The Barham Saga III

Thomas and Lydia Barham

The first two blogs in this series introduced the Barham and Mayze families who were united by Thomas and Lydia.

Thomas Barham was born in Farningham, Kent, in 1847[1] to William Barham and Eliza (nee Beakhurst). Lydia Matilda Mayze was born Lydia Matilda Bradley in Greenwich in 1840 and became Lydia Matilda Mayze when her mother Jane Bradley married George Mayze in 1841[2].

Lydia has not been found in the 1871 census but Thomas was still at his parents’ house in Chislehurst where he was a baker, assisting his father[3].

It has not proved possible so far to find a marriage between the two but in the 1881 census, they appear as man and wife in Tuffley, just outside Gloucester[4].

Part I showed that Thomas’s maternal aunt, Ann Evans (nee Beakhurst) and her husband lived in Gloucester and two of Thomas’s siblings – Richard Barham and Mary Jane Barham – had stayed with their aunt and uncle in 1871[5].

Although it is not known when, where or indeed if any marriage between Thomas and Lydia took place, it was probably sometime before 1877.

Tom Adolphus B Barham was born in Gloucester in the spring of 1878 but died within a few months[6]. It is possible that the given name beginning B was Beakhurst (or one of its variants), Thomas’s mother’s maiden name: it had been used as such by his aunt for one of her children, Edmund Beakhurst Evans[7].

Thomas and Lydia were to have three more children:

1.       Ethel Maud Barham, born 1879[8]

2.       Ada Frances Barham, born 1881[9]

3.       Ernest William Barham, born 1885[10]

1. Ethel Maud Barham was born on 10 December 1879 at Gothic Cottage, Stroud Road, Barton St Mary, the same district of Gloucester as was home to Ann and William Evans. She died on 2 August 1902, aged 22, “after a long illness patiently borne”[11].

2. Ada Frances Barham was born in Tuffley in 1881 and married Henry Edwin Rustell (1882-1933) in 1910[12]. The couple had seven children and Ada died on 4 December 1946[13].

3. Ernest William Barham was born on 20 January 1885 at Brookthorpe, Gloucestershire, and married Florence Ann Moseley on 26 March 1908[14]. The couple had four children. Ernest served with Army Service Corps during WWI[15]. He died in 1970[16].

Thomas Barham appears to have exchanged his life as a baker in Chislehurst to being a milkman in Gloucester. He was described as such when his daughter Ethel was born. He seems then to have expanded into dairy farming and in 1881, he was farming the 16-acre Sheephouse Farm, Tuffley, south of Gloucester, and employing two men[17].

On 18 October 1881, just a few months after the birth of Ada, their second daughter, Lydia Matilda Barham was admitted to Gloucester Lunatic Asylum[18]. Although she was discharged on 24 July 1882, her mental condition was unstable and even as late as the 1911 census, she was described as “mentally afflicted for 30 years (since 1881)”[19].

By 1885, Thomas was a dairyman and cowkeeper at Withy Rows, Brookthorpe[20], however about this time he got into financial trouble. There was a dispute over the payment of rates to three villages in the area – Tuffley, Brookthorpe and Hasecombe – resulting in several court appearances[21], and eventually, on 5 March 1887, he was declared bankrupt and the livestock and equipment on the farm was auctioned off to raise money to go towards the repayment of his debts[22].

The family then moved back into Gloucester and Thomas returned to his original trade of baker, although, as he was an undischarged bankrupt, the business had to be in his wife’s name. This was illustrated by a court case on 24 December 1887 when a child was charge with stealing a bread roll, “property of Lydia Matilda Barham, a baker of Tredworth”, and Thomas was described as “manager for his wife”[23].

In 1891, the family were at 1 Hill View Villa, Tuffley, and Thomas was described as a baker[24], but by the summer of 1893, they were at 21 Castle Street, Tredworth, a Gloucester suburb. Some idea of the property is given in a notice of the sale by auction of the freehold in 1894[25]:

“All that Messuage known as No 21 Castle Street containing front shop, sitting-room, pantry, good bakehouse with first-class oven, back kitchen with furnace, three bedrooms, w.c., with garden and workshop, in the occupation of Mr Thomas Barham, baker. There is a side entrance to the property; it is connected with the City Sewer; and gas and water are laid on.”

Thomas was summoned for “selling bread otherwise than by weight” in January 1896.

An inspector of weights and measures, said he had seen Thomas’s cart with bread for sale and had asked him for his scales, which were not produced. The inspector had previously cautioned Thomas about carrying scales in his cart, and he said he would procure some. In his defence, Thomas contended the bread he sold was fancy bread, and there was no necessity for him to carry scales.

