History of Chester County, Pennsylvania, with genealogical and biographical sketches, Part 129

Author: Futhey, John Smith, 1820-1888; Cope, Gilbert, 1840-1928
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia, L. H. Everts
Number of Pages: 1162

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FRANCIS BALDWIN, a brother of Jolin and Thomas, was also settled in the neighborhood of Chester as early as 1686. His wife was a daughter of Thomas Coebourne. His descendants are probably in the South and West.

BALDWIN, WILLIAM, a minister among Friends, was born at Gisbourn, in Yorkshire, England, and came to this country from Lancashire, first on a visit, in 1709, and again for settlement, in 1713. He died at Bristol, Bucks Co., Pa., 6, 29, 1720, and in 1724 his widow, Mary Baldwin, became the wife of Ellis Lewis, of Kennet, Chester Co. With her came her son, John Baldwin, who married, 9, 13, 1734, Elizabeth Pusey, born 11, 14, 1716, daughter of William and Elizabeth Pusey, of Londongrove. He was born 1712, and died 10, 1, 1746, near Hockessin Meeting.

His children were, -- 1. Mary, b. 6, 17, 1735 ; m. Thomas Harlan. 2. Lydia, b. 11, 30, 1736; m. Jonathan Valen- tine. 3. William, b. 9, 5, 1739; m. 10, 18, 1764, Mary Edge, and settled at Downingtown. 4. Samuel, b. 8, 1, 1741; d. 7, 6, 1745. 5. Thomas, b. 7, 27, 1743; m. 5, 13, 1771, Elizabeth Garretson, daughter of Eliakim Garretson, of New Castle County, and settled in Newlin township. 6. Hannah, b. 8, 6, 1745; died unmarried.

John Baldwin, son of William and Mary, born 7, 5, 1765, died 6, 21, 1816, married 9, 19, 1793, Lydia Trimble, daughter of William and Grace, of Whiteland. They had several children, among whom was Thomas Baldwin, who, with his relative, Joseph Thomas, M.D., has edited a geo- graphical dictionary, a pronouncing gazetteer, etc.

Thomas and Elizabeth Baldwin, of Newlin, had children, -John, b. 11, 27, 1772 ; d. 2, 22, 1809, a minister. Lydia, b. 11, 15, 1774. William, b. 3, 29, 1778. Hannah, b 1, 9, 1781. Joseph, b. 10, 9, 1783. Sarah, b. 11, 13, 1787.

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HISTORY OF CHESTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

The following sketch of one of these children of Thomas . and Elizabeth Baldwin is principally taken from " Reli- que Baldwiniana," or selections from the correspondence . of William Baldwin, M.D., edited by William Darlington, M.D .:

and opened the way for an instructive and delightful cor- respondence with that eminent botanist.

Dr. Baldwin's health was always frail. A predisposition to pulmonary consumption pervaded all his father's family; and finally swept away every member of it. In the autumn

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DR. WILLIAM BALDWIN.

DR. WILLIAM BALDWIN, son of Thomas Baldwin, a respectable member of the Society of Friends, and an ap- proved minister in that society, was born in Newlin town- ship, this county, March 29, 1778. He received no other than the common English education afforded by the country schools of that day, but he evinced at an early age an eager desire for knowledge, and as one of the readiest modes of gratifying that desire became a teacher of a country school in the vicinity of his birthplace. After some time spent in that ardnous vocation he turned his attention to the profession of medicine. He accordingly became the pupil of Dr. William A. Todd, then a popular practitioner of medicine in Downingtown, Pa. While a resident there he became acquainted with Dr. Moses Mar- shall, -- who was a scholar and botanist, and had materially assisted his uncle, Humphry Marshall, both in the estab- lishment of his botanical garden at Marshallton and in the preparation of his work on American forest-trees and . shrubs,-which first awakened in young Baldwin a taste for the study of plants, and led him to become a sagacions and enthusiastic botanist. While waiting for the means to ob- tain a diploma he made a voyage to China as surgeon of a merchant-ship, and on his return received the degree of Doctor of Medicine.

