Rebecca Barnes was born to John and Mary
Barnes in 1810 and baptised at St. Michael's, Heckfield on March 11th
1810. At the age of 22 and unmarried, Rebecca gave birth to a baby
daughter, who she names Mary Ann. On the 1841 census, mother and
daughter are both living in a cottage 'near the brick kiln'.
Contemporary maps show the location of Brick Kiln Farm and Brick Kiln
Copse, both situated on the road to Mattingley. Mary Ann is now 8 years
old and this is the last we hear of her - maybe by the time of the 1851
census she had died or married, although looking at the death and
marriage entries for the relevant period, there are more likely
candidates for her death entry that for a marriage.
Rebecca appears on the 1851 as living at the Turnpike Gates, a short
distance from Brick Kiln Farm going north towards Heckfield. She is
still there ten years later, although now the property is described as
the "Toll Gates". Rebecca is the housekeeper there. Rebecca is listed on
the 1871 census for Mattingley, she is living alone, aged 60 and no
occupation is shown. By 1881, Rebecca has fallen on hard times and is an
inmate in the Hartley Wintney Union Workhouse. Rebecca dies in 1889 and
is buried in Heckfield on the 12th October 1889 aged 79 years. It
has not been possible to find her grave. In her entire life she was
never more than five miles from where she was born. |
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