Katherine Renfrew Bartlett (1860 - 1935)

Born 20 Feb 1860 in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada

Ancestors

Died 6 Nov 1935 at age 75 in Hampton, Kings, New Brunswick, Canada

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Biography

This profile is part of the Bartlett Name Study.

Katherine Bartlett lived in New Brunswick.

Katherine was born in 1860. She was the daughter of James Bartlett and Charlotte Hutchinson. Kate, as she was called, was the youngest of the Bartlett children. There were four older sisters and Kate was very young when Sarah died, very young when Mary married and closest to Lott and Lizzie. Although her older sisters married, Kate remained single.

Kate and Lott Bartlett 1876

She was an exceptional student who in 1876 won the Canadian Governor General's Award for being one of the best students in the country. Kate became a public school teacher, an occupation that lasted 38 years. She was influenced by her older cousin Jennie Phelan Hutchinson, who had married Charles E. Macmichael. Jennie was an early suffragist and women's rights activist in the late 1800's. Kate was living with the Macmichael's in 1891. After Jennie's sudden death in 1902 Kate began teaching Domestic Science, which in its early form went well beyond the idea of cooking, cleaning and sewing into information on nutrition, health, employment and new opportunities for women. Kate retired from teaching in 1918. On January 1, 1919 full Federal voting rights for Canadian men and WOMEN became effective. Kate lived to enjoy the right to vote that her late cousin Jennie had advocated. With the exception of short trips to Owen Sound, Ontario where her niece Frances Prichard lived, Kate stayed the rest of her life in Hampton in Kings County, located northeast of the city of Saint John. Like her sister "Lott", Kate was interested in family genealogy. In August 1935 she copied a few dates of births and marriages from The Bartlett Family Bible that was in someone's collection. Since the city of Saint John had many fires and some records were lost or destroyed, Kate's Bible notes became a good source of information. Kate died in Hampton in November of 1935, her death record filed by her niece Dr. Catherine Travis.

Governor General's Academic Medal

The medal was created by Lord Dufferin in 1873 to recognize outstanding scholastic achievement. Lord Frederick Temple Blackwood was the 1st Marquess of Dufferin and Ava and the 3rd Governor General of Canada after the 1867 Confederation. The medals are still awarded and considered the highest honour a student can achieve. There are medals for different levels of education. Katherine Renfrew Bartlett's medal was for secondary school graduation.

Sources

• History of Bridgewater, Bartlett by Mitchell
• 1871 Census of Canada, Queen Ward, Saint John, New Brunswick, James H. Bartlett 61, Charlott M. Bartlett 55, Charlott Bartlett 23, Elizabeth S. Bartlett 21, Arthur A. Bartlett 18, KATE BARTLETT 11
• 1891 Census of Canada, Queen Ward, Saint John, New Brunswick, C.E. MacMichail (Macmichael) 38, Jennie H. (Macmichael) 39, Chas E. 11, Helen D. 8, Harold H. 4, KATHEEN (KATHERINE) BARTLETT 28
• 1911 Census of Canada, 182 Princess Street, Saint John, New Brunswick, Liby L. Gardner 53, KATHERINE R. BARTLETT 51, Dom Scien (Domestic Science) Teacher, Liby A. Prichard 50
• Canada, Voters Lists, 1935-1980, Miss Catherine Bartlett, spinster, 1935, Hampton Station, Kings County, New Brunswick
• New Brunswick, Canada Deaths 1888-1938, KATHERINE RENFREW BARTLETT, born 20 Feb 1860, died 6 Nov 1935 Hampton, Kings, New Brunswick, single, retired teacher
• Governor General's Academic Medal, wikipedia.org
• Find A Grave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/258255578/katherine_renfrew_bartlett