Charles and Eliza started their married life in Greenhithe and their first two children were born there. The eldest, Charles Jessop, died at 8 months but another son , Charles James, was born in 1857 or 1858.  This is clear from later censuses giving his place of birth as Greenhithe and ages consistent with birth in 1857/8. However there is no record of this in either the Swanscombe Parish records or in the index of births. He seems not to be registered nor to have been baptised.

1861 census - Northfleet

Their next child, Herbert Sargent Barham, was born in Northfleet on 5th September 1859. The 1861 census confirms their presence in Northfleet (a few miles East of Swanscombe on the North Kent coast), It is of interest that also living in Northfleet at the time was a William Barham and his family. He was a carpenter, and born in Frant, Sussex in 1838. There is no evidence of any relationship with Charles.

Charles was not the first member of the family to set up as a plumber, painter and glazier in Norrhfleet. Some 50 years earlier his uncle Robert had moved there with his family.  He died the year before Charles was born but his aunt Elizaberh was srill living there in 1841 with three of her sons.  She died in 1849 - two years later her youngest daughter Harriet was the only Barham left in Northfleet and none of this branch of the family were there when Charles took up residence.

Eliza was aged 30 at the time of the 1861 census and it confirms Sheerness as her date of birth. However her name is given as “Elizabeth”, a source of some confusion as this was the name of her younger sister (who had been a witness at the wedding). On every other occasion she is described as “Eliza” or “Elisa”.  Charles gives his occupation as "Plumber and Painter".

Name	Relation	Condition	Age	Sex	Occupation	Born
Charles  Barham	Head	Married	32	Male	Plumber & Painter	Greenhithe
Elizabeth A Barham	Wife	Married	30	Female		Sheerness
Charles J Barham	Son	Unmarried	4	Male		Greenhithe
Herbert S Barham	Son	Unmarried	1	Male		Northfleet

Eliza gave birth to a further four children in Northfleet, all girls,  Clara Eliza was born on 1st June 1861, Bertha Emily on 26th August 1862 and Alice Ada in 1865.  They had a further girl, Elizabeth Louisa, a year later, but she died soon after birth.

Erith

After 10 years or so they moved to Erith, a rapidly developing town to the west of Dartford and the home of many Barhams for the next 30 years.  This is not however the first contact with Erith by the family as the Sargents, Eliza’s family, lived there and her younger brother, Richard, was born there in 1844. They are recorded on the 1841 census but strangely Eliza is not listed. Charles' sister Emma's husband John Reed also came from Erith.

Their final child, Louisa Elizabeth, was born there in 1871. (It would seem that Charles and Louisa liked to commemorate their infant deaths by naming subsequent children after them.)   

1871 census - Erith

In the first census after their arrival in Erith both Charles and his eldest son Charles James are described in the census as plumbers, but strangely the younger son Herbert Sargent was not listed.  The solution to this mystery is shown in the account of his life as he was living close by with his grandfather Richard Sargent and aunt Elizabeth..Richard had retired from his job as coastguard and was running a beerhouse called "The Locomotive"

Four daughters had been added to the family, Clara (b. 1862), Bertha (b. 1863), Alice (b. 1865) and Louisa (b. 1871). Alice had been born in Northfleet, so they must have moved to Erith sometime after 1865.

Name	Relation	Condition	Age	Sex	Occupation	Born
Charles  Barham	Head	Married	41	Male	Plumber	Kent, Greenhithe
Eliza Barham	Wife	Married	40	Female		Kent, Sheerness
Charles J Barham	Son	Unmarried	14	Male	Plumber	Kent, Greenhithe
Clara E Barham	Daughter	Unmarried	9	Female	Scholar	Kent, Northfleet
Bertha E Barham	Daughter	Unmarried	8	Female	Scholar	Kent, Northfleet
Alice Barham	Daughter	Unmarried	5	Female	Scholar	Kent, Northfleet
Louise  Barham	Daughter	Unmarried	3 mo	Female		Kent, Erith

1881 census - Erith

The 1881 census shows they were living at 27, High Street, Erith. Louisa is on this occasion listed under her second name, Elizabeth. Charles H is described as a plumber and decorator, but once again Herbert is not present.

Name	Relation	Condition	Age	Sex	Occupation	Born
Charles  Barham	Head	Married	52	Male	Plumber & Decorator	Greenhithe
Eliza Barham	Wife	Married	50	Female		Sheerness
Charles Barham	Son	Unmarried	24	Male	Builder & Decorator	Greenhithe
Clara Barham	Daughter	Unmarried	19	Female	Plumber's daughter	Northfleet
Bertha Barham	Daughte;r	Unmarried	18	Female	Plumber's daughter	Northfleet
Alice Barham	Daughter	Unmarried	15	Female	Plumber's daughter	Northfleet
Elizabeth Barham	Daughter	Unmarried	10	Female	Scholar	Erith

For the final section of Charles' life see Retirement