The Barnes Family of Long Island

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The Barnes Family of Long Island

BARNES OR BARNS

    Either spelling of the name is perfectly correct; both are used interchangeably in the East Hampton family, all of whom are descended from William Barnes, born about 1619 in England, who came to America with his two brothers, Joshua and Charles. The three brothers were sons of William Barnes of Eastwich, Norfolk, England; the latter was born 1580, died 1657; the son of Edward Barnes. This William had eighteen children by two wives, the sons who came to America being those of the second wife, Thomasine Shepard of Kirby Bedon, Norfolk. The family was an ancient one dating back to 1066 in England. Trescott C. Barnes, compiler of the annual Barnes Family Yearbook, said the name was originally Norse for warrior- "Bjorne"- brought to England by William the Conqueror. The family was a substantial one; the will of Charles refers to his father as "Esquire" and designates him "Gentleman." There is a Barnes coat of arms recorded in the College of Arms in London.
     Of the three who came to this country, Joshua, born about 1615, came to Southampton, then removed to Hempstead, L.I., and finally to Westchester County, N.Y. The second brother, Charles, was the first school teacher in East Hampton. He married Mary, daughter of John Hand 1, in 1657. Charles and Mary Barnes had a son, Shamgar, who married twice in East Hampton; a child of his died in 1701, his wife died in April, 1704. Shamgar married second on Nov. 2, 1704 Elizabeth Hood; they moved to Connecticut and had children baptized there 1706, John, Mary and Abigail, presumably of the first marriage; and while visiting East Hampton   later on a daughter Deborah was born. Meanwhile Charles and his family had removed, about 1665, to Middletown, Conn.
     Third of the brothers who came over from England was: William Barnes 1 (b. abt. 1619, d. 1661) who m. Sarah Evans in England, 1630; they came to Salem, Mass. where William was made a freeman June 2, 1641; then to Southampton, where he was on the whaling list 1644. The records state that he had trouble with his wife, who obtained a "Separation" from him April 6, 1648 but she died the same year, on Oct.13, 1648 leaving a son William 2 and two daughters. This is the first and almost the only record of divorce found in the history of the first 250 years in East Hampton. William 1 sold his farm in Southampton on May 15, 1652 and removed to East Hampton with his children and his brother Charles. He returned to England in 1658, following his father's death, after a quarrel with his brother Charles. He died in England in 1661.

Joshua Barnes 1616 - Bef. September 18, 1686

He was bound an apprentice to Mr. William Paine of Boston in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, 4 Sept., 1632, for four pounds per annum for five years from his landing; he was also to receive five pounds at the end of his term. Fom this it is probable that he had just arrived in New England. Upon the expiration of his service, he removed, probably immediately to Yarmouth on Cape Cod, for he was named on a committee 5 March, 1639 with Philip Tabor, to divide the planting lands in that settlement, and on 1 June, 1641 he applied for citizenship. Heresided in the region around what was in 1640 called Stony Cove, the present Mill Pond, and his neighbors were Andrew Hallet, Thomas Starr, William Chase, Robert Dennis and Gyles Hopkins. He was proposed to theGeneral Court on 1 June, 1645 for admission at the next Court as a freeman. At the end of that year and early in the next year, he is reported to have been "in some irregular courses, as to wrecked goods and disorderly conduct at religious services" and to have scoffed at the religious practices of the locality. He was fined for the latter offense, and as a consequence he left Yarmouth. He had been in Edgartown before 1649, and perhaps moved there in 1646. Here he is supposed by Charles E. Banks to have held a harbor lot on Starbuck's Neck, later in the possession of Thomas Dagget in 1660, this being land formerly that of Joshua Barnes. Barnes' emigration from Yarmouth seems to have followed a rather straight line to the southwest, for he is recorded in Southampton, New York on 6 October, 1649. At this time the town made a settlement with him for the hire of his boat, and is reasonable to suppose that his removal from Yarmouth to Edgartown and thence to Southampton was in his own vessel. He seems to have found Southampton the haven he was seeking, for it was here that he spent the rest of his days. He is found in the Town Records as selling various properties and serving as a townofficial. He was to take the rate, with others, 29 May 1661; was a deputy to the General Court at Hartford 1 May, 1663 and Overseer, 4 April, 1665.He was repeatedly called for jury service until 1664. He is listed in land allotments in 1673 and in 1677, and the last record which definitely can be stated to refer to him was in a land allotment of 19 April,1683. He: had deeded his son Samuel the northern half of his home lot and additions, with other property, 15 January 1683 (1682/3

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