The Barr Family
The following paragraphs on the Barrs are from the book Limbs, Branches, and Twigs: A Tree of Hamiltons, Atkinsons, and Barrs (Pampa, Texas, 1994) by my mother, Leora Atkinson Parsons, and are used with thanks to her.
John Barr
From Antrim, Ireland, to Chester County, South Carolina
While her words can not be proven as historical fact, Ella Armstrong Yeakel made an interesting statement in her The Barr Family and Other Allied Families that the Barrs originally came from France and that their name at that time was de la Barre. They were Huguenots, and to escape the great massacre of 1572 they fled north across the English Channel and found refuge in England. Later generations crossed the Irish Sea and settled in Ireland. In the meantime, the name underwent a change. The de la and the final e were dropped, leaving the name simply Barr.
I cannot vouch for the truth of these statements, but the story certainly is possible. There are many instances of names that were changed in that manner.
THE BARR CONNECTION TRACED 1868
Old Grand father Barr came from Ireland and settled in South Carolina in
an early day with two sons and one Daughter. His given name was John.
His sons name was John and David. His Daughters name was Jeny. She
married a man by the name of W. M. Lyle. No children. Davids oldest son
was named John. All came over the watters from Old Ireland. John Barr
the second and Nancy Barr his widow still living in Logan County, Ill.
Has children grand children Great grand Children and Great Great Grand
Children 275 in 1868. This is Oct. 16 1914
2. On the occasion of the 1911 Barr family reunion, a "History of the Barr Family" was read by Andrew Jackson Barr of Webster City, Iowa, a portion of which follows: "The earliest record that we can find tells us that one John Barr, born in Ireland in 1767, emigrated to America in 1788, and settled in South Carolina. He had only one brother, David, who was thought to have settled in Ohio. Said John Barr married Nancy Agnes Hamilton, an Irish girl, born in South Carolina. They were married in 1796."
3. John Barr's application for naturalization was found by Dwight and Rosemary Barr in the Chester County, South Carolina, courthouse. It is dated 1 April 1807, and states that he was born in Ireland and came to the United States in 1792, "to the best of his recollection."
We do know that our Barr family came from Ireland because of the following facts:
1. Among papers and a notebook that belonged to my great-great-grandmother Julia Ann Barr Hamilton and were loaned to me by her daughter Mary Hamilton Parker of San Gabriel, California, was an old, faded, brittle manuscript, of which the following is a complete, verbatim copy:
4. Also found by Dwight and Rosemary Barr were early records of Fishing Creek Presbyterian Church, Chester County, South Carolina, dated 21 October 1801. In them we find the notation: "Mr John Barr wishing to be connected with this church produced a certificate from Rev Jon Lewson in Ireland dated Sept. 28th 1792." If he brought this certification with him, he was still in Ireland on 28 September 1792. Therefore it had to be late in 1792 when he reached the United States.
Dwight and Rosemary Barr write: "A Rev. Lewson is listed as head of the Cairncastle congregation in Antrim County, Ireland, during the late 1700s. A check locates Cairncastle near Larne. Therefore this possibly locates John Jr.s and John Sr.s home in Northern Ireland. Larne is known as a textile center, which might be further verification of John Sr.s trade as a weaver."
Julia Ann's manuscript states that John had two sons and a daughter and that the daughter married W. M. Lyle. Andrew Jackson Barr in his history does not mention a daughter. It is thought that "Jeny" and Mr. Lyle may have been married before they left Ireland and that they came at an earlier date than John and his sons because Dwight and Rosemary Barr found an application for naturalization in Chester County for W. M. Lyle. (None was found for "Jeny.") This application clearly states that Lyle had "been residing within the limits and under the jurisdiction of the United States ever since the 17th July 1792."
Very little is known about David Barr. Dwight and Rosemary Barr state that a petition for naturalization, dated 28 October 1813, has been found in York County, South Carolina, for a David Barr and his son John Barr. In it James A. White swears that he has known David Barr to have been a resident of the United States since 1798. The 1810 York County census lists David Barr with two sons and a daughter. In 1812 he and John (believed to be his son) of York County are listed as British aliens. Their ages are given as fifty-two for David and twenty-eight for John. This would have made John six years old in 1792 when he came to the United States. No wife has been named for David, but in the census there was a female listed, of the proper age to have been his wife. They are mentioned a few other times in connection with land transactions. They do not appear in another South Carolina census and, according to Andrew Jackson Barr's "History" went on to Ohio. There is a suspicion that David stopped in North Carolina until the early 1800s and might have been in Burke County. A David Barr listed in the 1800 Burke County census could possibly be our David, according to Dwight and Rosemary Barr.
John, Jr., married Nancy Agnes Hamilton, and they, John, Sr., "Jeny," and William (W. M.) Lyle appeared in legal suits, deeds, tax rolls, and so on, in the Chester County Courthouse records of those early years. It was from the deeds that we learn that Jeny's name was Jennet.
