hertfordshire
   Jemima Cain, daughter, female, 9 [1861/2], Plaiter, b. Paulswalden, Hertfordshire
   George Cain, visitor, male, 8 [1862/3], b. Paulswalden, 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 1421; Folio 75; Page 11, 3 Apr 1881.

   Address: Whitwell, Paulswalden, Hertfordshire
   George Cain, head, married, male, 59 [1821/2], Tanner, b. Paulswalden, Hertfordshire
   Rhoda Cain, wife, married, female, 59 [1821/2], Wife, b. Kimpton, Hertfordshire
   Jemima Cain, daughter, unmarried, female, 19 [1861/2], b. Paulswalden, Hertfordshire
   Pauline Emma Clark, granddaughter, female, 8 [1872/3], Scholar, b. Paulswalden, 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 1108; Folio 192; Page 11, 5 Apr 1891.

   Address: Whitwell, Pauls Walden, Hertfordshire
   4 rooms occupied
   George Cain, head, married, male, 69 [1821/2], Retired Tanners laborer, b. Whitwell, Hertfordshire
   Rhoda Cain, wife, married, female, 67 [1823/4], b. Kimpton, Hertfordshire
   Albert Rolph, lodger, single, male, 20 [1870/1], Journeyman Baker, employed, b. Kimpton, 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 1300; Folio 173; Page 11, 31 Mar 1901.

   Address: High Street, Pauls Walden, Hertfordshire
   William Chamberlain, head, married, male, 44 [1856/7], Blacksmith, worker, b. Offley, Hertfordshire
   Louisa Chamberlain, wife, married, female, 47 [1853/4], b. Whitwell, Hertfordshire
   Bertie Chamberlain, son, male, 17 [1883/4], Groom & Gardener, worker, b. Whitwell, Hertfordshire
   Laura Chamberlain, daughter, single, female, 15 [1885/6], Nursemaid, worker, b. Whitwell, Hertfordshire
   Edwin Chamberlain, son, single, male, 13 [1887/8], b. Whitwell, Hertfordshire
   Lewis Chamberlain, son, single, male, 9 [1891/2], b. Whitwell, Hertfordshire
   Rhoda Cain, wife's mother, widow, female, 77 [1823/4], b. Kimpton, 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 7611; Schedule 25, 2 Apr 1911.

   Address: High Street, Whitwell, St Paul's Walden, Hertfordshire
   5 rooms occupied
   William Chamberlain, head, male, 54 [1856/7], married, Blacksmith, worker, b. Offley, Hertfordshire
   Louisa Chamberlain, wife, female, 57 [1853/4], married 33 years, 7 children born to marriage, 7 children still living, b. St Pauls Walden, Hertfordshire
   Rhoda Cain, mother, female, 87 [1823/4], widow, b. Kimpton, Hertfordshire

   Street address taken from enumerator's summary book - postal address on census form itself merely given as "Whitwell, Welwyn" (Welwyn being the post town at that time covering Whitwell).

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

    d. Rhoda CAIN, June Quarter 1912, Hitchin Registration District, Volume 3a, page 638, aged 88 [1823/4]

11. ↑ England. National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations),1858 onwards. (Ancestry.com).

    1912
    CAIN Rhoda of Whitwell Welwyn Hertfordshire widow died 15 May 1912 Probate London 15 June to Arthur Thomas Robinson postmaster. Effects £177 10s. 4d.