Remains of the home of John Barrett at Bald Hills
Ed : a complete album is dedicated to the site.
On the 10th June, 1851 the sailing ship "Reliance" sailed from Plymouth, in the United Kingdom with 392 immigrants bound for South Australia some 19,000 klms. It arrived at Port Adelaide on the 19th September 1851.
Notes on the voyage written by the Rev. W. Gray to the Archivist in Adelaide, dated 5th March, 1934 are as follows:
Three months, with nothing but water around them, living on pickled pork, salt junk, bouilli soup, and a cupful of pure Jamaican lime juice, (sweetened with black sugar to prevent skurvy), once a week. They went too far south. Icy tangles half a yard long hung from the shrouds, the bulwarks were frozen till they were like solid wire. Some of the passengers who had too little clothing had to go to bed to keep warm. The passengers were called up to help crew set sails to “bout ship”.
Details of the voyage and passengers
On board was a 19 year old young man with the name of Joshua Jarvis travelling unaccompanied.
On board was a family of Barretts' who were rumoured to be distant relatives to Joshua. It was the family of George Barrett, however Mary Ann's name did not appear on the manifest. I have yet to prove that these Barrett's are our family ancestors.
On the 20th January, 1855 at St. Stephens Church of England at Willunga, Joshua now aged 22, married Mary Ann Barrett aged 16 years. Joshua signed his name and Mary Ann made her mark (X). The name of the officiating Minister was Arthur Bernard Burnett and two witnesses were George Barrett and Emma Risenborough.
The name of the parents of both Joshua and Mary Ann were not recorded which is unusual as Mary Ann was not of legal age – therefore needing permission of her father. It is interesting to note that George Barrett and Emma Risenborough married on 18th August, 1859 at the home of his father John Barrett at Inman Valley.
Residences for Joshua and Mary Ann Jarvis have been listed to include : Encounter Bay, Victor Harbor, Inman Valley, Bald Hills, Claire, and Jamestown. His occupation was listed as farmer, religion Church of England.
Joshua and Mary Ann had the following children:
Edward b 25 Aug 1858 Enc Bay d 1917 Meningie
Ellen Marie b 14 Sep 1860 Sheoak Hills
Joshua b 19 Aug 1862 Bald Hills d 1885 Encounter Bay
Emma b 31 Dec 1864 Enc Bay
*Amanda b 9 Jan 1867 Yankalilla
Arthur b 20 Nov 1868 Inman Valley d 16 Sep 1946 Adelaide Hospital
Edith Jane b 3 Aug 1870 Yankalilla
Walter b 4 Jan 1877 Jamestown d 11 Nov 1969 Victor Harbor
* Registered in the revised listing of births in SA as follows:
JARVIS AMANDA - father Joshua Jarvis, Mother Mary Ann Barrett - born 9 Jan 1867 Dist. Yank. Book 51 page 14. Also recorded is a child for Jarvis name not recorded.
Father not recorded. Mother Mary Ann Jarvis – child still born.
About 1880 or earlier there was a large migration chiefly to Yorke Peninsula and the north of the state from the Victor Harbor area, as the soil proved too poor for successful farming and much of the land had been cleared. I believe that Joshua and Mary moved north in search of better working conditions. Records show that Joshua worked in the Jamestown area as a builder. The National Trust records held at Jamestown (July 1993) show the Sands and McDougall's Directory lists for the area began in 1884. The name of Jarvis does not appear on Electoral roll lists prior to that.
Jamestown today is the centre of a productive agricultural and pastoral district. The first pastoral lease was issued in July 1851, the area opening up for farming in 1870 ending the era for the pastoralists and the town itself was surveyed in 1871, when the first land was sold to farmers who moved in to settle the area.
Jamestown was named after Sir James Ferguson, the then Governor of S.A., who came from County Ayr, Scotland. As a consequence many of the streets have names of Scottish origin. Some interesting facts about the town and district :
8 km south of Jamestown, in the Bundaleer Forest Reserve was the site of the first forest planted by a Government in Australia in 1876. The practice of raising young trees in bamboo tubes began at Bundaleer forest leading to the present day use of small plastic tubes.
Jamestown was the birthplace of the S.A. Farmers Union, being formed in 1888, at a meeting called by a group or local farmers who were concerned about the rising costs of corn sacks. The headquarters were later transferred to Adelaide in 1895.
M.S. McLeod, a descendant of a pioneering family, commenced business in Jamestown with the purchase of a cycle shop in 1916. This developed into a tyre and hardware business with stores throughout S.A. and interstate.
