Robert Barnhill (1769 - 1821)

Born 28 Feb 1769 in Bucks, Pennsylvania

Ancestors

Husband of Sarah (Marvis) Whitinger — married 8 Feb 1791 in Tuscarawas Co. OH

Descendants

Died 9 Sep 1821 at age 52 in Marion, Indiana, United States

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Biography

Robert Barnhill was born 28 February 1869, the son of Samuel and Jean (Craig) Barnhill.

Robert's Find a Grave biography states that Samuel and his family moved from Washington County, Pennsylvania, to Scott County, Kentucky in 1789 or1790.

The biography continues:

Robert married Sarah Marvis, Feb. 8, 1791 and moved from Kentucky to Butler County, Ohio in 1805. On March 6, 1820 he and his family were in Marion County, IN. Their family was one of the first to settle in the area. Robert had applied for 10 - 80 acre tracts of the land opened up by the treaty between the Federal Government and the Indians of the area. There was an out break of the "plague" due to an extra heavy rainfall in the summer of 1821, and was spread by a house raising, with all of the men in the area assisting. Robert died on Sept. 9 and was buried with his son William and other plague victims in the "Plague Cemetery". This cemetery is said to have been about 150 feet southeast of Robert Barnhill's home at the time.^[1]

B. R. Sulgrove's History of Indianapolis and Marion County, Indiana states:

The family of Robert Barnhill and his wife consisted of twelve [13] children, viz. : Samuel, John, William, Daniel, Robert, James, Hugh, Jane, Katie, Sally, Nancy, and Mary, — who became Mrs. Speer, and mother of William H. Speer, one of the most prominent citizens of the township.

The widow of Robert Barnhill moved with her family (as before stated) to Wayne township soon after the death of her husband, and in 1829 she was assessed on eighty acres of land in the township, described as the southeast quarter of section 22, township 16, range 2. She married a second husband, Jacob Whitinger. Her sons, Robert and Hugh Barnhill, are now living near the north line of the county.^[2]

Robert died 9 September 1821 in Indianapolis. His will, filed 4 June 1822 (ndiana State Archives), was the first to be entered for probate in Marion County.^[1]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/82089855/robert-barnhill: accessed 25 January 2023), memorial page for Robert Barnhill (28 Feb 1769–9 Sep 1821), Find a Grave Memorial ID 82089855, citing Patterson Cemetery, Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana, USA; Maintained by Cindy (contributor 47274867).
2. ↑ Sulgrove, B. R. History of Indianapolis and Marion County, Indiana, p. 649, quoted in Find a Grave.