Amos Barker

Amos was the son of Meeds Wattam Barker and his first wife Eliza Ellen (née Gunby). His father Meeds Wattam was born in Boston, Lincolnshire, on 17 February 1847. He married Ellen Gunby in 1872 (A/M/J Spilsby) and they had three children who were born in Claxby: Amos b. 1873 (J/A/S Spilsby), Eliza Ellen b. 1874 bap. Claxby by Alford St Andrew 19 March 1876 and George birth registered 1876 (J/F/M Spilsby) bap. St Andrew 19 March 1876. George died the same year and was buried in St Andrew's churchyard on 4 July. Eliza Ellen died in 1877 and was buried in the churchyard of St Martin Welston le Marsh, Lincolnshire, on 3 March. Meedon married secondly Deborah Briggs in 1877 (O/N/D Spilsby). Deborah was born in Little Steeping, Lincolnshire, in 1837, the daughter of Hewison and Susanna Briggs, and was baptised in Little Steeping parish church on 17 March. In 1861 Deborah (24) was a school mistress and living in the village of Great Steeping. She was head of household (no other occupants) although her parents also lived in the village. Deborah had a son, William Ancient Briggs, born in London in about 1865 but who was baptised in Great Steeping parish church on 10 August 1867 (mother Deborah Briggs, no father named). By 1871 Deborah was in Wainfleet, Lincolnshire, where she was a domestic servant living in the household of William Tuxworth (71) an agricultural labourer. However, her parents Hewison, a cottager, and Susanna were still living in Great Steeping together with a young granddaughter and their grandson William A Briggs (6). In 1881 Meeds, an agricultural labourer, Deborah, and his children Amos (7) and Ellen (6) were living in Toynton St Peter, Spilsby. By 1891 they had moved to Hobhole Bank, Fen Road, Stickford near Spilsby. Meeds was a farm foreman and Amos was also working on the farm. Also in the household were two other farm servants one of whom was Deborah's son, William Briggs, who was described as a boarder. Meeds and Deborah had moved to Stoke Lane, Stoke Bardolph, Nottinghamshire, by 1901. He was working as an 'ordinary agricultural labourer'. Also in the household was Deborah Briggs (5 b. Stoney Stratford Staffordshire), Deborah's granddaughter. Her parents, William Briggs, who was an agricultural labourer, his wife Lucy (née Clark, m. 1894 reg. Spilsby) and their second daughter Grace (3), also lived on Stoke Lane, Stoke Bardolph. Meeds daughter Eliza Ellen had married Benjamin Freshney in 1893 (reg. Spilsby) and in 1901 they were living in Burgh in the Marsh, Lincolnshire, with their three children Ellen, Charley and Mary. His son Amos, a horsekeeper, was a boarder in the household of William Draper, a farm stockman, and his family in Deeping St Nicholas, Spalding, Lincolnshire. Meeds Wattam died on 25 March 1905 and was buried in the churchyard of All Saints, Great Sturton. Lincolnshire. By 1911 Amos had also moved to Stoke Bardolph where he was working as a farm labourer. He was living at the Ferry Boat Inn in the household of Henry Barnett, a licensed victualler and farmer. Amos' widowed mother, Deborah (76), was a lodger in the household of William (47) and Lucy Briggs and their two daughters Deborah and Grace.