John and Nancy Agnes lived in Chester County until between 1806 and 1808, when they moved to Tennessee. They lived there about two years, then went to Gibson County, Indiana, where their last three children were born and most of the children were married. They can be found listed in the 1830 Gibson County census.
On 11 January 1836 John entered for land in a part of Illinois that later became Logan County. He and Nancy spent the rest of their lives in that area.
JOHN BARR (SR.)1-2-5-7-8-9 [The numbers following names refer to sources listed at the end of this chapter.]
b. ca. 1742, Antrim County, Ireland
m. ca. 1760, Ireland. John Barr's wife died sometime between 1766, when the youngest child was born, and 1792, when he and his children migrated to the United States. The oldest child is believed to have stopped in North Carolina for a number of years, but the others went on to Chester County, South Carolina. The dates of their arrivals in the United States are found in their applications for naturalization in Chester County Courthouse, South Carolina.
d. In material that belonged to Mrs. Dwight L. Barr, Sr., there was the notation that John, Sr., died in Gibson County, Indiana, in 1827. Another says, "In the meantime many changes had taken place at the old home in Indiana. John Barr, Sr., had finished his earthly pilgrimage and gone to rest."
(Note: At the 1911 reunion of the Barr family, Andrew Jackson Barr of Webster City, Iowa, read a history of the Barr family which, as reported in the Atlanta Argus, Atlanta, Illinois, 8 Sept. 1911, contained the following statement: "On account of religious persecution our forefathers left Scotland for Ireland, thence to America.")
I. David Barr1-7
b. 1760, Antrim County, Ireland
It is believed that David Barr came in 1792 with his father but stopped for several years in North Carolina and sometime after 1800 moved to York County, South Carolina. Also with him was his son.
A. John Barr
b. ca. 1786, Ireland
II. Jennet (Jeny) Barr1-7-8
b. 1764, Antrim County, Ireland
m. William (W. M.) Lyle
d. 20 July 1840
d. Feb. 1824
Both William and Jennet are buried in Old Stone Graveyard in Chester County, South Carolina. They came to the United States on 17 July 1792. They had no children.
III. JOHN BARR1-5-6-8-9
b. 24 Oct. 1766, Antrim County, Ireland
m. NANCY AGNES HAMILTON, 1796, Chester Co., S.C.
b. 9 Apr. 1779, Chester Co., S.C.
d. 8 Sept. 1870, Logan Co., Ill.
d. 8 Mar. 1849, Logan Co., Ill.
(Note: Nancy Agnes Barr was blind for several years before her death and was known as Blind Granny Barr.)
John and Nancy are buried in Union Cemetery, Waynesville, DeWitt Co., Ill. They were Presbyterians.
. . .
A. William Barr (1850 Census, Logan Co., Ill., pp. 588-89)1-2-5
b. 9 Apr. 1798, Chester Co., S.C.
m. Rachel Benson, 23 Sept. 1819, Posey Co., Ind.
b. ca. 1800, Kentucky
d. 1843, Posey Co., Ind.
d. Feb. 1835, McLean Co. (now Logan Co.), Ill. Buried Union Cemetery, Waynesville, DeWitt Co., Ill.
After the death of her husband, Rachel and her children returned to her old home in Indiana, where she died. The children returned to Illinois. All the following children were born and married in Posey Co., Indiana:
1. Nancy Barr
b. ca. 1821
m. Joseph Venables, 27 Nov. 1842
2. Jermia (Jemima) Barr
b. ca. 1823
m. Garlton F. Newson, 18 Dec. 1840
3. Rebecca Barr
b. ca. 1825
m. James W. Newson, 17 Apr. 1843
4. Abraham Barr
b. 30 Mar. 1830
m. Kitsey Ann Stephen, 14 Aug. 1847
d. 2 Aug. 1891
5. Syrilda (Sally) Barr
b. ca. 1830
m1. David Stephen, 11 Apr. 1847
m2. James N. Price, 1 Apr. 1850
6. William Barr (Jr.)
b. 28 Jan. 1835
m. Eliza Ellen Gambrel, 28 Sept. 1855, Logan Co., Ill.
b. 27 Feb. 1839, Gibson Co., Ind.
d. 12 Jan 1894, Bellflower, McLean Co., Ill.
(Eliza Ellen was the daughter of Elizabeth Williams and William Gambrel.)
d. 30 May 1912. Both Eliza and William are buried in Bellflower Cemetery, McLean Co., Ill.
This is the line of Dwight Barr of Midvale, Utah. Much of the information on the line is from him.
B. Edmond John Barr III (1850 Census, Logan Co., Ill., pp. 588-89)1-5-10-13
b. 4 Apr. 1799, Chester Co., S.C.
m. Comfort Marvel, 31 Jan. 1822, Gibson Co., Ind. Daughter of Prettyman Marvel and Lavina Rogers.
b. 4 Apr. 1799, Greene Co., Georgia. Edmond and Comfort shared the same birthday.
d. 21 Oct. 1865, DeWitt Co., Ill., where they had moved with their family in 1854.
d. 13 May 1882, while visiting his daughter Nancy Botkin in Attica, Kans.
