Amelia Ann Barton

Originally transcribed as Amelia Anne Barton

Biography contributed by Heather Maloney

Amelia Ann Barton was born 10 March 1860 in Christchurch, New Zealand. The eldest child and only daughter of Henry Albert Barton (1837-?) and Amelia Mercy Pratt (1840-1897), she had one brother Henry William Barton born in London in 1869.

The family went to England about 1865 and returned to New Zealand in 1875 on the Blairgowrie. Henry deserted the family not long after and returned to England and the family in New Zealand fell on hard times. It was reported in the papers (Timaru Herald 27 March 1876 and others) that her mother was prosecuted and jailed for running a brothel where Amelia was put to work as a prostitute. At the age of 17 she gave birth to her only child, Mary Amelia Ann Barton in September 1877.

Amelia and her daughter Mary appear on the 1893 petition at Waimate but by 1896 Amelia was living in the North Island. In 1900 she was living in the Waikanae area with her cousin James Coppell, who had changed his name to Barton, presumably to give Mary a father figure. When Mary married in 1897 James gave his consent for her underage marriage using the name James Barton.

Amelia and James married in 1908 and adopted a son, James Andrew Barton born c. 1901.

They lived in small timber communities in the wider Taumaranui area and Amelia died on 25 March 1932 and is buried in the Taumarunui cemetery. Their headstones have the surname Barton on them but official records show that they were actually Coppell’s.

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Amelia Ann Barton (Barton Family)