UNDER CONSTRUCTION
more information coming.
Barker, Robert abt 1580 in Co., Kent, Eng., d. in Kent, Eng. He m. Catherine Ackworth abt 1614 Co. Kent.
[A document on the web says Robert and Catherine were married in 1600 at St.. Andrews in Plymouth, Devonshire, Eng.. This source continues by stating that Catherine was born about 1584 in Kent, and died in Kent, she being the daughter of George Ackworth. In addition it states there is a direct line of descent from "Randulph de Calverhall, 1200 of England". Again there were no sources indicated and I tend to shy away from extended English lines prior to emigration unless the line of descent is widely acknowledged and I've seen nothing else that would tend to support this. I would appreciate it if someone could supply proof of this line that is endorsed by modern sources.]
Known Children:
1. JOHN BARKER SR.
2. Robert Barker, b. 1616 in Kent, England, d. 15 Mar. 1691 in Pembroke, Plymouth Co., MA., age 74. Robert married Lucy Williams in 1639.
JOHN BARKER SR., b. abt 1610 in England [29], died by drowning bef. 14 Dec.1652 in Marshfield, Plymouth Colony, for on that date an inquest was held into his death by drowning in the river at Marshfield.[18] John m. ANNE or HANNAH WILLIAMS in 1632 in the Plymouth Colony. She was the daughter of JOHN WILLIAMS SR. and his wife ANNE _____.[30] Many sources give her name as Anne but in the Records of the Plymouth Colony it states of Abraham Blush that "he buried his wife Hannah about the 16th of March, 1658".[9] She was the daughter of John Williams and Ann _____ . Hannah was born in England and died 16 Mar 1657/58 in Barnstable, Barnstable Co., MA. Hannah married (2) Abraham Blish in 1653. She had by him Abraham Jr.[9]
On 5 Nov. 1638 John Barker Sr. had a busy day. He reached an agreement with the General Court of the Plymouth Colony to run the ferry at Jones River. He was to recieve 2 pence for each passenger. The court promised to cover any losses he might incur should a bridge be constructed over the river before he made back his investment for labor and improvements. [8]
He was then turned over tothe Court Of Assistants where he was granted forty acres of upland "lying by Joseph Rogers". The grant was to be viewed and laid out by William Collier and Jonathan Brewster, "as shall be thought most convenyent."
The court of assistants that day also wrote up a final agreement for the ferry.
"John Barker hath couenanted {covenanted}to keep the ferry ofer Joanes River, and is to have two pence a peece for carrying a psn over untill there be a bridg erected over the sd riuer. And if he make causes on eich side for passage to the boate, and do not hold the same so long as may recompence his labour & charge thereof, that then the countrey to allow him what shalbe thought fitt to countervaile his charges when hee leause it, and is to beginn the xij th of Novembr, & so to continue as foresd."[12]
On 10 Jan 1638/39 in the Plymouth Court of Assistants:
"The Xth of Januar., 1638 Whereas Willm Barden was the couvenant servant of Thom. Boardmen for the terme of seauen yeares, now the said Thomas Boardman, Wth the consent of the said Willm, hath sould all his interrest for the terme of yeares he should haue serued him Vnto John Barker, bricklayer, Wch are yet vnexpired, vizt, six yeares and a half from the first of December last past before the date hereof. And the said John Barker is to teach the said Willm Barden the trade of a bricklayer, and in thend of his terme to giue him twenty bushells of Indian Corne, two suites of apparell, & a ewe goate lambe."
In January of 1641 Robert and John Barker along with Thomas Howell and Raph Chapman paid sixty pounds to Jonathan Brewster for his farm of 100 acres on the North River and the ferry, ferry boat and ferry house on the property.[24]
On 7 March 1742/43 John and Robert Barker "of the North River" were fined five and ten shillings respectively for their "Misdemeanors"[9]
In 1643 John Barker was a member of the Marshfield training company, ie. the Militia.[29]
On 28 Oct 1645 John and Ann Barker were in court to answer charges made against them by Roger Cook and William Latham "in an action of trespass upon the case, to the dam.of XX li., "for the said Anns burneing of their house accedentally." As things turned out the jury couldn't render a verdict one way or the other so "the matter was ended, and the said John was content to give the plaintiffs XXs towards their losses."[V.7, p.41, (ms. p.29)]
On 3 Mar. 1645 Robert Barker sold at the ferry at Marshfield (see Jan. 1641) to Raph Chapman. A provision of the sale was that Robert Barker, John Barker and Thomas Howell were to ride free as long as the ferry was kept in that place.[24]
On 1 March 1648 John Barker Sr. witnessed a deed of land sold by Nicholas Sympkins to John Williams Jr. his brother-in-law.[28]
On 7 Jun 1648 John Barker was appointed to serve on the grand inquest jury.[14] Grand Inquest again on 7 Jun 1648.[16]
On 9 Jun 1648 after negotiatiJohn Barker Sr. signed an agreement concerning a boundry line with John Phillips. John Alden and Myles Standish had been directed by the Court to "'set at rights such differences as are betwixt them"[26]
On 9 Jun 1650 John Barker Sr. "bricklayer, of Marshfield" recieved on South River in Marshfield from Edmund Weston by deed. This property had previously been part of the estate of "Thomas Howell, bricklayer."[27]
On 5 June 1651 John Barker was proposed for Freeman,[15] and again on 2 Jun 1652.[17]
On 3 May 1653 The report of a a coroner's jury of 12 men concerning the deaths of John Barker and John Browning was finally entered into the Court records. One of the men on the Jury was Barker's brother Robert.
