James Barham (1785 – 1846)
Painter, Plumber and Glazier
Elizabeth Hazelton
After Mary's death in 1821 James had eight children by Elizabeth
Hazelton. This section considers James and Elizabeth and these children. For other aspects of James' life see the following
links:
When James' wife Mary died in 1821 he was left with a family of five
children aged 7 to 13. He was living in Greenhithe and his parents
were still alive, living in Sutton-at-Hone (about five miles away). His
brother Robert also lived locally, in Northfleet (about three miles
away). However James, who was now 35 and from all accounts successful in
his business must have been in a position to employ domestic help.
Elizabeth Hazelton
In 1824 James had another child, Elizabeth
whose parents were recorded as James and Elizabeth Barham.
Elizabeth had presumably been engaged by James to care for the children
and although the relationship had become considerably closer it is clear
from later evidence that they never married.
Elizabeth was born in
Luddesdown, Kent in 1799, the daughter of Francis and Hanna
Hazelton. Luddesdown is a hamlet on the North Downs, between
Cuxton and Meopham. It has a tiny church, complete with graveyard and
headstones and the Parish Records show that the Hazeltons (also spelt
Haselden, Hayselden, Hazleton amongst many others) lived there in the
late 18th century. One baptism entry describes her parents as “paupers”.
After the birth of Elizabeth Francis and Hannah moved to Meopham, where
her youngest brother, Richard was born. According to the 1851 and 1861
censuses Richard had moved to Swanscombe
where he was working as a dairyman.
Elizabeth was therefore 15 years younger than James and during the next 16 years James and Elizabeth produced at least 8 children.
Eight children
The first child, Elizabeth, was
born in 1824. James mother had died the previous year and one
would suspect that James and Elizabeth were not married might be
controversial. Two years later a son
George was born, but he drowned in the Thames before his
eleventh birthday.
Over the next 14 years James and Elizabeth had a further
six children. Charles was
born on 9th July 1828 and another son
Richard was born on 4th April 1830. They were
followed by two daughters, Emma born
on 21st October 1832 and Louisa
born in 1835. Finally there were another two son,
Frederick George, born on 14th
August 1837 and Thomas born in
1840. On each of the baptism records James was
described as a glazier.
In 1841 the family was listed in the census living in
Greenhithe and James’ occupation was described as “Painter”
James dies
James died on 10th October 1846, aged 61, at Greenhithe, of
“Dis’d Kidneys Dis’d Liver, Asites, Anasarca [an archaic term
for oedema]". Although this
gives no exact pathology, these features are compatible with lead
poisoning. His occupation was described a “Plumber Glazier”
and the informant on the death certificate was his son Alfred. Elizabeth was thus left a widow at the age of 43, with 7
children ranging from 6 to 22.
James left a will and this is the subject of the next
section The
will of James Barham
