Nigel Aspdin (Derby,UK) Notes and Queries: 2017

Dear Alan

Tonight I found William Barnes's will, he died 1935. I have been looking for it for ages (for another reason) and had searched my Barnes/Ashbourne boxes a number of times. I suddenly remembered that it came from the USA cousins and had remained filed in that box. WB had left specific legacies of personal chattels to sons (or their issue) who had emigrated to Canada and USA.

Included is this extract:

A portrait of "Mrs Harlow" to his grandson Stanley Maitland Barnes.

I already told you that when Stanley's widow died a few years ago and the house was sold and cleared the family decided not to keep the portrait, but later when they saw the copy of the portrait still in possession of the Harlow family in Devon, and my own photo images by Robert Bull, per images below, they realised who it was.

This is another piece of evidence that it is Amelia Harlow nee Wyatt 1783-1853, wife of Robert Harlow.

Regards

Nigel

Dear John

Thank you.

Whilst writing I attach another image which I currently believe to be Amelia Harlow nee Wyatt 1783-1853, wife of Robert Harlow 1779-1828.

Its an ambrotype. She died in 1853 aged 70. Ambrotypes first appeared in the early 1850s so she was just in time to have an image done aged say 67-70. This woman does look that age.

Ambrotypes rarely have any clue to photographer/studio unless a label is inside the case, the side holding the image, in this case none.

She also does not fit any other person of the period I am likely to have inherited via my Ashbourne/Barnes roots.The image came to me also with an image of Thomas Barnes (her son in law) and the silhouettes.

A better image will be available for your files when firmer conclusions are reached.

If it is Amelia Harlow nee Wyatt 1783-1853, wife of Robert Harlow 1779-1828 we also have to match it with these images also thought to be her. Bear in mind that the one that is a cabinet card may not be a photo at all, it may be from a sketch when she was younger touched up by Robert Bull of Ashbourne, and the oil painting may also have been commissioned after her death from a drawing or from the oil painting. It is less likely that the Robert Bull cabinet card is done from the oil painting in my view.

Regards

Nigel

For details regarding Robert Bull please see:

Derbyshire Photographers' Profiles, by Brett Payne

from which the following details are an extract courtesy of Brett Payne author of that site: Robert Bull was born c. 1839 at Ashbourne, Derbyshire, the third of six children (and eldest son) of Robert Fletcher Bull senior (c. 1807-1886) and his wife Helen (c. 1811-1857), a joiner, cabinet maker and builder from nearby Compton. As a young man he followed his father - and grandfather before him - into the carpentry trade, and was listed with his younger brother Henry as a "joiner & cabinet maker" in the April 1871 Census. By 1874 however, when Wright's trade directory gave the listing, "Bull Rt. joiner and bldr, and newsagt, Sturston rd. Ashbourne", they had obviously opened up a shop. Adamson (1997) shows Robert Bull, presumably Robert junior, working from premises in Sturston road from 1876 to 1878, so he seems to have started the photographic sideline in 1876.

-----Original Message-----

From: John Robey

Sent: Tuesday, September 12, 2017 11:47 AM

To: LAWRIE, Alan ; Aspdin Nigel

Subject: Harlow

Alan & Nigel

Though she is not a direct ancester, you may be interested in Sam Harlow's 2nd wife. It ties up a loose end

Hannah Holmes born 1748 or 1749 at Duffield, nr Derby. There are two christenings, do not know which one is her, but fromher age at death gives 1747.

Married John Howard 31 July 1768 at Ashbourne. She would be 20, he 33 from age at death, cannot find his birth.

They had John (b1769-d 1792) & Benjamin (b1772-d1807, brazier in his will, but not seen this).

Married for 28 yrs until John Howard buried 6 Oct 1796, aged 61, brazier (Derby Mercury).

Hannah Howard, widow, married Sam Halow widower 21 May 1800. The licence gives both as 40 but she was actually c52, he 49. Married for 23 years

Hannah Harlow buried 7 Jan 1825 aged 78.

I suspect that John Howard (& his son Ben) were Harlow employees, so Sam married the widow of one of his workers.

Regards

John