Photo # 13: J. Fred and Nellie Barber

Nellie Schofield and James Frederick Barber, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Photo # 13
My Maternal Great Grandparents

The French doors open and my grandmother announces to my grandfather that J. Fred is here. I am sitting on the floor at my grandfather's feet playing with something on the floor. The man comes into the room, walks toward me and I think, "Oh, the other grandpa". The man crouches down and looks at me and I look up. He ruffles my hair. He sits down in the chair opposite my grandfather and they talk. I go back to playing.

If it wasn't for the photo of my great grandfather in my parent's wedding photos I would not have remembered this. I had to ask who the old man is. When my mother tells me that is HER grandfather, I suddenly remember that small "baby memory". My mother tells me I don't remember that correctly because I would have been under two years old. But, I do remember him. He smells like cigarette smoke. My grandmother who was in the room when my mother and I are discussing this, tells my mother that I am right. Much to her annoyance my great-grandfather chain smoked. He dies that year.

James Frederick, known as J. Fred was a man of many interests and occupations. Listed as a "servant" in the household of a retired sea captain at the age of 14, he had a life long interest in the boat building business. He was living in New Haven in 1898 and 1899 working for Thompson and Barber but I don't know what kind of business that is.

In 1900, he is listed as a "barber" which may be incorrect, as that is his surname, in 1908 he is in business with his father-in-law at his bicycle shop, in 1910-1915 he is a machinist in the auto repair and marine construction trade, but by 1920 he is the proprietor of his own auto repair garage.

My grandmother told me he loved cars and he taught her to drive when girls weren't doing that. By 1930, he is listed as a carpenter in the boat building business. He did well for having an 8th grade education, giving evidence to his leaving school at 14 to be probably apprenticed to that sea captain.

In 1890, he married Ellen, called Nellie, Schofield. This is their marriage record as listed in the RI Vital Records as follows:

BARBER James F., aged 23 years, born Westerly, now of New Haven, son. of James A. and Josephine T., and Nellie Scholfield, aged 22 years, born and of Westerly, daughter of Joseph A. and Sarah G., Jan. 20, 1890.  Marriage (Vol. Unknown Original Volume & Page : Pg. 101278) Westerly, RI [NEHGS 5 Feb 2013]

Nellie, the only child of Joseph and Sarah Schofield, had 3 children in her first ten years of marriage. She had rheumatic fever as a child and probably had diabetes, because her second child, my grandmother, weighed nearly 13 lbs at birth. As an older lady, she was obese.

Evidently she did not work after completing 2 years of high school. It is possible she worked in her father's bicycle repair shop before marriage. She and her mother died in 1944.

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