The magistrates, however, “held that the Act required scales to be carried. It was not complained that the defendant sold short weight. However, as this was the first case to come before them, it would be dismissed on payment of costs. The Mayor asked the Press to state, as a caution to bakers, that for the future, in the event of sellers of bread not carrying scales, they would be subject to a fine on conviction.”[26]

The family was still at 21 Castle Street in 1901[27] and Thomas was to remain there until at least 1911 – although the address was changed (before 1906) to 21 Stanley Road[28]. It is possible that Thomas gave up his bakery in June 1911 when he advertised two dough troughs for sale[29].

Lydia was not with her husband in 1911, but at the home of her son and his family not far away in Dainty Street[30]. She may have left Thomas who, it would appear from various court cases, may have been very unpleasant and possibly violent. The comment that she was mentally afflicted was on Thomas’s census return, not on Lydia’s own. She died in Gloucester in 1919[31].

While still a baker, Thomas appears to have developed a sideline treating sick animals and by the end of WWI he had moved to 33 Granville Street[32] and was concentrating on his cures for cows and horses. In 1924, when he was living at 259 Barton Street, he was described as an ointment manufacturer[33]. Thomas Barham died in 1932, aged 85[34].

Thomas’s name frequently appeared in the local newspapers in connection with various court cases – mainly as the plaintiff.

• Ø  1879 Complainant in a case of three boys stealing his whip when he was delivering milk[35]
• Ø  1882 Plaintiff in a case of “alleged improper mowing of grass”[36]
• Ø  1883 Counter-claimant in a case of killing three pigs[37]
• Ø  1884 Plaintiff in an alleged breach of warranty of a horse[38]
• Ø  1889 Defendant in a claim for £2 10s 1d for groceries supplied[39]
• Ø  1892 Complainant in a case of the theft of broccoli sprouts from his garden[40]
• Ø  1893 Defendant in a case of trespass on the Midland Railway line[41]
• Ø  1895 Complainant in an alleged use of threats (a spat over a neighbour’s toddler climbing on his cart)[42]
• Ø  1896 Plaintiff in a claim for “a recipe for a horse cure”[43]
• Ø  1897 Complainant against a lad for stealing a whip, although Thomas’s daughters Ethel and Ada were said to have struck the lad with the whip, who snatched it and broke it[44]
• Ø  1899 Complainant in the alleged use of obscene language and defendant in a counter-claim for assault (another spat with a different neighbour over a toddler’s behaviour[45]
• Ø  1906 Complainant against another neighbour for assault[46]
• Ø  1911 Complainant against a fourth neighbour for using threats[47]
• Ø  1918 Plaintiff in a claim for treatment of a cow[48]
• Ø  1919 Plaintiff in a claim for treatment of a horse[49]
• Ø  1924 Complainant and defendant of counter-claim in a dispute with his landlady[50]

The cases of his disputes with his neighbours are revealing:

In 1895, Thomas claimed that the young child of one of his neighbours, Charles Howells, was playing in an empty cart that stood outside his shop, and as he was causing trouble he asked Howells to take him out, whereupon the father used threatening expressions towards him. Thomas added that this was not the first occasion the man had threatened him. Howells said he only acted in defence of his child, who was only three years of age, and whom Barham had pulled roughly out of the cart.  The magistrates said it was a trivial case and dismissed it on Howells paying 5s 6d costs[51].

Four years later, another neighbour, Alice Dolby was summoned by Thomas for obscene language, while there was a cross-summons for assault on Mrs. Dolby’s little boy, Alfred, who was also only three years old. The affair arose out of the overturning of a truck containing some bread bags by some neighbours’ children. Thomas claimed that this had been encouraged by Mrs Dolby. According to Thomas’s son, Ernest, Mrs Dolby was so pleased with the success of the ruse that she wanted a dozen halfpennies to give the boys a ride round the street. Defence counsel suggested to one female witness that she never heard obscene language in Castle Street, but the witness said: “We all use a bit at times when we are aggravated.” Several witnesses said Thomas had given the lad “a smack” on the face. The chairman said all the witnesses admitted that Mr Barham was continually subject to annoyance, but the cases would be dismissed[52].

