GPS GENEALOGY ROADTRIP

Now that mud season is over and the weather is turning warmer, I'm trying to get out
more. One of my problems is that I am not really comfortable driving long distances
on the highways. I've had no reason to for the last twenty five years or so since I could drive the secondary roads back and forth to work. I'm trying to reacclimate myself so
I can visit some places further away like the cemeteries where my Middlesex, Worcester, and Essex counties ancestors are buried. I've loaded the street addresses into my GPS, and on a whim today I set out for North Andover and Methuen, Ma.

After about an hour or so of whiteknuckle driving I reached the Old North Burial Ground in North Andover. My Dad's maternal line, the Barkers, came from the area and I was hoping to find some of them buried there, but the first headstone I saw belonged to an ancestor from a different family line, 9x great grandfather John Stevens. He was born in England in 1605 and died on 11Apr 1662. I didn't see a stone for his wife Elizabeth (Parker)Stevens but she outlived him by thirty years so she probably remarried. Also, the stone is in excellent condition so I'm wondering if it is a replacement for an earlier one.

I did find plenty of Barkers, mostly collateral line cousins, but I also found two direct Barker ancestors: my 7x great grandparents Benjamin Barker and Hannah (Marston) Barker.

Nearby I found the headstones of two of their children, my6x great grandaunt Alice Barker
and 6x great granduncle Benjamin Barker Jr.

The cemetery was in good shape for the most part, although there was sad evidence of
worse times in the past.

After taking 62 photos I got back into my car and followed the GPS directions to the Meeting House Hill Cemetery in Methuen where 6x great grandfather Jonathan Barker is buried, I should have checked before I left my house because if I had, I would have known the cemetery was closed to the public. I drove around it outside the stone walls and chainlink fence, then got directions home from the GPS and left. Roughly an hour and a half later I was home after dealing with the start of rush hour traffic on the highway.
I'd left my apartment around 11:30am  and was home a little after 3:30pm. 

I'll have to find some more cemetery locations to enter into the GPS!

THE HASTINGS PENSION FILE PT4

Many of the settlers of Oxford county in Western Maine were veterans of
the Revolution who had originally come from towns in northern Essex
county in Massachusetts such as Andover, Methuen, and Haverhill. So it
was not surprising that thney had encountered or even served together to
some degree or another during that war.

I've mentioned before that my 4x great granduncle Benjamin Barker turns
up as a witness in many Pension Request Files. By the time Betsey Hastings
was seeking her widow's pension Benjamin was eighty-three years old
but still in possession  of a good memory. He testified twice about Amos
Hastings' service. The first was the longer of the two: 



"I Benjamin Barker of Rumford in the County of
Oxford and State of Maine aged eighty three years do
testify and say that I was personally acquainted
with Amos Hastings who was a private in the army of
the Revolutionary War, that he belonged to the Com
pany of Captain Timothy Eaton- and Colonel Gerrishes
Regiment. I further testify and say that said Amos
Hastings was in the year seventy five in the eight
Months Service in Captain Cogswell's Company-and
that he served his time out in said Company-belong
ing to Col. Fryes' Regiment being the same Regiment
to which I belonged. That I further testify and say
that said Amos done eight months service in
said Captain Eaton's Company and Gerrish's Regiment
in the year seventeen hundred and seventy seven
and that he was at the taking of Burgoyne's army.
And I further say that I have been personally
acquainted with said Amos since the Revolution
ary War- and continued to live within seven
miles until his death which was was in eighteen
hundred and thirty one.
Benj. Barker

State of Maine
Oxford County SS  October 24th 1838
Then the above named Benjamin
Barker who is a respectable person and entitled to credit
and made oath to the truth of the above affidavit
by him subscribed in my presence.
Peter Virgin Justice of the Peace."

