Roberts/Barnes Ancestor #41 – Lucy Wilson Taft

Roberts Research
Roberts-Barnes-Taft Line
By Don Taylor

Introduction

I know nothing about my 3^rd-great-grandmother, Lucy Wilson Taft. Other researchers have suggested facts, but I’m not confident about them.

Family Search has profile KLG2-H2F for Lucy.  It suggests she is the daughter of Asa Taft (1774-1839) and Lucy Wilson (1791-1851). She married Joel Barnes (1790-____) and had one child, Nelson Barnes (1816-1884). It also suggests she had three siblings: Sara Jane (1821-1881), James F. (1822-1848), and Ambrose Wilson (1826-1891). Sadly, there are no sources connected to her profile.

Ancestry Public Member Trees isn’t much better. A search for Lucy yielded 219 public trees. Most facts are only the results of other people’s research, such as Ancestry Family Trees and Geneanet Trees Indexes. US Civil War Soldiers, 1861-1865 indicates that Nelson Barnes was a private with the 8^th regiment, Indiana Infantry, for 3 months in 1861.

Several people ascribe “Lucy d. of Arba & Lucy Taft with a record that indicates her birthdate as  18 June 1845[i]. Her son, Nelson, was born about 1816, making an 1845 birthdate for Lucy impossible.

Some people cite the American Genealogical-Biographical Index (AGBI) (Volume 01, Page 376), which references “History and Gen. of the Jewets in America. By Fred. Clarke Jewett. New York, 1908.”

Some researchers cite the 1880 US Census record for Nelson Barnes, indicating both his parents were born in Connecticut. This record doesn’t fit any of the other data I have for Nelson or his parents, so I believe it to be an error in the Census.

WikiTree has a profile, Taft-1235, for Lucy Wilson Taft (abt. 1800 – abt. 1839). It has no sources except for “Family Tree.”

My research findings

  My quick look into Family Search and Ancestry failed to find viable results for Lucy Wilson Taft (later Barnes). As such, I think I need to go up a generation and then back down to learn more about Lucy.  Lucy’s potential father is Asa Taft (1774-1839). My records suggest Asa was married three times:

1. m 18 Sep 1794 – Sarah Whitney (1773-1813)
2. after 1813 – Lucy Fuller (1780-1830)
3. abt. 1819 – Lucy Wilson (1791-1851)

And had 11 children.

If Lucy Wilson Taft was born about 1800, then Lucy Wilson (1791-1851) cannot be her mother. It would be much more likely that Sarah Whitney is her mother. Something is wrong, so I will skip Lucy Wilson Taft for now and work on Asa Taft, his wives, and his other children. Hopefully, that research will provide insight into this family line.

Barnes-Taft Grandparents

• Grandmother: Essie Pansy Barnes(1903-1982)
• 1^st Great-grandfather: Joel Clinton Barnes(1857-1921))
• 2^nd Great-grandfather: Nelson Barnes (1816-1884)
• 3^rd Great-grandmother: Lucy Wilson Taft (c. 1800-c. 1839)*
• 4^th Great-grandfather: Asa Taft (1774-1839)*
• 5^th Great-grandfather: Silas Taft (1744-1812)*
• 6^th Great-grandfather: Stephen Taft (1710-1803)*
• 7^th Great-grandfather: Benjamin Taft (1677-1761)*
• 8^th Great-Grandfather: Robert Taft (____=____)*

Ancestors marked with an asterisk (*) are tentative and not confirmed.

Further Action

1. Research Asa Taft (1774-1839).
2. Research Asa Taft’s three wives, Sarah, Lucy, & Lucy.
3. Research Asa Taft’s 11 children (researching Lucy last)

Endnotes

[i] Ancestry.com. Massachusetts, U.S., Compiled Birth, Marriage, and Death Records, 1700-1850 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2018. This collection was indexed by Ancestry World Archives Project contributors. Milford Births, Page 164.