Enoch Pearson Barrett

Old Bailey: GEORGE PEARSON BARRETT and ENOCH PEARSON BARRETT , stealing 2 dozen pairs of gloves, and other articles, value 18l. 0s. 101/2 d.; the goods of the London, Brighton, and South Coast Railway Company, their masters; and MARY ANN BARRETT , ELIZABETH EVANS , and JOHN EVANS feloniously receiving the same. Only Enoch was transported. From the National Archives UK:Licence number 3790: George Pearson Barrett, Convicted of Feloniously receiving stolen goods at the Central Criminal Court at London, Middlesex, 12 May 1851. Then aged 40 years and by trade a Turner. Sentence: 10 years' transportation. Licence granted: 6 September 1855, for early release from Dartmoor prison ~ so George went to prison instead of transportation. Enoch Pearson Barratt was born in Northamptonshire in England in 1812. Around 1838, at the age of 26, he married Mary Ann Fleming and together they had four children, Elizabeth Mary Barratt (born on 4 December 1839 in Newport Pagnell), James Enoch Barratt (born on 8 October 1845 in Deptford, Emma Matilda Barratt (born on 23 December 1848 also in Deptford) and Frederick Pearson Barratt (born on 28 December 1856 in Perth). In the year of 1841, Enoch (living with his wife, Mary Ann and daughter, Elizabeth in the North End of Newport Pagnell) supported his small family by working as an agricultural labourer. Ten years later and now residing at 25 Grove Lane in Deptford St Paul in Kent (with Mary Ann, Elizabeth and two new additions, James and Emma), Enoch was employed as a Switch Turner for London, Brighton and South-Coast Railway Company. He had been working for them for more than five years and it was known that whilst in this position he had received a gratuity for good conduct. It was also in this year that Enoch (along with his brother George) was brought to the Old Bailey Central Criminal Court in London charged with stealing various articles from his employer. He was also charged with receiving stolen goods. On 12 May 1851, he was found guilty of these charges and was sentenced to transportation for ten years. Convict number 1338; he is listed as being a married labourer with three children. He is 5? 6 1/4? tall with dark brown hair and grey eyes. His face is round; his complexion is described as sallow and his build stout. Other distinguishing marks noted include a bite by a dog on his right arm as well as the forefinger on his left hand being broken at the joint. Mary Ann and the children soon followed Enoch out to the new colony and they arrived in Western Australia on 23 March 1854 on the ship “Victory”. During Enoch’s sentence he often worked for various colonists as a gardener until he was pardoned in 1856. Deciding to make the most of his gardening skills, he started selling various plants. Currently residing with his family on Murray Street (his land fronted it and ran the full length to Wellington Street), he utilised the nearby wetlands to grow his plants and in effect started one of the first nurseries in Western Australia. It was also during the year of 1856 that Mary Ann gave birth to their fourth child, Frederick who was their first and only child to be born in Western Australia. In 1868, Enoch applied for and obtained the position of Government Gardener for the site now known as Stirling Gardens (in front of the Supreme Court). Enoch remained employed in this position until his retirement in 1880. After nearly 40 years of marriage, on 11 February 1877, Enoch’s wife, Mary Ann passed away. Later that year however on 25 October 1877, at the ripe old age of 65, Enoch remarried. He married Maria Church (a lady who was also widowed. Enoch Pearson Barratt lived for many more years in Western Australia with Maria and was surrounded by his children, grandchildren and even some great grandchildren until he passed away on 14 December 1895 at the age of 83. He was laid to rest in East Perth Cemetery in the family plot with his first wife Mary Ann.