The second statement had some other new pieces of
information. It was made seven months after the first statement:

"I Benjamin Barker of Rumford in the County of
Oxford  and State of Maine aged eighty three years do
testify and say that I was personally acquainted
with Amos Hastings late of Bethel in said County of
Oxford deceased,  at Winter Hill and on Bunker Hill as a Soldier
in the army of the Revolutionary War in Captain
Eaton's Company-and Col. Gerish Regiment- and
he then served seven months. I again say that I
was knowing the said Amos was at the taking
of Burgoyne- and at Ticonderoga- and that he then
served eight months in Captain Cogswell's Com
pany as I believe
Benja Barker

State of Maine
Oxford County SS April 27, 1839. Then personally app
eared the above named Benja Barker who is a person
entitled to credit and made oath to the truth of the above
affidavit signed in my presence.

Peter  C Virgin Justice of the Peace "

Despite Benjamin's two affidavits Betsey Hastings did not
receive her widow benefits and the struggle continued.

JONATHAN BARKER'S PENSION FILE2

Benjamin Barker's testimony confirmed that of his brother
and Joseph Jackson:

"I Benjamin Barker of lawful age do testify and say that I am
personally acquainted with Jonathan Barker and knowing to
his serving as a private Soldier in the Revolution was against
the common enemy in the continental establishment in the
eight months servis and knew him to Serve the full term in
Capt John Davis' Company and Col James Fry's Reg in
Massachusetts lineI being in the same company with him at
the time and know that the said J Barker entered said service
in April AD 1775 and I also know that the said J Barker
entered into the nine months service in June AD 1778 in Capt
Samuel Carrs' Company and Col James Wesson's Regt and
General Learned's Brigade in said line and served as a private
soldier the full term of nine months as last mentioned I being
in the same company with him at the same time and knowing
to his being honourably discharged the said last term was on
the Continental establishment as afore said.
Benja. Barker

Oxford
On the 22nd day of May AD 1818
The aforesaid deponent was examined and cautioned and
sworn agreable to law to the truth of the above Deposition
by him subscribed taken at the request of Jonathan Barker
and by virtue of a Dedimus potestatem to me directed from
the Hon Albion K Parris Judge of the United States for the
District of Main to be used in said court now holden at
Parris within said District I have reason to believe the
above statement being aquainted with the deponent.
James Eames Justice of the Peace"


So, having obtained Benjamin Barker's testimony on his
brotherJonathan's behalf, James Eames returned to the
court and Judge Parris ruled on Jonathan Barker's petition:

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
MAINE DISTRICT, ss.

BE IT REMEMBERED, That on the twenty fourth
day of April in the year of our Lord, one thousand
eight hundred and eighteen, personally came
Jonathan Barker the applicant named in the papers
hereunto annexed, and after being duly cautioned
and examined, made oath that the several
statements by him made in the annexed application,
signed in my presence, are. wholly true.

And the said applicant offered in evidence the affidavit of
Joseph Jackson, made and signed in my presence; and the
depositionof Benjamin Barker, taken before James Eames,
a respectable magistrate appointed by Dedemus for this
purpose, both fellow soldiers with said applicant in the
revolutionary war, all which are here unto annexed.

And it appearing to me in the examination here
had, that the several persons above named are
credible witnesses, I do hereby admit the annexed
declarations as evidence, and certify the same as
being satisfactory proof to me that the said Jonathan
Barker the applicant, served as a private soldier in the
revolutionary war, against the common enemy,
for the term of nine months in continuation on the
continental establishments. And I do further certify,
that from the declaration of the applicant made
before me, under oath as aforesaid, it does appear
that in consequence of his reduced circumstances
in life, he is in need of assistance from his country
for support; all of which I do hereby certify and
transmit to the Secretary of the Department of War,
agreeably to the provisions of an Act of Congress,
passed March 18,1818, entitled "An Act to provide
for certain persons engaged in the land and naval
service of the United States in the revolutionary
war."

IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereto set my
handand caused my Official Seal to be affixxed the
day and year first mentioned.

Albion K. Parris

Judge of the United States in and for the District of Maine."


The next image appears to be something written on half of a
foldedpiece of paper. It reads:

"Jonathan Barker
(Private)
Weston's Regt.
Masts. Line-
June 1778 for 9 months.

24th April 1818-

Below that in a different hand and written lighter is the word:

"Correct"

So Jonathan Barker's pension application had been filed and
been approved in a little over a month after the passage of
the Act of Congress establishing the Pensions.

But the story was not over yet.

