Roberts Research
Roberts-Barnes Line
By Don Taylor

As I began researching my 3^rd great-grandparents, Joel and Lucy Wilson (Taft) Barns, I found I know virtually nothing about them, and other researchers apparently know very little about them either. As such, I’ve found I need to return to Nelson Barnes, my 2^nd great-grandfather and look at his life in more depth.

Roberts/Brown – Ancestor #20 (Part 6)

List of Grandparents

• Grandmother: 5. Essie Pansy Barnes (1903-1982)
• 1^st Great-grandfather: 10.  Joel Clinton Barnes (1857-1921)
• 2^nd Great-grandfather: 20. Nelson Barnes (1816-1884)
• 3^rd Great-grandfather: 40. Joel Barnes (c. 1790-___)

Nelson Barnes (1816-1884)

In my review of Nelson’s date and place of birth during my initial review, I found the following:

Source	Born	Birth Location	Notes
1850 Census	(35) c. 1815	Pennsylvania
1860 Census	(44) c. 1816	New York
1870 Census	(54) c. 1816	New York
1880 Census	(64) c. 1816	New York
DAR N# 361127	24 Mar 1816	New York	“Line not usable for DAR Membership.”
Wolfe, Thomas J., History of Sullivan County, Indiana.	24 Mar 1816	New York
Find-a-Grave	6 Dec 1816	Broome Center, Schoharie County, New York.

The 1850 Census indicates that 35-year-old Nelson Barnes was born in Pennsylvania. However, the other censuses indicate he was born in New York.

His Find-a-Grave dates are somewhat conflicting. If Nelson was born on 6 December 1816 and died on 21 January 1884, he would have been 67, but his marker indicates he died at 68. If Nelson had been born in December 1816, his age would have been one year younger than was recorded in each of the census records. If Nelson was born in March, his age would have been correct in all of the Census records except for the 1850 Census. When I looked at Nelson’s life before, I found the photo of his marker on Find-a-Grave was too pixelated to read his age at death. After I requested another picture, one was taken. It is also pixelated to read.

The DAR Descendants List for Nat’l #: 361127 indicates that Nelson Barnes was born in New York.[i] Sadly, only a record copy is available from the DAR. Supporting documents are unavailable, so we can not tell the source of his birthdate in the DAR Descendants database.

All the records I’ve found, except for the 1850 Census, indicate Nelson was born in New York. I believe the 1850 Census is incorrect in age and place of birth.

None of the records I have found regarding Nelson’s birth are original and primary sources. Consequently, although still open for updating, I prefer a birthdate of 24 March 1816 in New York for Nelson Barnes.

Nelson moves to Indiana

In A History of Sullivan County, Indiana[ii], Thomas Wolf indicates that Nelson married Mercy Taft in “their native state” (New York) in 1839 and came to Sullivan County in the early forties. The Bureau of Land Management, General Land Office Records indicate that Nelson Barnes acquired 40 acres on 1 May 1845. It also shows that Nelson was “of Vigo County,” suggesting he and Mercy, who he married in 1839, lived in Vigo County before he acquired the land in Sullivan County. Vigo County is only about four miles north of the property.

Nelson in New York?

In 1840, Nelson was 25, married, and probably living in New York. His wife, Mercy, is 18 years old. A review of all heads of households in the 1840 US Census living in New York yielded eight possible Nelson Barnes candidates.

Search for Nelson Barnes in New York during the 1840 Census.

