Barber Research

The following is taken from a paper written by Evalyn Barbour daughter of Noah Barber August 1935 at Wadesboro N. C.

The first record of the Barbers in Anson County, so far as deeds show, was of Abraham Barber who by purchase in 1787 acquired lands on Big Brown Creek about 7 miles from the mouth, formerly owned by the McClendon Family,-it is not known at present (1935) where Abraham Barber came from, but it is thought that he may have migrated from Connecticut ,neighborhood of Windsor or Simsbury, shortly after the Revolutionary War. He was probably married there, or wherever he was living prior to 1787. His wife was Rhodah_______?. In 1790, he received a grant of a hundred acres adjoining his own land and touching "Ingram’s Path", which it seems was a path or short cut, down to Brown’s Church which was probably the church this family attended. They were Baptist by denomination. In 1791 he acquired an additional 150 acres from the McClendons, and adjoining his own land and that of Samuel Hough, Goluld, Burwell Lanier and John Gollson. In 1792 his family consisted of daughters Elizabeth, Anna and Polly and sons, John, James, Abraham and Noah, who was born that year. Deed Book B#2:87, D&E:7; C#2:1.

In 1796, one John Barber purchased 50 acres from the State on Pinchgut Creek near Little Brown Creek, adjoining Dennis Hemby’s, Bigleston, Lenton, Hammon and in 1798 he bought from John White an additional 200 acre tract adjoining his own land. It is thought that this John Barber was living in this section prior to 1796, as the deed at that time (land grant) mentions that the land acquired was adjacent to his own line. This family up to 1802, consisted of wife, Mary, and children Abraham, Nicey (Mrs. John Davis), Sidney, William, Arbey, Zibey, James, John, Nancy, Allen, Gatsey, Mary. Deed Book F&G:71 & 168.

It is not definite that there was a relation between these two families, though it is very probable. It is possible that the first Abraham mentioned might have been son of John, since John had a son Abraham who was evidently well past his majority in 1802, besides married daughter and perhaps others, though that does not appear in the deeds. The fact that the only Abraham Barber who is shown in land transactions, subsequent to 1802, when the Abraham, definitely the son of John, sold his share of John’s estate, was the Abraham who came in 1787, it would appear that he was Abraham, the son of John. Still that may have been only a coincidence.

In 1799, John Moor and Henry Moore (he son of Matthew, decease) were living near Abrahm Barber (No. I)-probably of the same familly as Reddick Moore, whose daughter, Mary Susn married Noah Barber, youngest son of Abraham Barber.

In 1802 John Barber dies and his estate is divided, indicating that all of his children were of age. The Juros dividing the estate were Dennis Hemby, Cornelius Moore (son of Lawrance Moore), Lacey Battle, Allan Thomas, John Battle, Thomas Lacey and Hugh Roper. The estate tcouhed on lands of Richard Allen, Roper, Hamby, Hammonds, Boggan. (Deed Book B#2:540 & 542). In 1804 the son Abraham and daughter Nancy or Nicey Barber Davis sold their share of the estate to Richard Allen who also bought the portion belonging to Zibey Barber. (That is the last transaction I can trace to this Abraham, unless the first Abraham is the same. Land transfers from Abraham Barber or to Abraham Barber, subsequent to 1811, appearing to be concerned only with Abraham, son of Abraham Barber.

In 1806 a John Richardson Barber was born,-it is though he was a grandson of John Barber the first, and might have been a son of John or James or of several other sons of John. He couldn’t have been a son of Abraham, since his son John was probably born prior to 1787. He later married Mary Goldston, and they had a son Walter J. Barber who married E. Cornelia Lanier (perhaps of the family of Burwell Lanier).

In 1808, Abraham Barber, who lived on Brown Creek, died, leaving his wife Rhodah, and sons John, James, daughters, Elizabeth, Anna, and Polly, all of whom were probably married,* and son Noah, who was that time about 15 years of age. In 1811 (Deed Book N&Q:293) the estate was divided. (at that time all children were probably of age) *son Abraham, probably some older than Noah. In 1811 Elizabeth was Mrs. Richard Sasser and was living in Montgomery County, Tenn., Polly was Mrs. Uriah Tison, and was living also in Montgomery County, Tenn., and Anna was Mrs. Thomas Hemby and was living in Henderson County, Ky. It is probable that John and James were also married, and it is thought John was the John with wife Frances who was living over on Pee Dee River near the mouth of Brown Creek. (That is not verified, but due to the relation between Barbers and Moores thought probable and accounting for Noah Barber’s meeting with Mary Susanna, daughter of Reddick Moore.)

