ENGLISH ANCESTRY

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William BARRETT		Rosabella CLEAL
	Married 31 Jul 1848, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
b. 30 Dec 1822 London, Eng d. 30 Mar 1908[21] Essendon, Victoria Father: James Barrett Mother: Susannah (Fennell?)		b. 6 Dec 1831 London, Eng d. 16 Apr 1925[21] Malvern, Victoria Father: Jacob Cleal Mother: Mary Ann Young

Notes:
• William seems to have immigrated to Canada sometime around 1847.
• On the 31.7.1848 , at 26 years of age , William Barrett married Rosabella Cleal, by license , at the Anglican Christ Church, James St, Hamilton , Canada. Rosabella listed her address as 'Grand River' , a tract of land a little way from Hamilton, comprising of all the land between Dunneville , Brantford and Paris. Rosabella was only 16 or 17 , upon her marriage. The witnesses were Thomas . A . Dalton and Elizabeth Mitchell . The clergyman who officiated was J . Gamble Geddes
• William and Rosabella spent the nine years following their marriage in Canada and America. Edward's marriage certificate (son of William and Rosabella) indicates that the family was still residing in Canada , until at least 1851. Rosabella's letter of 1895 implies they may have made their way to St Louis and/or Du Quoin, Indiana where William's brother Edward resided for a while before heading through Cinncinati to New York.
• With their three surviving children, William and Rosabella left New York City , on the 7.12.1857 , on board the 'Reinhard' , bound for Australia. They arrived in Melbourne , on the 10.3.1858. (Also on board this ship was a Mrs Blake and her three year old son . I believe this is Emma Priscilla , Rosabella's sister , as Emma married for the second time under the name of Blake . Emma was widowed for the first time c1855.)
• From Melbourne , they travelled to Malmsbury and then on to Kilmore , before finally settling in Seymour , Victoria , around 1870
• They had twelve children all up (though Rosabella's letter implies she had given birth to 16 children), four of which died before reaching adulthood. Henry and William were killed in a boating accident , which their sixteen year old brother Frederick survived. A recent discovered letter by Rosabella written in 1895, claims she had given birth to 17 children, where or when the extra children were born is unknown, clearly none of the extra 5 survived
• William Barrett first appears in the Seymour rate books in 1872 . I only have copies of his rate payments for about ten years . They were as follows ;
  1872 ; No 22 . Owner ; John Finn . Weather - board house
  1873 ; No 26 . Owner ; Joseph Jordan . Weather - board house
  1874 ; No ? . Owner ; Benjamin Jordan . 7 roomed house , Emily St , Seymour
  1875-1876 ; No 21 . Owner ; James Lyster . Brick - cottage , High St , Seymour
  1876 ; No 29 . Owner ; James Lyster . Brick - cottage , High St , Seymour
  1877-1882 ; No 20 . Owner ; James Lyster . Dwelling house - High St , Seymour
  
• Further details from Rosabella's 1895 letter indicates that after 14 years of working in a hotel, William and the family moved back to Melbourne around 1882-1883, in an effort to gain employment for their two youngest boys.

 

1. JAMES RICHARD BARRETT_[21], b. 1 Oct 1849, Canada - d. 19 May 1853, Canada
   
   
2. EDWARD BARRETT_[21], (a baker by trade) b. 13 Aug 1851_[20], Canada - d. 5 Oct 1944_[20], Beechworth, Victoria - m. 21 Apr. 1886_[21], Victoria to Isabel Eleanor DWELLY (cannot find what happened to his wife and children)
   Children:
   • William John BARRETT, b. 1887_[20], Prahran, Victoria - d. 1887_[20], South Melbourne, Victoria
     
   • Rosabella May BARRETT, b. 1888_[20], South Melbourne, Victoria - d. after 1945
     
   • Lilly Kathleen BARRETT, b. 1891_[20], St. Kilda, Victoria - d. after 1945
     
   
   
