Thomas Barnum College of Arms research, 2014

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: [unknown]

Thomas Barnum (1625-1695)

---

College of Arms research, 2014

In March 2014, a detailed study was commissioned and performed by the genealogists on the staff of the College of Arms in London, England, to see what evidence might exist concerning the parentage of Thomas.

The final report of that research states that the connection between Thomas and Sir Francis is contrary to all available evidence. Although Thomas Barnam/Barnum probably did descend from a line of the Barnham family in England, Sir Francis almost certainly was not his father. Hundreds of family trees posted to the internet show the incorrect information!

The final report of the research performed at the College of Arms, authored by Christopher Vane, M.A., Portcullis Pursuivant, states the following:

1. There were Visitations of Kent in 1619 and 1668: College of Arms – C16 and D18. Obviously, someone born in 1625 would not appear in the Visitation of 1619. Nonetheless, it is useful to see what is said about the Barnham Family in that visitation: College of Arms – C16/139. Sir Francis Barnham is shown married to Elizabeth, daughter of Sampson Lennard. They are listed as having seven sons and four daughters at that time. The eldest son is there stated to be 15 years old. The sons are named as Dacre, Robert, Edward, Francis, William, Dudley, and Martin, in that order.

2. According to the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (DNB) Sir Francis Barnham and his wife were married in January 1599.

3. There are two separate entries for the Barnham family in the Visitation of Kent of 1668: College of Arms D18/153b and 178. The first entry relates to Francis Barnham, who is shown as the 4th son of Sir Francis Barnham in the Visitation of Kent of 1619, his marriage and his children: there is nothing said about any of his siblings. The second entry relates to Robert Barnham, 2nd son of Sir Francis Barnham, his marriage and his children: once again there is nothing said about his siblings. Although visitation pedigrees are (at least normally) accurate as to what is stated in them, they are not necessarily comprehensive and it is dangerous to draw inferences from what is absent from such a pedigree.

4. Robert Barnham, the 2nd son of Sir Francis Barnham, was created a baronet. The College of Arms has a series of manuscript volumes of the pedigrees of baronets entitled Le Neve’s Baronets. In that work, Sir Robert Barnham is shown as having one brother living and that brother is not named Thomas: College of Arms – Le Neve’s Baronets 3/132.

5. John Philipot (1588-1645), Somerset Herald, had a particular interest in Kent and actually conducted the Visitation of Kent in 1619. Among various 17th-century manuscript volumes relating to Kent and families from Kent are several written by him: College of Arms – Philipot 23, 24, 25 and 26-28. Only one of those volumes refers to the Barnham family. That is at Philipot 23/185, but it does not throw any light on the parentage of Thomas Barnam/Barnum. Another 17th-Century volume of pedigrees for families from Kent: College of Arms – Kent also contains nothing on the Barnham family.

6. The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography states that Sir Francis Barnham was admitted a member of the Virginia Company in 1612. That work also says: “He was succeeded by his son Robert (later first baronet), the eldest surviving son of a family of fifteen children of whom five died young”. In The House of Commons 1604-1629, vol. III, it is stated that Sir Francis Barnham had nine sons and five daughters (14 children) and mentions that at this death he made generous financial provision for his five younger sons.

7. Sir Francis Barnham’s will of 4th April 1642 is available online and reproduced in this entry. In it, he refers by name to five sons, Robert, the eldest, and four younger sons, Francis, William, Dudley, and John. That would seem to indicate that he was survived by five sons. It would thus appear that Sir Francis Barnham had at least one son, John, who was born after the Visitation of Kent of 1619 and that if there were others they apparently did not survive him.

8. A printed book found in the College of Arms library and entitled First Puritan Settlers of Connecticut, ed. Hinman and published in 1853, states that Thomas Barnum purchased land at Norwalk in 1662 and that his eldest son was born in 1663. It is also stated there that in early records his name was usually spelled Barnam.

9. A search of the Hollingbourne Parish Registers online does not reveal any baptism for a Thomas Barnham/Barnam/Barnum in or near 1625.

The evidence set out above does not establish conclusively either that Thomas Barnum was a son of Sir Francis Barnham or that he was not. Therefore, we must consider whether or not, in the light of that evidence, it is likely that he was the son of Sir Francis. That connection appears most unlikely. Although spelling had not at that time become standardized, all the evidence found spells Sir Francis’ surname and that of his family as Barnham and that of Thomas as Barnam or Barnum.