Being thus inaugurated in the profession, he soon after married and took up his residence in Wilmington, Del., where his researches in the vegetable kingdom attracted the notice of the Rev. Dr. Muhlenberg, of Lancaster, Pa.,

of 1811 the doctor was induced to seek a refuge from our Northern winters in the State of Georgia. During the war of 1812-15 he was appointed a surgeon in the United States navy, and was stationed chiefly at the seaports of Savannah and St. Mary's. All his leisure time was de- voted to the exploration of the botany of that region and in contributing to the valuable "Southern Flora" of the accomplished Stephen Elliott. A genus of plants belong- ing to the Southern Composite was named Baldwinia by Mr. Nuttall,-" as a just tribute of respect for the talents and industry of William Baldwin, M.D., a gentleman whose botanical zeal and knowledge have rarely been ex- celled in America." His researches were industriously pushed in the wilderness among the Southern Indians, and. extended into East Florida as far as St. Augustine.

Dr. Baldwin's reputation as a botanist induced the gov- ernment, in 1817, to appoint him to accompany the com- missioners to Buenos Ayres and other South - American ports, to ascertain the condition and prospects of the Span- ishi colonists. He went as surgeon of the ship "-Congress," and the prominent incidental object of his appointment was to investigate the vegetable productions of the places which might be visited. In the performance of this collateral duty, notwithstanding the feeble state of his health, he was most assiduous and eminently successful.

On his return from South America he was selected to accompany, as surgeon and botanist, Maj. Long's expedi- tion up the Missouri River. His unflagging zeal impelled

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BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL.

him to the enterprise, but his strength was utterly inade- quate to the task. He died at Franklin, on the banks of the Missouri, far away from the bosom of his family, Sept. 1, 1819. Dr. F. Boott, the distinguished botanist of London, was so much interested in the fate of Dr. Baldwin that he kindly offered a liberal contribution towards causing an appropriate memorial to be placed at his grave. But, sad to relate, when inquiry was made, it was found that the Missouri River, with one of its wild floods, had torn up and washed away the entire burial-ground on its banks where the remains had been interred. If not swept into the Gulf of Mexico, the bed of the Missouri or a delta of the Mississippi may have become the depository of the bones of the lamented Chester County botanist.

BANE, ALEXANDER, of Merion, purchased 200 acres in Goshen in 1711 and settled thereon. In 1713 he married Janc Moore, by whom he had children,-Jane, Mary, William, Catharine, Alexander, and Daniel.

William married Margaret, daughter of Thomas Evans, about 1746, and had children,-Alexander, Thomas, Eliza- beth (married Jonathan Hoopes), William, Jesse, Nathan, Abner, Jane, and James.

MORDECAI BANE, probably a brother of Alexander, purchased, in 1716, 200 acres of land in Goshen, where he died about 1747, leaving a second wife, Mary,* and several children, viz. : Mordecai, Nathan, James, Joseph, Mary, Samuel, Isaac, Sarah, Hannah, Rachel, Barbara, and Jane.

Nathan Bane, son of Mordecai, married, Dec. 27, 1735, Mary Cock, daughter of Henry and Mary Cock, of Long Island, born 8, 8, 1711. He died in Goshen, 1748, leav- ing eiglit children. Of these, Amy married Nathan Cope, 12, 7, 1758; Sarah married Thomas Hoopes, 4, 28, 1763; James married Ruth Waln, 4, 25, 1765; Elizabeth mar- ried Daniel Hoopes, 11, 11, 1762; and Deborah married Samuel Roa, 4, 14, 1774.

BARNARD, or BERNARD .- This is one of the most ancient of surnames, being first taken from Roche-Bernard, an ancient fortified manor-house of Normandy ; it had been in use, however, as a baptismal name since the eighth cen- tury, and originally derived from northern mythology, sig- nifying boldness; literally, bear's heart, from Bern, the bear, and the courage it implies. The French pronounce it Baer-nar, and the English broadly on the first syllable, as Bar nrå, just as they call Derby Darby, and Bertram Bart rm.

