Person:Thomas Moles (9)

Thomas Moles was baptised on 8th February 1829 at Willian in Hertfordshire, son of Mary Ann Moles, formerly Best, and her husband Thomas Moles, an agricultural labourer. Thomas was the youngest of ten children - indeed, by the time Thomas was born his eldest two siblings had already married, and Thomas had a niece who was older than him.

Thomas appears in the 1841 census living with his parents and a sister in Willian, already working as an agricultural labourer at the age of 12. By the time of the 1851 census, Thomas was working as a ploughman at Standalone Farm in the neighbouring parish of Norton. Thomas's father died in Willian in 1853.

Thomas later returned to Willian, where he married Hannah Walker on 2nd June 1855. She had been born in the neighbouring parish of Weston but had moved to Willian as a child with her parents. Thomas and Hannah stayed in Willian, where they had eight children baptised between 1856 and 1873, although one died young. Thomas's mother died in 1861 at Offley, a few miles west of Willian, where two of Thomas's sisters had settled.

The 1871 census finds the family living at 5 Willian Cottages, a row of cottages which had only recently been built by the village's new landlord. Thomas worked as an agricultural labourer, whilst Hannah was a straw plaiter. They were still there ten years later.^[10]

Thomas died at Willian on 27th May 1889, aged 60. Hannah survived him by nearly 24 years.

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

   No. 146
   When baptised: 8 Feb 1829
   Name: Thomas
   Parents: Thomas & Mary
   Surname: Mole
   Abode: Willian
   Father's occupation: Laborer

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. 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 31; Page 22, 30 Mar 1851.

   Address: Standalone Farm, Norton, Hertfordshire
   Thomas Gardner, head, married, male, 44 [1806/7], Farmer 150 Acre Emp[loying] 6 M[en] 2 B[oys], b. Newnham, Hertfordshire
   Ann Gardner, wife, married, female, 49 [1801/2], b. Dunton, Bedfordshire
   Alfred Gardner, son, male, 15 [1835/6], Scholar, b. Norton, Hertfordshire
   Arthur Gardner, son, male, 13 [1837/8], Scholar, b. Norton, Hertfordshire
   Frederick Gardner, son, male, 11 [1839/40], Scholar, b. Norton, Hertfordshire
   Thomas Hills, servant, married, male, 60 [1790/1], Farm Lab[ourer], b. Norton, Hertfordshire
   Thomas Moles, servant, unmarried, male, 22 [1828/9], Plowman, b. Willian, Hertfordshire
   William Maxwell, servant, male, 15 [1835/6], Horse Keeper, b. Norton, 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
   Thomas Moles, head, married, male, 33 [1827/8], Farmers Labourer, b. Willian, Hertfordshire
   Anna Moles, wife, married, female, 28 [1832/3], Wife of Farmers Labourer, b. Weston, Hertfordshire
   Mary Ann Moles, daughter, female, 5 [1855/6], Dau[ghte]r of Farmers Labourer, b. Willian, Hertfordshire
   Thomas Moles, son, male, 3 [1857/8], Son of Farmers Labourer, b. Willian, Hertfordshire
   Eliza Moles, daughter, female, 1 [1859/60], Dau[ghte]r of Farmers Labourer, b. Willian, 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 1365; Folio 17; Page 8, 2 Apr 1871.

   Address: No. 5 Willian Cottages, Willian, Hertfordshire
   Thomas Mole, head, married, male, 42 [1828/9], Ag Lab, b. Willian, Hertfordshire
   Hannah Mole, wife, married, female, 38 [1832/3], b. Weston, Hertfordshire
   Mary A. Mole, daughter, unmarried, female, 15 [1855/6], b. Willian, Hertfordshire
   Thomas Mole, son, male, 13 [1857/8], Lab, b. Willian, Hertfordshire
   Eliza Mole, daughter, female, 11 [1859/60], b. Willian, Hertfordshire
   William Mole, son, male, 7 [1863/4], b. Willian, Hertfordshire
   Sarah Mole, daughter, female, 6 [1864/5], b. Willian, Hertfordshire
   Amy Mole, daughter, female, 2 [1868/9], 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 1416; Folio 117; Page 10, 3 Apr 1881.

   Address: 5 Manor Cottages, Willian, Hertfordshire
   Thomas Moule, head, married, male, 54 [1826/7], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], b. Willian, Hertfordshire
   Hannah Moule, wife, married, female, 47 [1833/4], Straw Plaiter, b. Willian, Hertfordshire
   Amy Moule, daughter, single, female, 12 [1868/9], Scholar, b. Willian, Hertfordshire
   George Moule, son, single, male, 7 [1873/4], b. Willian, Hertfordshire

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

   d. Thomas MOLE, June Quarter 1889, Hitchin Registration District, Volume 3a, page 233, aged 61 [1827/8]

8. ↑ Hertford Mercury and Reformer, in United Kingdom. The British Newspaper Archive
   Page 5, 1 Jun 1889.

   Deaths
   MOLES.-27th ult., at Willian, Thomas Moles, aged 61 years.

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

   No. 393
   When buried: 2 Jun 1889
   Name: Thomas Mole
   Age: 60y5m
   Abode: Willian

10. ↑ Although the address quoted on the 1881 census is 5 Manor Cottages, this is considered to be the same house as 5 Willian Cottages. The numbering of this side of the road runs consecutively from Manor Cottages (Nos. 1-4) to Willian Cottages (Nos. 5-8) and then Lordship Cottages (Nos. 9-12). The 1881 census however lists Nos. 1-8 all as Manor Cottages before continuing with Lordship Cottages for Nos. 9-12.