Abraham Barnes Jr. (abt. 1710 - aft. 1770)

Born about 1710 in Westmoreland County, Virginia [uncertain]

Ancestors

Husband of Mary (King) Barnes — married 1735 in Somerset County, Maryland

Husband of Elizabeth (Rousby) Barnes — married 1742 in St. Mary's County, Maryland

Descendants

Died after 1770 after about age 60 in Maryland

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Biography

Abraham Barnes Jr. was a Virginia colonist.

Abraham was born likely between 1700 (England) and 1710 (Virginia), but he was not native to St Mary's County, Maryland. He married first Mary Elizabeth King, with whom had had at least one child, Mary King Barnes, who married Thomson Mason of Virginia. By 1739, however, Abraham was a resident of St Mary's County, Maryland Province, for he served as a justice for the county from 1739-1755.^[1]

His first wife passed away before 1740 and by 1743 Abraham had married for the second time, to Elizabeth Rousby, daughter of John Rousby, with whom had two known children: John Barnes (1743-1800) and Richard Barns (ca 1745-1804). Neither of his sons were known to have married or had children, so all descendants would have been from Mary, the daughter from his first marriage.^[1]

Abraham was a merchant, having a business in Leonardtown, St Mary's County, and an avid land speculator. He served several terms in the Lower House of the St Mary's County legislature between 1745-1754.

Interesting notation in his Maryland Legislature biography that he, "with other St Mary's County delegates, was dismissed in 1749 for being improperly elected, having used a great quantity of liquor to influence the electorate."^[1]

In 1764, Abraham gave his son John enough "goods" to go into trade. John, however, was not a very good businessman and found himself deeply in debt by 1773 by "being obstinate and rejecting all his father's advice." Consequently, Abraham left his entire estate to son Richard.^[1]

Land Transactions ^[1] —1758-1774: Purchased or patented at least 697 acres in St Mary's County —By 1773: Acquired 4,923 acres in Frederick (later Washington) County —Owned 14 lots in Leonardtown, St Mary's County, at death

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4} "Biography of Abraham Barnes": p 114 in Papenfuse, Edward C. et. al. A Biographical Dictionary of the Maryland Legislature, 1635-1789. (Johns Hopkins University Press: Baltimore, 1979) Maryland Archives Online pdf image available

• Barnes Blog: for Richard Gilmer Barnes line

• GENEOLOGY OF SHADRACK BARNES OF ROWAN COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA A SOLDIER IN THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR (1958 Edition) -Compiled by Colo Rinckney G. McElwee . Washington, D. C. p. p3. cites source: (The Barnes family in West Virginia, by Reverend I. A. Barnes, D.D. 1920)

• "The Story of Abraham Barnes online article 2001