| Notes |
- Western Star, 1973-03-27
Newfoundland's first female baliff named
A few years ago it might have been difficult to find a woman in court except as plaintiff, defendant or witness, but with the advent of lady jurors,
however, women are becoming more and more necessary to the smooth running of the court.
Mr. Bessie Barfitt, the first woman bailiff or court attendant in Newfoundland, and wife of the court bailiff Harvey Barfitt, doesn't anticipate any difficulties in her new job or in working closely with her
husband.
"One woman did warn me," she laughs, "that a man had been looking in my purse. She was relieved when I told her it was my husband."
Mrs. Barfitt's new job became necessary because of women jurors who might need to be accompanied to such places as the ladies room or their
hotels.
Mrs. Barfitts present experience in court has been purely as a spectator but she anticipates no problems. She also doesn't mind working with
and seeing her husband during the day and says, "I wouldn't mind seeing him 24 hours a day." Mr. Barfitt is a 26-year veteran of the court, serving
first as a cryer and then as bailiff
Because Mrs. Barfitt's position is so new, no one seems to know just what to call her. She feels that she will be more of a court attendant as she will not be serving processes as her husband does.
The job is temporary and part-time with Mrs. Barfitt being paid by the hour and when she is needed and with her expenses taken care of the same as the jurors. There are no sessions in the summer, so her job will be temporarily ended in May or June.
The 51-year-old matron is originally from Green's Harbor, Trinity Bay, which she left about 30 years ago. Her husband is also from Trinity Bay, a place called Long Beach, where they met originally. They were married in 1946 and have one daughter who is married and living in St. John's.
Mrs. Barfitt keeps busy when she is not needed in court by sewing, knitting, and keeping her mother, who lives with the couple, company. She said she did bowl once and likes sports but gave them up when she got older. She and her husband enjoy an active social life, however she says, nothing pleases them more than getting together with friends of their own age.
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1920 - 1991 (70 years)
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