Roberts-Barnes Project
Roberts-Barnes-Taft Line
Ancestor #82a & #84a
By Don Taylor

Asa Taft is a double 4^th great-grandfather. Joel Clinton Barnes’ (1857-1921) paternal great-grandfather is Asa Taft (1774-1839), and his maternal great-grandfather is also Asa Taft (1774-1839).

Two of Asa’s children, Lucy Wilson Taft and Joel Cruff Taft, are both 3^rd great-grandparents. My initial work suggested that Lucy and Joel were half-siblings, but other records suggest they are full siblings. As such, I wanted to look closely at Asa Taft, his three wives, Sarah, Lucy, & Lucy, and his children. I am pretty sure that Asa had 9 children, but he may have had 12 children. The oldest of these children is Asa Perry Taft, Jr. (Ancestor 82a), whom I look at here.

Asa Perry Taft, Jr. is found in my Roberts-Barnes Ancestry Public Tree, and is Family Search profile LH5J-3MQ.

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List of Grandparents

• Grandmother:  Essie Pansy Barnes (1903-1982)
• 1^st Great-grandfather:  Joel Clinton Barnes (1857-1921)
• 2^nd Great-grandfather: Nelson Barnes (1816-1884)
• 2^nd Great-grandmother: Mercy Eliza Taft (1822-1884)
• 3^rd Great-grandmother: Lucy Wilson Taft (___-c. 1839)
• 3^rd Great-grandfather: Joel Cruff Taft (1800-1849)
• 4^th Great-grandfather: Asa Taft (1774-1839)

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Childhood

Birth – 22 Sep 1794, Partridgefield, Berkshire, Mass. Several researchers indicate that Asa Jr., was born in Peru, Mass. However, the location was called Partridgefield from 1771 to 1804. The name changed to Peru in 1804.

1800 Census – Appears to be one of two males under 10 in the household of Asa Taft in Sharon, Schoharie, NY.

1807 – His father relocated from Schoharie County, NY to Triangle, Broome County, NY.

1810 – I’ve been unsuccessful in finding either Asa Sr. or Asa Jr. in the 1810 Census.

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Marriage 1

1816 – Asa Jr., married Irene Day in Lisle[1], Broome County, NY.

Children of Asa Perry Taft, Jr., and Irene (Day) Taft

Name	Born	Married	Died
Clarendon Brooks	1814
FNU (female)	1816-1820[2]
Lewis	1818		1898
Lucy Ann	1821		1872
Ira David	1922	Prudence Marvin (unk date)	1886
Claredon	c. 1825
FNU (female)[3]	1826-1830
Mary Eliza	1828		1884
Asa P	c. 1830	Miranda [Taft]
Clayeston	c. 1830[4]
Cyrena[5]	c. 1830
Electa[6] (?)	C. 1833
Sarah	1838	Eathan Whipple	1884

I have much more work to do to fill in the rest of this table.

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Adulthood

1820 Census – Asa, Jr., with apparent wife and son age 0-9.

1820 NY Census – Asa, Jr., with apparent wife, three sons, and one girl.

1830 Census – Asa, Jr., with apparent wife, three sons, and three girls.

1831 Event – Triangle, NY, formed from the town of Lisle.

1840 Census – Asa, Jr., with apparent wife, four sons and five daughters.

1850 Census – Asa, Jr., wife Sarah, one boy (Asa P) and four girls (Claruida, Cyrena, Electa Olmstead, & Sarah.

1852 Event – Asa’s first wife Irene, died.

Marriage 2

Sometime after Irene’s death, Asa married Cynthia Baker. She died before Asa.

1860 Census – Asa is father of Clayeston (Head) Taft. Asa is 63, Clayeston is 25 and Clayeston’s wife if 23. [7]

1870 Census – Asa is head of household. Living with him are an apparent daughter Sarah, grandson, Cyrus, and a nine-year-old girl, Lena Taft (possible granddaughter).

1880 Census – Asa T (sic) Taft lives with his wife Miranda, son Charles D., and his father Asa P Taft.

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Death/Burial, etc.

Asa Died on 27 December 1880 in Triangle, Broome County, New York. He was buried in the Taft Cemetery, Triangle, Broome County, New York.

Events by Location

Massachusetts, Berkshire, Partridgefield – 1794 – Birth

New York, Broome County, Lisle           1825 to 1830

New York, Schoharie County, Sharon    1800

New York, Broome County, Triangle     1840 to 1880

Conflicts

The 1860 Census may be in error. Although the names and dates are correct, Asa’s birthplace is recorded as Rhode Island, which would be an error. All other records indicate he was born in Mass.

Conclusion.

The records confirm the dates the Taft family moved to New York. They also confirm Asa Jr.’s mother was Sarah/Sally Whitney.

Actions / Follow-up

• Continue with the children of Asa Taft, Senior; Luransa Taft is the next oldest child.
• Confirm that Asa Taft, Jr., was unique and there are no other Asa Tafts in the area during the 1860 Census

Sources

Endnotes

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[1] Some records indicate Triangle and not Lisle, however, Triangle was created from Lisle in 1831. I prefer using the name of locations at the time of the event.

[2] The 1820 Census reported Asa’s household had one female under 10 years of age in 1820.

[3] The 1830 Census reported Asa’s household had one female under 5 years of age in 1830.

[4] Clayeston was 25 years old during the 1855.

[5] Cyrena – Presumed daughter from 1860 Census.

[6] Electa Olmsteat – Possible daughter – Living with Asa Taft Jr during 1850 Census.

[7] The 1860 Census may be in error. Although the names and dates are correct, Asa’s birthplace is recorded as Rhode Island, which would be an error.