JONATHAN BARKER'S PENSION FILE1

As I've said previously, the Barker family history is an
interesting one, but at the moment I will concern myself with
the three Barker brothers who filed for their pensions. For a
short overview of the rest of it, I recommend Mitch Barker's
page here on his Newry, Maine Website.

In the following transcriptions, preprinted sections of
forms are boldfaced and handwritten portions are
italicized.


The first page of Jonathan Barker's file lists him as having
served in units from Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
His file number is S.37571.

Congress passed an Act on 18 March, 1818 establishing the
Pension Fund for Revolutionary War veterans. A little over a
month later, Jonathan Barker appeared in Judge Albion
Parris' court to file a petition for his:

"I, Jonathan Barker, a resident citizen of the United States of America,
an inhabitant of Newry in the County of Oxford and the State of
Massachusetts, do testify and say, that on the nineteenth day of April
A.D. 1775, I joined the army of said United States on the continental
establishment at Cambridge in said state for the term of eight months
as a private soldier in Capt. John Davis’ company, Col James Frye’s
regiment, who was soon after our Brigadier General in the Massachu-
-setts line, which term of eight months I served at Cambridge aforesaid
and at the expiration thereof I again enlisted into said army for three
months as a private soldier in Capt. John Allen’s company, Col John
Waldron’s regiment, and Gen Sullivan’s brigade in the New Hampshire
line, which term of three months I served at Charlestown in Massachu-
-setts and was then verbally discharged. In June A.D. 1778, I again
enlisted into the same army on the continental establishment, at
Methuen, Mass. and I joined the army at White Plains, N. York, as a
private soldier for the term of nine months in Capt. Samuel Carr’s
company, Col. James Weston’s regiment and Gen Lerned’s brigade
in the Massachusetts line, which term of nine months I fully served,
principally in the state of N. York and at the end thereof I received,
at Stony Point, an honorable discharge, which has since been
burned with my house. I further testify that I am sixty four years of
age,worship a few days, that by reason of my reduced circumstances
in life I stand in need of assistance from my country for support and
that I am not borne on any pension list of the United States.
Jona. Barker"

On the other side of the sheet of paper is the testimony of
a Joseph Jackson:

"I, Joseph Jackson of Newry aforesaid, do testify and say, that I was
in the continental service in the revolutionary war with the above
named Jonathan Barker during his periods of service of eight months
and of nine months above mentioned and to my certain knowledge
saidBarker served these several periods as he has above stated.
Joseph Jackson "

Apparently Judge Parris felt further evidence as to Jonathan's
service was necessary, and he appointed someone to go about
finding it:

"Maine District , ss.
To James Eames of Newry in the District of Maine, esq.
Whereas, at a special District Court of said United States
for the Maine District holden at Paris in said District, on the
twenty fourth day of April in the year of our Lord one
thousand eight hundred and eighteen Jonathan Barker of
Newry in said District presented an application to the Judge
of said Court, setting forth that he served as a private soldier
in the war of the revolution, on the continental
establishment against the common enemy, and requesting
that an enquiry may be instituted into the circumstances of
his case, and that such further proceedings may be made
touching the premises as are prescribed by An Act of
Congress passed March 18th,1818,entitled "An Act to provide
for certain persons engaged in the land and naval service
of the United States in the revolutionary war," in order that
he may be places on the Pension List of said United States:-
and whereas in the course of the examination here had, it
appears that the testimony of sundry persons, who served
with the applicant in the revolutionary army, at present
residing in or near to the towns of Newry or Bethel in the
Districts aforesaid, is necessary and material in support
of said application:-

THEREFORE, to the end that the testimony aforesaid may
be had, and by virtue of the power vested in this Court by the
laws of the United States, you or either of you are hereby
appointed or authorized, at the proper expense of the
applicant, to take depositions of such persons as he may
cause to come before you, touching the application
aforesaid, and in particular as to the time when the
applicant entered the service, the time and manner of his
leaving it, the company, regiment and line to which he
belonged, and whether the service was performed on the
continental establishment or the militia of either of
the States; and such depositions, when taken, and your
certificate of the administration of the usual oath and of
the credibility of the deponents, together with this Dedimus
Potestam, you will certify and return to the Judge of said
Court without unnecessary delay.

