Charlotte (Waring) Atkinson (1796 - 1867)

Born 13 Mar 1796 in Marylebone, London, England

Ancestors

Wife of James Atkinson Esq JP — married 29 Sep 1827 (to 1834) in Sutton Forest, New South Wales, Australia

Wife of George Bruce (Waring) Barton — married 1836 in Sutton Forest, New South Wales, Australia

Descendants

Died 10 Oct 1867 at age 71 in Berrima, New South Wales, Australia

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Gaye Bartholomew [send private message]

Biography

Charlotte (Waring) Atkinson is Notable.

Charlotte Waring was the author of Australia's earliest known children's book, published in 1841: "A Mother's Offering to her Children: By a Lady, Long Resident in New South Wales", and a pioneer of women's rights.

Charlotte Waring was born in 1796, and baptised at St. Marlebone, London, on 13 Mar 1796.^[1] She was the daughter of Albert Waring and Elizabeth Turner.

She was a child prodigy who was able to read at 2 years old.^[2]

Her father died when she was 15, and her half-brother inherited all of his property. Charlotte took a position as a governess to the family of Hannibal Hawkins Macarthur in Sydney, leaving Plymouth on the ship Cumberland on 19 September, 1826. On the voyage she became engaged to agriculturalist James Atkinson, who was returning home from England.^[2] They married at Sutton Forest on 29 September, 1827.^[3][4] They lived at Oldbury, an estate located near Sutton Forest, and had four children together.

James died in 1834, and and Oldbury was left in trust for her son.^[2] Charlotte married her overseer George Bruce Barton in 1836.^[5]

Barton was a violent alcoholic, and Charlotte and her children fled from Oldbury with few possessions. It was in this period that she published A Mother's Offering to her Children. Charlotte was accused of being an unfit mother because her marriage to Barton, and was involved in a landmark case which finally awarded her guardianship of her children, and access to the allowance allocated to her from James' will.^[6]

Throughout the rest of her life she referred to herself as Charlotte Atkinson.^[2]

She died at Oldbury on 10 October, 1867,^[7][8] and was buried in the All Saints Anglican Cemetery, Sutton Forest.^[9]

Recognition

Charlotte's identity as the author of A Mother's Offering to her Children was discovered through research by Marcie Muir, collector and bibliographer of Australian children’s books.

The Charlotte Waring Award is presented to the winner of the Children's Book Council of Australia NSW Branch Aspiring Writers Mentorship Program when they receive the Cottesloe Mentorship.^[10]

Sources

1. ↑ : England Births & Baptisms 1538-1975

   First name(s) Charlotte

   Last name Waring

   Gender Female

   Birth year 1796

   Baptism year 1796

   Baptism date 13 Mar 1796

   Place St Marylebone

   County London

   Country England

   Father's first name(s) Thos.

   Father's last name Waring

   Mother's first name(s) Elizth.

   Record set England Births & Baptisms 1538-1975

   Category Birth, Marriage, Death & Parish Records

   Subcategory Parish Baptisms

   Collections from England, Great Britain

   Index (c) IRI. Used by permission of FamilySearch Intl

2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3} Forsyth, Kate (The fascinating story of the woman who wrote Australia's first children's book (my great-great-great-grandmother). Retrieved 23 Aug 2022 from https://kateforsyth.com.au/writing-journal/the-fascinating-story-of-the-woman-who-wrote-australias-first-childrens-book-my-great-great-great-grandmother
3. ↑ NSW BDM marriage reg. no's. 207/1827 V1827207 11, and 4146/1827 V18274146 3B, of ATKINSON, JAMES, and WARING, CHARLOTTE, registered at 'CR' [Church of England, Cobbitty/ Narellan]
4. ↑ Family Notices (1827, October 8). The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803 - 1842), p. 3. Retrieved September 4, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2189114
   MARRIED. On Saturday, the 29th ultimo, by Special License, in Sutton Forest District, Argyle, by the Rev. THOMAS HASSALL, James ATKINSON, Esq. J.P. of Oldbury, to Miss CHARLOTTE WARING.
5. ↑ NSW BDM marriage reg. no. 349/1836 V1836349 20, of BARTON, GEORGE B, and ATKINSON, CHARLOTTE, registered at 'CV' [Church of England, Berrima/ Bong Bong/ Sutton Forest/ All Saints (Co. Camden)]
6. ↑ LAW INTELLIGENCE. (1841, July 10). The Sydney Herald (NSW : 1831 - 1842), p. 2. Retrieved August 23, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article28651965
7. ↑ NSW BDM death reg. of BARTON, CHARLOTTE, reg. no. 4184/1867, showing father's name ALBERT W, and DIED BERRIMA, registered at BERRIMA
8. ↑ Family Notices (1867, October 16). The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), p. 1. Retrieved August 23, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article13162419
   On the 10th September, at Oldbury, after a long and painful illness, Mrs. C. BARTON, the dear and excellent mother of J. J. O. and Louisa Atkinson, in perfect peace, trusting in her Redeemer.
9. ↑ Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 23 August 2019), memorial page for Charlotte Waring Barton (13 Feb 1796–10 Oct 1867), Find A Grave: Memorial #196143244, citing All Saints Anglican Cemetery, Sutton Forest, Wingecarribee Shire, New South Wales, Australia ; Maintained by grannymoo (contributor 48845726)
10. ↑ The Charlotte Waring Award. Children's Book Council of Australia.

See also:

• Wikipedia contributors. (2020, December 10). Charlotte Barton. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 10:04, August 23, 2022, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Charlotte_Barton&oldid=993395598

Wikidata: Item Q5085845, en:Wikipedia

• "Public Member Trees", database, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/158487123/person/432084204217/facts : accessed 16 August 2019), profile for Charlotte Waring.