The "Emu" factory opened by the Humphris family in 1878 produced sauce, pickels butter, cordials etc.. In 1899 a branch was opened in Carrington Street, Adelaide, in a building still standing today (1995). The original building at Jamestown was demolished in 1975 to make way for the building of "Belalie Lodge".
The community was first served by a Cottage Hospital after which a new hospital building of four rooms for six patients (male only) was opened in 1884. This building is still part of the present hospital complex. (it was here that Joshua was taken after his accidental death).
It was at Jamestown in January of 1877 that Walter Jarvis was born – the youngest child of Joshua and Mary Ann. In August of that same year Joshua met with an accident which ended his life. Poor Mary Ann would only have been 38 years old. A long way from her family, a new baby and other children to care for. Welfare was unheard of except in destitute circumstances. One wonders how she managed to return to her family and what hardships she would have encountered. The ages of the children would have ranged from 19 years to 7 months. Maybe the older children had not accompanied their parents to Jamestown, preferring instead to stay in the Victor Harbor area.
Joshua met with a road accident. He was thrown from a cart, hitting his head and died from the injuries on the 19th August, 1877. An inquest was held on the 20th August, 1877 in Jamestown. He was 45 years old and is buried in the Jamestown cemetery in an unmarked grave. From the Jamestown burial register, 86th entry, - grave no. 31, block B, row P. No one paid for the lease of the grave. There is no headstone.
Ed : Jamestown cemetery map courtesy of Leonard Jones.
There appeared in the S.A. Police Gazette, a small article, on August 22nd 1877, page 139:
INQUEST. On the 20th Instant, by Albert Trilling, J.P. At James Town, on the body of Joshua Jarvis, who was killed by being thrown out of his cart. Verdict - Accidental death.
Information received form Eunice Jarvis (wife of Reginald Lancelot Jarvis) is that Joshua was somewhat inebriated when he fell off a load of wood and was killed. This was not stated in the police report!
The District Records in the Clare district which includes Jamestown holds a certificate for Joshua Jarvis. (This was not available at the Registrar in Adelaide when I previously applied.) The details were :
19th August, 1877 Joshua Jarvis, aged 45 years, killed by a fall. Profession labourer and teamster of Jamestown. He died in Belalie, which is on the railway line between Jamestown and Peterborough.
The assistant registrar who signed the certificate was Edmund John Eyre.
As there are no listings held for Jarvis at the National Trust at Jamestown, it is assumed that they were possibly only in the area for a short time before Joshua died. His death is not registered with the Births, Deaths and Marriage Registrar in Adelaide.
The following entry in the "Biographical Index of S.A. 1836-1885. Vol 2" reads as follows :
JARVIS JOSHUA J. born c 1832 Norfolk England, died 20-08-1877, Jamestown, S.A. Arrived 1851 "Reliance" Port Adelaide, occ. Farmer, res. Encounter Bay, Clare, Jamestown. Rel. C. England. Married Mary Ann Barrett born c 1839. Children: Edith (1858-1885) : Ellen Maria May (Phillips) 1860- ) : Joshua (1862-1885) : Emma (1864- ) : Arthur (1860-1946) : Walter (1877).
As these entries are sometimes submitted by family members, I wrote to the S.A. Genealogy and Heraldry Society to see if I could find out where their information originated. Their reply was that the information had not been submitted by a contributor, but details had been extracted from records held, e.g. the Australian Dictionary of Biographies and various other S.A. Records. Joshua was born in Denbigh, Wales in 1836, not in 1832 in Norfolk as stated. They have omitted Edward b 1858 and Amanda b 1867 plus the actual dates of several of the children are incorrect. (It is recognised that many entries in these books are not correct, however, it is a wonderful guide). Better and more accessible records have since become available.
I have yet to prove Mary Ann's parents. As her name does not appear on the inward shipping records of the family. However, this often happened – a child was listed as just that 'a child' or perhaps not mentioned at all. I believe that her parents were John and Jane Barrett who lived at Bald Hills. I still have more work to do on this side of the family. Family myth was that the Barrett family was on the same ship as Joshua Jarvis. There was a George Barrett and his family, however the name of Mary Ann did not appear.
After the death of Joshua, Mary Ann returned to her relatives, who lived in Bald Hills near Victor Harbor, where after discussion, it was agreed that some of the children would go to various relatives. The eldest son, Edward, heard this discussion from a nearby room and decided that this was not what he wanted to do so he left home that night. The younger boys stayed and were raised by their grandfather Barrett.
