Herbert and Sarah Barratt's when and whereabouts of deaths.

[Libralady]

groom, dawnsh - I have hit a brick wall here....I seem to think that there might have been a separation at some time around the 1911 census.......a mystery here and no one to ask - my grandmother, Lucy the eldest married in 1908....never heard anything about Herbert and Sarah living in the Meadows, heard a story of Sarah living on Victoria Street in Eastwood next door to the author D H Lawrence at some time........none of the 8 children born alive died until they were old......I will keep delving...thanks - libralady.

[groom]

If Dawn has found the right couple they were still together in the 1920s.

I think the breakthrough could come if you can find Herbert and the younger children in 1911, as it seems odd if Sarah was just with William. Also strange that she'd leave them with Herbert if they did separate. Remember the census just shows where they were on a particular night, not necessarily where they lived.

[JenB]

I think the breakthrough could come if you can find Herbert and the younger children in 1911, as it seems odd if Sarah was just with William. Also strange that she'd leave them with Herbert if they did separate. Remember the census just shows where they were on a particular night, not necessarily where they lived.

This could well be their son Henry in 1911 - he is listed as 'adopted son'. http://www.rootschat.com/links/01kif/

[Libralady]

Jen-B, thanks .....Gets more complicated, but I am sure that is not him as all the children belonged to Herbert and Sarah......it seems to me that they may have got divorced and she would have had another man as on the 1911 census she was living in Greasley with William and a Boarder and she was listed as a housekeeper.....it is all so confusing.....libralady

[JenB]

I think the breakthrough could come if you can find Herbert and the younger children in 1911, as it seems odd if Sarah was just with William. Also strange that she'd leave them with Herbert if they did separate. Remember the census just shows where they were on a particular night, not necessarily where they lived.

This could well be their son Henry in 1911 - he is listed as 'adopted son'. http://www.rootschat.com/links/01kif/

After some fiddling about with the the free search for the 1911, Marina appears to be with a family called Widdowson in 1911. Her birthplace is Normanton, and her 'relationship' is servant.

[Libralady]

Jen-B.......I know that my grandmother Lucy born 1888 her sister Ada born 1890 and Marina were all sent into service at a young age.....I am beginning to think now that Herbert and Lucy must have eventually split up and the children were left with their dad......I think I can remember these stories from when I was a child, cannot be sure though.....Just do not know where to look to see if this is true.....Sarah may have even married again...I seem to think that someone had committed bigamy and it may have been Sarah.....

[dawnsh]

It would have been unusual at that for children to have stayed with their father unless there was a 'situation' with their mother.

[Libralady]

Dawnsh - I seem to think now that Sarah must have gone off with another man and left the younger children with their dad and Marina went to a family member to work as a servant, (seems to ring a bell) - I am waiting to find out for sure from an older cousin......this is all so confusing as I was only very young when I thought I heard these stories.......... thanks for your help - libralady...

[JenB]

Gets more complicated, but I am sure that is not him as all the children belonged to Herbert and Sarah.

The point is surely that if Herbert & Sarah split up she might not have been able to cope with all the children, leading to the younger ones possibly being informally 'adopted' by a family friend or relative. This was not an unusual occurrence.
It's a possibility you have to explore rather than dismissing it