The ancestor of the Chester and Delaware County family of this name was Richard Barnard (1), who served as a grand juror at Chester, A.D. 1686, and died previous to May 5, 1698. He owned land near Chester as early as 1683. Letters of administration on his estate were, on May 11, 1698, granted by William Markham in Philadel- phia to the widow, Frances Barnard. There is a tradition among the descendants of this man that he came from Sheffield, Yorkshire, England, when a young man, and that he accompanied William Penn, but this is, as yet, un- supported by evidence. There is an English tradition that

he left England about 1642. Attempts have been made to harmonize these traditions, and letters, now in the pos- session of a member of the family, from a gentleman of the same name in the Parliament of England who is a grand- son of Sir Francis Bernard, colonial Governor of New Jersey and Massachusetts, declare that " Governor Penn was well known to our family. I have great reason to think that you may claim descent from Richard of Astwood, who in the troubled reign of Charles I. is supposed to have emi- grated The family were well acquainted with Admiral Sir William Penn, the father of the celebrated Mr. Penn, the founder of the State of Pennsylvania, and if Richard had already emigrated he might easily have been attracted to the new settlement where a family friend presided. I am fully aware that some of our family settled in America, which might probably have induced my grandfather to seek that appointment." These letters were followed by a pedi- gree, commencing with Godfrey Bernard, A.D. 1240, and a photograph of the correspondent, which bears a resemblance to Simon Barnard, of Philadelphia, James Barnard, of West Marlborough, and some of the Barnards of an older generation.

The late compilation of John Camden Hotten, entitled " Original Lists of Persons of Quality, Emigrants, Religious Exiles, &c.," published in 1874, contains a ship's list in which the name of Richard Barnard, aged twenty-three, appears as having sailed Feb. 17, 1634, from London to Barbadoes in the ship " Hopewell," Capt. Thomas Wood.t It is now thought that this is the same individual.

RICHARD BARNARD (1), the immigrant above alluded to, left seven children, namely, Richard (2), b. 1684; d. 1767; m Aun, daughter of Abiah Taylor, about 1715; settled near Doe Run, West Marlborough township, then known as " Hilltown," where he had previously purchased between 400 and 500 acres of the Simcock tract, some of which is still held by his descendants. He also purchased in 1726 about 200 acres in Newlin, part of the Nathaniel Newlin tract, also a tract adjoining in the township of East Marlborough, the same now in the occupancy of Charles Barnard, Milton Barnard, descendants, and James Gaw- throp, John Huey, Courtland Michener, William Thorne, et al. He was the ancestor of all the Chester County branch of the Barnard family.

THOMAS BARNARD, brother of the former (died at Chester, 1732), purchased his father's lands in Delaware County about A.D. 1712, married, first, Elizabeth Swain, of Newark ; second, Sarah Carter, of Chester, and became the progenitor of the Delaware County branch, which is now extinct in the male line, the late Maj .- Gen. Isaac D. Barnard being of this line, of whom hereafter.

The other children of the first settler were Sarah, m. Joseph Coburn ; Mary, m. Jacob Roman ; Lucy, m. Thomas Dutton ; Lydia, m. Daniel Walker; Rebecca, m. Enoch Flower.

Dr. Smith, in his " History of Delaware County," says that Richard the first was a Quaker, as all his children appcar to have been. If this be correct, he must have be -

* Mordecai Bane and Naomi Medley were married at St. Paul's church, Chester, Dec. 20, 1705, and Mordecai Bane and Mary Teague at Christ church, Philadelphia, June 8, 1731. Perhaps these are the two marriages of the head of this family.

t See also " Drake's Researches among the British Archives," page 100.