In July 1906, Elizabeth Johnson was summoned by Thomas Barham for assault. He claimed that he had asked Mrs Johnson about a small account that had been owing for twelve months. She disputed this, and said it had only been owing since Christmas. He offered to show her the account, and Mrs Johnson followed him to his shop. She put her foot in the door, followed him into the bakehouse, and threw a bucket of water over him, and he had “had a nice cold ever since.” Despite Mrs Johnson’s claim, he had not killed her rabbit, and he disputed her statement that he had been seen on her premises. In court, Mrs Johnson addressed her neighbour and said: “You’re a bad ’un, and two ends of a bad ’un and a nuisance to the street; setting your blooming chimney afire and me having to do my washing over again many a time. If I threw the water over you it did you good to freshen you up a bit. You’re cleaner now that I’ve seen you for many a day.” This evoked laughter. The Bench said she had had provocation, and the case was dismissed on payment of costs, 3s 6d[53].

In 1911, Richard Sadler was summoned for using threats towards Thomas Barham who claimed he had told Sarah Sadler, Richard’s wife, to get off some landed he rented between Central Road and Bloomfield Road, and as a consequence Mr Sadler had followed him about and threatened to give him a good hiding and “knock him inside out.” Under cross-examination, Thomas admitted that he told Mrs Sadler that he would hit her with a hoe, but said this was when she took hold of him, and he told her to keep her hands off. Mr Sadler stated that his wife had told him about Barham’s conduct towards her, and he went to see him and tell him if he heard any more of it there would be trouble. He denied that he had threatened Barham, and had no intention of doing him any harm. The case was dismissed[54].

Finally, when he 77, he had a scrap with his landlady. The reports of the resulting court case were long and the complicated but it boiled down to the fact that Mrs Blick, his landlady, wanted Thomas out and he refused to go. Threats were made and Thomas went to the police for protection. Eventually there was a physical confrontation and Thomas claimed that Mrs Blick came to his room and threatened to rip his eyes out with a darning needle. He had turned her out and claimed Mrs Blick was very violent. She knocked one of his teeth out, he said and she countered that she was bruised badly and her arm still ached. Mrs Blick claimed that Thomas had caused damage to furniture and various fixtures and fittings. The room was in a frightful state, she said, because he made ointment there. When Thomas tried to get his possessions from the room after a five-week absence, she had demanded rent for those five weeks. The judge called the whole business “trumpery”. He ruled that Thomas was entitled to recover £1 17s 6d for rent paid after ejectment. In regard to the counter-claim, there were faults on both sides in the assault, and there would be no damages allowed. Mrs Blick would be allowed 10s for the damage to furniture and 10s for damage to the door. Each side would pay their own costs[55].

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[1] His place of birth is given as Farningham in all seven censuses in which Thomas appears, and his age is usually given to match a birth year of 1847. Farningham parish was in the Dartford registration district, where two babies called Thomas Barham were registered about this time: England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915 Dartford Q2 1847 Vol 5 p99 and England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915 Dartford Q3 1849 Vol 5 p88]

[2] London Metropolitan Archives, Deptford St Paul, Register of Baptism, p75/pau, Item 008 (Ancestry.com London, England, Births and Baptisms, 1813-1906 Lewisham>St Paul, Deptford>1841>image 2); England & Wales, FreeBMD Marriage Index, 1837-1915 Lewisham Q3 1841 Vol 5 p318 (via Ancestry.com)

[3] 1871 England Census Class RG10; Piece 876; Folio 51; Page 4; GSU roll 827772 (Ancestry.com 1871 census Kent>Chislehurst>District 2>image 8)

[4] 1881 England Census Class RG11; Piece 2535; Folio 32; Page 11; GSU roll 1341612 (Ancestry.com 1881 census Gloucestershire>Gloucester St Mary Lode>South Hamlet>District 3>image 7)

[5] 1871 England Census Class RG10; Piece 2621; Folio 61; Page 28; GSU roll 835316 (Ancestry.com 1871 Census Gloucestershire>Barton St Mary>District 13>image 29)

[6] England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915 Gloucester Q2 1878 Vol 6a p326; England & Wales, FreeBMD Death Index, 1837-1915 Gloucester Q3 1878 Vol 6a p169 (via Ancestry.com)

[7] England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915 Gloucester Q4 1846 Vol 11 p365; England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 31 Jan 1847 FHL File No 991283; England & Wales, FreeBMD Death Index, 1837-1915 Gloucester Q1 1910 Vol 6a p210 (via Ancestry.com)

[8] England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915 Gloucester Q4 1879 Vol 6a p321 (via Ancestry.com)

[9] England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915 Gloucester Q3 1881 Vol 6a p303 (via Ancestry.com)

[10] England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915 Wheatenhurst Q1 1885 Vol 6a p326 (via Ancestry.com)

