Francis Earn Barritt

The first Barritt to Australia began was Joseph and Hannah Sophia May. Joseph came from England aboard the “Anna Robertson” in May 1839.  He was of Quaker stock and his people had been yeoman farmers in Essex and Suffolk from early in the 18^th Century.  He came with a few hundred pounds and settled in Stangways Valley on the source of the Little Para where he built a dairy.  He flourished and diversified.  He sent for his fiancée, Mary Ann Harrison, from England and they were married on 20^th March 1843 at the Friends Meeting House (Quakers).   They had three children before his wife died.

In 1852 he purchased Princess Royal Station of 40sq.miles and carrying 500 sheep.  He became well respected and judged sheep and cattle at the Adelaide Show.  In 1854 he married again to Hannah Sophia May who came over on the same ship in 1839. They had a further six children.  He built Woodlands at Lyndoch and also a house at Kingston Terrace, North Adelaide.  He became a member of Parliament.  When his eyesight began to fail he relinquished many of his duties and sold many of his properties.  He died in 1881 and his property was divided between his sons. 

One of Joseph’s son was bequeathed Yattalunga.  Francis went into stud sheep for a while and then into the frozen lamb trade.  He had been educated at Winham College.

Francis Barritt married on 4^th September 1889 Mary Charlotte Twigg .  Francis Earn Barritt was born on 13^th July 1890 at Yattalunga.   Francis junior was their only child.

Francis junior was educated at St. Peters College, then at Repton in England.  In March 1915 he was one of the notable players in the Inter-State Tennis Tournament against Victoria at Adelaide Oval.  His mother Mary Charlotte died on 6^th July 1915.   Francis senior re-married on 9^th August 1916 to Mary’s sister Gertrude Hunbury Twigg at Holy Trinity Church, Adelaide.

Francis Earn joined the army on February 6^th 1918 when he was 27.  He  joined the 2^nd Light Horse Egypt Reinforcements and embarked from Sydney on the HMAT “Wiltshire” on 10^th June 1918 for Egypt.  He reported sick on a few occasions, the last on 1^st February 1919. On 4^th March 1919 he embarked on HT “Port Sydney” at Kantara Suez receiving early repatriation.  On 13^th April 1919 he disembarked and he was discharged on 28^th April 1919.

He married Jean Melrose Wigg on 28^th April 1920 at the Church of Ascension, Aldgate.

They had two children;

1. Robert Francis 30 July 1921
2. Elizabeth Anne 11 September 1924 both at Adelaide.

The Barritt’s still moved in high society as Mrs F.E. Barritt was among matrons who entertained officers of the Special Services Squadron of the British Fleet at the Palais on Thursday 13^th March 1924. Others present included Lord and Lady Harrowby, Mrs C.H. Angas, Mrs Barr-Smith, Mrs Glover Lady Mayoress, Mrs Rymill etc.  In the Register on June 1^st 1926 under the heading “Registration of Companies” was listed the Yattalunga Pastoral Company Ltd.  Capital 50,000 pounds divided into 50,000 shares at one pound each, to carry on a business of sheep and cattle farming, graziers and squatters. Directors were – F.E.Barritt, J.M. Barritt (wife) and G.H.Barritt (stepmother), Incorporated May 27^th 1926.

On 9^th March 1941 Francis died at the Hutchinson Hospital, Gawler aged 50. He was an interstate tennis player and prominent in golf and polo.  He was a member of the famous Mount Crawford team which held the Australian Championship for several years.  His funeral left 2 Todd St. Gawler for the Uley Cemetery.

Robert Francis served during WWII as a gunner in the Australian Army.