"Whereas the jury hath gone upon the Bodyes of John Barker and John Browning we find that these men came by their death by the casualty of the sea, and by noe other way, by our best apprehencions, December the 14th, 1652."[18]
On 9 Jun 1653:
"ltres of adminnestration are granted by the court unto Anna Barker, Widdow, the late wife of John Barker, Deceased, to administer upon his estate; and she hath given cecuritie unto the court to give in an account of her said adminnestratorship when she shall be thereunto required; and John Williams Junier standeth bound unto the Court for her for the same."
"Furthermore the said Anna Barker, Widdow doth by these psents engage and give unto her three daughters, Anna, Debora, and Mary, the summ of ten pounds apiece, to be paied unto them when they are of the age of twenty one yeares; and as any of them shall come to be of the said age, that then their said ten pounds shall be delivered unto the in good and currant pay. or six month after the day of their marriage; and in case any of them shall die before they be of the age of twenty one yeares or be married, that then the said summe of thirty pounds be notwithstanding equally devided amongst those of them that shall survive."[19]
Concerning the preceeding it should be noted that later Abraham Blush took over John Williams Jr.'s "engagements" and posted security which was later cleared when the ten pounds each had been paid out to his stepdaughters. One of the most likely reasons for this change is seen below.
On 3 May 1659 a complaint was filed by Robert Barker in Court against John Williams Jr. "for the hard usage of a daughter [Deborah] of John Barker, deceased". The girl was described as "weake and infeirme" and was ordered into the keeping of Thomas Bird of Scituate until the next Court. During that time Bird was try to "procure means for her cure" and to appear at the next Court to give testimony in the case between Williams and the girl.[20] Both Robert Barker and John Williams Jr. were uncles to Deborah.
The next month on 7 June, the Court allowed "Ensigne" John Williams Jr. six shillings for the four days spent in attendance to the court answering the complaint of Robert Barker on behalf of his niece Deborah Barker.[21]
On 6 Oct 1659 John Williams Jr. was cleared of the charges of "misuse" of his niece and ward Deborah Barker. "Notwithstand, upon some considerations" the court refused to continue her as his ward and permitted her to choose her own guardian, "and either live with him or be disposed of to some other honest man to service as he should think meet." Deborah chose Thomas Bird, who was present in the court, as her guardian.[22]
CHILDREN:
1. Deborah Barker was born in 1639 in Marshfield, Plymouth Co., MA She married William Barden on 11 Jul 1660.[7] Barden had been John Barker's apprentice.[6][13]
2. Anna Barker was born in about 1643, probably in Marshfield, Plymouth Co., MA and died after 27 Apr 1695 at Oyster Bay, Long Island.[7] She married John Pratt in about 1663 in Scituate, Plymouth Co., MA. He was born in about 1631 in Scituate, Plymouth Co., MA and died on 16 Mar 1696/97 at Oyster Bay, Long Island. Eight children.
3. Mary Barker was born in 1647 at Marshfield, Plymouth Co., MA.[7] She married (1) Samuel Pratt. Mary married (2) Francis Coombs. She married (3) David Woods on 5 Mar 1685[7]
4. JOHN BARKER JR
JOHN BARKER JR., b. 1650-1651 Marshfield, Plymouth Colony, d. 1 Dec. 1729, Scituate, Plymouth Co., MA.[3][31]; m. (1) DESIRE ANNABLE 18 Jan. 1676/77 Scituate, Plymouth Co., MA.. He married 22 Jan 1706/07 (2) HANNAH (LORING) CUSHING, widow of Rev. JEREMIAH CUSHING . She died 30 May 1710 in Scituate[3]; (3) Sarah _______ . John and Desire were buried in First Parish Cemetery at Scituate.[30]
John made his home in Barnstable, Barnstable Co., MA from 1676 to 1683, them moved his family to Marshfield and eventually settled in Scituate where his resided until his death. [30]
On 3 Oct 1665 the Plymouth court again placed a minor child of the late John Barker as a ward of John Williams Jr, this time it was John Barker Jr. about fourteen or fifteen years old.
