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John Whitten Barrett
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John Whitten Barrett was the son of David Barrett and Elizabeth Whitten and grandson of Reuben Barrett. He was named after his mothers family.
Hulda Reding Barrett was the daughter of Iredell Reding and Martha "Patsy" Hellums.
John Whitten Barrett grew up partly on his grandfathers Plantation in South Carolina in the midst of much family conflict, between his father and his aunts and uncles over his grandfather, Reuben Barrett's will.
In 1825 at the age of twelve, John moved with his family to Fayette County, Tennessee, taking a flat boat down the Tennessee River must have been exciting for a boy of his age, it is most likely here that he found his spirit for adventure. After his family settled in and built a one room log cabin with a dirt floor, they began farming. His Father was a part time school teacher so no doubt he was also educated by his father.
John's father David had a close friend by the name of Iredell Reding and he formed a wagon train to go to Texas in 1837. John decided at the age of 21 to head for the unknown Frontier.
According to a story that was told to Karen Hett , who was the first to discover this, they took the wagon train to Mustang Prairie, Texas and when it arrived John and Huldy Reding were married there. They were married by Rev. Tate on 7 Feb 1837. John and Huldy settled into married life in Houston County. His sister Miriam and her husband joined him first from Tennessee then in 1837 his parents and oldest brother Albert came. Eventually his other sister Polly came also. The couple lived in Mustang Prairie until 1839 at which time they moved with the Reding Family to the vicinity of Danville in Montgomery County and would later become Madison County between modern day Madisonville and Midway on the North Side of Larrisons Prairie near Elwood, Texas.
In 1840 John and Huldy had their first son, Stephen Reding Barrett, John Whitten wrote in his family bible the third entry, the first two being he and his wifes birthdays." Stephen R. Barrett, my first son with the above was born Sept. 18th, 1840", little did he know he would make 11 more birth entries for his children including one set of twins.
In 1840 the town of Madisonville was established, their home, located on the Old San Antonio Road became an Inn for travelers, as well as a stagecoach stop. John and Huldy had a dry goods store and also dealt in livestock, farm products, butter and eggs.
In the 1860 census of Madison County it shows that Johns nephew, Joseph 16 years old is living with them. John Whitten Barrett owned 1809 acres of land in Madison county. On which he had a large amount of livestock. 19 horses, 80 milk cows, 14 working cows and 400 other head of cattle. He also raised sheep having about 200 of them and sheered them and sold 400 lbs of wool in 1860. The farm also was home to 70 swine. John raised crops also, Rye, Indian corn, probabley to feed his livestock, oats and he grew cotton putting out 400 lbs of ginned cotton in 1860. Eighty acres of this land was improved and 1009 acres were unimproved. In 1860 the cash value of his farm was $6,534.00 and the value of his livestock was $6,025.00.
By the time of the 1870 census, John estimated his wealth at $3,700.00 in personal property and $3,200.00 in real estate, which was sizable wealth in those days. They were considered wealthy at the time and owned large tracts of land.
John Whitten Barrett died 6 May 1877 and Hulda buried her husband in Burrows cemetery. By June of 1880 Hulda had reduced the land down to 200 acres. She had spent $750.00 to build and repair fences the year before. She probabley had help from her sons in doing the labor as she didn't pay any cost to white laborers and she had no expenses for white farm labor in 1879. She had most of her sons living right around her. She got rid of 11 horses and sold over 300 cows and reduced her milking cows down to 8. Hulda kept the sheep and in the clipping season of 1880 she ended up with 118 fleeces that weighed 435 pounds. So the sheep shearing was still profitable to her even after John's death. She also must have decided she didn't want to raise the pigs anymore as they were all gone by 1880 and she had bought 50 barnyard chickens and 94 "other" chickens or roosters. Hulda sold the eggs and in 1879 sold around 100 eggs. Hulda also started raising bees which produced about 100 lbs of honey in 1879. Of course she still raised the Indian corn for her livestock and the oats, but her cotton crops were considerabley lower as she only had 95 acres planted that year. The value of the farm dropped to $2,500. Needless to say Hulda probabley downsized the farm after John's death. She gave her son Stephen Reding and his wife Sarah land, and also gave her other son Luthur Monroe Barrett and his wife Sarah Adams land, possibley she gave other sons land too. However, I have not yet seen a copy of John Whitten Barrett's will so he could have split most of the land up in his will between his sons. When I recieve a copy I will include it on this page. Hulda lived to be 73 years old and died 8 Jan 1894. She is buried next to her husband.And they have matching headstones under two large cedar trees. (I have a small branch of that cedar tree hanging on my wall in my livingroom that I have sanded down and sealed. To me that is a part of my family tree. I have pictures of their headstones that I plan on adding later). I have written a biography on Hulda's life in the links below, please be sure to read it.
