ZILLA GERTRUDE BARRATT 1876–1940

Radcliffe on Trent school 1900: Miss Barratt to the left and Miss Packwood to the right

Born: 8th August 1876 in Radcliffe on Trent and baptised 3rd September 1876 at St Marys Church, Radcliffe on Trent

Died: 26th September 1940

Before the war

In the 1881 census, age four, she was living with her father Thomas, thirty-seven, a nurseryman who was born in Radcliffe on Trent, mother Sarah Ann, forty, who was born in Bingham, brothers Sam eleven, Arthur, nine, William, seven, Nathan, five and Evelyn Henry three. She also had two sisters: Lily, age thirteen and Beatrice, nine months. They were living on Cropwell Road.

Gertrude commenced duties at the village school as a monitor with a view to becoming a pupil teacher in 1889. By 1892 she was listed in the school log book as a pupil teacher.

In the 1891 census, when she was fourteen, the family have moved to Bingham Road in the village. Her brothers Sam, Arthur and Nathan had all followed their father into gardening but William was recorded as a druggist. They also had another daughter, Mary Rose Minnie age eight.

By 1901 Gertrude, as she was now known, was a twenty-four year old school teacher. She was still at home with her parents, brother Samuel, sisters Beatrice, who was a florist, and Mary Rose Minnie together with Reuben Clark a widower aged 82 who was Gertrude’s maternal grandfather. They were still on Bingham Road, Radcliffe on Trent.

In the 1911 census, age thirty-four and still a school teacher, she was living with her parents, brother Henry Evelyn, thirty-three, who was a commercial traveller for boot polishes and sister Mary Rose Minnie, twenty-eight. They were living in a seven roomed houses on Bingham Road, Radcliffe on Trent.

Her father died on 18 August 1913 in Winthorpe, Lincolnshire, age seventy, but was buried in Radcliffe cemetery along with her mother Sarah Ann, who died in 1920.

During the war

Gertrude continued working as a schoolteacher at the village school throughout the war dealing with additional problems due to the war in addition to her normal teaching duties.

1921 Census

Address: Grange Road, Woodthorpe

Employment: Teacher, Radcliffe Council School

Household: a visitor, with her sister Mary, at the home of her sister Lily Shipley and her husband Albert Shipley, Science master, High Pavement school, and their son Edwin Barratt Shipley.

After the war

She continued to live in the village on Cropwell Road and eventually retired from teaching at the school in 1936 after forty-four years. However by 1939 she was recorded living at 18 Ida Road in Skegness with her sister Beatrice Howard a widow and niece Kathleen S Kirk (nee Howard) who was a shop assistant. Gertrude was recorded on the register as a retired teacher. It appears that she returned to Radcliffe on Trent. Gertrude died on 26th September 1940, age sixty-four, at the General Hospital in Nottingham. Probate was granted to Minnie Barratt, spinster (sister). Effects of £835.0s3d. Her address on her will was given as Deirdreen, 17 New Road, Radcliffe on Trent.

Marion Caunt