3. EMMA PRISCILLA BARRETT_[21], b. 22 May 1853, Canada or North America - d. 21 Sep 1854, Canada or America
   
   
4. FREDERICK WIILIAM BARRETT_[21], (a journalist, a printer for 'The Age' newspaper, in Melbourne, ) b. 4 Nov 1855, Cinncinati, North America - d. 18 Mar 1939_[20], Alexandra, Victoria - m. 29 Jun 1889_[20], Victoria to Mary ORME (1862-1937)
   Children:
   • Frederick Roy BARRETT, b. 30 Jan 1891_[20], South Melbourne, Victoria - d. 22 Apr 1972, Malvern, Victoria - m. 1922_[20], Victoria to Emily Winifred HARRIS (1892-1959)
     Children:
     • Patricia Orme BARRETT, b. 17 Jan 1929, Armadale, Victoria - d. 19 Sep 1977, Hornsby, N.S.W - m. 1957 to Richard "Dick" James SNELLING
        
   • Lousia Orme BARRETT, b. 19 Nov 1892_[20], Albert Park, Victoria - d. 19 Nov 1971_[20], Malvern, Victoria (spinster)
     
   • Rupert William BARRETT, b. 16 Sep 1894_[20], Hawthorne, Victoria - d. 14 Jun 1972_[20], Belgrave, Victoria - m. 1927_[20], Victoria to Hope Helen Blayney MITCHELL (1904-1984)
     
   
   
   
5. EMILY BARRETT_[21], b. 25 Nov 1857, Brooklyn, New York, Nth America - m. 23 Apr 1881, Seymour, Victoria to Robert Absolom BUTLER
   
   
6. WILLIAM BARRETT_[21], b. 14 Dec. 1860_[21], Malmsbury, Victoria - d. 26 Aug. 1871_[21], Seymour, Victoria (the result of a boating accident with his brothers)
   
   
7. HENRY BARRETT_[21], b. 14 May 1863_[20], Kilmore, Victoria - d. 26 Aug. 1871_[21], Seymour, Victoria (the result of a boating accident with his brothers)
   
   
8. PHILLIP BARRETT_[21], b. 2 Feb 1865_[20], Kilmore, Victoria - d. 10 Oct. 1915_[20], Victoria
   
   
9. JANE PATERSON BARRETT_[21], b. 22 Feb 1867_[20], Kilmore, Victoria - d. 24 Sep 1931_[20], East Malvern, Victoria - 1st m. 20 Nov 1886_[20], Victoria to William John BEART (1857-1886)
   Children:
   • William John BEART, b. 25 Aug 1887_[20], Melbourne, Victoria - d. 24 Nov 1928_[20], Malvern, Victoria - m. 24 Mar 1914_[20], Victoria to Margaret Alice WILDE (1890-1977)
     Children:
     • Stanley Wilfred BEART, b. 12 Jan 1915, Prahran, Victoria - d. 2 Jul 1968, Glen Waverley, Victoria - 1st m. 1941 to Dorothy Jean MCPHERSON (1919-1948) and Stanley 2nd m. 1948 to Margaret BASKERVILLE (1916-1974)
     • Norman Phillip BEART, b. 18 Nov 1916, Prahran, Victoria - d. 28 Jun 2003, Pasadena, S.A. - m. ? to Marion ?
        
