Eliza Barrand (1826–1828)

Eliza, the 7^th Child of John Barrand and Nancy Ann Routledge, was born on the 4^th July, 1826 and baptised on the 13^th August, 1826 in St. Anne’s Church, Soho. I believe she died in 1828, aged about 3. There is a death record of Eliza 'Barer' (sic) of St. James, buried in St. Annes, Soho on 23rd July, 1828 - aged 3 (approx).

On the 1841 census, there is a record of an Elizabeth Barrand, aged 16, so born in 1825, working as a servant in Guildford Street, Finsbury. (Record from the genealogist) There is also a 1841 census record of an Elizabeth Berrond (sic) at the St. Giles Workhouse.

There are also different records and family trees of an alleged Eliza (Elizabeth) Barrand born in St. Martin in the Fields in Middlesex about 1828, (Parents John Barrand + Eliza ??) and travelling with the Medcalf family in Braintree in Essex to Australia. They were butchers. According to the research by the Medcalf family, Charles Ralph Medcalf was born in 1826 (or 1828) the son of Abraham Medcalfe (b1790-1859) and Amia Maya (1798-1866). In correspondence with Medcalf family members, according to Medcalf family, Eliza often said she was “born within the sound of Bow Bells,” and the Medcalf family have a family bible to that effect suggesting she was born in the centre of London.

The Medcalf family also suggest that Charles Medcalf moved to Australia, arriving in Sydney in 1848 with his brother Abraham and nephew William on board the ship "Lincolnshire", Eliza moved with them, and married Charles Medcalfe, in Adelaide on 4th June, 1849. The registers only give details: Charles Medcalf (21) married Eliza Barrand (21) on the 6th May 1849 at The Holy Trinity Church in Adelaide. Eliza died on 10th August, 1898.

Charles Medcalfe and Eliza had 10 children, but some other family trees give the total number of children as 11.

1850 – 1919 Charles Ralph Medcalf married Eliza Nichols in 1870, Margaret Bailey in 1873 & Charlotte Norris in 1891. He had a total of 14 children to these 3 wives.

1855 – 1927 Eliza Agnes Medcalf - possibly married Nicholas Howell in 1873 & James Elder in 1912

1855 – 1932 Amey Medcalf - unmarried ?

1856 – 1857 Alice Medcalf, died in infancy

1858 – 1859 Alexander Medcalf - died in infancy

1860 – 1875 Helen Medcalf, died aged 15

1864 – 1909 Emma Sophia Medcalf married Robert McKissack in 1889 - 5 children

1862 – 1929 Susan Medcalf married Edmund Robertson in 1882 & George Eakins in 1910

1869 – 1951 Ada Priscilla Medcalf married George Brown in 1887 - 7 children

1872 – 1939 Florence Amelia Medcalf married Robert Widdis in 1898. - 4 children.

I have been in contact with several Medcalf family members, and I personally do not think we have the same Eliza. The evidence suggests that the 1841 census for Braintree clearly shows Eliza’s name as “Eliza Bearman” born in the county of Essex and living with the Medcalf family as a servant. This Eliza Bearman it appears, was born on the 28^th August 1825, and possibly a daughter of John Bearman and Eliza Harden and came from Bocking which is a suburb of Braintree where the Medcalf family lived. It seems that Charles Medcalf eloped with Eliza to Australia and they were married in Adelaide in 1849. The marriage certificate does indeed give Eliza's name as Barrand, but it is only a transcript and no one seems to have a copy of the original. Their eldest son, Charles Ralph Medcalf was arrested for bigamy, and at his trial, he stated his parents’ names were Charles Medcalf and Eliza Barham - not Barrand. Furthermore, the ship "Lincolnshire" that the Medcalf family say was used to transport the family to Australia in 1848 was not actually built until 1858, so cannot have been the ship that carried them in 1848 to Sydney. The records of Eliza's death show that her parents were John and Eliza Barren - and not John Barrand and Nancy, and her age was 21 when she married Charles Medcalf in 1849. Eliza's surname is shown on numerous records as Barham, Barnard, Bearman, Barren and Barrand.

Having said that, I am unwilling to go along with their research, although they have done much work on their family history and the Medcalfe family are quite sure it is the same Eliza Barrand from London.

This is the comment on Eliza's Death Certificate

Death, Federation Index, Reg. No. 13267. Certificate states,

Died 10 Aug 1898, died at 412 Spencer St, Melbourne,

Eliza Medcalf, widow, aged 71 years, died from natural causes, had a postmortem held by Dr G R Baldwin on the 11th August 1898,

Father - John Barren,

Mother Eliza Barren, maiden name unknown,

Registered by Amy Howell, daughter, residence of informant, Spencer St, West Melbourne,

Death registered 9 Aug 1898, buried 12 Aug 1898, at Castlemaine General Cemetery, Church of England,

Born London, England, 1 year South Australia, 48 years in Victoria,

Married in South Australia aged 21 years to Charles Medcalf,

Issue, Charles 44, Eliza 42, Amy 40, Alice dead, Alexander, Ellen dead, Susan 35, Ada 33, Emma 31, Florrie 29.

The clipper “Lincolnshire”

Pallots record of Eliza Barrand’s birth

ELIZA BARRAND Female

Event(s):

Birth: 04 JUL 1826

Christening: 13 AUG 1826 Saint Anne Soho, Westminster, London, England

Parents:

Father: JOHN BARRAND

Mother: NANCY ROUTELEDGE

Source Information:

Batch No.: Dates: Source Call No.: Type: Printout Call No.: Type:

C062361 1817 - 1837 0918607 Film NONE

IGI Record of the birth of Eliza Barrand 1826

1841 census record of an Elizabeth Berrond (sic) - Not Eliza - at the St. Giles Workhouse

Baptism Record of Eliza Barrand

Photo of Eliza Barrand from the Medcalf Family Tree

Death record of Eliza Barer (sic) of St. James, buried in St. Annes, Soho 23rd July, 1828 - aged 3

Transcript of burial of Eliza Barer's (sic) death.