"John Williams Jr. is alowed & appointed by the court to bee guardian vnto John Barker, and is required by the Court to bringe him up on a way of education and learning, soe as may bee to his advantage and help when hee comes to bee of age by puting him forth to a trad, &c."[23]
On 1 Jun 1680 John Barker Jr. was "propounded to be freemen the next year, if approved." at the same court he presented a petition to to court for relief from training days due to his good past service in King Phillip's War and the debility caused by wounds sustained during that war. The court answered the same day.
"in answare unto the petition of Sergeant John Barker, that hee might bee freed from bearing armes on training days, the councell of warr, haveing considered his pleas, - first, that he not onely served as a serjeant againse the late rebellious enimie, but that he had also a comission from the generall of the army to officiate in a hier office; alsoe, for that he was sore wounded by ingagement with the enimie, to his great detrament, - doe therefore graunt his said petition." V.7, p.40 (ms. p.29)
On 6 Jun 1682 at the court of election in Plymouth John Barker Jr. was elected Constable for the town of Barnstable.[V.6, p.83 (ms. p.68)] In June 1689 he was elected to be a deputy from the town of Marshfield to the General Court.[V.6, p.205 (ms. p.75)] In later years he was Deputy to the court from Scituate in the years 1706, 1712 and 1719. John also served as a justice of peacein Scituate. So respected was he by all that he was many times called to referee important cases and disputes.[30]
The pages of volume seven of the Plymouth Court Records document a long running feud between John Barker Jr and his uncle and former guardian John Williams Jr. John Barker Jr. got the ball rolling by hauling is uncle into court with the charge that Williams had kept the proceeds, rents, etc. that had accrued during Williams' administration of Barker's lands by inheritance from his father John Barker Sr.. He sued for 200 pounds damages for the rents and proceeds. The Jury found for him and awarded 127 pounds in damages, noting tht if Williams submitted to a "true audit" by a court appointed committee and the money that he owed Barker from those rents and proceeds was paid to Barker then the damages would be abated.
In later suits Williams sued Barker for for slander for his saying that Williams was "the most evil man in the world" (no love lost there it seems). Williams won that suit and was awarded damages by the court. Barker's next big campaign against his uncle came when he sued Williams, charging that his uncle had not fulfilled the terms of his guardianship agreement in that he did not teach him a trade and that he treated him as his servant.
This family feud continued through the years and the men met in court often since they both practiced as lawyers and it seems if they weren't taking shots at each other on their own hook they were doing it on the behalf of their clients.
When John Barker Jr. died his library was quite large for a man of his time. It contained works on religion and divinity, histories and not suprisingly volumes concerning the law. There were also the books vital to someone who wished the ability pursue readings in any field at the time but especially those of religion and the law. Those were the schoolbooks on language; Greek, Latin and Hebrew. When his possessions were inventoried after his death by appointees of the court they valued the contents of his library at 53 pounds. The remaining contents of his dwelling were appraised at 375 pounds and his estate at the very respectable total of 6894 pounds.[29]
CHILDREN OF JOHN AND DESIRE:
1. John Barker 3rd, b. 4 May 1678 in Barnstable, Barnstable Co., MA., and d. 1 Feb 1745 aged 66. He resided in Marshfield, Plymouth Co., MA. He married in 1732 Hannah _____, who d. 30 Jan. 1714. [30] John married on 5 Jan 1715 (2) Bethiah Ford.[29] Bethiah died on 6 Dec 1770. John made several land purchases in Lebanon, Ct. in 1726, 1729 and 1735, but there is no record of him moving there.[30] John married (2) Bethiah Ford on 5 Jan 1715.[29] She died on 6 Dec 1770.[30]