Edmond and Comfort arrived in Sangamon Co., Ill., from Indiana on New Year's Day, 1825. Both are buried in Union Cemetery, Waynesville, Ill.
1. Lavina Barr
b. 25 Dec. 1822.
d. In infancy, 1822
2. Nancy Barr
b. 20 Mar. 1825, Sangamon Co., Ill.
m1. John Cline, 7 Mar. 1841
m2. Richard Botkin, 2 July 1848, Logan Co., Ill.
b. 24 Apr. 1822, Clark Co., Ohio
d. 24 Mar. 1898, Winfield, Cowley Co., Kans.
d. 24 Jan. 1908, Yellville, Ark. Buried in Winfield, Kans.
This is the line of Joyce Calhoun, who gave me much material.
3. Hamilton Barr
b. 13 Dec. 1826, Logan Co., Ill. First white child born in Atlanta Township, Logan Co., Ill.
m. Sidonia Michaels
d. 1917, DeWitt Co., Ill.
d. 3 Oct. 1903
4. Prettyman Barr
b. 19 Mar. 1828, Logan Co., Ill.
m. Harriet A. Coffman, 1866
d. 14 Sept. 1877
5. John Barr
b. 18 Jan. 1831
m1. Matilda Jane Swearengen, 19 Dec. 1853
b. 19 Mar. 1833
m2. Ida E. Lowry, 1876
d. 1907
6. Hiram Barr
b. 19 Mar. 1833, Logan Co., Ill.
d. ca. 1839-40
7. Elizabeth Barr
b. 2 Aug. 1834, Logan Co., Ill.
m. Gustavas Michaels, 9 Dec. 1852
b. 6 Jan. 1822, Prussia, Germany
d. 26 Jan. 1894, Logan Co., Ill.
d. 29 Sept. 1873</FONT></PRE>
This is the line of Daryl Short, Columbia, Mo.
8. Comfort Barr
b. 27 Nov. 1836, Logan Co., Ill.
m. Joseph Bell Garrett
d. 14 Oct. 1911
d. 25 Feb. 1923
C. Mary Barkley (Polly) Barr1-5-9
(Note: Polly Barr's name is found in Baptismal records of Fishing Creek Presbyterian Church, Chester Co., S.C.)
b. 18 Oct. 1801, Chester Co., S.C.
m. John Marvel, 16 July 1818, Gibson Co., Ind.
(Note: John Marvel volunteered in the War of 1812 to help guard the town of Vincennes, Indiana.)
b. 1796, Greene Co., Ga.
d. 18 Nov. 1876, Wabash Co., Ill.
d. June 1824, Gibson Co., Ind. Buried in Knowles Cemetery, Gibson Co., Ind.
1. Nancy Marvel
b. 28 May 1819, Gibson Co., Ind.
m. William Hodges McReynolds, 1837
d. 5 Oct. 1879
2. James H. Marvel
b. 3 Feb. 1822
m. Frances Estes, 1856
d. 28 May 1880
3. Lavina Marvel
b. 24 Apr. 1824
m. Nelson McReynolds, 1844
d. 8 June 1911
After the death of Mary in 1824, John Marvel married Elizabeth William on 19 July 1825. To them were born the
following children:
4. John Marvel
b. 1827
m. Mary Young
d. 1904
5. Wesley Marvel
b. 1830
m. Janette Davis
d. 1913
6. Mary A. Marvel
b. ca. 1833
m. Willis Dudley Smith
7. Andrew J. Marvel
b. 1836
m. Frances R. McMullen
8. Jacob P. Marvel
b. 1840
9. Elizabeth Marvel
b. 1842
m. George Cross
D. Rebecca Barr1-5-14
b. 21 Apr. 1806, Chester Co., S.C.
m1. Prettyman Marvel, Jr., 15 May 1823. Son of Prettyman and Lavina Rogers Marvel.
b. 8 May 1801, Greene Co., Ind.
d. 23 July 1843 of yellow fever contracted when he took a load of stock to New Orleans (or, some say, Chicago).
(Buried in Union Cemetery, DeWitt Co., Ill.)
m2. Thompson P. Gambrel, 8 Oct. 1847. Son of William Gambrel, Sr., and Winfred Elkins Gambrel. There were no children born of this marriage.
b. 22 Aug. 1806, Kentucky
d. 30 Aug. 1877, Waynesville, Ill.
d. 30 Sept. 1893, Waynesville, DeWitt Co., Ill.