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HISTORY OF CHESTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

come so after his settlement in this State, as George Fox did not begin to preach his doctrine until 1648, or several years after Richard Barnard had left England. However that may be, it is certain that most of his descendants have been Friends, one of the most noteworthy of whom was

RICHARD BARNARD (3), son of Richard (2). He was born in 1723, and died in 1813. He married, first, Susanna Echoff ; second, Lettice Baker. He was a model Quaker, and left large estates in land in East and West Marlborough, Newlin, Nottingham, and in Lancaster County, besides some in Delaware. During the Revolu- tionary war he suffered from pillage of both armics. His residence was then in the valley, just north of Marlbor- ough Friends' meeting-house, in a stone house now belong- ing to John Huey. From " Book E" of his diary the following extracts are taken :

"9 mo., 5, 1777 .- The English army-the command of Gen. Howe came near me-took my mare from son Richard [Richard 4].

" 9 mo., 7, 1777 .- A company of the Americans at my house. Cap- tain Henry Lee took my little wagon.

"9 mo., 18, 1777 .- Captain Lee at my house again.

" 2 mo., 29, 1777 .- Joshua Lawrence came here with some armed meu and took from me two wagon loads of hay, one wagon load of corn. I demanded them to show on what orders. Lawrence said he had 'none, but my name, and Isaac B.' (Baily ?).

" 1779 .- John Ingram & John Finley wagon masters brought seventy-two horses here and fed them seven days with good hay.

"1780, 5 mo., 23 .- At several places to take account of sufferings. At G. Passmore's, he said he would be willing to leave it to the judg- ment of indifferent men what is due to the negro woman that lived

with him till she was between thirty and forty years old. "5 mo., 5 .- At a conference about slave holding.

"5 mo., 15 .- Committee about slaves.

"Joseph Lucky and his assistants took from me 3 cows, all young milkers, value 13£.

"6 mo., 12 .- John Crage & William Crage produced an order from John Hammond and took 2 steers intended for oxen, value 11£, and heifers valued at a moderate pricc at 11 £ = 22£.

"12 mo., 25, 1780 .- Set off to Phila. William Hamilton & Joseph Luckey came to my house and took for taxes a horse worth 18£, 20 poonds tallow, a saddle & bridle 1£ 18., and wallet 2£ & 68.

" 1781, 1 mo., 1 .- William Hamilton, Peter Bell, & Joseph Luckey took from me 2 Hogsheads cider & Brass kettle.

"2 mo., 24 .- Joseph Luckey took from me a stcer 4 years old, 5£ 10 ; 2 Heifers 3 years old, 3.£.

"4 mo., 28 .- Geo. McCorkle took from me a mare 20£."

Together with many other and longer lists of property taken to pay what he called " taxes for the support of war," against which he had conscientious scruples about paying. While this was going on he would be busy in works of benevolence and religion. Various anecdotes illustrative of the endeavors of this man to lead a Christian life according to the very letter of the Sermon on the Mount are told. The following is a condensed account of incidents which led to the establishment of the Friends' meeting-house and school at Marlborough, taken from Friends' Miscellany, published in Philadelphia, A.D. 1834, vol. v., page 369, entitled " Remarkable Anecdote":

"Some years ago a difference happened between Richard B. and a neighbor of his-a Friend and a younger man than himself-respect- ing their land line, or the use of a water-course. Many endeavors had been used to effect a satisfactory settlement, and they had several times referred the matter of difference to arbitrators, whose decision was uniformly in Richard's favor. But his neighbor still remained unsatisfied in his mind, and unfriendly in his disposition towards him. This gave Richard great uneasiness and distress, and all means bad been used and exhausted in fruitless endeavors to restore harmony

between them. It seemed to Richard that he must go and wash his neighbor's feet; he, however, revolted at the ides, hut the impression that this cross was obligatory upon him became so overpowering that he finally, upon yielding obedience to what seemed like a command, borst into tears. Arising early in the morning and taking two bottles, a bowl, and a towel, he filled the bottles with water and went to the house of the neighbor, who was not yet up; the neighbor was unfriendly in his reception, end refused. Richard told him that he was willing to do it for the sake of his friendship and good will, and taking hold of his foot began the operation. The neighbor at first resisted, but soon became calm and suffered Richard to wash both his feet and wipe them with his towel. On his way home Richard filled his bottles with water from the disputed stream and preserved them as a memorial. The same day the neighbor himself restored the water-course, and in the afternoon brought his wife and made a social visit, and became and continued friendly to the end of his life. Afterwards, when Richard was accidentally hurt, this neighbor died, and thereopon Richard, Jest he should ascribe undue merit to himself by keeping the memorial bottles of water longer, emptied them ont."

