Bartlett

The first reference to the Bartlett family in Chewton Mendip is from the 18th century Poor Book when John Bartlett was made to mary Mary Stoker or Stocker in 1764. The most likely reason was because he had got her in ‘the family way’ and the parish was determined to make  Mary and honest woman. He must have been a very reluctant groom because they had to pay to retrieve him from Shepton Mallet prison.

This  extract shows that the parish paid 2 shillings (10p) for an examination by a magistrate. This was relatively common because the father of an illegitimate child had to pay for its upkeep.

This extract shows that the parish paid to have him retrieved from Shepton Mallet prison. This is itself is not unusual, there are other examples of itemized accounts for the cost of horse hire and accommodation of the person sent to fetch the prisoner and payments to the jailor What is unusual in this case is that John Bartlett was made to marry Mary rather than just pay for the upkeep of her child. The cost was considerable, £2 2s was twice the annual rent of a cottage at the time.

The next records are from the Victorian school registers when James Bartlett was living at was called Edge Hill but is believed to be Nedge at the end of the 19th century. He had at least five children who attended Chewton Mendip school in the 1880s and 1890s, Walter, Susan, Henry, Fred and Emily.

There was also an Alfred Bartlett with children at Chewton Mendip school at the ame time but their place of  residence is not recorded. His children were called Alfred, George and Annie.

Elizabeth Bartlett was described as the servant of Charles Ansty Chard in living in the Waldegrave Arms in  1911. She was  aged 21 and described as a general domestic servant born in Dorset.

Walter Bartlett, probably the son of James, was living in Redhill when his children, Ernest James, Henry James and  Violet Mary Alice attended Chewton Mendip school in 1929.

Iris Bartlett (nee Payne) still lives in the village and is a contributor (indirectly) to this website.