1784
Baptised — St Mary's, Ely
25 January 1784 at St Mary's
January 25th 1784, St. Mary's, Ely, Cambridgeshire— From Janet Brock’s research
Mum’s record Evidence
From Janet Brock’s research notebook.
Wenham Barber
1784 – 1832
✓ Validated against records · 2026-07-06
Wenham Barber was baptised at St Mary's, Ely, in January 1784 — among the first of the line born off the old Witcham ground, his parents Robert and Rebecca having crossed the few miles of fen from the island a generation before. In 1804 he married Elizabeth Walker at Littleport, and there they raised ten children; the younger of them were the first Barbers set down in the Wesleyan register at Ely, the beginning of the Methodist thread the family would keep for the rest of the century.
He held a cottage of his own on Sandhall Hill in Littleport. When he came to make his will in 1832 he left it, and everything else he had, to Elizabeth — “my dear wife,” the cottage “wherein I now dwell,” hers for her natural life. He died that June, at Cambridge, aged forty-eight.
Composed from validated records · 2026-07-06
- Baptism
- January 25th 1784, St. Mary's, Ely, Cambridgeshire
- Marriage
- July 22nd 1804 to Elizabeth Walker in Littleport
- Death
- June 5th 1832 Cambridge aged 48 years
- Parents
- Robert Barber born Downham, Cambridgeshire Rebecca Irons born Downham, Cambridgeshire
- Siblings
- Robert Barber baptised August 29th 1779, Ely Whenham Barber baptised January 25th 1784, Ely Hannah Barber baptised November 20th 1786, Ely William Barber baptised February 23rd 1789, Ely Mary Barber baptised July 23rd 1791, Ely died October 1805 John Barber baptised December 11th 1794, Ely Josiah Barber baptised May 25th 1800
- 1804
- Marries Elizabeth Walker
- Children:
- Sarah Barber baptised January 6th 1805, Littleport Robert Barber born 1807, Littleport Whenham Barber baptised May 13th 1810 Saint Mary Wesleyan, Ely Susannah Barber baptised June 18th 1812 Saint Mary Wesleyan, Ely William Barber baptised April 18th 1814 Saint Mary Wesleyan, Ely John Barber baptised December 8th 1816 Saint Mary Wesleyan, Ely Jacob Barber baptised July 4th 1819 Saint Mary Wesleyan, Ely Rebekah Barber baptised June 13th 1825 Saint Mary Wesleyan, Ely Rebeca Barber baptised February 3rd 1828 Saint Mary Wesleyan, Ely Mary Barber born 1821, baptised June 14th 1835, Littleport
- 1832
- A Transcription of the Will of Wenham Barber This is the last will and testament of me, Wenham Barber of the parish of Littleport in the Isle of Ely, in the County of Cambridge. Being of sound mind and memory I do make and declare this my last will and testament in manner following. I give and bequeath to my dear wife Elizabeth Barber all my goods and chattels, household furniture and all other personal estate and effects. Wheresoever and of whever nature, kind or quality the same may be to and for her use and benefit. She paying my just debts testamunary and funeral expenses. Also I give and desire unto my said wife all that my cottage wherein I now dwell situate on Sandhall Hill in the parish of Littleport aforesaid with the yard, garden and appertuances thereto belonging to and for her own use and during the time of her natural life and at and after her decease my will is I do hereby direct, authorise and empower my executor herein named to sell and dispose of the same for the best that can be obtained and after deducting this from the necessary expenses of such sale, I give and bequeath the residue of the money arising from the sale thereof. To my sons Robert Barber, Wenham Barber, Jacob Barber and my daughter Mary Barber to be equally divided between them, share and share alike and the share of my said children who may die before the decease of my said wife (leaving no lawful issue) shall be equally divided between the survivor and survivors of them. Lastly I do nominate, constitute and appoint my son Robert Barker sole executor of this, my last will and testament. In witness thereof I the said testator after this my last will and testament set my hand and seal this 15th day of April 1831. The mark of Wenham Barber as and for his last will and testament in the presence of we at his request and his presence have subscribed our names as witnesses. George Kidd Jnr James Coates George Kidd Snr Proved by the oath of Robert Barber, the sole executor above named before me Rev. John Griffiths 29th November 1832. Effects sworn under 20 pounds
In your grandmother’s words · from her notebook
Family
Parents
The children of Robert & Rebecca
· · · Wenham Barber b. 1784this page · · · · ·
Marriage
Children
Life
Confirmed — anchored to a recordEstimated — inferred
1804
Married Elizabeth Walker
22 July 1804 at Littleport
July 22nd 1804 to Wenham Barber in Littleport— From Janet Brock’s research
Mum’s record Evidence
From Janet Brock’s research notebook.