In 1812, Feb. 9, Noah Barber married Mary Susanna Moore, and in 1816 he bought land on Richardson Creek from John Curlee and moved up there and became associated with the congregation of Rocky River Church. They lived in that neighborhood until 1835, when they sold out to Wyatt Nance and with others, including Yarbroughs and Smiths moved to Alabama, settling near Hale County and Choctaw County on Tombigee River. They had children, Washington b. 1812 (Dec), John Thomas, Henry, Abraham, Helena, Jemima, James Franklin, Almira and Nicey Jane, born in N. C. and Enoch and Calvin M. born in Alabama. (Ref. . Deed Books N&O:293, S:61, S:62, S:427 &428, U243, X:344, V:60, V431, X33, Z:215.

Noah Barber’s brothers, James and John seem to have remained on Brown Creek for a number of years until 1835 when James appears to have sold all holdings. John seems to have retained 183 acres on Brown Cr. The brother Abraham went to Alabama with Noah Barber, or about the same time. Both lived in that section for a long time, and until their children were grown and married. Then Noah moved to Jasper County, Miss., Rhodah Barber, the mother of Noah, died in 1817, and she and Abraham Barber are probably buried on the plantation on Brown Creek.

There was a Moses W. Barber who bought land on Lanes Creek in 1832 (Deed Book Y:438) who may have been a member of one of these families, though it does not appear from the deed. Other members of the two families were concerned in the land transfers in Anson County up to this date, but none between that date and 1850, except John Barber (of Montgomery Co.) who buys land in Anson County on Grindstone Cr. in 1837 (Deed Book Z:597) it not appearing what if any relationship existed between him and the other families.

The records were not checked further than 1850.

Evalyn Barbour

Grand daughter of Noah Barber

August 1935

at Wadesboro, N. C.

The following is additional research done by Dan Sullivan, Great, Great, Great Grandson of John R. Barber

Mrs. Barbour’s deed research agrees with my own. Many people have said that John R. Barber is the son of Abraham Barber who died around 1809. But if John R. Barber was born in 1806 (Mrs. Barbour has 1803), then he would not have been of age in the land division of Abraham’s estate in 1811. There is nothing in the deed that indicates that he was under age or that there was a guardian. Furthermore there are transactions between James and John Barber in 1817 (Deed Book S:155&156) involving the property they inherited when John R. would have been just 11 years old.

However, there is one thing that Mrs. Barbour seems to have missed. The land bought by John Barber of Montgomery Co. in 1838 that she mentions (Deed Book Z:597) is sold by John R. Barber in 1843 (Deed Book 11:199). The land in the two deeds is the same. There are a couple of possible explanations for these two deeds. .The simplest is they are the same person and John R. was living in Montgomery County until after 1837. However, in every transaction I have seen John R. Barber always used the R. so it seems unlikely. Another explanation is that John R. inherited the land from John of Montgomery. At this point the next step is to check the census data for further clues.

To summarize the proposed line of John R. Barber is as follows:

1. John Barber wife Mary

Children: Abraham, Nicey, Sidney, William, John, Arbey, Zibey, Nancy Gatsey, James, Allen , Mary

2. Abraham Barber [the link between John and Abraham is not proved] wife Mary

Children: Mary or Polly, James, Noah, Elizabeth, John, Abraham

3. John Barber [of Montgomery] wife unknown

John R.

4. John R. Barber wife Mary Goldston

Additionally the children of Noah are: Washington, John Thomas, Henry, Abraham, Helena, Jemima, James Franklin, Almira and Nicey Jane, Enoch and Calvin M. from Mrs. Barbours paper plus from other sources, Alex M., Calom H., William A., Julia A. and Emeline.

The children of James Barber are unkown but in the Anon County Heritage-North Carolina 1995, Article 664 by Gerald Lee Glover, they have listed that a James Barber married Sallie Richardsonn and had a son named Abraham Calvin Barber. This is probably James Barber brother of Noah and John.

Figure 1 John Barber's 1802 Land Division