Mary Ann Jarvis, wife of Joshua, died in the district of Norwood – Ref. Book 372 Page 412 – on the 1 March 1913 aged 76 years. She was born in Flitcham, Norfolk, UK and had lived in the Colony (S.A.) for 66 years. She was 16 years old when she married and had 3 male children and 4 female children – 1 female having predeceased her – Cause of death was gangrene of the foot 2 months, diabetes some years. She died at home at Norwood and was buried at West Terrace Cemetery, Adelaide on 3 March, 1913 which gave her address as 76 George Street Norwood.
The dates of her age do not quite tie in, but are close. Her marriage certificate shows that she was 16 in 1855 whereas she may have been 18 had she been born in 1837 as stated on the death certificate. I think the children's sex is incorrect as I believe she had 4 male and 4 female children.
Following the above details on Mary Ann's death certificate, I wrote to the Norfolk Records office, Norwich, requesting them to check out the Parish records of Flitcham for the period 1836-1840. Their reply stated that no entry was found for the baptism of Mary Ann Barrett. Having checked the Parishes surrounding Flitcham without success I surmise that Mary Ann was born somewhere near Norfolk and the family moved to Flitcham when she was a child before the departure for Australia. Her memory was of having lived at Flitcham.
The 1841 and 1851 Census in the U.K. Does not show her living with her family in the small town of Flitcham or surrounding Parishes. Details on birth, marriage and death certificates were often, quite innocently, given incorrectly.
Having checked the Civil Registration in England and Wales which began in 1837 – commonly known as St. Catherine's house Index – for the birth of Mary Ann up to 1840 I have not found an entry which shows details of her birth place in Norfolk. There are many entries for a Mary Ann Barrett who was born in this period, however I am not prepared to purchase birth certificates on the off chance that one will be our relative. (Certificates can be purchased from London at a cost of $27.50 each plus GST. The main aim being to establish the name of parents and where born and baptised) None of these entries is anywhere near the county of Norfolk.
I have checked the district records held at the Norwood Library and they do not have any record of which house Mary Ann resided in, nor can I find any relatives living in that street.
The Biographical Index of S.A. Shows the following:
BARRETT JOHN b 1815 died 18 Aug 1905 at Inman Valley. On arrival by 1868. Occupation farmer. Residence Inman Valley. Married Jane born 1817 died 12 Jan 1894 at Bald Hills.
The shipping records of Barretts arriving in S.A. Before 1855 show a "John" arriving in 1848, 1847 but no Jane and no Mary Ann.
From information held at Goolwa Public Library records:
BARRETT JANE – died 6 December 1894 (Encounter Bay 612). Age 77 years, wife of John Barrett of Bald Hills, Inman Valley. Cause paralysis of the brain. Buried at Balds Hills cemetery. Undertaker Herbert Grosvenor, Port Victor.
BARRETT JOHN – died 15 May 1905 aged 90 years, farmer of Inmand Valley. Cause senile decay and cardiac failure. Buried at Inman Valley. Informant W. Millard a friend of Inman Valley.
Newspaper report in the S.A. Register on 21 August 1185, page 8, col. H: Inquest on George Barrett – found dead.
As I mentioned on the first page of this chapter, the two witnesses to Joshua and Mary Ann's marriage were George Barrett and Emma Risenborough. I believe that George was a brother to Mary Ann. He would have been 19 years old in 1855.
The following information about George Barrett gained from his marriage certificate:
GEORGE BARRETT 23 years old – farmer – father John Barrett – Inman Valley and EMMA RISENBOROUGH aged 19 years – father William. Held at the house of John Barrett of Inman Valley on the 16th August 1859. Witnesses were William Risenborough (father of Emma) and Esther Dorman. (Book 1 page 40).
Notice in the Register on 25th August 1859 – On 16 August by special licence, at the residence of John Barrett of Inman Valley, George Barrett to Emma eldest daughter of William Risenborough both of Inman Valley.
They had two children: James, born 27 Sept 1863 at Hog Bay, Kangaroo Island and Jully (female) born 14 Nov 1865 at Inman Valley.
This was a second marriage for George, marrying Esther Dormer who was a witness at his marriage.
The above is the nearest I can get to establishing the family of Mary Ann Barrett. It may or may not be correct. I will continue to research this branch of the family and hopefully, one day I will find the missing clue either in Australia or back in England. I must add that I have looked at the spelling of Barratt, Barritt and Barrett. Barrett appears on the marriage and death certificates. As many folks were un-educated, the details and spelling relied on whoever was recording the information and what the informant told them.
