John Barnett

[miss marple]

As Joe continues elusive in the 1891 census, thought I 'd check out John the youngest.
Bruce Paley thought that only Denis and Catherine of the five siblings had married, but John might have married.
So in 1881 John was residing at I Horatio St, vistor Joe.
1891 John Barnett 30 born Whitechapel, general labourer is living at doss house at 46 Hanbury St.
In June 28th 1888 John Barnett Labourer 28 of 46 Hanbury St was admitted to Whitechapel infirmary with rheumatism.
In 1901 Census John Barnett 41 dock labourer,born Whitechapel, was living at 18 Ocean St with wife Emma 41, no children.
Then it gets complicated
1911 Census
11 Pickett St Bow
A family of Lambeths
James 39
Amelia 33 wife
James 16 son
Florence 14 daug
Millicent 9
John Barnett 49, married, dock Labourer father in law born Whitechapel.
How is he a father to a woman of 33? also he has no children and where is Emma? of course it may not be him.
More questions.

Miss Marple
Although the three Barnetts Joe, Daniel and John had Fishporter's licenses at times, none of them were permanently employed so were working as general labourers and dockworkers at various times. Their father had been a dockworker.

[Sally]

Hi Miss Marple

I think I found John Barnett when I was researching Joe. Far as I remember, he married late - I'll dig out my notes when I have a minute.

[Sally]

Alright -

This John Barnett married Emma Matilda Starke in 1900. The marriage certificate lists his father as a Hugh Barnett, but I think this may be an error - it wouldn't be the only one.

In 1911, Emma is living at 13 Barnwood Road, Victoria Docks East. I think this is may be the marital home, John simply staying with his wife's family at the time of the census. The listing is as follows:


Walter Starke, Head Single aged 24 b. 1887 Pile Driver b. Whitechaple London

BARNETT, Emma, Mother, Married, aged 53 b. 1858, Bishopgate London

BARNETT, Bella, Sister, Single, aged 17, b. 1894, Soap Wrapper, b. Mile End London

BARNETT, Voilet, Sister, aged 14, b. 1897, Soap Wrapper, b. Mile End London

From memory (I can't find my notes and it was a few years ago now) it seemed likely that Violet was the child of John and Emma; the other children are Emma's by her previous marriage - she was a widow when she married John.

Walter kept his father's name, Starke, the daughters took the name Barnett.

[miss marple]

Hi Sally,

I am glad you confirmed Emma Starke, I saw the the marriage entry, but was not sure. Still some puzzles, who are the Lambeths? Was that Emma's name before she married Starke, I will check. And if Violet is John's daughter, she was born out of wedlock.

Still wondering where Joe is in 1891 Daniel Barnett is in 1891 in Whitechapel doss house, fishporter. Could not get address. No Daniel in 1901


Miss Marple

[Robert]

Hi Miss Marple

Daniel was at the Victoria Home.

[Sally]

Hi Miss Marple - as I recall, Emma's first husband had died before Violet was born. Of course Violet could be the child of another man, but it seems reasonable to postulate that she may have been Emma and John's child. The only way to know would be to look at her birth certificate.

Emma was the child of John Collopy, who was born in India and was (from memory, I confess) a seaman. The marriage certificate for John and Emma records no occupation for him, but cites him as 'deceased'. Certainly, he was not deceased at the time. John's father is cited as 'Hugh', a Dockworker. I can find no such person in the record, so wonder if this is an error as well - perhaps it should be John's father who is deceased?

I have records for Daniel Barnett, I'll have a look.

[miss marple]

John Barnett senior, father of Joe and siblings died in 1864, He was a dockworker. There must be mistake on the certificate.

Miss Marple

[RivkahChaya]

A family of Lambeths
James 39
Amelia 33 wife
James 16 son
Florence 14 daug
Millicent 9
John Barnett 49, married, dock Labourer father in law born Whitechapel.
How is he a father to a woman of 33? also he has no children and where is Emma?

He could be her "father" if he is her step-father, and her original father is not living. People were much more casual about that, back when it was more common to lose a parent. My grandfather's father was actually his stepfather, whose name he took at age 8, in 1913, when his mother remarried; his own father had been dead for 3 years. He was never legally adopted, but he always used this name on every official document in his adult life; he was a reporter, and it was his by-line. He gave it to his children, so it was my maiden name.

Barnett would be 16 years older than The daughter. I did the math available from the two families, assuming that Amelia was a daughter of Emma not mentioned in the earlier census because she wasn't living in the home. (I don't know this to be true, I was just seeing how the math came out.)

1911 Census...
Amelia 33 wife...
John Barnett 49, ... father in law born Whitechapel.

BARNETT, Emma, Mother, Married, aged 53 b. 1858, Bishopgate London

BARNETT, Voilet, Sister, aged 14, b. 1897, Soap Wrapper, b. Mile End London

If Emma was born in 1858, she could be Amelia's mother, because that would put her age at 20 when Amelia was born.
In 1897, when Violet was born, and which we are assuming is around the time John and Emma got married, John is 35, and Emma is 39. There's nothing unreasonable about that. I'm four years older than my husband, and we were married in our early 30s.

But, then it might be two different families. Still, I'm sure lots of women because mothers when they were teenagers, and probably some men did too. Lack of fecundity, due to poor nutrition, rather than Victorian modesty was what kept teenage parenthood in check, I suspect.

[miss marple]

James Lambeth married Amelia Emily Starke in DEC 1894 She was a sister or daughter of of Emma Starke.

Miss Marple