NORTHERN NEW YORK
Genealogical and family history of northern New York: a record of the achievements of her people
in the making of a commonwealth and the founding of a nation.
New York: Lewis Historical Pub. Co. 1910.



BARNES


Transcribed by Coralynn Brown



The origin of this surname has never been definitely determined. One assertion is that its remote bearers were of the Saxon race and spelled the name "Bainers," while another traces it origin to the Norse word "Bjorne," meaning a warrior. It is claimed that the English ancestry of the Barnes family in America has been traced back to the fourteenth century. Three immigrants bearing the name of Thomas Barnes arrived in New England from the mother country prior to 1638. One settled in Hingham, Mass.; another in New Haven, Conn. and the third Thomas located in Hartford. The family about to be mentioned is descended from the last-named immigrant.
The muster rolls of the American revolution and the war of 1812-15 record the services of several volunteers named Barnes, and they rallied to the support of the federal government in the great civil strife of 1861-65.

(I) Thomas Barnes, one of the first settlers of Hartford, Conn., served in the Pequot war (1636-37), and in 1639 received a grant of six acres of land in Hartford as a reward for hs services. He also received a grant of fifty acres in Farmington, Conn., of which town he was one of the first settlers, going there from Hartford in 1646, and he shared in all of the subsequent land distributions there until his death, which occurred in 1688. At that time Farmington included within its limits the present towns of Southington, New Britain, Plainfield, Bristol, Burlington and Avon.
The Christian name of his first wife, whom he probably married shortly after settling in Farmington, was Mary. She was convicted of witchcraft and executed in 1658. He marrie (second) Mary Andros (or Andrews), of Farmington, born in 1644, daughter of John Andros. She survived him and became the second wife of Jacob Bronson.
Children of first union:
Sarah, Benjamin and Joseph.
Children of second marriage:
Thomas and Ebenezer.

(II) Ebenezer, son of Thomas and Mary (Andros) Barnes, was born in Farmington, died in 1756. He settled in the southerly part of the town of Bristol, and erected a large tavern on the Plainfield road, which he conducted for many years.
He married, April 8, 1699, Deborah, daughter of Samuel and Deborah Orvis.
Children:
Ebenezer, Thomas, Anna, Jedediah, Gideon, Stephen, Deborah, Abiah, Mary, Esther, William, Abigail, David, Amos, John and Lucy.

(III) Amos, fourteenth child of Ebenezer and Deborah (Orvis) Barnes, was born in Bristol, Conn., Nov. 30, 1731, died June 6, 1818. As there is a record of his having kept a hotel, it is not improbable that he succeeded his father in carrying on the tavern in Bristol, but information concerning him is very meagre. In 1798 he removed to Lewis county, N.Y., where his son Judah had settled the previous year, and he died in Turin, N.Y. His wife, Elizabeth, died March 14, 1816.
Among his children was Judah, see forward.

(IV) Judah, son of Amos Barnes, was born in Bristol, Conn., Jan. 20, 1755, died in Turin, N.Y., Feb. 23, 1821. He was married in his native town to Hepzibah Wood, born Jan. 8, 1756, died April 3, 1813. In the spring of 1797 Judah Barnes and his family started from Bristol in a conveyance drawn by oxen, and after a journey of six weeks arrived at a point near Collinsville, Lewis county, N.Y. He purchased lot 28 in what is now (1910) Deweyville, town of Turin, and, having cut his way two and one-half miles through an unbroken wilderness to his new possession, he made a clearing, erected a dwelling house, which is (1910) still standing, and assisted by his father, who joined him the following year, he built the first sawmill in that section. In the summer of 1798 quite a colony of settlers arrived, and as his was the only house in the new settlement it sheltered besides his own no less than six families until dwellings could be built for their occupancy. For some time these pioneers subsisted chiefly upon fish and game provided by Judah Barnes' son Martin. Judah Barnes was prominently identified with the early history of Turin, serving as judge of the county court for several years, and as a member of the assembly in 1808-09.
He was a member of the First Congregational church, which was organized Sept. 19, 1802, by the Rev. John Taylor, of Deerfield, Mass.
Children of Judah and Hepzibah (Wood) Barnes, all born in Bristol, Conn.:
1. Elizabeth, born Oct. 21, 1773, died Jan. 3, 1814.
2. Esther, Aug. 12, 1775, died July 20, 1826.
3. Amos, Oct. 9, 1778.
4. Erastus, Aug. 7, 1781, died Aug. 6, 1834.
5. Nancy, April 7, 1783, died April, 1833.
6. Martin, see forward.
7. Chauncey, June 17, 1786, died Aug. 11, 1825.
8. Permetia, July 18, 1788, died October, 1853.
9. Sophia, June 12, 1790, died in 1871.
10. Lemuel, Jan. 12, 1792, died Sept. 30, 1813.
11. Sophronia, Nov. 19, 1794, died Nov. 25, 1838.
12. Hepzibah, July 3, 1795.