Previous to this, however, they had resolved on the es- tablishment of a Friends' meeting-house and school on the line of their lands at Marlborough village, and had each con- tributed a sum of money and two acres of land for that pur- pose, and the meeting-house aud school building, including a house for the teacher, still stand upon the four acres thus donated.

Some of the collateral branches of this family went to Kentucky, Louisiana, and other Southern States. Jere- miah (1), a brother of Richard (3), was the ancestor of John Barnard Guest, the vice-president of the Fidelity Trust Company, Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, and Lydia, a sister, married John McIlvain, of Ridley, and was the ancestress of the McIlvains of West Philadelphia, and of Hon. Abram R. Mellvain, formerly representative from Chester County in Congress.

CYRUS BARNARD, Newlin, son of Richard (3), born 1776, died 1827, somewhat noted as an inventor. He ob- tained a patent for a mowing-machine as early as 1820, making the journey in his carriage. He was largely in- terested in the improvement of live stock, and was the first to import merino sheep into Chester County.

RICHARD BARNARD (5), Doe Run, born 1789, died 1850, was one of the first Chester Countians to go to Cali- fornia in search of wealth, although in excellent circum- stances in land and money. He took with him a consider- able amount in cash, fell sick on shipboard, was robbed, and died when about landing on his return. He was a man of superior intelligence and great force of character.

RICHARD M. BARNARD, Newlin, descended on the mother's side from the Merediths, born 1797, died 1854, was a pupil and relative of Enoch Lewis, and became dis- tinguished as a mathematician, surveyor, and accountant. He was a man of urbane manners, clear head, and great force of character, and was much resorted to in disputed questions. He represented Chester County in the State Legislature, 1837-38.

SIMON BARNARD, a brother of Richard M., born in Newlin, 1802, now living in Philadelphia. He was one of the original anti-slavery society, and, like his grandfather, Richard (3), took a conspicuous and active part, assisting the celebrated Thomas Garrett, of Wilmington, in the management of the Underground Railroad. He was a man of very considerable power and influence, positive, uncom-

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promising, and fearlessly outspoken when such a course was unpopular and even dangerous. His house was a resort of the leaders in the anti-slavery cause when they came to Chester County, and William Lloyd Garrison, Lu- cretia Mott, Theodore Parker, John G. Whittier, and others of distinction frequently visited him.

ISAAC D. BARNARD, born at Chester, 1791, died at West Chester, 1834, the most distinguished of his name, and fourth in descent from the immigrant. He studied law at Chester with William Graham, Esq., and was ad- mitted to the bar at West Chester, May 1, 1816. His legal studies had been interrupted by the breaking out of the war of 1812, and before he had completed his twenty- first year he received a captain's commission in the Four- teenth U. S. Infantry. He opened a recruiting rendezvous at West Chester, enlisted a large number of men and sent them to headquarters. In the autumn of 1812 he was transferred to Baltimore, where he remained until March, 1813, when he went with his regiment, under Col. Winder, by way of Philadelphia and New York, to Sackett's Har- bor. He was present and behaved gallantly at Fort George. Winder's brigade was in the brunt of the action. Capt. Barnard was advanced to the rank of major, June 26, 1813. In the fight at La Cole's Mill he was stationed with his command to cover the artillery, and rendered important service in bringing off the more advanced piece after every man belonging to it had been shot down ; his horse was shot by his side. Maj. Barnard descended the St. Law- rence River with Wilkinson, but, owing to the extreme hardship of the service in the winter, he fell sick, and as he lay stretched on his back in a boat he heard the roar of the artillery during the battle of Chrysler's Farm. Afterwards he was quartered in a hut quite in advance of our post, in an Indian country, and exposed to marauding-parties of the British. He was with Izard's army at Plattsburg, where, in consequence of the death and captivity of his superior officers, the command of the corps devolved upon him, and for his conduct in that position he received the compliments of the commander-in-chief. He distinguished himself at the battle of Lyons' Creek, of which Gen. Izard said, "The Fourteenth charged the enemy io front. . . . Maj. Barnard greatly distinguished himself by the officer-like style in which he managed his battalion." Gen. Bissell's report said, "The gallant charge of the Fourteenth soon compelled the enemy to give ground. . . . The handsome manner in which Maj. Barnard brought his regiment into action deserves particular notice."