GIVEN under my hand and seal at Paris in said District, the
day and yea r first mentioned.

Albion K. Parris
Judge of the United States in and for the District of Maine."

James Eames found a witness to testify who knew Jonathan
Barker very well.

He found Benjamin Barker.

THE BARKER BROTHERS

One of the warnings I've seen given several times to
beginning genealogists is this: if you have heard stories
about how your ancestor and his siblings were the first
settlers and founders of some town, it's probably not
entirely true.


What then am I to make of the Barker brothers? There is
the "Petition for Grant of Land Later Newry" that can be
viewed over at Chris Dunham's Oxford County Genealogy
Notebook. Jonathan Barker Sr and five of his sons are among
the signers. And numerous editions of Oxford County
histories and Maine Registers credit Benjamin, Jesse, and
Jonathan Barker 3rd as being first settlers of the future
Newry in 1781 along with Ithiliel Smith.

Apparently in some cases there are exceptions to the rule
about legendary stories!

But I'm not surprised. The Barker brothers and their
ancestors are an interesting bunch and in the next few
weeks I will be posting transcriptions of the Revolutionary
War Pension Files of Jonathan, Benjamin, and Jesse Barker
and discussing some of the family history they reveal. I'd like
to acknowledge the help given and research of my Barker
family cousins Mitch Barker, Nancy Downey, and Howard
Kaepplein.

I hope those who read their stories will enjoy them as much
as I've enjoyed researching them!

BLOGGING BRUNCH 14

I’m getting spoiled! Another day of sleeping in late.


So as I usually do on days off, I started the day with breakfast at
the computer and browsed the genealogy blogs, but I think many
are taking the holidays off or have been rendered hors d’ combat
aftertheir Christmas celebrations!

The weekly NEGHS enews email had a link to a story in the
Boston Globe concerning the naming of the John Alden House
Historic Site as a national historic landmark.


Then I tried googling a few family members and found a few
bits of information at two sites others with Maine relatives might
not know about.


First, at the Andover, Maine website I found the obituary of 2x
great granduncle Asa Atwood West and then a transcription of
his family gravestone at the Old Woodlawn Cemetery in Andover.


Then I found a site with an 1840 Census of Pensioners
Revolutionary or Military Services and found among others
Benjamin Barker, the brother of my ancestor Jonathan Barker,
was living with Moses Coburn, Jr, the son of my ancestor
Moses Coburn, another war veteran. The younger Moses
Coburn was married to a Hannah Barker but I’m not sure as yet
if she was a daughter of Benjamin or a niece.


So it was a productive cup of coffee, at least genealogy wise!

BLOGGING BRUNCH11

A dark and stormy Saturday afternoon as the remnants of
Hurricane Noel, now only a tropical storm, alas, roar outside.
At the moment the wind seems to be from the south which
means the apartments on my side of the building are sheltered
from the worst since we face north. We’ll feel it more when the
storm moves past and the wind shifts later this afternoon and
tonight.


Meanwhile, I made myself a cup of that cocoa mix and watched
the storm for a few minutes through my screen door. A lot of
leaves on the ground now out there! A minute or two of that was
enough since as my Dad used to say I’m not heating the outside.
So I came in to finish my cocoa while fiddling at my keyboard
until the power goes.


But I already charged up my mp3 player so I’ll have some Celtic
music to listen to, and my cell phone is on the charger already so
my sister will be able to call me later (or vice versa) to see how
we have weathered the storm. Knowing my sister, she’s probably
sitting in her car in the parking lot at a beach at Plymouth or
Marshfield watching the waves. I have a flashlight to read a book
by and a can of tunafish to make dinner with, so if I do lose power
here, I’m all set until it comes back, provided it’s within a few
hours.


After that, I go into computer withdrawal. Gulp.


I was looking over the other Revolutionary War Pension Files I
have to decide which one to transcribe and post here next. I’ve
decided to go with the smaller ones first, so the humongous
Benjamin Barker file will be last, and might not even be posted
until after the first of the year.


