Birth date: Abt 1839
Birth place: England, United Kingdom
Death date: 1 March 1913
Death place: Norwood, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
From the book by Beryl Jarvis :
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 qite 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, farner 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 – Inmand 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.