Tim Abbot at Walking the Berkshires did a post on “Beard Envy”
the other day and it put me in mind of a pic that a newfound
Barker family cousin sent me about a month ago.
This is Symonds Epes Barker Jr. He was the son of Symonds
Epes Barker, Sr. whose parents were Jonathan Barker and
Abigail Mitchell. Jonathan was descended from Richard Barker,
one of the first settlers of Andover, Ma.
I’m descended from Jonathan and Abigail’s son Jonathan
through my grandmother Cora Berthella Barker.
So far, this is the only picture of a fully bearded relative, near or
distant that I have seen. My grandfather West grew one
occasionally I think but nothing on the scale of the 19th century
styles!
By the way, I asked Tim and his mother’s Barker line is a
different one from mine, but there is a connection through our
Abbot(t) line where we are both descended from Richard Barker
of Andover.
7 comments:
That's the fun of 17th century small town life; stick around for more than a couple of generations and you are related to everybody. Given your and my deep Andover connections, Bill, we ought to see who else is hiding in some of those maternal branches.
My middle name is Blanchard. Abbott men in our line have carried that middle name regularly through the generations since Joseph Abbott (George 1, Nathaniel 2) married Deborah Blanchard in 1731. Deborah Blanchard was the daughter of Thomas Blanchard and Rose Holmes.
The son of Joseph Abbott and Deborah Blanchard was Nathaniel Abbott, who married Sarah Stevens and through whom we share Barker ancestors. What I failed to mention is that there are two Barker links here. I told you that Samuel Stevens, grandfather of Sarah Stevens Abbott, married Elizabeth Barker. I had forgotton until I just checked my records that his mother was Esther Barker, sister of your Benjamin and my William, making his wife a first cousin!
Alright. Now lets go back to Sarah Stevens. Her parents were Samuel Stevens and Hepzibah Ingalls. We get to the Barkers through her father's line; we get to Abbott's again through her mother's people!
Hepzibah Ingalls was the daughter of James Ingalls and Hannah Abbott, whose line is that "other Abbot(t) line" decended from George Abbot(t) "of Rowley". Hannah Abbott's mother was Sarah Farnum, daughter of Ralph Farnum.
Her father was Henry Ingalls who married Henry Osgood. Familiar names in early Andover.
So any Farnums, Osgoods, Ingalls or Blanchards in that tree of yours?
Wow. Let's see...
Ingalls and Osgoods
James Ingall's sister Sarah married Joshua Swan, and their
grandaughter Nancy Swan married my ancestor Nathaniel Barker.
Stevens.
I have a Sarah Stevens married
22 Jul 1708 to Stepehn Abbot(t),son
of John Abbot(t)and Sarah Barker.
Farnum(or Farnham)
I have Benjamnin Abbot(t) married to Sarah Farnum, daughter of Ralph
Farnum(Farnham)and Elizabeth Holt.
Blanchards
None.
That's a quick scan. I think there are a few more ties somewhere.
Rather unique first name - my family name is Symonds. Any thoughts on how your bearded relations used that first name?
Richard Symonds (roots in Mass and Conn)
Well, you got me wondering about the Symonds in Symonds Epes Barker,too. So I googled a bit just now on it.
Symonds Epes seemed as though it might be in honor of someone with that name,and sure enough there were several all from the same family. And it turns out that the Symonds part is because the first Symonds Epes was the grandson of William Symonds of Wells Maine who owned Laudholm Farm which is now in land trust.
You can read about him and William Symonds at the Laudholm Farm site:
http://www.laudholm.org/stockford.htm
The Epes family was also prominent in the early history of Ipswich Ma.
So perhaps Symonds Epes Barkers Sr.&Jr. were named in honor of one of the Symonds Epes,or there might be a connection in their maternal line.
Do you have any connection with William Symonds of Wells, Me.?
My great-grandfather had a very long beard most of his life.
OK, I have Richard & Joanna Barker in my file though I have no idea why. They just sit in there with daughter Mary.
My 8th gr-grandparents were John Barker and Judith Symonds of Woburn, MA. I have several Abbott's but don't see any connection to you or Tim but I expect we have cousins in common. I haven't done much work on any of these lines.
I think your John Barker is
from a different line, Apple.
But there's those Abbot(t)s
who might tie in if they are from Andover
Ah, a minor connection. Henry Ingalls married Mary Osgood, not "Henry". Massachusetts only recently authorized same-sex marriage and the Puritans were having none of it back in the 1600s.
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