   And Jane Paterson BARRETT 2nd m. 1 Jun 1891_[20], Victoria to Frederick William Bowden BALL (1858-1935)
   Children:
   • Lily Rosabella Cleal BALL, b. 30 Mar 1892_[20], Albert Park, Victoria - d. 11 Apr 1965_[20], Malvern, Victoria - 1st m. 30 Mar 1916_[20], Victoria to Leslie Holmes MULLET (1892-1917, France WW1) & 2nd m. 28 Feb 1923 to John Edward KEATING (1897-1950, Adelaide, Sth. )
     
   
   
10. ALFRED JOHN BARRETT_[21], b. 17 Feb 1869_[20], Kilmore, Victoria - d. 1949, QLD - m. 26 Jul 1899_[20], Victoria to Harriet Mary BROWN (1868-1933)
    Children:
    • Dorothy Rosabel BARRETT, b. 1902_[20], Prahran, Victoria - d. 1977_[20], Kew, Victoria - m. 1922_[20], Victoria to Philip George RAINBOW
      Children:
      • Philip Hilton RAINBOW b. 29 Apr 1923, East Malvern, Victoria - d. 22 Mar. 1977_[20], Belgrave, Victoria - m. 1943 to Wilma Leslie CORNELL (1924-2011)
        
      • Betty (Elizabeth) RAINBOW, b. ? - d. before 2003
        
      
      
    • Edna Muriel BARRETT b. 1905_[20], Walhalla, Victoria - d. 17 Sep 1928_[20], Melbourne West, Victoria
      
    • Jack BARRETT b. 1908_[20], Walhalla, Victoria
      
    
    
11. LAURA ROSABELLA BARRETT_[21], b. 10 Sep 1871_[20], Seymour, Victoria - d. 6 Jan. 1873_[20], Seymour, Victoria
    
    
12. AMY ETHOL BARRETT_[21], b. 2 Jan 1875_[20], Seymour, Victoria - d. 28 May 1876_[20], Seymour, Victoria
     

Letter written by Rosabella in 1895, to her brother-in-law living in America
 
This delightful letter that gives an insight into the family is in the hands of American family members. Edward Barrett, the brother this missive was written to, abandoned his family and disappeared into the deep south sometime in the 1870's. The letter was kept by his wife Sarah and handed down through the family.
485 Malvern Rd written sideways next to address on left ) Hawksburn Melbourne Victoria Australia
 
Your brother Jim last Address was 61 Castle Street, Southwark, Bridge Road, London, England
 
