At home with the Bartletts

PORTESHAM couple Henry and Lucy Bartlett left behind a large brood when they died in 1900 and 1913 respectively.

Later this month many of the 150 grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great grandchildren of Henry and Lucy will attend a family gathering in the village.

Their great-grandson Colin Dawe tells the story of his ancestors.

Henry Bartlett was a baker in the village in the latter part of the 19th century; his bakery was at the rear of his house in Back Street, near the springhead pond. Henry was born in 1842, the son of John Bartlett, a local carpenter, and his wife Ann Rycroft who was born in central London. He was the only one of seven siblings to be baptised by a Methodist minister and was to become a strict Methodist in adult life. At the age of 19 he married a local girl, Sarah Hayne, but sadly the marriage was short-lived, as she died just four months later. In 1867, at the age of 25, he married another Portesham girl, Lucy Jolliffe, aged 23. Between 1868 and 1890 Henry and Lucy had eleven children Edwin, Julia, Isabella, Henry (Jack'), Emmie, George, Lilly Annie, Lydia (Dit'), Walter (Garth'), Arthur and Fred. Isabella died in infancy but the other children survived and married. There are more than 150 known direct descendants from this Bartlett Family.

The eldest child Edwin married Georgina Darke, a girl from Stepney, and they lived in numerous locations across southern England, where Edwin did casual work, for example, as a grocery shop assistant. On the birth of their first child in 1896, they posed with Henry and Lucy.

Henry is at the top left and Lucy at the bottom right. Behind Lucy stands her father Robert Jolliffe, who, when in his 30s, lived in Portesham House as a servant for Augusta Hardy (the youngest sister of Sir Thomas Masterman Hardy). Robert lived until 1910, dying at the grand age of 94.

The eldest daughter Julia married Sylvester Sandford and raised children in Dorchester where Julia and Sylvester ran the Family and Commercial Hotel in South Street.

Jack, meanwhile, married Annie Godden and continued the bakery business after the death of his father.

Emmie married Frank Peaty in 1898 and moved to Bridport to run the shoe shop at 6 East Street, which still exists today. In another photograph, they are pictured on their wedding day.

George married Emmie Gratton from Lyme Regis and they raised children in various parts of Dorset and Devon. Lilly Annie married Charlie Marshallsay from Chickerell.

They ran The Fountain Inn in Portesham and a bakery nearby until 1913, when their furniture and effects were packed in a trailer and towed by steam traction engine to Dorchester where they began a new life. The youngest daughter Dit married Walter Tucker.

They lived in Dorchester and Uplyme bringing up eight children.

Fourth son Garth married Charlie Marshallsay's sister Lillie. Garth can be seen in one photograph on his bread delivery round at Portesham in the 1900s and in another, taken in about 1908 at Portesham, in the passenger seat of a car with his wife, Lillie, behind him. Next to Lillie is Garth's sister Julia and driving the car is Julia's husband Sylvester.

Sylvester died in 1914, aged 49, in the first fatal car accident in Dorchester.

The district postmaster was passenger in Sylvester's taxi when it collided with a horse and cart on Grove Hill. Arthur left Portesham in 1900, aged 14, after the death of his father and went to work in his sister Emmie's shoe shop.

He can be seen in a photograph several years later as gamekeeper on the Strangways Estate.

In Weymouth Arthur met and married Essie Le Breton, from Jersey. Between 1924 and 1939 he was often seen driving the Weymouth Fire Engine.

The youngest son Fred married Maud Barrett and they moved away to Sussex.

The final photo shows the Portesham Football Team around 1908. It includes the three youngest boys, Garth, Arthur and Fred Bartlett, as well as Charlie Marshallsay, who had married their sister Lillie Annie.

Henry regularly preached in the Portesham Methodist Chapel.

When he died in 1900 special permission was granted for his burial in the graveyard of St Peter's Church. There is a plaque on the wall of the Methodist schoolroom recording his 29 years as schoolroom superintendent. Lucy died 13 years later.

n If you are one of the many descendants of the couple and would like to join the gathering, contact Colin Dawe on 01305 788156 or colinenu80@tiscali.co.uk PORTESHAM couple Henry and Lucy Bartlett left behind a large brood when they died in 1900 and 1913 respectively.