Going through the images I noticed a few things. Benjamin Barker
shows up in other ancestor’s files to testify as to their service
records. Of course two of them are his brothers: Jonathan(my
direct ancestor) in 1818 and Jesse in 1832. He’s also in the file for
Amos Hastings in 1839, but there is a personal connection there as
well since Benjamin’s nephew Nathaniel was married to Huldah
Hastings, Amos’ daughter.


I also noticed that some ancestors gave their “declarations” on
the same day: Asa Barrows and Amos Upton on August 20th,
1832, and John Ames and Jesse Barker a later on September
27th. Perhaps the Judge rode a circuit and was only in the area
for a short time each month? I wonder what stories they and the
other old veterans swapped about their war years as they sat and
waited their turn to file their claim? Would they be delighted or
dismayed to learn that their grandchildren and great grandchildren
would someday wed?


Think I’ll go do some quick housecleaning and then come back to
scan some old photos.

BLOGGING BRUNCH10

Not many new posts this morning on the genealogy blog patrol
as I sit and drink my coffee. I did find a few interesting news
articles to tide me over for a bit.

One is from Rhode Island about the sad state of historical
cemetaries there and how one woman is getting folks to help
do something about it.

Another story is from a few days back and tells about a DAR
member's quest to get her Revolutionary War ancestor's
name cleared from a charge of desertion. It got my attention
because my 4x Great Granduncle Benjamin Barker's pension
file has the notation "deserter" on it, but both he and later
his widow Dorcas did receive the pension. Not without some
difficulty, mind you. That's why there's 85 images in the file.

As the descendant points out in the article, many times battles
were fought close by a soldier's home and some of them would
go "AWOL" to go home and tend to some family business,
then eventually return to their units which was apparently the
case with Benjamin Barker. This was one of the things about the
Minutemen that frustrated Washington during the siege of
Boston. In the case of the soldier in the article, there's a
circumstance that might make it more difficult to clear his name
and the author James Beidler makes some suggestions that
might help.

And finally, another article from Rhode Island is about a former
governor's Irish roots and has excerpts from letters and a play
about the Great Famine and Irish immigrants in America. It
made me think of my mom's grandparents and what they must
have gone through both before and after they came here.

BLOGGING BRUNCH6

It seems to be a quiet day in many of the genealogy blogs I read
most often so after watching the Patriots game I started to dl the
the Revolutionary War Pension File for my ancestor Amos
Hastings from Footnotes.com. Last night I downloaded those of
Jesse Barker, the brother of my ancestor Jonathan Barker, which
is much smaller than his other brother Benjamin’s and the
Hastings file as well.


So far I’ve found Pension Files for seven ancestors at Footnotes
and the service records and rolls for some of them. It’s a windfall
of information for me and along with the Jesse Tuttle story they
should provide me with plenty of blogging material.


But I do want to get my files here more organized, so I ordered a
copy of Elizabeth Shown Mill’s book Evidence: Citation &
Analysis for the Family Historian so I can get more of a handle
on all the material I have found lately.


And I still need to come up with another thirty or so genealogical
uses for the fluteaphone!

MOVING RIGHT ALONG....

Okay, let’s move along to other matters, shall we?


footnoteMaven has given me a “Nice Matters” award
for which I thank her and which I shall proudly display.
It was created by Genevieve Olsen of Bella Enchanted

The only trouble I have is coming up with others to give the
award to, though. Not that I can’t think of anyone nice, just
that there are so many, and then the ones I think of first
have already gotten the award.


Luckily, I’m able to give one to Tim Abbott for his thoughtful
writing on the environment and history as well as for running
his Family Archive Photo Caption Contest. He was the first of
my distant cousins I’ve discovered online and is a gentleman
and a scholar.



The records I’ve found at Footnote.com will keep me busy for
some time. My direct ancestor Jonathan Barker’s pension file is
only thirteen pages long but his brother Benjamin’s is fifty and
there are the Revolutionary War Rolls and Service Records as
well. The Pension File for Amos Hastings, another ancestor, is
thirty pages.



And I going to post it all here, or the transcriptions that is, to
share with my readers.


I can see those hits already plummeting!


Ah well, back to the genealogy mines.