1. John Shrader Marvel
b. 14 Mar. 1824, Owensville, Gibson Co., Ind.
m. Jane Roberts, 25 July 1847. Daughter of Elisha and Elizabeth Montgomery Roberts.
b. 19 Apr. 1829, Owensville, Ind.
d. 11 July 1890
d. 10 Dec. 1861 (Another source gives 1867.)
2. James Marvel
b. 29 Oct. 1825, Sangamon Co., near Springfield, Ill.
m. Maria Gambrel, 16 Jan. 1848. Daughter of C. Thompson and Elizabeth
Roberts Gambrel.
b. 27 Sept. 1829, Gibson Co., Ind.
d. 30 Mar. 1898, near Giltner, Nebr. (Moved to Nebraska in 1883)
d. 6 Feb. 1786, Waynesville, Ill.
3. Nancy Marvel (twin)
b. 4 Nov. 1827. Nancy and her twin brother were the first white children
born in newly settled DeWitt Co., Ill.
m. William Teal, son of Adam Teal and Hanna Gudgel Teal of Pennsylvania,
12 Dec. 1844
b. 18 Aug. 1818
d. 1897
d. 17 May 1913
4. Unnamed son (twin to Nancy)
b. and d. 4 Nov. 1827. Buried in Pilot Grove Cemetery, DeWitt Co., Ill.
5. Cynthia Marvel (twin to Lavina)
b. 29 Jan. 1830, Waynesville, DeWitt Co., Ill.
m1. Montgomery Warrick, 15 May 1848. Son of Jacob G. and Patsey Shelton
Warrick.
b. 26 Jan. 1828, Indiana
d. 18 Dec. 1848
m2. Ira Francis Armstrong, son of Kirby Armstrong and Miranda C. Gambrel
Armstrong, 7 Nov. 1849
d. 12 July 1889
d. 16 Oct. 1868, Clinton, Ill. Buried in Union Cemetery, Waynesville, Ill.
6. Lavina Marvel (twin to Cynthia)
b. 29 Jan. 1830, Waynesville, DeWitt Co., Ill.
m1. Archer Evans, 15 May 1848
b. 4 Nov. 1826
d. 4 Sept. 1848
m2. John Armstrong, son of Kirby Armstrong and Miranda Gambrel Armstrong,
30 Sept. 1849
d. 3 Feb. 1873
m3. William Hornbeck, 21 Mar. 1883
d. 8 Nov. 1893, Waynesville, Ill., within one-fourth mile of her birthplace
7. Prettyman Marvel
b. 31 Mar. 1832, Waynesville, DeWitt Co., Ill.
m. Permelia Malone, daughter of Henry and Evaline Gambrel Malone, 1853
b. 27 Dec. —, Indiana
d. 16 Nov. 1897, near Palmer, Nebr. (moved to Nebraska in 1890)
d. 7 Mar. 1913, Los Angeles, Calif.
8. Rebecca Marvel
b. 10 Oct. 1834, Waynesville, Ill.
m. Martin Loer, son of Thomas, Sr., and Sarah Patterson Loer, 28 Dec. 1854
b. 1 Oct. 1832, Hamilton Co., Ohio
d. 3 Feb. 1878, Taylorville, Ill. Served in the Civil War under Capt.
William Winhollz (Winholtz?).
d. 5 Oct. 1917, Peoria, Ill.
9. Mary Ann Marvel
b. 3 Jan. 1837, Waynesville, Ill.
m. William Gambrel, son of Thompson and Elizabeth Roberts Gambrel, 1852
b. 10 Oct. 1833, Posey Co., Ind.
d. 7 Sept. 1909, Tabor, Ill.
d. 9 Aug. 1931, Tabor, Ill.
10. Wiley Marvel
b. 19 Mar. 1839, Waynesville, Ill.
m. Elizabeth Williams, daughter of Moses and Catherine McElhiney
Williams, 25 Aug. 1864
b. 19 Jan. 1847, Waynesville, Ill.
d. 10 Sept. 1894
d. 2 July 1906, Waynesville, Ill.
11. George Marvel
b. 31 Aug. 1841, Waynesville, Ill.
m. Louisa (or Louvisa) Houchin, 19 Apr. 1864
d. 8 Feb. 1931 (Moved to Nebraska in 1880)
This family is affiliated with the Methodist Episcopal Church.
All the detailed information about the descendants of Prettyman and Rebecca Marvel is from Ella Armstrong Yeakel, comp., History of the Marvel Family, pp. 134-97.14 The complete history should be in the Newberry Library, Chicago, Illinois. Also from Dwight and Rosemary Barr.
E. James Barr1-5-16-17-18
b. 12 May 1808, Tennessee
m. Margaret (Peggy) Houchin, daughter of William Houchin (b. 1777, Va.) and Lavisa Creek Houchin (b. 5 Dec. 1788, Ky.), 14 Nov.1826, Posey Co., Ind. Margaret is said to be the sister of John Houchin who m2. Nancy Knowles Barr after the death of Andrew Jackson Barr (p. 45).
b. 16 Feb. 1808, Warren Co., Ky.
d. 13 Aug. 1898, Waynesville, DeWitt Co., Ill.
d. 16 Oct. 1877, Logan Co., Ill.
