The Barnard Family of Bury Hall

Bury (or Bury’s) Hall is one of the oldest properties in Great Ellingham.

Members of the Barnard family have lived at Bury Hall since at least 1780 and possibly much earlier. There are entries for the Barnard family in the Great Ellingham Parish Registers from at least 1683.

1833: Death of Mrs Barnard the Widow of Mr James Barnard of Bury-Hall

The Norfolk Chronicle and Norwich Gazette of May 11th, 1833 reported the death of “Mrs Barnard widow of the late Mr James Barnard of Bury-Hall, Great Ellingham”. She was stated to be at an advanced age. No first name is given for Mrs Barnard.

1830: James Barnard dies at Great Ellingham

Nearly two years earlier, the edition of the Norwich Mercury of September 4th, 1830 included a brief mention of the death “at Great Ellingham Mr James Barnard”. No further information was provided.

I cannot find corresponding burials for James Barnard and his wife in the Great Ellingham Parish Registers. It is possible that the couple attended the local Baptist Church.

1800: James Barnard at Bury Hall

There is reference to a James Barnard at Bury Hall in the Particulars and Valuation of the Parish of Great Ellingham. The Valuation was undertaken in 1800 by the Commissioners for the purposes of the inclosures.

James Barnard held land and Bury Hall (with outbuildings, barns, stables, yards, garden and orchard) for Lord Walsingham who was at that time owned freehold land in Great Ellingham and was also Lord of the ‘Manor of Bury Hall’. I believe James Barnard occupied Bury Hall on a long Lease from Lord Walsingham.

This James Barnard is probably the James Barnard who died in 1830.

1780: Jacob Carter Publicly Apologises to Mr James Barnard Jnr of Bury-Hall for speaking False & Malicious Words

The Norfolk Chronicle of June 3rd, 1780 contained a Notice inserted at the instruction and expense of Jacob Carter, farmer, of Great Ellingham.

In the Notice, Jacob Carter acknowledges that he had on or about the 8th May 1780, in public, spoke “several false and malicious words tending to injure the character and reputation of Mr James Barnard Jnr of Bury-Hall, Great Ellingham”.

Jacob Carter also stated that the words were untrue and thanked Mr Barnard for his leniency and kindness in not commencing actions at law against him. Local man Daniel Lister witnessed Jacob Carter’s signature to the Notice.

James & Sarah Barnard of Bury Hall

The census returns confirm that the James Barnard mentioned on the above headstone (with wife Sarah) was James Barnard born at Roughton in North Norfolk around the year 1787. The census returns also reveal that Sarah Barnard was born in Great Ellingham.

Marriage

A marriage took place in Great Ellingham Parish Church on December 7th, 1817 between James Barnard of Costessey and Sarah Rose of Great Ellingham. Both James and Sarah were single and both signed the church register. The marriage was witnessed by James Barnard Senior and James Rose.

Sarah Rose daughter of William & Phillis Rose

Working back from the age for Sarah inscribed on the headstone, Sarah was born in Great Ellingham around 1794. There is a baptism for a Sarah Rose daughter of William Rose and his wife Phillis (late Phillis Hannant) in the Great Ellingham Parish Register for June 8th, 1794.

Census Returns: James & Sarah Barnard

The census of 1841 shows James and Sarah Barnard with children living at Bury Hall.

The family are still living there in 1851. James Barnard is described as a 62 year old farmer of 251 acres and an employer of 11 men and 6 boys. With James is his wife Sarah aged 57 and children Maria Ann aged 29 (born in Costessey), 20 year old Sarah and William aged 15. Sarah and William were born in Great Ellingham. The family have a house servant, 21 year old Maria Barnard born Little Melton.

James Barnard and his wife Sarah (nee Rose) are still at Bury Hall in 1861. Son William (26) described as a farmer’s son is with his parents. 16 year old local girl Charlotte Carter is the domestic servant.

William Barnard, Farmer at Bury Hall

By 1871, James Barnard is widowed. His wife Sarah having died in 1868. The census shows James’s son William Barnard now the head of the household at Bury Hall.

William is described as a farmer of 236 acres employing 10 labourers and 2 boys. 82 year old James Barnard is living with his son. They have a housekeeper, 30 year old single woman Esther Hill born Besthorpe. James Barnard died two years later on July 28th, 1873.

William Barnard & Harriet Clarke

William Barnard continued to live at Bury Hall. He married Harriet Clarke in 1879. A marriage was registered in the 2nd Quarter of 1879 in the Norwich District between William Barnard and Harriet Clarke.

The 1881 census finds William and Harriet at Burys Hall Farm with sons James H aged 1 and three month old George William. The family have a servant, 13 year old Sarah Jane Reynolds.

1891: New Occupiers of Bury Hall

The Barnard family moved out of Bury Hall before 1891. The census of that year shows the Rushbrooke family in residence at Bury Hall.

By 1901, Bury Hall was occupied by another family – William and Annie Downes with their nine children. The Downes family was still residing at Bury Hall in 1911.

Sources:
1841 census HO107/781/8
1851 census HO107/1823/133
1861 census RG9/1237/98
1871 census RG10/1841/95
1881 census RG11/1974/94
1891 census RG12/1549/80
1901 census RG13/1867/80
1911 census RG14/11473/138
Norwich Mercury September 4th, 1830
Norfolk Chronicle & Norwich Gazette May 11th, 1833
Norfolk Chronicle June 3rd, 1780
1800 Inclosure Commissioner’s Particulars and Valuation held at Norfolk Record Office Catalogue Ref: MC 2213/119, 941X7
Great Ellingham Parish Registers Norfolk Record Office PD/609. Also available at FamilySearch.org https://www.familysearch.org/search/image/index?owc=4J8C-CB7%3A29627201%3Fcc%3D1416598
GRO Index – Free BMD website http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?cite=6pjDLljwG4XSQPy%2B1Ykeqg&scan=1 accessed 23.05.2019