(V) Martin, sixth child of Judah and Hepzibah (Wood) Barnes, was born in Bristol, Conn., Jan. 21, 1785, died in Turin, N.Y. Feb. 13, 1862. He accompanied his parents to Turin, was reared a pioneer, and when but thirteen years old proved his ability as a hunter. Upon reaching manood he engaged in farming, but still devoted a considerable portion of his time to hunting, and for many years furnished large quantities of venison to the Albany market.
He married, April 3, 1812, Henrietta Platts, a descendant of an early settler in Rowley, Mass.; she died Aug. 23, 1824. He married (second) Esther Clapp, born April 17, 1797, died Dec. 21, 1852, daughter of Luther Clapp, of Dorchester and Boston, Mass. He married (third) Jan. 17, 1854, Triphena Kingsbury, born April 5, 1796.
Children of first union:
1. Louisa, born June 4, 1819, died July, 1905.
2. Artemecia, March 28, 1820, died April 9, 1899.
3. Harrison, Nov. 2, 1822, died June 29, 1859.
4. Martin, see forward.
5. Henrietta, born Oct. 19, 1836.

(VI) Martin (2), son of Martin (1) and Esther (Clapp) Barnes, was born in Turin, Aug. 22, 1826, died there Nov. 11, 1884. He succeeded to the possession of the homestead and was an energetic tiller of the soil, realizing a comfortable prosperity as the result of his labors.
He married Mary E., daughter of Milo and Achsah (Shepard) Clark.
Children:
1. Clark Martin, see forward.
2. Frank J., born April 23, 1864; married Clara M. Burdick.
3. Clara E., April 6, 1869; married Robert Evans.
The mother of these children is still (1910) living and resides at the homestead.

(VII) Clark Martin, eldest child of Martin (2) and Mary E. (Clark) Barnes, was born in Turin, June 9, 1855. He was educated in the Turin public schools, and after the completing of his studies he assisted his father in carrying on the homestead farm, acquiring a good knowledge of agriculture. After his father's death he assumed the entire management of the farm, and has ever since carried it on in the interest of his mother, who is its owner. The Barnes farm, which has now been in the possession of the family for more than one hundred years, is desirably located and exceedingly fertile. In 1908 Mr. Barnes purchased the Edgerton farm (so called), situated in West Turin and comprising one hundred and fifty-seven acres. He formerly devoted his energies almost exclusively to market gardening, but at the present time is quite extensively engaged in the dairy business, keeping for that purpose a herd of about forty cows. His market gardening interests are still quite extensive, and he produces annually from twelve to fifteen thousand cabbages, besides large quantities of tomatoes and other vegetables.
In politics he acts with the Democratic party and has served with ability as assessor, collector and highway commissioner. He is a member of Turin Grange, Patrons of Husbandry.
Mr. Barnes married, at Geneva, N.Y., Feb. 19, 1885, Mary A. Rowlands, born in Wales, April 10, 1859, and came to America when about ten years of age. She is a daughter of Idwell Rowlands, a native of Wales, who came to America for the first time when a young man, and has since crossed the Atlantic five times. Upon his second visit to his native country he married Ann Roberts, and remained there some fourteen years, during which time four children were born. Returning to the United States, he decided to settle her permanently, and, sending for his wife and children, located near Constableville, N.Y. Children of Idwell and Ann (Roberts) Rowlands are: Mary A.; Jane, married Robert Roberts, and died Jan. 17, 1900, leaving three children: Ruth, Eleanor and Harold; Jeremiah, died Aug 9, 1886; William; Catherine, married Howard Fairchild; Edwin; Lavinia. Idwell Rowlands died March 20, 1907.
Mr. & Mrs. Barnes have three children:
1. Garry M., born May 18, 1887; graduated from the Turin Union School in 1905 and from the Albany Normal College in 1908; is now teaching in Dehnar, N.Y., grammar school; married, Dec. 31, 1907, Grace Toey, and has one daughter, Marion, born in Feb., 1910.
2. Bertha J., born May 5, 1890, graduated from the Turin Union School in 1908, and is now (1910) a student at the Liberal Arts College of the University of Syracuse.
3. DeWitt R. S., born Sept. 3, 1901.