Both James and Margaret are buried in Evergreen Cemetery, DeWitt Co., Ill.
1. Lucinda Barr
b. 1 Jan. 1828, Posey Co., Ind.
d. 21 Oct. 1836. Buried in Union Cemetery, Waynesville, DeWitt Co., Ill., next to her sister Melissa and grandparents John and Nancy Barr.
2. Lavica (or La Visa) Barr
b. 19 Sept. 1828, Posey Co., Ind.
m. Willoughby Randolph, Jr.
3. Nancy Barr
b. 27 Sept. 1829, Posey Co., Ind.
4. Melissa Barr
b. 12 Dec. 1832, Logan Co., Ill.
d. 14 Jan. 1833. Buried in Union Cemetery, Waynesville, next to her grandparents John and Nancy Barr.
5. George W. Barr
b. 22 Jan. 1835, Logan Co., Ill.
m. Polly Ann Lundy, 14 Aug. 1856
d. 28 Dec. 1910
6. Philadelphia Barr
b. 9 July 1837, Logan Co., Ill.
m. William H. Estes, 1 Sept. 1854
d. 24 Sept. 1926
7. Mary A. Barr
b. 1840, Logan Co., Ill.
m. George W. Hoffman
8. Eliza Jane Barr
b. 18 July 1842, Logan Co., Ill.
m. James H. Gambrel, 11 Oct. 1865
d. 19 Mar. 1899
9. Olive Barr
b. 7 Sept. 1844, Logan Co., Ill.
m. Thompson Gambrel, 25 Oct. 1865
d. 30 Dec. 1928
10. Frances Barr
b. 1849, Logan Co., Ill.
The last six of these children are named in the 1850 census for Logan Co., Illinois, p. 91, no. 610.
F. Cynthia G. Barr1-5-12-15
b. 11 Sept. 1809, Tenn.
m. Nathan Arnet Allmon, son of Thomas and Mary Stanson Allmon, 6 Feb. 1826,
Gibson Co., Ind.
b. 26 May 1803, Kentucky
d. 20 Oct. 1876, DeWitt Co., Ill.
d. 7 Mar. 1849, Logan Co., Ill. (in childbirth). Buried in Union cemetery, Waynesville,
DeWitt Co., Ill.
(Note: After the death of his wife Cynthia, Nathan Arnet Allmon married Mary S. Roberts, 14 Nov. 1850. No children are found from this second marriage.)
1. Evaline D. Allmon
b. 1829, Gibson Co., Ind.
2. John Washington Allmon
b. ca. 1830, Gibson Co., Ind.
m. Lisk
3. Thomas Warren Allmon
b. 8 Dec. 1832, Terre Haute, Vigo Co., Ind.
m. Louvica Houchin, 9 Mar. 1854
d. 14 Dec. 1895
4. Huldah S. Allmon
b. ca. 1835, Ind.
m. Enoch L. Houchin
5. William Hamilton Allmon (twin to Nancy Caroline)
b. ca. 1837, Ind.
6. Nancy Caroline Allmon (twin to William Hamilton)
b. ca. 1837, Ind.
m. Hull
7. Rebecca Jane Allmon b. ca. 1839, Ind.
m. John Reece, 25 Mar. 1856
8. Mary Ann Allmon
b. ca. 1840, Ill.
m. Hull
9. Lewis J. Allmon (twin to James M.)
b. ca. 1843, Logan Co., Ill.
d. 5 Oct. 1864, in the Civil War, Altoona Pass, Ga.
10. James M. Allmon (twin to Lewis J.)
b. ca. 1843, Logan Co., Ill.
Civil War veteran
11. Alsey E. Allmon
b. ca. 1845, Logan Co., Ill.
12. Nathan Arnet Allmon, Jr.
b. 30 Jan. 1848, Logan Co., Ill.
m. Chloe Ann Beebe, 7 Aug. 1878
d. 7 Jan. 1940
13. Charles A. Allmon (twin to Ruffus Scott)
b. and d. 7 Mar. 1849
14. Ruffus Scott Allmon (twin to Charles A.)
b. and d. 7 Mar. 1849
G. Thomas Barr1-5-7-12-16
b. 4 Mar. 1813 (DAR records show 14 Nov. 1814), Gibson Co., Ind.
m. Elsie G. Watt, daughter of Gabriel and Elizabeth Simmon Watt, 10 Jan. 1833, McLean Co., Ill.
b. 13 Feb. 1815, Ky.
d. 17 Nov. 1892, DeWitt Co., Ill. Buried in Union Cemetery, DeWitt Co., Ill.
d. 14 Jan. 1887, 2 mi. south of Waynesville, DeWitt Co., Ill. Buried in Union Cemetery, DeWitt Co., Ill.