Location	Age	Others	Comments
Franklin, Delaware Co.	20-29	Female 60-69 Male 10-14	Apparent mother with two male children in the household. Enumerated next to Elisha Barnes (age 30-40).
Lindley, Steuben Co.	30-39	Female 15-20 2 Males 20-29 1 Male 15-19	The apparent head of the household is too old.
Andes, Delaware Co.	15-19	Female 20-29	The apparent head of the household is too young.
Hartford, Washington Co.	30-39	Female 40-49 Female 10-14 Male 5-9 Male 15-19	The apparent head of the household is too old.
New York City, Ward 8, New York	40-49	Female 50-59 Female 40-49 Female 30-39 Female 15-19 (2) Female 10-14 (2) Male 10-14 Male 5-9	The apparent head of household (J. N. Barnes) is too old.
Troy, Rensselaer Co.	15-19 (3)	Female 40-49 Males 10-14 (2)	First Name Blank Apparent Female Head of Household.
Albany, Albany Co.	30-39	Female 30-39 Females 10-15 (2) Female 5-9 Male 5-9 Males 10-15 (2)	The apparent head of household (Wm?) is too old.
Greenburgh, Westchester Co.	40-49	Female 40-49 Male <5	The apparent head of the household is too old.

From this, it appears that Nelson was not a head of household living in New York during the 1840 Census.

Family Tree’s Family Tree suggests Nelson Barnes’s father was Joel Barnes, born circa 1790. Most of the Ancestor Public Trees indicate Nelson’s father is Joel, although some researchers suggest his father was James. Additionally, most researchers suggest that Nelson’s mother, Lucy, died in 1839. If we suspect that Nelson and his wife were living with Nelson’s father in 1840, I would expect the household to include the head of household, Joel, to be about 50, son Nelson about 25, and Mercy about 18. Are there any households in New York that fit that criteria?

Search for Joel Barnes in New York during the 1840 Census.

Location	Age	Others	Comments
Mansfield, Cattaraugus Co.	70-79	Male 30-40 Female 60-69 Female 20-29	Apparent HoH[iii] too old. Apparent wife living. The apparent son is too old.
Van Buren, Onondaga Co.	30-39		Apparent HoH is too young.
Barre, Orleans	20-30		Apparent HoH is too young.
New York, New York	60-70		Apparent HoH is too old
Colesville, Broome Co.	30-39		Apparent HoH (J. A.) is too young.
Turin, Lewis Co.	30-39		Apparent HoH (J. K.) is too young.
Cortland Co.	20-29		Apparent HoH (J.) is too young.
Aurelius, Cayuga Co.	40-50	Male 30-39 Male 15-19 Female – 40-49 Female – 20-29	HoH (J.) of the right age to be Joel Males wrong ages to be Nelson An apparent spouse living.
Middlesex, Yates Co.	15-19		Apparent HoH (J. W.) is too young.
Stockton, Chautauqua Co.	30-39		Apparent HoH (J. S.) is too young.
Pike, Allegany Co.	30-39		Apparent HoH (J.) is too young.
Troy, Rensselaer Co.	15-19 (3)	Female 40-49 Males 10-14 (2)	First Name Blank Apparent Female Head of Household.
Albany, Albany Co.	30-39	Female 30-39 Females 10-15 (2) Female 5-9 Male 5-9 Males 10-15 (2)	The apparent head of household (Wm?) is too young.
Greenburgh, Westchester Co.	40-49	Female 40-49 Male <5	They are an apparent couple with no younger couple.

So, none of the Joel (or J.) Barnes families appear to have a makeup similar to what I expect Joel Barnes, father of Nelson Barnes, to have.

(Events By Date)

• 1816 – New York – Nelson was born in New York, possibly Schoharie or Boone County.
• 1839 – New York – Nelson and Mercy Taft marry.
• Bef. May 1845 – Indiana, Vigo County.
• May 1845 until death in 1884 – Indiana, Sullivan County.

Further Actions / Follow-up

• Next, I’ll examine the Barnes families of Schoharie & Boone Counties, New York.

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Endnotes

[i] Note: The line may not be used for membership in the DAR due to serious problems found. It looks like it might be with Stephen Taft, but because the line is in question, I can’t consider it as valid.

[ii] Wolfe, Thomas J., History of Sullivan County, Indiana, A, Files (Personal), Pages 234-236. A history of Sullivan County, Indiana, closing of the first century’s history of the county, and showing the growth of its people, institutions, industries and wealth. New York: The Lewis Pub. Co.

[iii] HoH – Head of Household.