William was born in 1819 in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England. (Yes my Mum was right, there was family from there, just not her father.) The first place I found William was in the 1841 census. He was living in Cumberland and working at a place called Warwick Hall. So far I haven't found a lot out about this place except that it was a big house with many servants. It lists his occupation as man servant. There is also a Jane BARTON, born 1816, listed with a son called John working there. I'm pretty sure this was William's wife although she was gone when the next census was taken ten years later. That census didn't record where you were born, just a Y or a N to indicate if you were born in the county or not. John shows up later with William.
The next bit of information comes from the 1851 census. At this time he was living at 20 Randlesons Lane, in Botchergate in Carlisle. His occupation at this point is laborer. Jane is no longer listed. So we have a father raising three children. There was John who was 11, Alexander 9, and Martha 6. Also living at number 20 was a Mary McIntosh who was 74 at the time, from Broomhills, Cumberland, and a child also called Mary McIntosh who was 10 years old. It's only speculation but I think maybe Mary was his wife Jane's relative. Maybe her grandmother, and the younger Mary a child from a sibling of Jane's. I still have to follow up on this point. It would make sense to have a relative come to live with you and help you raise your children after your wife has died.
By 1861 William, who's 50 by now, is living with his daughter Martha at 110 Crop Street, Botchergate. William is working as a groom and Martha, aged 15, is a factory hand. John and Alexander would be 21 and 19 respectively, and have moved away from the family home.
In 1871 it starts to get interesting. William is now working as a coachman, and Martha is 25 and a factory worker. What makes it interesting is the fact that the census records several little Bartons. William is listed as Head of Household, the children are listed as his grandchildren with Martha as their mother. Apparently no husband!! There is William aged 7, Edward aged 3, and Jane aged 1 month. All the children were born in Carlisle.
1881 brought changes to the household. In 1879 Martha married a soldier called John GENT who was from Exeter, Devon. He was a corporal in the 55th Regiment H.M. Infantry. Being so far from home I would imagine he was stationed at Carlisle Barracks.
They and their children are still living with William at 37 East Tower Street, St Mary Within.
William is still working as a coachman and Martha lists her occupation as soldier's wife. The children living with them are William now 17 and a cotton spinners assistant, Edward 14 who's a rope spinner, and Jane 11. Martha had another daughter before she married John, Mary BARTON, 8 years old, and then had two more children James GENT aged 2 and Rebecca GENT 6 months. Quite a big family.
To complete the story of William BARTON I found the 1891 census. I haven't found a record of his death as yet but it looks like he was living with his son John, Martha's brother, at number 20 Hope Street, Caldewgate, Carlisle. He isn't living there by the 1901, but John still is, so this gives me a window to find his death record.
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