The Barritts of the Fenlands - Page 11
Ebenezer Barritt, son of Robert and Sophia Barritt
Ebenezer Barritt, son of Robert & Sophia The fifth son of Robert and Sophia, Ebenezer was born at Feltwell, 13th August 1855 and his mother registered the birth on 3rd September following.
Ebenezer's son Jack, in a chapter entitled "A Journey to London" in his book "Tales from the Fens", gives an account of his father's first journey to London. As a small boy, Ebenezer in the company of Old Jacob, a freight carrier, made the journey in a waggon drawn by three horses. On the return journey one of the articles carried was a large bell which had to be delivered to the church under construction at St John, Little Ouse.
When he was aged 25 he married Eliza Gotobed, daughter of John Gotobed, a labourer of Littleport. The marriage took place at Tottenham parish church, North London, on 30th December 1880, one of the witnesses being his younger brother Thomas who had moved to London about four years previously. As they were married after banns, it would appear that they were residents of Tottenham.
They soon moved to Norfolk and by April of 1881 they were living in Farthing Drove, Brandon Creek, or "The Fardens" as it was known locally. Their only son, Ebenezer, was horn 22nd November of that year and baptised at the Primitive Methodist Chapel, Brandon Creek, 19th February, 1882. Eliza had died soon after the birth of young Ebenezer and he too died in infancy on 16th February 1884 and was buried in the churchyard of St John, Little Ouse.
By trade, Ebenezer was a carpenter and wheelwright and was employed in the workshop of Plantation House on the road between Littleport Bridge and Brandon Creek Bridge.
As a widower, Ebenezer married Elizabeth Barber, a dressmaker of Wisbech Road, Littleport, at the Wesicyan Methodist Chapel, Littleport on 20th June 1887. Ebenezer and Elizabeth lived in a timber built house at Brandon Creek on the Norfolk side of the Little Ouse, near the bridge. There they had seven children:
Ebenezer, a soldier in the Suffolk Regiment; Lizzie, who went into service at Wood Green and later lived in Littleport and was a Primitive Methodist lay preacher; Walter Henry, known as Jack, who was a gardener and author of books about fenland and folklore; Bertram, a head gardener at an estate in Leatherhead; Mary, who married a farmer of Littleport, Robert, a bricklayer's labourer of Littleport and the youngest, George who died in infancy.
Ebenezer was a deeply religious man and was a well-known lay preacher in the Primitive Methodist circuit It was not unusual, so his son Jack told me, for him to arise early Sunday morning, leave his family, walk many miles to take a service at a remote chapel in the fen and then walk home again.
Ebenezer collapsed and died at his place of work, Plantation Farm workshop on 17th June 1909. The burial was at St John, Little Ouse, the undertaker being Abel Barritt, his nephew.
The burial service should have been according to the rites of the Primitive Methodists, but the procession was met at the church gates by the parson who took charge and conducted the Church of England service. The parson then turned to Joe Gotobed, a Methodist and brother of Ebenezer's first wife, and said "Ebenezer Barritt was a great friend of mine and I have buried him according to my religion -now you bury him according to yours". That is how Ebenezer came to have two burial services read over him.
Ebenezer's widow, Elizabeth left Brandon Creek and moved to Factory Lane (now White Hart Lane), so called because at one end was Hope Brothers shirt factory, in Littleport. She later lived at 14 The Crescent, Littleport with her son Robert.
Ebenezer and Elizabeth's grandson, Gordon Barrett, has in his possession a few letters written by Ebenezer to his daughter Lizzie, in service at Wood Green, giving her news of the family and neighbours. Also an interesting letter to Lizzie from her mother written 27th October 1916, who was now living in Littleport. She tells of the gas having just been laid on and she has a green globe in the front room and a white one in the kitchen. The green one cost 3s 6d and the white one 2s 9d. She put 1s 0d in the meter the first night, three weeks ago, and has not had to put any more in since. Her son Ebenezer made her an allowance from the Army and she was concerned that this would stop if he got married. Elizabeth was buried 7th June 1941 in Littleport Cemetery, aged 79.
I was told by Lizzie, Ebenezer and Elizabeth's eldest daughter that whilst she was still at school, her father told her that from henceforth they would spell their name Barrett.
© Ron Barritt - March 1995