This grave has not yet been found, and is now believed not able to be located
Parish: St Paul’s
Mabel Alice Barton (née Middleton) (1882 – 8 January 1924)
Mabel was the daughter of Charles Stalley (1854-1923) and Mahala English (née Barnard) Middleton (1853-1923). Her father worked as a plate layer for Great Eastern Railway, and she grew up on Cyprus Road. Aged 19 she was working as a general servant for James Giles, who ran the Criterion Pub, 14 Market Passage. She married William Barton on 8 February 1902 at St. Barnabas Church and the couple had seven children: Stephen William Charles (1907-1994), Frank Lesley (1908-1985), Vera Maud (1913-1998), John Frederick (1915-1993), Stanley Edward (1917-1998), Grace Edna (1920-2001) and Andrew Robin (1923-1978).
William worked as a council labourer, and they initially lived with Mabel’s parents at 44 Cyprus Road (1911), before moving to 26 Cyprus Road. Mabel died at home aged 42 and was buried at Mill Road Cemetery on 12 January. The Saffron Walden Weekly News reported the sombre nature of the funeral ‘the many drawn blinds and the number who witnessed the last rites evidenced the respect in which the deceased was held and the sympathy towards the family, wo comparitively recently lost both parents…there were a large number of floral token from the family and friends and neighbours’.
William John Barton (1869 – 24 February 1924)
William was born in Cambridge, the second son of John William Barton (1844-1921) and Harriett (née Clee) (1845-1932). His father was a tailor and he grew up on South Street (1871) and York Street (1881). William served as a soldier – and was twice wounded in the Boer War (1899-1902). In 1900 her was living with his parents at 9 Jordan’s Yard and was noted as an army pesioner.
William died six weeks after Mabel – ‘leaving seven children to mourn their loss’. The funeral report noted that he ‘was a well known and respected employee of the Corporation. His body was borne to its last resting place by six fellow workmen’.
William’s mother, five siblings and niece Kate are also buried at Mill Road Cemetery. Their graves have also not yet been found.
Harriett Barton (née Clee) (1845 – 4 July 1932)
Harriet was the youngest daughter of William (1804 – 1886) and Elizabeth Ann (née Pettit) (1806-1878) and was bpatised on 4 January 1846 at St.Paul’s Church. Her father worked as a stonemason and publican of the Dog and Duck, St. Mary’s Passage. She married tailor John William Barton (1844-1921) on 17 July 1864 at St. Mary the Great Church and they had eleven children: Harry (1865-), Clara (1866-1929), William John, Maud Julia (1870-1942), Frederick (1873-1936), Charles Alfred (1875-1909), Augustus George (1877-1908), Ellen Elizabeth (1879-1932), Catherine Annie (known as Kate) (1882-1898), Alice Mary (1884-1957) and George (1885-1886).
The family lived at South Street (1871), York Street (1881) and Bradmore Street (1891). In August 1892 John was charged with threatening to kill Harriet. The case was reported in the Cambridge Independent Press – ‘the prisoner pleaded not guilty. The complainant, a respectably dressed woman said her husband came home about 6.30 in the evening under the influence of drink, and said he would kill her before he night was out. She remonstrated with him for getting drunk. She did not wish to press the charge. In answer to Mr Balls, the complainant said she was not now afraid that her husband would carry out his threat. He had promised that morning to be better’. The pair left court together.
However from at least 1901 onwards Harriett and John appear to have lived separate lives, with her moving to 9 Jordan’s Yard (at least 1901-1911) and then 6 Round Church Street with her children, and John living at other addresses in the town. From at least 1901-1911 she worked as a college bedmaker. She died peacefully at Round Church Street aged 86 years old and was buried in the Holy Sepulchre area of the Cemetery three days later.
Augustus George Barton (1877 – 25 August 1908)
Augustus was William Barton’s younger brother, who drowned whilst fishing in Ely. He had gone with four other men and they had seperated to take up positions along the bank. When he wasn’t seen for some time the others had gone to look for him, but found his body in the water. It was reported that Augustus had ‘suffered from fits for some years and it is supposed that he fell into the water during a seizure’. At the inquest his brother Frederick testified that Augustus had suffered from epileptic fits since the age of 16 ‘and on several occasions had fallen into the river in a fit. He was, however a good swimmer and had several times helped to rescue others from drowing’. A verdict of ‘drowned by misadventure whilst seized by a fit’. He was buried in the Holy Sepulchre area of the Cemetery on 29 August.
Frederick Barton (1873 – 19 November 1936)
Frederick worked as a barber/hairdresser. He died not marry and lived at 9 Jordan’s Yard (at least 1901-1911) and 6 Round Church Street (at least 1921 onwards) with his mother and two spinster sisters. In 1921 he was working for hairdress C. Cox on Bridge Street. He died at Addenbrooke’s Hospital aged 63 years old and he was buried in the Holy Sepulchre area of the Cemetery on 23 November.
Charles Alfred Barton (1875 – January 1909)
Aged 15, Charles was working as an errand boy (1891). He died at 9 Jordan’s Yard and was buried in the Holy Sepulchre area of the Cemetery on 11 January.
Ellen Elizabeth Barton (1879 – 11 April 1932)
Ellen lived with her mother, sister Maud and brother Frederick at Jordan’s Yard (1911, 1921). She died at home ‘after a short and painful illness’ aged 52 years and was buried in the Holy Sepulchre area of the Cemetery on 14 April.
Maud Julia Barton (14 December 1870 – March 1942)
Maud worked as a dressmaker and after her sibling’s deaths ran a University Lodging House from 6 Round Church Street. She died at home aged 71 years and was buried in the Holy Sepulchre area of the Cemetery on 26 March.
Kate English Patricia Middleton (1909 – May 1911)
Kate was the Mabel and William’s niece, daughter of her brother William (1879-1946) and his wife Jessie Esther (1878-1931). She died at the Sanitorium, Mill Road aged 2 years old and was buried in the Holy Trinity area of Mill Road Cemetery on 1 June 1911.
Sources:
Ancestry
Newspaper archives
Parish burial records transcribed by CFHS
by Claire Martinsen
[If you have any information about this family, please contact us at Friendsofmillroadcemetery@gmail.com]