My Dear Brother & Sister
I cannot tell you the Pleasure it gives me to be able to corresponde with you again after so many years of silence. We have many times talked about you both, And mourned for you thinking you were dead, And knowing what a good correspondent you were we thought if you were alive you would of written and found us out, The last letter we received from you was when you were in England. We(?) answered that And we wrote to Vevay but never received..
Page 2
An Answer,
Well Dear Brother & Sister I have so much to tell you that I scarcely Know where to commence so I will begin with our-selves, William is very well in health but not very strong only able to do very light work but full of life just the same as when we left America the postcard I sent in my letter was one that was taken some years ago, but as for myself I have nothing to boast of for I am a great cripple with rheumiatism in one of my legs. I cannot walk without a stick and neither can I go out alone. I am well in health but my constitution is very weak it is with great difficulty that I can lift my body I am quite unable to do any Kind of domestic work, at present I am living with my youngest daughter, We have not been very fortunate since we
Page 3
Arrived in the colony When we first Arrived we went into business in Melbourne And lost a lot of money We then went up into one of the country towns And tried businesses Again but with no better result William then succeeded in getting a situation in a hotel And staide there for over fourteen years he then left to come to Melbourne for we could not get a trade for our two youngest boys And he has done no good ever since And that is over twelve years ago I have worked very hard myself I open a large boarding house and Kept it for over eight years And was then obliged to give it up for my youngest daughter got married And it was impossible for me to go up and down stairs to attend to my duties and look after a servant(?)
Page 4
so it was arranged that we should live with her my father and my son Fred to support us, William could take a light place but it is impossible for an old man to get employment in this country or a young either just now for at the present time Melbourne is in a very bad state the government as a deficit of over half a million to face And in con-sequence of that there are no government contracts to let and some of our large foundaries and factorys have closed Five years ago Melbourne was a flourishing city but now you can see men in hundreds walking about the streets with their hands in their pockets looking but in vain for work we have wished many times that we were back again in America.
We have six children alive
Page 5
four boys and two girls the same number as you have, sending all our portraits in a group Edward sitting at his fathers side holding an umbrella Fred is standing at my right side Emily is standing with her hand on Edwards shoulder Philip is standing next to Fred Jennie my youngest daughter has one hand on my shoulder Jack the youn(?) son stand at the back but he's not came out so well there being a shade over his face Jack is very tall taller than Any of the rest, Edward is married And have two children he lives two hundred miles from here, I've not seen him for over three years, Fred is also married and have three children he lives in one of the suburbs he is a compositor And earns good wages have been in one of the daily papers for over twelve years
Page 6
I will send you some Melbourne papers occasionally My other two sons are unmarried Phil is a blacksmith and Jack is a carriage and house painter My eldest daughter Emily Whom I named after your eldest daughter is also married and lives over sixty miles from here she is very comfortable she has three children my youngest daughter Jennie has been married twice her first husband died just six weeks after she was married she is married to her present husband four years she has two children.
My Sister Emma is married the second time since we arrived in the colony She is very comfortable she has three children living all married Willie Blake the little boy she brought out with her is married and have six children his wife died
Page 7
nearly three years ago but is about to marry again, I have had 17 children but have only six living I had two fine boys Willie and Harry drownd through a boat upsetting it was the ?e?e?est trouble I ever passed through to see them go out from me full of life and spirit and brough back a few hours after dead one was 11 years and the other was nine years,
About your friends in England I have not heard from them for years but one of your step brothers came out some years ago and he told us that your father died about 14 years ago in one of the letters we received from Jim he told us of the death of Isaac but that 30 years ago you may have heard of it your step brothers name is Frederick William he is forty four years old I've not seen him for a long time
Page 8
I don't think he is doing any good he married a widow with two children Jim wrote and told us he had left a wife and family in England in any case he is a lazy fellow.
I have told you all the news I can think of and I hope either you or Sarah will send us a long letter telling all about your life since we left.
I forgot to tell you that my dear old father is still living also his wife he married just before he left America he has 8 children by this wife one young man his eldest son 35 years of age died about 12 months ago the poor old man grieved very much about it he was married but no family.
The Photo I enclose was taken 4 years ago, I must now conclude with kindest love from William, Myself And family from Your Affectionate Sister.
Rosabella Barrett
  Newspaper Articles!

• New Insolvents:-
  1 Feb 1871:-
  William Barrett, of Seymour, baker. Causes of insolvency-Bad debts, falling-off in busi- ness, and losses by floods. Liabilities, £102 7s. 3d. ; assets, £11 18s. 6d. ; deficiency, £90 9s. 9d. Mr. Goodman, official assignee.
   
• 29 Aug 1871:-
  DROWNING ACCIDENT
  A melancholy accident, attended with the loss of two lives, occurred at Seymour on last Saturday morning. At about 10 o'clock, three sons of Mr. W. Barrett, cordial manu- facturer, and aged respectively 15, 11, and 9 years, were on a lagoon situate opposite the common school in a small canoe. They had not been out more than 10 minutes when the canoe capsized, and they were precipi- tated into the water. The eldest, who could swim a little, succeeded, with some difficulty, in gaining the shore ; but the younger ones, unable to swim, immediately sank, and were never seen again alive. The lad ran to the police station, not far distant, and gave information. Constable Kennedy, accompanied by the father of the boys, was soon on the spot. The constable made seve- ral attempts to recover the bodies, but his efforts proved unsuccessful. Two boats aud drags were then procured, and dragging operations continued for two hours, though without success, A young man, known as Jemmy Davis, an expert swimmer, then came to assist. He, after swimming and diving for some time, succeeded in recovering the bodies, At an inquest, held shortly after by the deputy coroner, Dr. Heeley, a verdict of " Accidentally drowned" was returned, with a rider attached to the effect that the police were inadequately supplied with means to save life.

 

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