While Maj. Barnard was conducting this charge, the line formed a slight curve to the rear, when he cried out, " Dress up, my brave fellows ! You're not afraid !" Where- upon they sprang forward with a bound and the curve was quickly reversed.

The Marquis of Twcedale, who was commanding the One Hundredth British Regiment, twelve hundred men, said during a visit to Philadelphia, after the peace, that he "would be glad to make the acquaintance of the young gentleman, Barnard, who had so gallantly driven him from his position at Lyons' Creek."

After the peace, in 1815, Barnard again took up the law, although the War Department offered to continue him

in the regular service. He commenced practice in connec- tion with Archibald T. Dick, Esq., a relative. Mr. Dick, however, soon returned to Chester, while Barnard diligently applied himself to his profession in West Chester, where he established himself in the confidence and affections of the people.

Said the late Dr. William Darlington of him, " The sub- sequent incidents of his life furnish evidences of popular favor without a parallel in this community." Within a ycar after his admission to the bar, Col. Cromwell Pearce, sheriff of the county, appointed Barnard as sheriff's coun- sel, and in the same year he was appointed deputy attorney- general for Chester County, a position which he filled for four years. Soon after he received the latter appointment, two of the oldest and ablest members of the bar, as coun- sel for the defendant in a criminal prosecution,-a case excit- ing unusual interest on account of the social standing of the defendant,-thinking young Barnard a " tender-foot," demanded of him to indorse on the bill of indictment the name of the prosecutor, saying that they knew that the prosecution was simply malicious, and that they intended to urge the jury to put the costs upon the prosecutor. Barnard refused to comply, whereupon the judge re- minded him in these words: "The jury will have power over the costs in such a case as this." Barnard made no reply, but laid hold of the indictment and promptly wrote his own name thereon, and the case proceeded to trial with him as the prosecutor.

His courage, boldness, and dauntless character greatly pleased the people, and in October, 1820, he was elected to the Senate of Pennsylvania for the district composed of the counties of Chester and Delaware.

He organized the " Republican Artillerists," and was instrumental in securing the monument and grounds at Paoli.

He married, Nov. 30, 1820, Harriet, eldest daughter of Judge Isaac Darlington.

In April, 1824, the Governor tendered him the office of president judge of the judicial district composed of Lan- caster and Dauphin Counties, which he declined. About the same time he was elected major-general of the Third Division of the Pennsylvania militia, and as one of the military staff of the executive he was actively and agree- ably employed in extending the hospitalities of the com- monwealth to Gen. Lafayette. In October, 1825, he was elected a member of the William Penn Society, be- came solicitor to the Bank of Chester County, and also a member of the board of directors.

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History of Chester County, Pennsylvania, with genealogical and biographical sketches, Part 129

Author: Futhey, John Smith, 1820-1888; Cope, Gilbert, 1840-1928 Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Philadelphia, L. H. Everts Number of Pages: 1162

Author: Futhey, John Smith, 1820-1888; Cope, Gilbert, 1840-1928
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia, L. H. Everts
Number of Pages: 1162