Thomas Barnum (1625-1695)

---

College of Arms research, 2014

In March 2014, a detailed study was commissioned and performed by the genealogists on the staff of the College of Arms in London, England, to see what evidence might exist concerning the parentage of Thomas.

The final report of that research states that the connection between Thomas and Sir Francis is contrary to all available evidence. Although Thomas Barnam/Barnum probably did descend from a line of the Barnham family in England, Sir Francis almost certainly was not his father. Hundreds of family trees posted to the internet show the incorrect information!

The final report of the research performed at the College of Arms, authored by Christopher Vane, M.A., Portcullis Pursuivant, states the following:

1. There were Visitations of Kent in 1619 and 1668: College of Arms – C16 and D18. Obviously, someone born in 1625 would not appear in the Visitation of 1619. Nonetheless, it is useful to see what is said about the Barnham Family in that visitation: College of Arms – C16/139. Sir Francis Barnham is shown married to Elizabeth, daughter of Sampson Lennard. They are listed as having seven sons and four daughters at that time. The eldest son is there stated to be 15 years old. The sons are named as Dacre, Robert, Edward, Francis, William, Dudley, and Martin, in that order.

2. According to the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (DNB) Sir Francis Barnham and his wife were married in January 1599.

3. There are two separate entries for the Barnham family in the Visitation of Kent of 1668: College of Arms D18/153b and 178. The first entry relates to Francis Barnham, who is shown as the 4th son of Sir Francis Barnham in the Visitation of Kent of 1619, his marriage and his children: there is nothing said about any of his siblings. The second entry relates to Robert Barnham, 2nd son of Sir Francis Barnham, his marriage and his children: once again there is nothing said about his siblings. Although visitation pedigrees are (at least normally) accurate as to what is stated in them, they are not necessarily comprehensive and it is dangerous to draw inferences from what is absent from such a pedigree.

4. Robert Barnham, the 2nd son of Sir Francis Barnham, was created a baronet. The College of Arms has a series of manuscript volumes of the pedigrees of baronets entitled Le Neve’s Baronets. In that work, Sir Robert Barnham is shown as having one brother living and that brother is not named Thomas: College of Arms – Le Neve’s Baronets 3/132.

5. John Philipot (1588-1645), Somerset Herald, had a particular interest in Kent and actually conducted the Visitation of Kent in 1619. Among various 17th-century manuscript volumes relating to Kent and families from Kent are several written by him: College of Arms – Philipot 23, 24, 25 and 26-28. Only one of those volumes refers to the Barnham family. That is at Philipot 23/185, but it does not throw any light on the parentage of Thomas Barnam/Barnum. Another 17th-Century volume of pedigrees for families from Kent: College of Arms – Kent also contains nothing on the Barnham family.

6. The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography states that Sir Francis Barnham was admitted a member of the Virginia Company in 1612. That work also says: “He was succeeded by his son Robert (later first baronet), the eldest surviving son of a family of fifteen children of whom five died young”. In The House of Commons 1604-1629, vol. III, it is stated that Sir Francis Barnham had nine sons and five daughters (14 children) and mentions that at this death he made generous financial provision for his five younger sons.

7. Sir Francis Barnham’s will of 4th April 1642 is available online and reproduced in this entry. In it, he refers by name to five sons, Robert, the eldest, and four younger sons, Francis, William, Dudley, and John. That would seem to indicate that he was survived by five sons. It would thus appear that Sir Francis Barnham had at least one son, John, who was born after the Visitation of Kent of 1619 and that if there were others they apparently did not survive him.

8. A printed book found in the College of Arms library and entitled First Puritan Settlers of Connecticut, ed. Hinman and published in 1853, states that Thomas Barnum purchased land at Norwalk in 1662 and that his eldest son was born in 1663. It is also stated there that in early records his name was usually spelled Barnam.

9. A search of the Hollingbourne Parish Registers online does not reveal any baptism for a Thomas Barnham/Barnam/Barnum in or near 1625.

The evidence set out above does not establish conclusively either that Thomas Barnum was a son of Sir Francis Barnham or that he was not. Therefore, we must consider whether or not, in the light of that evidence, it is likely that he was the son of Sir Francis. That connection appears most unlikely. Although spelling had not at that time become standardized, all the evidence found spells Sir Francis’ surname and that of his family as Barnham and that of Thomas as Barnam or Barnum.