Lantern slides of John (Jack) Bernard Barton

This small collection contains 186 lantern slides used by John (Jack) Bernard Barton, chaplain for the Mission to Seafarers, including both commercially produced religious texts or images and photographs [by Jack Barton] of seafarers and other maritime subjects. There is also a biography of Barton, compiled by his grandson, Malcolm Barton. The lantern slides have been placed in two artificial series to ease access to the collection.

John (Jack) Bernard Barton was born in India in 1866, the second oldest son of John Barton, a missionary. In June 1869, Jack and his younger brother Fred were sent to live with their Aunt in Tunbridge Wells. Jack's parents moved to England towards the end of 1869, only to return to India in 1872. They finally moved back to England in 1876 and in 1877 John Barton found a position in the church of Holy Trinity Cambridge, which he held for the next sixteen years. During this time, John Barton was heavily involved in the establishment of Ridley Hall, the Anglican Theological College.

From 1879 to 1885, Jack Barton was educated at Haileybury School before studying at Pembroke College, Cambridge followed by a year at Ridley Hall. During university vacations, Jack spent time on fishing vessels from Sunderland and in 1889 worked as a layman for Missions to Seamen in Peel, Isle of Man. In 1890, he was ordained and took up a post as a curate in Brighton. Concerned by the hazardous working conditions faced by seamen, he moved to Sunderland in April 1892 following his appointment as a Chaplain to the Missions to Seamen. The role of chaplain involved conducting services, Bible readings, ship visits and providing welfare services for seamen in dock. Whilst in Sunderland, Barton also served as Secretary to the local branch of the Church Missionary Society.

In 1895, he married Susan Thornton, the daughter of a family friend. The couple had two sons, John 'Jackie' Thornton Barton in 1896 and Bernard Cecil Leslie Barton in 1898, before moving to London in 1899, where Jack had been appointed Senior Chaplain. Their third son, Arthur was born in 1901 and in 1902 the family moved again, possibly owing to the poor health of Jackie, to Lowestoft. Despite this, Jackie again became ill towards the end of 1904 and died of cerebral meningitis on 23 November. The following January the Bartons had another son, Raymond, before moving to Nottingham where Jack had accepted a position as vicar of St Nicholas' Church. In [1906], the Barton's had their fifth child, a daughter called Joy, who was followed by a second daughter, Madeline, in 1911, by which time the family had moved to Rousdon, Devon, where Francis was born in 1916.

In 1917, the Barton's eldest son Bernard joined the Royal Flying Corps whilst Jack, under the auspices of the Missions to Seamen, spent three months at Groningen in Holland as Chaplain to the Royal Naval Brigade members interned at 'HMS Timbertown'. After his service in Holland, the Bartons then moved to Dover, where Jack became the chaplain to the men of the Dover Patrol. In 1921, the family moved yet again, this time to Swansea for Jack's last post for Missions to Seamen, in order that he could help revive the struggling Mission. Having successfully improved the chaplaincy in Swansea, the Bartons moved to Great Holland, Essex, in 1923 where Jack became the parish priest. He continued as the vicar of Great Holland until his retirement in 1932, upon which the Bartons moved to Elphinstone House, Hastings, where they stayed until the outbreak of the Second World War. Possibly owing to German raids on the south coast, they moved once more, this time to Reigate, where Jack Barton died in September 1941 at the age of 74.

U DX365/1 Lantern slides [taken by] John Barton

U DX365/2 Lantern slides owned by John Barton

Access will be granted to any accredited reader. This material has been digitised and is available to view as thumbnails on the online PDF catalogue and the printed catalogue in the Hull History Centre search room.

There are various copyright holders of material within this collection. Where copyright holders are known, please see individual items for details.

Donated by Malcolm Barton, May 2012

Archives of the Mission to Seafarers [U DMS]