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The Search for Isabella Cowe, always known as Ella
Recalled from Heidelburg University when her father's Edinburgh bank went under, Ella became governess to the children of widower David Barker, subsequently marrying him at the age of 19, and going on to produce seven children.
Well, so went the family story, from which we all assumed that Ella was probably born in Edinburgh in about 1860, and that her father had probably been a banker. BUT I could find no trace of any appropriate Cowe children in the Midlothian IGI and, on searching through the IGI for all of Scotland, could still find nothing! When I obtained the marriage information for David and Ella's marriage, the researcher helping me from Edinburgh (Kirstie Holt) noted that the 1881 Census for Dumfries showed that Ella's place of birth was Berwick-on-Tweed, in England!! I checked out the 1881 Midlothian Census and the entries I had dismissed before were the correct ones. (I knew they were correct because the address of 33 Gillespie Crescent was that on Ella's marriage certificate.) At that address, in 1881, were: Margaret, Head of household, aged 52, Grocer Manager, born in Edinburgh; Catherine, aged 24, daughter, born in England; Francis, aged 18, Bank clerk, born in England; Henry, aged 16, Stockbrokers clerk, born in England. Ella's age on her marriage certificate was given as 25, and in the 1881 Census as 26, so she was not such a young bride after all. (Could have been only 19 when she became governess, of course...) So she was probably born in 1854, although there is nothing in the Northumberland IGI. What is more, on her marr.cert., her father's profession is given as 'General merchant', so the assumption that he was a banker was probably not correct. Perhaps his bank did go broke, but it was not HIS bank, but more likely the one with which he did business. Also, he was dead by the time Ella married - why? And where did he die?
In the 1881 Midlothian Census there is also a Henry Cowe, aged 56, listed as Fish curer - was he a relation? This Henry's wife is Patricia (spelled Petreria in the Census) and her place of birth is given as Maxwellton - this connection with that part of Scotland as the place where Ella became a governess is surely more than coincidence? What was her maiden surname?
Ella's mother, acc.to the marriage cert, was Isabella Murray, so obviously her father had married again. Isabella and Henry were both deceased at the time of Ella's marriage. The mystery now was to see when Isabella died, and whether all the children were Isabella's or perhaps just the two girls (Ella and Catherine.], or even just Ella? On the marr.cert., Catherine is a witness, cited as Katie Cowe.
I obtained two birth certificates for Isabella Cowe - neither was the right one:
a. Isabella Cowe, dtr of Robert Cowe and Janet, formerly Smith, 15 March 1855 at Church Street, Berwick, Co.of Berwick and Northumberland. Father's occupation - Fishmonger.
b. Isabella Cowe, dtr of Barbara Cowe, 2 November 1860 at Dairy Lane, Westoe, County of Durham. No father named. Registered by Barbara Cowe, 13 December 1860.
So, was she perhaps born overseas?
I checked through all the St Catherine's Indexes for the years 1855 - 1864. The only Isabellas I could find were the two above. There was a Catherine, born Berwick, 3rd quarter, 1855, and Cathrine, born Berwick, 3rd quarter, 1856, and Catherine, born Berwick, 2nd quarter, 1862. Given that the 1881 Census gave her age as 24, she would have been born in either 1856 or 1857. Could be the "Cathrine" above. But where was Isabella, who would therefore have been born in 1854 or 1855?
Later: why oh why didn't I check out 1854 first??? There she was, 1st quarter 1854. Her birth certificate shows that she was born 6 January 1854, at Ravensdowne, Berwick, and her father's occupation is given as Fish Curer. The mystery deepens a little - Ella obviously had a good education, being accomplished in writing in English, French, Italian and German, and a proficient painter. These are not attributes usually associated with the daughter of a Fish Curer. By the time Ella married, 1879, Henry was described as a General merchant, deceased, and William's widow was a Grocer Manager. Seems to me the Cowe boys (and their wives) must have 'made good'!
Another complication. The St Cath's Indexes showed Henry Cowe born Berwick,4th quarter 1864. In the 4th quarter, 1862, was the birth of Francis Cowe in Berwick. This looked promising; - the dates for both Henry and Francis fitted, according to the 1881 Census. I sent off for the birth certificate of Francis, mainly to see if his mother was Isabella Murray or Margaret. When it came, date of birth was 1 September 1862, at 32 High Street, Berwick, Co. of Northumberland) his mother was named as Margaret, formerly Mitchell, but the father was WILLIAM, and his occupation was given as Grocer Master.
The above was an account in 2000 of research looking for Ella. Her true story is in the document "Ella Cowe's Story")
Ella's notebook has a strong Scottish emphasis in her writings. She was particularly partial to Robbie Burns, who is said to have been a good friend of the Barker family in Dumfriesshire.
( (also "e.doc")
The whole David Barker family emigrated on SS Tongariro in 1885 to New Zealand, to Christchurch where David died in 1889, leaving Ella in virtual penury thanks to the financial misdealings of David's brother-in-law, Robert Wilkin. (See 'Barker Bears & Forebears' for more detail.) As well, there were the six small children to raise with virtually no income. Much of the wealth David had had was entailed and went to the children of his first wife, Margaret Crichton Otto. Was it perhaps during these difficult times that the family split somewhat? - my grandfather, Archie, never talked about all his half brothers and sisters. Could they have helped Ella and the younger children more than they did? Perhaps she would not let them?
Although Ella did not sign the petition for women's suffrage, she was on the first Electoral Roll in 1893 (no.178, Ella Barker of Waikari, Domestic Duties) as was Margaret Otto Barker of Hastings (No. 166)
In 1990 it was a special pleasure to be contacted by Robin, grandson of John, first child of David and Margaret, with plans of a Barker Reunion. He did much genealogical research and met many of the cousins, and was delighted with the interest his proposed reunion produced. As well, he was thrilled that most of these long lost cousins felt immediately ' like family'. The Reunion, held in Hastings at Queens Birthday, June, 1991, was a great success, although of Archie's 77 descendants, only 12 were able to be present. Robin's book, "Barker Bears and Forebears' is a good account of the Barkers, although there are some errors, particularly with regard to Ella. An account of Ella's forebears is on a separate file. (Feb 2000)
From PapersPast
Press Vol XLVIII 20 June 1891
Visitors to Christchurch included at Warner's Hotel...Mrs David Barker, Waikari.
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Barker - Humphrys Family Tree
1854 - 1919 (65 years)
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