BARKER, John 1820-1888
John Barker was born at Snettisham, Norfolk around 1820, son of George Barker, a farmer, and his wife Mary. John married at Haughley, Suffolk in 1864, Ellen Ann Sparrow (1835-1903). An artist at Haughley Old Street 1865-1869 and in 1871 noted as a 50-year-old ‘ticket writer’ at Green Road, Haughley with his 36-year-old wife Ellen, born at Haughley and an 8-year-old niece Catherine Sparrow and they were still there in 1881 when John was described as an ‘ornamental writer painter’ and Catherine as 'assistant ornamental writer painter’. John Barker died at Haughley in 1888 and in 1891 his 56-year-old widow Ellen was still living at The Street, Haughley with her 70-year-old father Alfred Sparrow, a bricklayer.
Often conflated with John Barker (1811-1886) who was another artist but non-Suffolk.