SECOND ENTRY:

Stephen Barnes, of an old New England family, settled in Boonville, N.Y., and was a well-to-do farmer. He married Mercy Moyer, and among their children was William, mentioned below.

(II) William, son of Stephen Barnes, was born at Boonville, N.Y. He was a dealer in real estate. In politics he was a Republican. He served in the civil war. He married, in 1850, Sophronia Joslin.
Children:
Alferetta.
Eri Erastus, mentioned below.
Moyer.

(III) Eri Erastus, son of William Barnes, was born July 6, 1856. He was engaged in lumbering. In politics he is a Republican and he is postmaster of Parkers. He married, at Port Leyden, N.Y., Dec. 25, 1881, Jeannette, born Nov. 2, 1856, daughter of Martin and Rebecca (Kitts) Meeker.
Children, born at Lyonsdale, N.Y.:
Earl Noyes Harold, mentioned below.
Agnes Mary, born Nov. 6, 1888.
Glen Herbert, Dec. 12, 1893.

(IV) Earl Noyes Harold, son of Eri Erastus Barnes, was born at Lyonsdale, N.Y. Oct. 1, 1883. He attended the common schools and the Utica Business Institute of Utica. He became associated with his father in the manufacture of broom handles and rough and dressed lumber at Parkers, Lewis county, N.Y., and is at present (1910) manager of the general store there.
In politics he is a Republican; in 1905 he was elected supervisor of the town of Montague, and represented the town for two terms in the board of supervisors of Lewis county. He is a member of Lowville Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons; of Lowville Chapter, Royal Arch Masons; of Montague Court, No. 1915, Independent Order of Foresters, and the Masonic Club of Lowville.
He married, at Rector, Lewis county, Dec. 27, 1905, Elizabeth, born at Rector, Oct. 18, 1884, daughter of Hezekiah and Addie (Feller) Sheldon. She has a brother, J. Fred Sheldon.
They have one child, Adeline Jeannette, born Dec. 31, 1907.
[Transcriber's note: this material was published in 1910, so any subsequent children this couple may have had are not listed].

*********************************
NOTE from Barbara J. Burch:
*********************************

William Cutter was a noted biographer and historian, but in the case of the genealogy of Earl Noyes Barnes of Lewis County NY he published some egregious misinformation.

Earl�s great grandfather, Stephen Barnes, was born in CT in 1795. He first settled in Wilna, Jefferson County, and then in Boonville. He married Mercy Noyes (not Moyer) daughter of Gershom Noyes and Mary �Polly� Stanton. Among their children was (II)William, born in Boonville in 1835. William married Sophronia �Sybil� Joslin, daughter of Gardner Benoni Joslin and Lydia Ann Sweet. Children: Alferetta, Eri Erastus and Noyes (not Moyer). (III) Eri Erastus married Jeanette (also spelled Janette) Meeker, daughter of Martin and Rebecca (Hilts not Kitts) Meeker. Their children were Earl Noyes Barnes who married Elizabeth Sheldon, Agnes Mary who married Martin Richter, and Glenn Harold (not Herbert) who married Evelyn Nancy Hanno.

Anyone interested in the sources of this information may contact me at [email protected]


RETURN TO INDEX

Have these webpages helped you?
Please let us know in the Guestook.
[ Read / Sign my guestbook ]
Get a free Guestbook