Later this month many of the 150 grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great grandchildren of Henry and Lucy will attend a family gathering in the village.

Their great-grandson Colin Dawe tells the story of his ancestors.

Henry Bartlett was a baker in the village in the latter part of the 19th century; his bakery was at the rear of his house in Back Street, near the springhead pond. Henry was born in 1842, the son of John Bartlett, a local carpenter, and his wife Ann Rycroft who was born in central London. He was the only one of seven siblings to be baptised by a Methodist minister and was to become a strict Methodist in adult life. At the age of 19 he married a local girl, Sarah Hayne, but sadly the marriage was short-lived, as she died just four months later. In 1867, at the age of 25, he married another Portesham girl, Lucy Jolliffe, aged 23. Between 1868 and 1890 Henry and Lucy had eleven children Edwin, Julia, Isabella, Henry (Jack'), Emmie, George, Lilly Annie, Lydia (Dit'), Walter (Garth'), Arthur and Fred. Isabella died in infancy but the other children survived and married. There are more than 150 known direct descendants from this Bartlett Family.

The eldest child Edwin married Georgina Darke, a girl from Stepney, and they lived in numerous locations across southern England, where Edwin did casual work, for example, as a grocery shop assistant. On the birth of their first child in 1896, they posed with Henry and Lucy.

Henry is at the top left and Lucy at the bottom right. Behind Lucy stands her father Robert Jolliffe, who, when in his 30s, lived in Portesham House as a servant for Augusta Hardy (the youngest sister of Sir Thomas Masterman Hardy). Robert lived until 1910, dying at the grand age of 94.

The eldest daughter Julia married Sylvester Sandford and raised children in Dorchester where Julia and Sylvester ran the Family and Commercial Hotel in South Street.

Jack, meanwhile, married Annie Godden and continued the bakery business after the death of his father.

Emmie married Frank Peaty in 1898 and moved to Bridport to run the shoe shop at 6 East Street, which still exists today. In another photograph, they are pictured on their wedding day.

George married Emmie Gratton from Lyme Regis and they raised children in various parts of Dorset and Devon. Lilly Annie married Charlie Marshallsay from Chickerell.

They ran The Fountain Inn in Portesham and a bakery nearby until 1913, when their furniture and effects were packed in a trailer and towed by steam traction engine to Dorchester where they began a new life. The youngest daughter Dit married Walter Tucker.

They lived in Dorchester and Uplyme bringing up eight children.

Fourth son Garth married Charlie Marshallsay's sister Lillie. Garth can be seen in one photograph on his bread delivery round at Portesham in the 1900s and in another, taken in about 1908 at Portesham, in the passenger seat of a car with his wife, Lillie, behind him. Next to Lillie is Garth's sister Julia and driving the car is Julia's husband Sylvester.

Sylvester died in 1914, aged 49, in the first fatal car accident in Dorchester.

The district postmaster was passenger in Sylvester's taxi when it collided with a horse and cart on Grove Hill. Arthur left Portesham in 1900, aged 14, after the death of his father and went to work in his sister Emmie's shoe shop.

He can be seen in a photograph several years later as gamekeeper on the Strangways Estate.

In Weymouth Arthur met and married Essie Le Breton, from Jersey. Between 1924 and 1939 he was often seen driving the Weymouth Fire Engine.

The youngest son Fred married Maud Barrett and they moved away to Sussex.

The final photo shows the Portesham Football Team around 1908. It includes the three youngest boys, Garth, Arthur and Fred Bartlett, as well as Charlie Marshallsay, who had married their sister Lillie Annie.

Henry regularly preached in the Portesham Methodist Chapel.

When he died in 1900 special permission was granted for his burial in the graveyard of St Peter's Church. There is a plaque on the wall of the Methodist schoolroom recording his 29 years as schoolroom superintendent. Lucy died 13 years later.

• If you are one of the many descendants of the couple and would like to join the gathering, contact Colin Dawe on 01305 788156 or colinenu80@tiscali.co.uk