Barnhill History - A Narrative



John Barnhill, my 4th great grandfather, appears in the 1800 Federal Census in New Hanover County, NC with his wife and 4 children. We later discover his sons were James J., Alexander and John A. We have not been able to determine the name of his wife or daughter. It is also not clear where he was prior to 1800 and when he arrived in New Hanover County.

Sons, James J. Barnhill and Alexander Barnhill eventually marry prior to 1810 and live in New Hanover County until sometime after the 1820 census and prior to the 1830 census, when they move into the area on the Northeast side of the Cape Fear in Bladen County. There is a record of James in 1818 as having obtained 100 acres of land at the head of Colvins Creek. In early New Hanover records, James also sells 200 acres of land located on Colvin's Creek to W. H. Beatty. (There is a branch of Black River called Colvin's Creek running in from the west.) Son, John A. Barnhill appears to have married before 1820 and he is shown in New Hanover County until sometime after 1840 and prior to the 1850 census, when he appears in the Northeast Side of Cape Fear River.

My direct line stems from Alexander and Darkis Barnhill through their son, Griffith W. Barnhill.

Griffith Barnhill,, my 2nd great grandfather appears in the New Hanover County records in 1850 with his first wife, Ella Jane Pridgen and his daughters, Margaret and Narcissa. He is a farmer and the family lives in the Colvin's Creek area. In 1851, a son, Calvin P., is born to Griffith and Ella Jane. Sometime after the birth of Calvin and prior to 1853, Ella Jane dies . It is unclear if her death is associated with the birth of Calvin or from some other cause.

In May of 1853, Griffith marries to Eliza Jane Henry, daughter of William and Olivia Register Henry. The family is shown in the 1860 census as living in the community of Colvin's Creek. Eliza Jane has given birth to at least two children, Melissa Jane and Clarence Allison. At the time of the census, Eliza was expecting another child who was born in October 1860. This child, a son, was my great grandfather, Robert Bizzell.

The Civil War broke out during this troubled period of time and Griffith volunteered in Feb 20, 1862 to fight as a Confederate soldier, serving with Company C, 1st Regiment of North Carolina State Troops known as the "Lillington Rifle Guards". Griffith suffered a gunshot wound in Goldsboro, North Carolina and died April 3, 1862.

On November 23, 1869, Narcissa, Griffith and Ella Jane's second child, marries William Henry Hargrove and lives in the area of Frenches Creek, Bladen County, NC. Calvin goes to live with his Uncle Hulen and family in Bladen County and dies in Feb 1864. It is believed that Calvin was sickly or possibly an invalid. What happened to Margaret or whom she may have married has not been determined.

Eliza Jane is shown in the 1870 census records with her three children in Columbia Township, New Hanover County.

The records indicate that in 1872, Griffith and Eliza Janes's oldest child and daughter, Melissa Jane, marries Hanson Melvin Woodcock and they live near her mother in Columbia Township, New Hanover County. Hanson is the son of of John Bizzell Woodcock and Mary Jane Moore.

In the 1880 census, Eliza Jane is shown with her two sons, still in Columbia Township, but now is Pender County. This county was formed in 1875 out of New Hanover County.

Son, Clarence Allison marries October 12, 1882 to Florence V. Rooks, daughter of John Jones Rooks, Jr. and Eliza Jane Woodcock. Since the census records for 1890 are nonexistent it is not clear where Clarence and "Dolly" made their home, but most likely it was in Columbia Township.

Son, Robert Bizzell, my great grandfather marries January 3, 1891 to Katherine "Katie" Sherman, the daughter of David Sherman and Annie Eliza Watson.

In the 1900 Census Records, my great granduncle Clarence, aunt Florence and 9 children and my 2nd great grandparents, Robert, Katie and their 6 children are living in Caswell Township, Pender County. Eliza Jane is living shown with son, Robert and his family. In April 1910, Clarence and Robert remain in Caswell Township, Pender County and Eliza Jane is still shown with the family of her youngest son, Robert "Bizzell".