I have added new links to this page on 1/19/2002, so check back often.When you click on one of the children of John and Hulda you will find a two or three generation report of that person. From there there will be links on each name if I have info on them or a picture of them. If you have an ancestor on this page or on the page from their link that you would like to add a biography or anything via a link to them, please let me know.
I have tried to not include living relatives but there may be some listed, if your name is on any of these pages and you want the birthdate taken off, please let me know and I will do it immediatly as I believe in protecting our family members privacy if that is their wish.
I can use all the help I can get with this website. The purpose of this website is to help other researchers and to get them in contact with each other to help in everyones research. So please, please send me anything you think would benefit this website and others research.
Land Records
John Whitten Barrett and Huldah Reding Barrett Children
Thomas Barrett
James Silas David Barrett
James W. Withers Barrett
Madison County Barrett's Group Picture
Bios of each person in above photo
1.Julia Jenkins b. 1889,2.Rosa Steel Vaughn,3.Sam Davis,4.Carrie Carter,5.Jesse Steel,6.Mamie Carter,7.Bobbie Kelton,8.Janie Carter 9. Don't know that boy10.Bobby Barrett (Sharry's baby?) 11. Cleveland Crossland12. Hubert Barrett (John boy) 13. John DeBord 14. Jim McCan's baby 15. Jim McCan 16. Frankie Barrett (Steve's girl) 17. Steve Barrett 18. Mattie Thomas 19. Vaughn 20. Charlie Steel 10. Hattie Lee Barrett (Steve's girl) 22. Fannie Jenkins (five) b. 1893 23. Lilla Manning (Alice Manning girl) 24. Maggie Davis 25. May Belle Floyd (Frank Larrison's wife) 26. Curtis Kelton 27. Henry Thomas 28. Jim Barrett (Luthurs son) 29. Will Barrett (Steves boy) 30. Will Barrett (Johns boy) 31. Emma Crossland 32. Alice Davis 33. Annie Carter 34. Hope Conner 35. Jim Steel 36. Maudie Barrett (Luthurs girl) 37. Lillie Wright 38. Albert Vaughn 39. Lonnie Vaughn 40. Joseph Allie 41. Sue Vaughn 42. Clara Beason 43. Minnie Barrett (Luthurs girl) 44. Pearl Palvado 45. Emily Vaughn (Mrs.) 46. Mrs. Carson 47.Charley Vaughn 48. Frank Burk 49. Della Vaughn 50. Willie Kelton 51. Bud Elliott 52. Tituie Vaughn 53. Willie Davis 54. Mary Carter 55. Ella Floyd (Joels wife) 56. Arie Adams 57. Tolephus Barrett (Bills boy) 58. Alice Adams 59. Huldy Manning 60. Mamie Burk 61. Maud Floyd 62. Edd Mitchell 63. Walter Barrett (Johns boy) 64. Tom Dorman 65. Frank Kelton 66. Minnie Wright 67. Lena Adams 68. Rachie Kelton 69. Bissie Plummer 70. Viola Park 71. Fannie Carter 72. Fannie Carter 73. Effie Thomas 74. Jason Floyd 75. Frank Stokes (Oscar Kelton)
The picture from left Annie Laura Barrett Hopkins,James T. Hopkins,Mildred Barrett Risinger( right behind her brother in law James* My mom ), Wilburt Barrett, James Driver ( a cousin to mom nick name Pretty Boy Driver ), Bessie Barrett Moffatt, Traci Louise Martin Barrett (Wife to James Barrett), James Barrett, Glen Barrett, Pauline Bowen Barrett (wife of Glen), Little girl in front of James his daughter Teresa Ann Barrett, Boys --- Lee Barrett,Jerry Barrett,Phil Barrett, children of Wilburt. Man in military suit is Oscar Harper Moffatt, Bessie's spouse. Oscar is holding Ronny Wayne his son. Man in hat is spouse to Lena Estelle Barrett, --Hollis H. Black He is holding Phil son of Wilburt.Of the 10 children Of William Anthony Barrett and Annie Seale --- 6 are in the picture
Above Picture donated by Deb Biggs
FINAL RESTING PLACES
Luthur Monroe Barrett