All the following children of Thomas and Elsie were born in DeWitt Co., Illinois:
1. Andrew Jackson Barr
b. ca. 1833
m. Catherine Elizabeth Hoffman, 1853, DeWitt Co., Ill.
d. 1913
2. Elizabeth Ann Barr
b. 31 Jan. 1835
m. William Silvers, 14 Aug. 1853, DeWitt Co., Ill.
d. 20 Oct. 1930
3. William Thomas Barr
b. ca. 1837
4. John Watt Barr
b. ca. 1838
5. Nancy Emmaline Barr
b. ca. 1841
m. Joseph W. Marvel, 1 Mar. 1860, DeWitt Co., Ill.
d. 1910
6. Thomas Jefferson Barr
b. ca. 1843
7. Elsy Rebecca Barr
b. ca. 1845
d. 1888
8. Francis (Frank) Marion Barr3-16
b. 7 Nov. 1848
m1. Josephine Dale, 14 Sept. 1871 (mother of six)
m2. Alice King (mother of five)
d. 30 May 1928
9. Sarah Ellen Barr
b. 22 Oct. 1850
m. Braxton Marvel, 18 Mar. 1869, DeWitt Co., Ill.
d. 12 June 1908
10. Matilda J. Barr
b. 10 Aug. 1853
d. 5 Sept. 1853. Buried in Union Cemetery, DeWitt Co., Ill.
11. William Lafayette Barr
b. 13 May 1855
d. 15 Sept. 1856
H. ANDREW JACKSON BARR1-5-7-10-11-12-15-16-17
b. 21 or 22 Aug. 1815, Gibson, Co., Ind.
m. NANCY KNOWLES, 11 July 1836, Gibson Co., Ind. Daughter of Elijah and Margaret Woods Knowles.
(Note: After the death of Andrew Jackson Barr in 1856, Nancy married John Houchin. Some of his family were neighbors to the Barrs in Illinois, and his sister Margaret was married to James Barr, brother of Andrew Jackson Barr. John had married Lavina Jones and had moved to Texas, where Lavina had died. After John and Nancy were married, he and Nancy and her children went to his home in Texas. Two children, Mary Ann Houchin and Marion Francis Houchin, were born to them in Texas. At the death of Mr. Houchin in 1861, Nancy married James C. Gaston on 31 May 1866 [1870 census, Coryell Co., Texas, p. 14, no. 92-92; marriage record, Coryell Co. Brides Index].)
b. 18 Dec 1819, Gibson Co., Ind.
d. 20 July 1877, Gatesville, Coryell Co., Texas. Died of "bad circulation," according to letter, daughter Nancy Margaret to daughter Julia Ann.
d. 21 May 1852. Took cramps and drowned while seining for fish in Kickapoo Creek. He was an elder in the Presbyterian Church.
1. Elijah Barr
b. 20 Mar. 1838, Logan Co., Ill.
m. Mary McDougal. Native of Scotland. Came to Texas as a girl with relatives.
(Note: Elijah Barr came to Texas from Illinois in 1856 and settled in Austin County. Later he moved to Coryell County, where he farmed for many years. He served as a Confederate soldier in the Civil War. When he retired, he moved to Gatesville, where he lived until his death. His family is found in the 1870 census, Coryell Co., Texas, pct. 1, p. 9, no. 58-58.)
a. Henry Allen Barr, M.D. (Received medical degree from University of Texas, 1896.)
b. 3 Aug. 1868, San Felipe, Austin Co., Texas
m. Ida Buford
(1) Henry Buford Barr, M.D.
m. Wanita Chapman, Beaumont, Texas
Four children
b. Andrew (Jack) Barr.
Age 9 in 1880 census
Three children
c. Nancy J. Barr
Age 7 in 1880 census
Two children
d. Elijah (Willie) Barr
Age 5 in 1880 census
e. Mary (Maggie) Barr
Age 3 in 1880 census
Unmarried
f. Frances (Fannie) Barr
Age 1 in 1880 census
Unmarried
(Note: Names of children in parentheses are taken from a letter written by Nancy Margaret Barr Peebles to one of her sisters, dated 22 Mar. 1913. Names without parentheses are taken from the 1880 census, Coryell Co., Texas, June 1880.)
2. John Barr6-12
b. 11 Nov. 1840, Logan Co., Ill.
m. Sarah Elle Wells, 13 Dec. 1866. Daughter of Robert B. Wells (Methodist circuit preacher) and Mary Sophronia Fisher.
b. 16 Sept. —, Arpville, Upshur Co., Texas
d. 30 Jan. 1939, Waco, McLennan Co., Texas
d. 5 Jan. 1872, on a boat on the Mississippi River. Buried in City Cemetery, Gatesville, Coryell Co., Texas.
