Charles Henry Barker (abt. 1826 - 1864)

Born about 1826 in England

Husband of Harriet (Nunn) Barker — married 28 Jan 1858 in Bircham Newton, Norfolk, England

Died 24 Feb 1864 at about age 38 in Richmond, Richmond, Virginia

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Biography

Private Charles Barker served in the United States Civil War.
Enlisted: 27 August 1862
Mustered out: Died of Disease in POW camp 24 February 1864
Side: USA
Regiment(s): Co. C. 14th Regiment Pennsylvania Cavalry;

Civil War Casualty

Co C 14th Regiment Pennsylvania Cavalry

Charles was a Gardener at the time of his marriage in 1858 and he lived in Melbourne Street, Kings Lynn, Norfolk - the Green family were just around the corner. His father was a Blacksmith.

KS says of the couple “On 17 October 1830, Harriet Nunn, the illegitimate daughter of Mary Ann Nunn, was baptized at Stamford-Baron, Northamptonshire. Harriet’s future husband, Charles Barker, lived in the nearby community of Uffington, Lincolnshire. This raised the possibility that Harriet and Charles knew each other as children. ”

The following biography is from a member of Find My Family, Facebook page:

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙀𝙣𝙜𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙙𝙞𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘼𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝘾𝙞𝙫𝙖𝙡 𝙒𝙖𝙧

𝐌𝐲 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲.

"Charles Barker was born in Uffington, Lincolnshire, England in 1826. He was baptized at St Michael's and All Angels Church, on the 23rd of April of the same year. His father Henry also came from the small Lincolnshire village, where he worked as a blacksmith, his mother Anne came from the neighbouring village of Bainton.

In 1851 Charles was living in lodgings at Burghley Gardens in the grounds of Burghley House. The house was a Tudor Mansion Built By Queen Elizabeth's Lord High Treasurer. Burghley is one of the largest and grandest surviving houses of the sixteenth century. Charles was working as one of the gardeners for the historic house.

On the 28th of January 1858 he married Harriet Nunn at Bircham Newton, Norfolk. At the time Henry was living in Melbourne Street, King's Lynn, Norfolk. At this time Harriet was living in the nearby Clough Fleet Tavern public house where her step father was landlord.

Harriet was born in Stamford, Lincolnshire, in 1830, a town close to Charles's home village of Uffington. Her mother was Mary Ann Nunn and her father is unknown.

After the marriage they emigrated to America on board the ship 'James Foster Jr' and they arrived in New York on the 22nd of March 1858. By 1860 the family had settled in Ross, Alleghany, Pennsylvania and had two children, Beatrice Anna and Charles Henry. In 1861 they had another son John Lukin who was born in Manchester, Alleghany County.

The American Civil War started on the 12th of April 1861, Charles enrolled on the 27th of August 1862, he was a Private in Company C in the 14th Regiment of Pennsylvania Calvary in the Union Army. He was captured in the Battle of Rocky Gap, Virginia, on the 27th of August 1863, exactly a year after enrolling. Sadly, he died in a rebel prison of scurby on the 24th of February 1864. Scurvy is a disease caused by a deficiency in vitamin C, so you can only imagine the condition Charles was kept in.

On the testimony report of Adjutant General Thomas R. Kerr, it was said Charles was a sound and healthy man, and a good soldier, and had no known disease at the time of his capture. He was laid to rest at the Richmond National Cemetery in Virginia.

While Charles was fighting in the war, Harriet gave birth to a daughter Sarah Elizabeth, in East Liberty, sadly, Charles never got to meet his daughter.

Harriet continued to live in Alleghany County where she was left to bring up her four children. She received a pension of $8 per month and an additional $2 per month for each child until they reached the age of 16.

In 1868 Harriet became ill and entered Episcopal Church Home, she was looked after well by the nurses but unfortunately she died in February 1868, aged 37."

Sources

Find A Grave: Memorial #82968282

family researcher K Selcher, also www.ancestry.com

photo of the corner of South Clough Lane and Melbourne St can be viewed here. http://www.kingslynn-forums.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=5191