Research by Rosemary Jewers 2020
I’ve been meaning to write about Richard James Ward, who I first found some years ago on a family tree. He had married Elizabeth Maria Brereton at Brinton, Norfolk on 25 May 1842.
In fact Richard and Elizabeth shared their wedding day with Elizabeth’s sister, Anna Margaretta and cousin Robert Pearson Brereton. My great, great grandfather, Charles David Brereton, uncle to Robert, Elizabeth and Anna married them.
Richard James Ward was a civil engineer, and in 1836 he had been articled to Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Robert Pearson Brereton, son of Robert Brereton and Sarah Pearson also joined Brunel in 1836. Presumably both were articled to him, but in all mentions of Brereton it only refers to him joining Brunel. In Ward’s obituary it states he was articled for four years, whatever the finer details, these two young men probably first met in Brunel offices where they worked. Ward was born in January 1817 and Brereton in 1818 or 1819.
They must have become friends, and I’m assuming that Brereton must have introduced Ward to his two Norfolk cousins, Anna and Elizabeth, the daughters of William and Sarah Brereton of Brinton.
On 25th May 1842, Elizabeth Maria Brereton married Richard James Ward and her sister Anna Margaretta Brereton married Robert Pearson Brereton.
Thanks to the help of ICE Publishing, I'm able to add this pdf link of Richard Ward's obituary. https://www.icevirtuallibrary.com/doi/pdf/10.1680/imotp.1881.22285
Richard and Elizabeth Ward went on to have a number of children. So far I've discovered Catherine Brereton Ward, Elizabeth Brereton Ward, Richard Brereton Ward, MacGregor Brereton Ward, twin brother, Lloyd Brereton Ward, Florence Fyfe Brereton Ward to name just a few. Florence married Claude Joseph Goldsmid Monefiore. Lloyd married Fanny Louisa Kingsley Anderson. Catherine Brereton Ward married Richard Sumner Helps. It's possible that some of the children died young, and when other children were born they were given the same name as the deceased child. This needs further investigation.
A little more about Robert Pearson Brereton. I found that he and Anna had a son, Robert Brereton Brereton, he lived for just 6 days.
R. P Brereton became Brunel's chief assistant in 1844, aged 25, he took over responsibility for completing some of Brunel's projects after Brunel died in 1859.
These were not the only civil engineers in the family, one was my great, great uncle, Robert Maitland Brereton and the other notable family engineer was Cuthbert Arthur Brereton.
Update to follow.
If you have enjoyed reading this article you might consider donating to www.fosalm.org which will help restore St Andrew's Church Little Massingham. This church has been very important to the Brereton family.
