ISAAC BARRITT

[Stanley]

I got this mail this morning.

Hi Stanley,
My great grandfather was Isaac Barritt, so you could imagine how excited I
was to see those old photos of him as headmaster of the Wesleyan school on
the archived site. Billy Brooks spoke about him when you interviewed him
for the Lancashire Textile Project as well. I have no idea how I missed
finding this site before now.
I think I'm a bit young to have a great-grandfather who lived 130 years
ago, but my grandfather was in his mid 40s when my dad was born and my dad
was in his 30s, so here we are. We moved to Canada in 1973, so I have to do
my family history research online, unfortunately.
I was wondering if you knew where those old photos came from?
My dad never knew his grandfather, so anything I could find for him would
be much appreciated.
I visited my aunt & uncle in Yorkshire back in 1985 and instantly fell in
love with it, but I haven't made it back since, sadly.
Thank you so much for sharing the history of this lovely part of the world.

All the best,

Catherine Bell nee Barritt

Can anyone help please?

[Stanley]

It looks as though I am on a dry well here! Has nobody got any ideas?

[Wendyf]

I have been looking for the photos in question to see who posted them originally. You posted them on this version of the site Stanley but I can't find them on the archived site. I've tried various search criteria on Google but can't have used the same one as Catherine did!

[Wendyf]

Stanley, you used the photos in a post back in 2007. One clue to where they might have come from, you mention that one lad in the photo is called Fred Watkinson.

http://archive.oneguyfrombarlick.co.uk/ ... of+Barlick

[cateyb]

Many thanks to everyone who's looking for the source of the photos.
I would be interested in any information about Isaac Barritt, his wife, Alice Wood, or their son, Joseph Luther Barritt (my grandpa).
Alice Wood's youngest brother, Joseph, also emigrated to Canada around 1900. He settled in Manitoba and one of his descendants sent me a copy of a letter Isaac wrote to their great grandmother in 1892. His address at that time was Colne Edge, Colne. Would that be nearby?

[Stanley]

I couldn't find the original pic but here's one that might interest Catherine. Class 1 Wesleyan School about 1885.
Cathy, if you left click on the image and select 'save image as' you can save it to a file on your computer.

[Wendyf]

Welcome to One guy Cathy.
I'm happy to do some research for you, what information do you have already about Isaac and his family? No point me telling you stuff you already know!
Stanley that is one of the photos with Isaac Barritt as headmaster. The other one is of a different class but is very similar and you noted that Fred Watkinson is on the front row of the other photo, which makes me think they might have a connection to the Watkinson family.
Colne is a few miles from Barlick Cathy and Colne Edge is an area to the north of Colne around Red Lane.

[plaques]

His address at that time was Colne Edge, Colne. Would that be nearby?

We live on Colne Edge. Which now is basically 'Red Lane'. In 1882 there would have been very few houses in this area. Either small farm houses which generally speaking still exist but may have been modified in some respect or the start of the development of some big houses, mill owners and the like. but again very few. Do you have a house name to go with the 'Colne Edge'?

[Wendyf]

Isaac was born in 1860 in Foulridge and christened in 1861 at Christ Church, Colne.
1871 the family are still in Foulridge, 1881 they are on Doughty Street in Colne where Isaac is already listed as a schoolteacher.
1891 and 1901 he is living in the school house on Rainhall Road, Barnoldswick.
When he died in 1910 he was living at Bleak House, Barnoldswick.
No reference to Colne Edge yet Cathy, perhaps he could have been staying with someone when the letter was written?


Couldn't help having a quick look! You probably know all this already!

[noyna]

Barritt is a common name in Foulridge, and there are still people of that name in the village. The Barritt family has farmed at Hill Top since at least the 18th. Century, probably longer

[Stanley]

I've given her a nudge.....

[cateyb]

Thank you all so much.
The letter was an invitation to his mother-in-law's funeral; perhaps he used her address. Joseph Wood & Isabella Clark were his wife, Alice's parents. Joseph died in 1878 and Isabella died in 1892.
I did know he lived in Bleak House. I assume he was a great admirer of literature, so it would have been fitting. He named his second daughter Isabella Bronte. I don't remember her, but my dad was very fond of his Auntie Bronte.

[cateyb]

I will say researching the Barritt name is a bit of a challenge as people seemed to spell it however they pleased. Also, everyone back then seemed to be employed in some way or other by the mills, so trying to differentiate someone through the census records by their occupation is challenging as well.

Isaac Barritt's parents were William Barritt & Olivetta Hartley, I've also seen her listed as Olive. The Barritts and Hartleys are connected in many different branches and there are several cousins with the same name, so it's difficult to keep everyone straight. Having said that, when I find someone with the middle name Olivetta, it's rather easy to assume they're a relation

According to William & Olivetta's marriage record, his father was Isaac, but that's as far back as I've been able to go.

[Stanley]

Keep digging.......

[plaques]

I'm getting a little confused here. Bleak House Barnoldswick is on Hodge Lane at the top of Manchester Rd. (Tubber Hill) but in one of the old OG postings Stanley has this entry ...
Undated reference.
Edgar Sagar was the son of John Sagar of Bleak House on Holt Lane. He lived at Eastcliffe on Tubber Hill which was built for him by John Sagar.

Is the 'Holt Lane' a mistake? It would make more sense if it was Hodge Lane. Sagar Ref Also references to Barrett? which makes one think there could? be a connection.

[cateyb]

bleak house.jpg

I found the attached photo of what I presume is Bleak House, I can't find it on google maps.
I know Isaac was living there when he died in 1910, as per the probate calendar. The family was also living there in the 1911 census. The 1901 census shows they were still living at the Wesleyan school house. My dad always thought Isaac had the house built, but doesn't know for certain.

[Stanley]

P. Almost certainly a transcription error in the undated reference I found. I've dug out the original...
Undated reference. Edgar Sagar was the son of John Sagar of Bleak House on Holt Lane. He lived at Eastcliffe on Tubber Hill which was built for him by John Sagar.

[Wendyf]

On Ancestry I found a baptism in 1810 and a marriage in 1828 for Isaac Barritt of Foulridge, both at the parish church in Colne. There is also a baptism for William with parents Isaac and Margaret ( I'm saying that now without checking the name, I'll look it up later ). Do you have Ancestry Cathy? The St Bartholomew's parish records on there go back to the 17th century.
I also found a few references to the later Isaac in local newspapers which I can post on here. He was well known as a speaker and is regularly mentioned. There is also a short obituary and a couple of short items about your grandfather during the war.
We walked past Bleak House recently and I'm sure there is a date stone outside.

[plaques]

We walked past Bleak House recently and I'm sure there is a date stone outside.

Cateyb's photo shows the date stone as 1904. Probably a more recent addition but no reason to doubt its accuracy. Google maps doesn't go down Hodge Lane that's why you can't find it.

Bleak House B'lick.JPG

[Wendyf]

Thanks P, I didn't look closely at the photo!

[Stanley]

The 1937 OS has it clearly.

[noyna]

For access to Parish Church records, you may find this site useful: http://www.lan-opc.org.uk/

[cateyb]

Thank you all so much. It's lovely that the house is still there, perhaps one day I can see it in person.
Wendy, it would be wonderful if you could post anything Isaac related I do have access to ancestry so I shall poke around some more now that I know where to focus my search.

[Stanley]

Sounds like progress. (I told you they were good!)

[Wendyf]

I've snipped a few cuttings from the British Newspaper Archive. I hope you can download them and read them reasonably clearly!

wedding Joseph Luther Barritt.JPG

Despatches.JPG

29th january 1910 Burnley gazette.JPG