2. Desire Barker, b. 22 Sep. 1680 Barnstable, Barnstable Co., MA.[30] and d. 12 Jan 1710.[31] She m. 20 Nov. 1700 in Scituate, Plymouth Co., MA, to Capt. Samuel Turner, s. of Nathaniel Turner and Mehitable Rigby.[30] He was b. 25 Feb. 1671 in Scituate, MA., d. 3 Nov. 1759 [31] in Scituate and was bur. in the First Parish Church Cemetary in Scituate.[32]
3. Ann Barker, b. 26 Aug 1682, Scituate, Died Young.[]
4. Ann Barker, b. 1 Nov 1683. She m.11 Mar 1714 Robert Thompson.[30]
5. SAMUEL WILLIAMS BARKER
6. Barnabas Barker, b. abt. 1688 Marshfield, Plymouth Co., MA, d. 1763. Farmer[30] He married on 13 Apr 1719 in Scituate to (1) Hannah Turner, dau. Thomas Turner and Hannah Jenkins. She b. 15 Jun 1697 Scituate[32] and d. 1735 age 37.[30] Barnabas Barker married (2) Mary _____, on 4 May 1736. Stratton says she was the dau. of William Green and Desire Bacon, b. 8 Mar 1710.[30] Briggs[Vol 1] says he m. Mary Neal vice Mary Green, prob. a sis. to Joseph Neal.[6]
7. Mary Barker, b. abt 1590, Marshfield, Plymouth Co., MA.[30] She m. on 6 Jan 1714 to Ensign Otis, a tanner, the son of Capt. Stephen Otis and Hannah Ensign.[35] Ensign was b. 29 Jan 1691 in Scituate, MA. and d. Nov 1774.[29] Otis worked alongside his father in the family tannery and inherited the tannery at his father's death.[29]
SAMUEL WILLIAMS BARKER b. 23 Apr 1686 in Marshfield, Plymouth Co., MA.[30 ]and died on 06 Aug 1754 in Scituate, Plymouth Co., MA.[34]
In an interesting side note or perhaps a conclusion to the feud between Samuel's father John Barker Jr. and his great-uncle Capt. John Williams Jr. In 1794 Samuel Williams Barker, at the tender age of eight years, became the heir to his great-uncle's farm located to the north of Scituate Harbor. John Williams Jr. was childless. Perhaps in bequeathing his estate to Samuel he was making a gesture of reconcilliation between the two families, the Williams and Barkers. Certainly for Williams it was a family legacy. The house had been build by his father John Williams Sr., the great grandfather of young Samuel. Located on the north of the harbor in Scituate, the house was built as early as 1634. It was situated on high ground with a commanding view of Scituate Harbor and the sea beyond. For a time in the early years, and certainly during King Phillip's War, it had functioned as a garrison-house for the surrounding settlers. It was constructed with thick inner walls of brick which were pierced at intervals with loopholes for the guns of defenders. Now it passed from a son to a great grandson of its builder. Evenually it would be sold by Capt. Samuel Barker, son of Samuel Williams Barker to another Barker, a cousin descended from Robert Barker. It remained in the family for a total of six or seven generations. In 1831 it was owned by Benjamin Barker. Expanded and modernized over the years. It eventually passed out of the Barker family and in 1920 it became the Hatherly Inn.[30][33]
He m. HANNAH CUSHING on 25 Dec. 1706 in Scituate, MA. She was b. on 26 Mar 1687 in Scituate, and was the daughter of Rev. JEREMIAH CUSHING and HANNAH LORING. His father married Hannah's mother, the Widow Hannah Loring Cushing the following January, making his mother-in-law his stepmother, one of those quintessential New England relationships, the numerous examples of which must have inspired the old song about the man being his own grandpa.
CHILDREN:
1. SAMUEL BARKER
2. Ignatius Barker, b. 1 Dec 1709 in Scituate, MA.Occupation: husbandman.[30]
3. Hannah Barker, b. 1711, d. 1795
4. Ezekiel Barker b. 2 Jul 1714 in Scituate, MA.[30]
5. Deborah Barker, b. 1 May 1720 in Scituate, Plymouth Co., MA. and d. in 1751.[30] [29] She m. on 6 Jun 1750 to Rev. Shearjashub Bourne as his third wife.[29][30] He was the pastor of the First Parsh Church at Scituate
CAPT. SAMUEL BARKER, b. 4 Oct 1707 Scituate, Plymouth Co., Ma. and d. in 1782 [30]; Samuel m. (1) Deborah Gorham of Barnstable, who died 11 Dec 1738, "Having been married but 26 days" which would put the date of their marriage on 15 Nov 1738. He m. before 1740 to (2) PATIENCE HOWLAND the daughter of JABEZ HOWLAND JR. and PATIENCE STAFFORD. Patience Howland was b. 23 Mar 1716/17 in Bristol, Bristol Co., MA./RI.
