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Thursday, January 30, 2014

WHAT I KNOW ABOUT THE BARKER FAMILY

This is one of a  series of posts in which I'll list what I've already
learned about one of my family lines. I'll also include a "To Do" list of
things I need to do to learn more. I'll do this alphabetically. This post will
be about my Barker ancestral line.

I know more about my Barker family line than any of the others except for my
Ellingwood ancestors. I have 96 document images for different members of the
family as well as some pictures. These include:

-the Will and Probate of immigrant ancestor Richard Barker who settled in Andover, Ma.
 around 1643 and died in 1693. I don't know the maiden name of his wife, Joanna.They
 were my 8x great grandparents.

-the Will & Probate of Benjamin Barker (1663-1750) my 7x great grandfather.

-the Probate of my 6x great grandfather Jonathan Barker (1706-1750). He's the first of
 three Jonathan Barkers in a row.

- the Revolutionary War Pension file of my 4x great grandfather Jonathan Barker (1754-
  1824) who with his brothers settled the Sunday River region of Maine.

-the War of 1812 Pension File of 3x great grandfather Nathaniel Barker  (1794-1884) of
 Newry, Maine.

-the Probate of my great grandfather Frank Wesley Barker (1865-1905). He was the son
of my 2x great grandfather Nathaniel S, Barker. Frank married his first cousin Charlotte Lovenia Barker, whose father was my 2x great grandfather Amos H Barker. Amos and Nathaniel were brothers.  (I need a simpler way to explain that.)

I also have Federal Census images for some of them.

Among the pictures I have:

My great grandaunts Lela, Mary, Melinda & Hannah Barker.






2x great grandparents Amos H. & Betsey (Moore) Barker.



To Do List:
There's quite a lot more I need to work on with the Barkers. They were a prominent family
in colonial Andover, North Andover, and Methuen, Ma. and I need to study those towns' histories for a more complete picture of how involved the Barkers were.

Among those matters is their part in the Witch Trials. My 7x great granduncle William Barker Sr., his son William Jr, and niece Mary were both accused and accusers. I want
to analyze the documents having to do with them.

Finally, I want to make a few day trips up to the Andovers and Methuen to visit the cemeteries and historical societies there.

7 comments:

theb_oc said...

I was so excited to see your post today. I have been researching the Barker family for a while now. Richard Barker Sr. and his wife Joanna? are my 9x great grandparents. I started to research the family because my grandmother Blanch Cowee who's mother was a Barker and is now gone never knew anything about her mother's family. I have gathered a lot of information and have even visited the Barker family farm in Bridgton Me built by Barber Barker (my Great Great Great Grandfather). I couldn't believe that I found another person doing similar research! I would love to share information. I even have some information about the witch trial that involved William Jr, Mary and Abigail (my great 7x g.grandmother). You can email me at theb_oc@yahoo.com

I was wondering about that picture you have that includes a Hannah Barker. I would be over the moon to find out that is Hannah (Durgan) Barker my great great great grandmother. She is the one that lived on the farm I visited. To have a picture of her would be incredible!

Thank you and take care
Bridget

Gordon said...

Hi,
Great information! Thanks for your work. I am also related to Richard Sr. as my Great Grandfather was Albert W. Barker, the lithographer. I have a great deal of information from Charles Barker who was a genealogist. Very happy to share everything I have. All the best, Gordon

Bill West said...

Hi Cousin Gordon,
Always happy to hear from another cousin. I'll be happy to share what I have with you. My email address is at the top right of this page. Email me so we can discuss things in private.

Bill

Unknown said...

Hi cousin!
I've been working on a branch of our family tree that lived in Andover, Massachusetts while the Witch trials were going on and that were falsely charged. I can't imagine what they all went through.

So in our family tree it starts with Nellie Butterman's mom, Lucia M. Hall, her mom, Marena Irene Brown, her mom Mirena Austin, her mom Phebe Barker who was married to Nathan Austin Jr. We have many family members that lived in Andover, Massachusetts. My family names are: Farnum(Farnhum), Barker, Abbott, Lovejoy, Ayer, Osgood, Russ, Emery, Bodwell(this line goes to our farthest ancestor, King of Wales) Merrill, Parker, Austin, Foster and Richardson.

Richard Barker Jr. is married to Joanna (Ayer) Barker. They are my 10th grandparents. Their son, William Barker Sr. (Who escaped) and his son William Barker Jr. were in prison for being a witch. Mary Barker is a niece of William Sr. and wife to William Jr. (They were first cousin's, common in those days) she was also accused. My 10th Grandmother, Joanna (Ayer) Barker's sister was, Mary Ayer Parker who was hung :( Mary Ayer Parker, was President George W. Bush's 8th Great Grandmother. Making us related to him. We share the same Grandparents, John Ayer Sr. and Hannah Webb Evered with him.

Bill West said...

Hi there cousin!
It looks like we are cousins many times over. I'm descended from Richard Barker Sr through his daughter Sarah and son Benjamin. My Dad's mom was Cora Barker, daughter of Frank Barker and Charlotte Lovenia Barker who were first cousins.
My lines from the Andover area include Farnum/Farnham, Barker, Abbott, Lovejoy, Ayer, Osgood, Emery, Swan, Parker, Phelp and Holt. I'll be happy to share information with you if you have any questions on an of them1

My email addressis at the top of the right hand column on this page.

Always nice to hear from another cousin!
Bill

Anonymous said...

Maybe Richard Barker's wife was a Naumkeag Indian. Just saying.

Unknown said...

I just discovered that I am also a descendant of Richard Barker. I have recovered a lost branch of the Barker family tree through military documents and DNA. Specifically, my 2nd great grandfather was Gideon Barker (Son of Abijah) whom many thought was murdered on his way home from the War of 1812. What really happened to him probably could not have been previously determined without modern internet research, specifically Fold3, and widespread DNA testing. It still took me a long time to figure out.

At any rate, Gideon ended up in Howell Township, NJ, in 1816 (after being discharged from the military in 1815) and apparently never told any family or friends in Maine or New Hampshire where he was. This was especially surprising as he had a child in Augusta, Maine, named Abijah after his father. Gideon started another family in NJ and I am one of his descendants, now in Las Vegas, NV. :-)

I am thrilled to have made this discovery and finally figured out where I and other descendants of Gideon Barker came from. Previously, it had seemed to be an unsolvable mystery. Now, I am finding an overwhelming amount of information on Barker ancestry and am loving it!

--Julie Barker