1832
In 1832
1832
A Transcription of the Will of Wenham Barber This is the last will and testament of me, Wenham Barber of the parish of Littleport in the Isle of Ely, in the County of Cambridge. Being of sound mind and memory I do make and declare this my last will and testament in manner following. I give and bequeath to my dear wife Elizabeth Barber all my goods and chattels, household furniture and all other personal estate and effects. Wheresoever and of whever nature, kind or quality the same may be to and for her use and benefit. She paying my just debts testamunary and funeral expenses. Also I give and desire unto my said wife all that my cottage wherein I now dwell situate on Sandhall Hill in the parish of Littleport aforesaid with the yard, garden and appertuances thereto belonging to and for her own use and during the time of her natural life and at and after her decease my will is I do hereby direct, authorise and empower my executor herein named to sell and dispose of the same for the best that can be obtained and after deducting this from the necessary expenses of such sale, I give and bequeath the residue of the money arising from the sale thereof. To my sons Robert Barber, Wenham Barber, Jacob Barber and my daughter Mary Barber to be equally divided between them, share and share alike and the share of my said children who may die before the decease of my said wife (leaving no lawful issue) shall be equally divided between the survivor and survivors of them. Lastly I do nominate, constitute and appoint my son Robert Barker sole executor of this, my last will and testament. In witness thereof I the said testator after this my last will and testament set my hand and seal this 15th day of
April 1831. The mark of Wenham Barber as and for his last will and testament in the presence of we at his request and his presence have subscribed our names as witnesses. George Kidd Jnr James Coates George Kidd Snr Proved by the oath of Robert Barber, the sole executor above named before me Rev. John Griffiths 29th
November 1832. Effects sworn under 20 pounds
— From Janet Brock’s research
Mum’s record Evidence
From Janet Brock’s research notebook.
1832
Died at Cambridge — the Sandhall Hill cottage to Elizabeth
5 June 1832
“This is the last will and testament of me, Wenham Barber of the parish of Littleport in the Isle of Ely, in the County of Cambridge … I give and bequeath to my dear wife Elizabeth Barber all my goods and chattels, household furniture and all other personal estate and effects … Also I give and desire unto my said wife all that my cottage wherein I now dwell situate on Sandhall Hill in the parish of Littleport aforesaid with the yard, garden and appertuances thereto belonging to and for her own use and during the time of her natural life.”
— Will of Wenham Barber, 1832
Mum’s record Evidence
From Janet Brock’s research, cited — not yet re-verified at the image:
- Will of Wenham Barber, 1832 — The will of Wenham Barber of Littleport, Isle of Ely, 1832 — transcribed in full among Janet Brock's papers. It leaves his whole estate, and the cottage on Sandhall Hill 'wherein I now dwell,' to his wife Elizabeth for her lifetime. from Mum’s research
Our research
The Walkers of Littleport
Research · Littleport & Ely
Wenham's own baptism and marriage are Mum's readings; his 1832 will she transcribed in full. His wife Elizabeth Walker (m. 1804) and her people are not yet traced. To do: the 1804 Littleport marriage register at the image; Elizabeth Walker's baptism; and the original of the 1832 will at Cambridgeshire Archives, to set Mum's transcription against the record.