Samuel Barker was a farmer. He lived on the family farm which he inherited from his father.[32]
CHILDREN:
1. Hannah Barker, b. prob. in Scituate, Plymouth Co., MA. She m. on 10 Oct 1738 to Nathaniel Bryant of Marshfield, Plymouth Co. MA who d. on 09 Jul 1772 at Newcastle, Lincoln Co., ME.
2. PATIENCE BARKER
3. Capt. Williams Barker
4. Dr. Jeremiah Barker
5. Dr. Samuel Barker
PATIENCE BARKER, b. 27 Oct 1740 Scituate, Plymouth Co., Ma., d. aft 1776 (DOB of her last child) in Pembroke, Ma.; m. THOMAS JOSSELYN JR. the son of THOMAS JOSSELYN SR and ANN STOCKBRIDGE 10 Jun 1761.
SOURCES:
"THE VITAL RECORDS OF SCITUATE, MASSACHUSETTS", V.1, p. 22; V.2, p. 19; V.2, p. 356
"A HISTORY OF SCITUATE, MASSACHUSETTS", p. 216. Samuel Deane.
"NEW ENGLAND HISTORIC AND GENEALOGICAL REGISTER", V.13 Apr. 1885, p.178 (from a list of gravestone records from the Old Burying Ground in Scituate, Mass., 1852 by David Hamblin); V. 53 [Death dates of Rev. Jeremiah Cushing, Hannah (Loring) Cushing Barker, and John Barker.]
"A GENEALOGICAL DICTIONARY OF NEW ENGLAND", p. 115, James Savage;
"Records Of The Colony Of New Plymouth In New England", Pub. by State of MA., V.3, pp. 28, 37 (ms. p. 35)
L. Vernon Briggs, "History and Genealogy of the Briggs Family",1938.
Elizabeth F. Barker, Barker Genealogy, 1927.
"Records Of The Colony Of New Plymouth In New England", Pub. by State of MA. Editor: Nathaniel B. Shurtleff, Boston, 1857. V.1, p.97 (ms. p.170) [Initial Ferry agreement]
Ibid, V.2, p 54 (ms. p. 76) [John & Robert Barker fined]
Ibid, V.1, p. 101 (ms. p. 174) [Land grant to John Barker]
Vol. 8, p. 41 (ms. p. 46) [Death of Hannah]
Ibid, V.1, p. 101 (ms. p. 175) [Finalized ferry agreement]
Ibid, V.1, p. 110 (ms. p. 185) [Wm. Barden apprenticeship]
Ibid, V.2, p. 124 (ms. p. 165) [Grand Inquest]
Ibid, V.2, p. 167, (ms. p. 231) [John Sr. Proposed for Freeman]
Ibid, V.2, p. 164 (ms. p.164) [Grand Inquest]
Ibid, V.3, p. 7 (ms. p. 5) [John Sr. Proposed for Freeman again]
Ibid, V.3, p. 46 (ms. p. 44) [Coroner's jury]
Ibid, V.3, p. 37 (ms. p. 35) [Administration of John Barker's Estate]
Ibid, V.3, p. 160 (ms. p. 154) [Deborah Barker "misuse"]
Ibid, V.3, p. 154 (ms. p.158) [Williams expenses]
Ibid, V.3, p.171 (ms. p.169) [Williams cleared, but...]
Ibid, V.4, p.108 (ms. p.110) [John Barker Jr. ward to John Williams]
Ibid, V.12, p. 77 (ms. p.136) [purchase of J. Brewster's farm and ferry]
Ibid, V.12, p. 126 (ms. p.208) [Robert Barker sells out of ferry]
Ibid, V.12, p.163 (ms.p. 226) [Boundry agreement]
Ibid, V.12, p.187-88 (ms. p. 311) [Land purchase on S. River]
Ibid, V.12, p.193-94 (ms. p. 319) [Witnessed deed]
Robert Charles Anderson, "The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633", NEHGS, Boston, 1995
Eugene Aubrey Stratton, "Plymouth Colony: History and People, 1620-1691".
Richard Warren, Robert S. Wakefield & Janice A. Beebe, "Mayflower Families in Progress", 4th edition, 1999.
Dean Crawford Smith, "The English origin of the Kempton brothers of Plymouth Colony," TAG, 67, 1992, 132-135.
William Cutter, "Genealogical and Personal Memoirs Relating to the Families of Boston and Eastern Massachusetts", Lewis Hist. Pub. Co., NY, 1908.
"Families of the Pilgrims: Richard Warren", MA. Soc. of Mayflower Descendants, 2nd rev., 1986.
George Ernest Bowman, "The Vital Records of Marshfield, Mass.," Mayflower Descendant