▁mat ernal ▁grand m other ▁and ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁" N ancy " ▁( a ▁nick name ▁for ▁Anna ). ▁She ▁was ▁bapt ised ▁by ▁her ▁mother ' s ▁brother , ▁John ▁Jenn ings , ▁in ▁Hun ting d ons hire ▁two ▁weeks ▁after ▁her ▁birth . ▁Bar ba uld ' s ▁father ▁was ▁head master ▁of ▁the ▁diss ent ing ▁a cademy ▁in ▁K ib worth ▁Har court ▁and ▁minister ▁at ▁a ▁nearby ▁Pres by ter ian ▁church . ▁She ▁spent ▁her ▁child hood ▁in ▁what ▁Bar ba uld ▁scholar ▁William ▁Mc Car thy ▁describes ▁as ▁" one ▁of ▁the ▁best ▁houses ▁in ▁K ib worth ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁very ▁middle ▁of ▁the ▁village ▁square ." ▁She ▁was ▁much ▁in ▁the ▁public ▁eye , ▁as ▁the ▁house ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁boys ' ▁school . ▁The ▁family ▁had ▁a ▁comfortable ▁standard ▁of ▁living . ▁Mc Car thy ▁suggests ▁they ▁may ▁have ▁ranked ▁with ▁large ▁free hold ers , ▁well - to - do ▁tr ades men , ▁and ▁manufact ur ers . ▁At ▁Bar ba uld ' s ▁father ' s ▁death ▁in ▁ 1 7 8 0 , ▁his ▁estate ▁was ▁val ued ▁at ▁more ▁than ▁£ 2 , 5 0 0 . ▁ ▁Bar ba uld ▁commented ▁to ▁her ▁husband ▁in ▁ 1 7 7 3 : ▁" For ▁the ▁early ▁part ▁of ▁my ▁life ▁I ▁convers ed ▁little ▁with ▁my ▁own ▁Sex . ▁In ▁the ▁Village ▁where ▁I ▁was , ▁there ▁was ▁none ▁to ▁con verse ▁with ." ▁Bar ba