[11] England & Wales, FreeBMD Death Index, 1837-1915 Gloucester Q3 1902 Vol 6a p214 (via Ancestry.com); The Gloucester Citizen 6 August 1902

[12] England & Wales, FreeBMD Marriage Index, 1837-1915 Gloucester Q1 1910 Vol 6a p486 (via Ancestry.com)

[13] England & Wales, FreeBMD Death Index, 1916-2007 Gloucester City Q4 1946 Vol 7b p427; England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1966 1947>R>Ru>image 14 (via Ancestry.com)

[14] England & Wales, FreeBMD Marriage Index, 1837-1915 Gloucester Q1 1908 Vol 6a p467 (via Ancestry.com)

[15] British Army WWI Service Records, 1914-1920 B>Ba>Bar> image 160288 et seq (via Ancestry.com)

[16] England & Wales, Death Index, 1916-2007 Swindon Q4 1970 Vol 7c p2288 (via Ancestry.com)

[17] 1881 England Census Class RG11; Piece 2535; Folio 32; Page 11; GSU roll 1341612 (Ancestry.com 1881 Census Gloucestershire>Gloucester St Mary Lode>South Hamlet>District 3>image 7)

[18] National Archive, Lunacy Patients Admission Registers; Class MH 94; Piece 26 (Ancestry.com UK, Lunacy Patients Admission Registers, 1846-1912 County asylums & hospitals>Piece 26:1881 Jan-1882 Dec> image 68)

[19] 1911 England Census Class RG14; Piece 15322; Schedule Number 120 (Ancestery.com 1911 Census Gloucestershire>Gloucester>Gloucester Southern>District 28>image 240)

[20] Ancestry.com U.K., City and County Directories, 1600s-1900s  England>Gloucestershire>1885 Kelly’s Directory>image 366

[21] The Citizen 29 March 1886; The Citizen 5 March 1887

[22] Gloucester Journal 12 March 1887; The Citizen 21 March 1887

[23] Gloucester Journal 24 December 1887

[24] 1891 England Census Class RG12; Piece 2015; Folio 37; Page 12; GSU roll 6097125 (Ancestry.com 1891 census Gloucestershire>Tuffley>District 4>image 13)

[25] The Citizen 14 March 1894

[26] Gloucester Journal 18 January 1896

[27] 1901 England Census Class RG13; Piece 2431; Folio 149; Page 3 (Ancestry.com 1901 census Gloucestershire>Gloucester>South Hamlet>District 31>image 4)

[28] 1911 England Census Class RG14; Piece 15322; Schedule Number 120 (Ancestery.com 1911 Census Gloucestershire>Gloucester>Gloucester Southern>District 28>image 240)

[29] The Citizen 17 and 19 June 1911

[30] 1911 England Census Class RG14; Piece 15313; Schedule Number 140 (Ancestery.com 1911 Census Gloucestershire>Gloucester>Gloucester Southern>District 19>image 280)

[31] England & Wales, Death Index, 1916-2007 Gloucester Q1 1919 Vol 6a p544 (via Ancestry.com)

[32] Gloucester Journal 9 November 1918

[33] The Citizen 8 January 1924; Cheltenham Chronicle & Gloucestershire Graphic 12 January 1924

[34] England & Wales, Death Index, 1916-2007 Gloucester Q3 1932 Vol 6a p296 (via Ancestry.com)

[35] The Citizen 12 December 1879

[36] The Citizen 9 August 1882

[37] The Citizen 21 February 1883

[38] The Citizen 20 February 1884

[39] The Citizen 18 July 1889

[40] The Citizen 16 April 1892

[41] The Citizen 2 August 1893

[42] The Citizen 31 July 1895

[43] Gloucester Journal 21 March 1896; Gloucestershire Chronicle 21 March 1896

[44] The Citizen 1 March 1897

[45] Gloucester Journal 5 August 1899

[46] The Citizen 30 July 1906; Gloucester Journal 4 August 1906

[47] The Citizen 14 June 1911

[48] Gloucester Journal 9 November 1918

[49] Gloucester Journal 18 January 1919; Gloucester Journal 15 March 1919

[50] The Citizen 8 January 1924; Cheltenham Chronicle & Gloucestershire Graphic 12 January 1924

[51] The Citizen 31 July 1895

[52] Gloucester Journal 5 August 1899

[53] The Citizen 30 July 1906; Gloucester Journal 4 August 1906

[54] The Citizen 14 June 1911

[55] The Citizen 8 January 1924; Cheltenham Chronicle & Gloucestershire Graphic 12 January 1924