On July 10, 1910, my 2nd great grandmother, Eliza Jane, dies in and is buried in Caswell Township, Pender County.

Willie Don Barnhill, my grandfather, marries Ella Lee Wallace, daughter of William Bland Wallace and Martha Jane Horrell, in March 1919. In 1920, they appear in the census records with 1 child who was born in December 1919.

The 1920 Census records indicate that my great granduncle and aunt, Clarence and Florence and my great grandparents, Robert Bizzell and Katie along with their 5 children remain in Caswell Township.

My great grandfather, Robert Bizzell, dies October 17, 1922 and my great grandmother, Katie dies August 8, 1929. Their children have all married and are raising families of their own.

In the 1930 census, my grandparents are also shown again in Caswell Township, now with 5 children, my father, Willie James, being one of them. My grandfather is a farmer. They make their home on 2/1/2 acres of land he purchased from Ella's grandfather, William Glisson Wallace in 1926. Their home was located on the other side of Beatty's bridge road, across the road from where Gliss Wallace's old grist mill had at one time been located. At the time it was sold to my grandfather, it contained a corn crib, tobacco barn and another building which was my grandparents home until their home was built. Research has shown that this two plus acres was derived from and cut out of a larger tract of land containing 31 acres which was owned by different family members going back prior to January 5, 1878. On that date it was conveyed by Hanson Melvin & Melissa Jane Barnhill Woodcock (my 2nd great grandaunt and Uncle) to George Washington Horrell (my 2nd great grandfather). Visit Pender Land Records to see deeds on the land, who owned it and when.

My grandfather also had about 40 acres of farm land further up on Beatty's Bridge road and on the other side of the road. This land came from 2 deeds, one from his brother, Henry and the other from the Land Bank, known as the Hawes Land.

The 1930 records indicate that my great granduncle & aunt, Clarence and Florence, ages 72 and 68 remain in Caswell Township and own a store and home. My grandaunt Florence or "Dolly" died July 12, 1932. After the death of "Dolly", Clarence marries again to Eliza Gurganious. He isn't married long when he dies March 25, 1935. All his children have married and are raising families.

My grandparents, Willie Don and Ella Lee Wallace Barnhill celebrated their "50th Wedding Anniversary" in 1969 and remained in their home in Pender County, until their deaths in 1972 and 1985, respectively. Both are buried in the "Woodcock" family cemetery. According to my grandfather's will, which he had drawn up and signed on the 2nd of september, 1970, he stated that upon my grandmother's death, the house and 2 plus acres went to the oldest daughter, as she was responsible for taking care of her mother until her death. the remaining farm land was divided among the remaining 7 children. A brother, aunt and 2 cousins now have homes on portions of the land which at one time was part my grandfather's farm. A cousin owns the 2 acres plus land on which my grandparents lived. My grandparents had 10 children born to them with 9 surviving and having families of their own. There were 29 grandchildren.

Of course, all the older generations have passed on, with the exception of two of my father's sisters, and only the first cousins of my direct line remain with their descendants. Many first cousins remain in Pender County while others live in neighboring counties. The exceptions are myself and my sister, who both live in other states. My brothers are among those remaining in Pender County and in and around the Town of Atkinson.

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The following newspaper article came into my possession in Nov 2009. It appeared in the Wilmington Star in 1930. It is an interview with J. T. Barnhill, Ivanhoe, Bladen County, NC.

J. T. was John Timothy Barnhill, son of Noah H. Barnhill and grandson of John A. Barnhill who is referred to in the article. It sheds some important light on the arrival of our ancestors in America and their arrival into North Carolina.

There is a thought that our Barnhill lines trace back to David Barnhill and his wife Margaret Fleming of Pitt County, NC. David Barnhill being the son of John and Elizabeth Barnhill of Maryland.