(Note: John Barr was a Federal soldier in the Civil War. After the war he went to Gatesville, Texas, where he became revenue assessor and collector. His health became bad, and a change of climate was recommended. In an ox-drawn wagon he and Sarah Elle started to Missouri and Kansas in May 1869. His health grew steadily worse, so they started back home, traveling from Lewisburg, Arkansas, by boat. John died in New Orleans, but Sarah Elle would not let him be buried there. She took his body back home to Gatesville, where he now lies. Three years later Sarah Elle married a Mr. Smith.)
a. Robert Jackson Barr
b. 27 Dec. 1867, Belton, Bell Co., Texas
m1. Lou Ella Thompson
m2. Ella Amanda Thomas
b. John Barr, Jr.
b. 29 Oct. 1868, Gatesville, Coryell Co., Texas
d. 1871. Buried at Honey Creek, Mo.
c. George Taylor Barr
b. 3 Oct. 1871, Louisville, Lafayette Co., Ark.
m. Nettie Lavada Harris
d. 27 May, 19—, Lawton, Okla.
3. Nancy Margaret Barr7-11-15
b. 18 Feb. 18—, Lincoln, Logan Co., Ill.
m. Henry Allen Peebles, 15 Nov. 1857, Brenham, Washington Co., Texas
b. 11 Dec. 1830, Tallahassee, Gadsden Co., Fla.
d. 8 Feb. 1867, Brenham, Washington Co., Texas
d. 15 June 1925, Muldoon, Fayette Co., Texas.
(Note: Nancy Margaret had a pain in her side for years but had not taken medicine or seen a doctor for twenty years. In a letter to her sister Julia Ann Hamilton, she wrote in May 1925 that the pain was much worse. The next month her daughter Eliza wrote to Julia Ann that Nancy had died of a stroke.)
a. Nannie A. Peebles
b. 18 Mar. 1859, Brenham, Washington Co., Texas
m. Dr. Charles Lewis Clay, 4 Feb. 1874, Gatesville, Coryell Co., Texas
b. 24 Sept. 1848, Clat Station, Granville Co., N.C.
d. 22 Sept. 1906, Moody, McLennan Co., Texas
d. 5 Jan. 1937, Moody, McLennan Co., Texas
(1) Archibald Robert Clay
b. 9 Dec. 1875, Moody, McLennan Co., Texas
m. Pearl Greenwade
d. Waco, McLennan Co., Texas
(a) Mary Palmer
(2) Charles Lewis Clay
b. 6 Apr. 1879, Moody, McLennan Co., Texas
m. Josie Kraft
d. 12 Dec. 1925, Waco, McLennan Co., Texas
(a) Lucille Clay
(b) Henry Clay
(3) Henry Allen Clay
b. 12 Apr. 1880, Moody, McLennan Co., Texas
m. Lottie Jewell Ray, 16 Feb. 1903, Marlin, Falls Co., Texas
d. 6 Apr. 1925, Dallas, Dallas Co., Texas. Buried in Grove Hill Cemetery, Dallas, Texas.
(a) Evelyn Clay
m. B. J. Ragsdale
Living in Tyler, Texas (1989).
(4) Rupert Warren Clay
b. 23 June 1887, Moody, Texas
m. Mallie Rice
d. 1933, Dallas, Dallas Co., Texas. Buried in Grove Hill Cemetery, Dallas, Texas.
(a) Dorothy Clay
(b) Lois Clay
b. Eliza Allen Peebles
b. 18 Nov. 1862, Brenham, Washington Co., Texas
m. William M. Pool, 17 Jan. 1878
d. 12 Feb. 1928, Moody, McLennan Co., Texas
(1) Lectra May Pool
(2) Ira Allen Pool
c. Elijah W. Peebles
b. 27 May 1864, Brenham, Washington Co., Texas
m. D. L. Breece, Dec. 1883
d. 18 Mar. 1904
(1) Henry A. Peebles
(2) Charles L. Peebles
d. Martha Agnes Peebles
b. 1866, Brenham, Washington Co., Texas
m. Adam L. Breece, 27 Sept. 1881
d. 6 Nov. 1930
(1) Henry L. Breece
(2) Florence L. Breece
(3) William L. Breece
(4) Oscar A. Breece
(5) Rosetta M. Breece
(6) Gladys May Breece
(7) Ruth A. Breece
(Note: All the material on the family of Nancy Margaret and Henry Allen Peebles is from Evelyn Clay Ragsdale, Rt. 9, Box 124, Tyler, Texas.)
4. Martha Elizabeth Barr7
b. 16 Nov. 1845, Logan Co., Ill.
m1. Park Stubblefield, 27 Sept. 1861
m2. Calvin Dodson, 26 Jan. 1885
d. ? Killed when horses ran away with the wagon in which she was riding. Her baby by Mr. Dodson was tucked in a corner of the wagon and was unharmed.7-11
a. Christa Stubblefield
Lived at Antelope, Jack Co., Texas, on 22 Mar. 1913.
