Martha (Cooper) Barber (1848 - abt. 1886)

Born 5 Sep 1848 in Sheringham, Norfolk, England

Ancestors

Wife of Robert Barber — married 24 May 1865 in Yarmouth, Norfolk, England

Biography

Martha (Cooper) Barber was born in Sheringham, Norfolk, England.

Martha Cooper was born on 5 September 1848 in Sheringham, Norfolk, England, the daughter of Robert Cooper and Elizabeth Grice.^{[1] [2]}

She was baptised on 2 October 1848 in Sheringham. ^[1]

In 1851 Martha was living in Sheringham with her parents and 2 siblings. Her father was a fisherman. ^[3]

Her mother died in 1856.

In 1861 Martha was with her aunt and uncle, Susan and Daniel Hardy in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. Her uncle was a net ransacker; Martha,like her aunt, was a beatster. ^[4]

In the November of that year, Martha's father and brother drowned at sea in fierce storms. An appeal was made to the public which raised £52. Martha and her brother both received £4 1s from the appeal fund.

When Martha was 16 she married Robert Barber on 24 May 1865 in St Nicholas' church, Yarmouth. ^[5][6] The couple had at least 3 children.

In 1871 and 1881 Martha was living in Oulton, Suffolk with her husband and children. Her husband was a fisherman. ^{[7] [8]}

Martha died at the age of 36 and was buried on 4 January 1886 in Norfolk.^[9]

Research Notes

• A ransacker was a man who checked fishing nets for damage; a beatster was a woman whose repaired the damaged nets.
• A note on the loss of the fishing vessel in which Martha's father and brother died, and the public appeal that followed is here

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Baptism: "England, Norfolk Bishop's Transcripts, 1685-1941"
   Citing Christening, Sheringham, Norfolk, England, Record Office, Central Library, Norwich; FHL microfilm 1,526,657.
   FamilySearch Record: NT7K-954 (accessed 23 May 2022)
   FamilySearch Image: 939F-RF93-TH
   Martha Cooper baptism on 2 Oct 1848 (born 5 Sep 1848) in Sheringham, Norfolk, England.
2. ↑ Birth Registration England & Wales General Register Office, GRO Online Index - Birth (https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/indexes_search.asp database entry for COOPER, MARTHA    Mother's maiden surname: GRICE  ), GRO Reference: 1848  S Quarter in ERPINGHAM  Volume 13  Page 99
3. ↑ 1851 Census: "England and Wales Census, 1851"
   Citing Sheringham, Norfolk, England, p. 24; citing PRO HO 107, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.
   FamilySearch Record: SG6W-DKJ (accessed 23 May 2022)
   FindMyPast Image (subscription required)
   Martha Cooper (2) daughter in household of Robert Cooper (26) in Sheringham in Erpingham registration district in Norfolk, England. Born in Sheringham, Norfolk.
4. ↑ 1861 Census: "1861 England Census"
   Class: RG 9; Piece: 1191; Folio: 213; Page: 22; GSU roll: 542772; ED, institution, or vessel: 14; Household Schedule Number: 119
   Ancestry Sharing Link (free access)
   Ancestry Record 8767 #17223273 (subscription required, accessed 23 May 2022)
   Martha Cooper (12) niece in household of Daniel Hardy (43) in Great Yarmouth, Great Yarmouth St Nicholas in Yarmouth registration district in Norfolk, England. Born in Sheringham.
5. ↑ Marriage: Norfolk, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1940,
   Norfolk Record Office; Norwich, Norfolk, England; Reference: PD 28/89.
   Ancestry Record 61043 #900919857 (accessed before 23 May 2022).
6. ↑ Marriage: England, Select Norfolk Church of England Parish Registers, 1538-1900.
   Ancestry Record 9858 #23636 (accessed before 23 May 2022).
7. ↑ 1871 Census: "1871 England Census"
   The National Archives; Kew, London, England; 1871 England Census; Class: RG10; Piece: 1782; Folio: 109; Page: 9; GSU roll: 830830; ED, institution, or vessel: 4; Household schedule number: 43
   Ancestry Sharing Link (free access)
   Ancestry Record 7619 #8856014 (subscription required, accessed 23 May 2022)
   Martha Barber (24), wife, in household of Robert Barber (25) in Gorleston and South Town, Gorleston in Mutford registration district in Suffolk, England. Born in Sheringham, Norfolk, England.
8. ↑ 1881 Census: "1881 England Census"
   Class: RG11; Piece: 1905; Folio: 33; Page: 24; GSU roll: 1341459; ED, institution, or vessel: 15a
   Ancestry Sharing Link (free access)
   Ancestry Record 7572 #20249949 (subscription required, accessed 23 May 2022)
   Martha Barber (32), wife, Fisherman Wife, in household of Robert Barber (33) in Mutford Bridge, Oulton in Mutford registration district in Suffolk, England. Born in Sherringham, Norfolk, England.
9. ↑ Burial: Norfolk, England, Church of England Deaths and Burials, 1813-1990,
   Norfolk Record Office; Norwich, Norfolk, England; Reference: PD 28/152.
   Ancestry Record 61044 #2235920 (accessed before 23 May 2022).