Several children, unknown7-11
b. Park Stubblefield
Lived in Denver, Colo., in 1913.7-11
No children
c. Ida Dodson
d. 191111
5. JULIA ANN BARR
b. 4 Sept. 1848, Logan Co., Ill.
m. WILLIAM HARRISON HAMILTON, 16 July 1865
d. 21 May 1934, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Co., Calif.
a. FREDONIA ELIZABETH HAMILTON
m. LEWIS MONROE ATKINSON
b. William Jackson Hamilton
m. Maudie Moore
c. Cora Ann Hamilton
m. J. Lee Stracener
d. Robert Edmond Hamilton
m. Mary Frances Shirley
e. Earnest Franklin Hamilton
m. Hettie Cox
f. Mary Margaret Hamilton
m1. Tull Carter
m2. Ed Parker
g. Thomas Lynden Hamilton
m. Alice Waller
h. Rufus Wesley Hamilton
m. Sarah (Sadie) A. Shirley
i. Elijah Abijah Hamilton
m1. Elizabeth Watkins
m2. Mary Rhodes
6. Edmond Jackson Barr7
b. 6 Apr. 1852, Logan Co., Ill.
m. Sarah Ann Arrowood, 11 Sept. 1873
d. 1911, Cross Plains, Callahan Co., Texas, where some of his children were living.
Nancy Margaret Barr Peebles states in her letter that there were five boys and one girl in this family. Nothing else is given.
I. Lewis Barr1-2-5-12-16
b. 19 Apr. 1818, Gibson Co., Ind.
m1. Rebecca Cox, 4 Nov. 1840
d. Twenty-two months after marriage1
m2. Martha C. Montgomery, 18 Sept. 1844, Gibson Co., Ind.
b. 13 Mar. 1819. Daughter of Nancy and Walter C. Montgomery, Sr.
d. 27 Feb. 1888
d. 21 June 1895, Logan Co., Ill. Lewis and Martha are buried in Blue Grass Cemetery, Logan Co., Ill.
1. Nancy Jane Barr
b. 16 Sept. 1845, Oran Twp., Logan Co., Ill. (Note: All children of Lewis and Martha were born in Oran Twp., Logan Co., Ill.)
m. Adolphus T. Hayes, 3 Jan. 1867
d. 23 Feb. 1916
Three children died at birth.
2. John Walter Barr
b. 15 Mar. 1847
d. 14 Jan 1912
Unmarried; carpenter by trade.
3. James Thomas Barr
b. 1850
d. 1852
4. Matilda Eleanor Barr
b. 1853
m. A. H. Rhoads
a. Lewis Rhoads
b. David Rhoads
c. Mattie Rhoads
5. Rebecca Elizabeth Barr
b. 20 May 1856
m. Charles B. McKean
d. 27 Nov. 1925
6. Andrew Jackson Barr
b. 27 Apr. 1858
d. 19 June 1905
7. Daughter, unnamed
b. 17 Jan. 1861
d. 25 Jan. 1861
SOURCES
1. Dwight and Rosemary Barr, 7000 Essex Court Circle, No. 4, Midvale, Utah 84047-1755.
2. Andrew Jackson Barr, "History of the Barr Family," Atlanta Argus, 8 Sept. 1911. Photocopy in my possession.
3. DAR Record of William Hamilton, from Grace and Edna Barr, Atlanta, Ill.
4. Sarah J. Barr Adair, "History of the Hamiltons."
5. Ella Armstrong Yeakel, The Barr Family and Other Allied Families. Privately published, 1934.
6. Ella Armstrong Yeakel, "The Scottish House of Hamilton."
7. Original letters and notebooks of Julia Ann Barr Hamilton in my possession.
8. Naturalization applications of John Barr and W. M. Lyles found in Chester Co., S.C., Courthouse by Dwight and Rosemary Barr, 1991.
9. Excerpts from minutes of Fishing Creek Presbyterian Church, Chester Co., S.C.
10. Research records of Joyce Calhoun, Liberty, Texas, on file in the Sam Houston Regional Library and Research Center, Box 989, Liberty, Texas 77575.
11. Evelyn Ragsdale, Tyler, Texas.
12. Sarah Elle Wells Barr, "Family History."; Copy in my possession.
13. Daryl Short, Columbia, Mo.
14. Ella Armstrong Yeakel, comp., The Sons and Daughters of Prettyman Marvel, pp. 134-97, written following the sixth Marvel family
reunion in 1925 at Millers Park in Bloomington, Illinois. Loaned by Grace and Edna Barr of Atlanta, Ill.
15. Manuscripts and letters dated 1894-1926 written by Julia Ann Barr Hamilton and her sisters and nieces and now in my possession.
16. Letters from Grace and Edna Barr, Atlanta, Ill., in my possession.
17. Paul C. Houchen, "The Houchin Family in the U.S.," pp. 47-53, in Genealogical Society of the Church of Latter Day Saints.