​Our Story

          The Barker name in America goes back to the earliest days of colonization in New England.  I have only researched the descendants of Abial Barker (1796-1843), and am confident on the accuracy of most of the information I have gathered.  For the ancestors of Abial, I have relied mostly on the work of Elizabeth Frye Barker, who published a book on the Barker family in 1927, and so therefore I cannot personally attest to its accuracy.  According to her research, the first Barker of our line to be born in what is now the United States was Richard Barker, born about 1621 in Andover, Massachusetts.  His son, William, was involved in the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, confessing to signing the "devil's book" in order to be a more successful farmer and provide for his large family.  William escaped from jail, and was later able to return home after the hysteria died down.  This is fortunate or us, because his son Abiel, who is the continuation of our line, was born after these events.  Abiel's son Hananiah was a soldier in the American Revolution, and settled in Vermont after the war.  Hananiah's youngest son, Abial, moved from Vermont to Madison County, New York, where it is believed he married Anne Williams around 1819, and where their children were born.  Abial was a soldier in the War of 1812, and in 1839 moved to Illinois, where he "took up a government homestead near Algonquin."

          Elizabeth Frye Barker listed five children of Abial and Anne Barker, but I have only found evidence of four: Sarah Ann, Elizabeth, William, and Samuel.  The other child she gave was a son, Leverett (1823-1847).  For William, the only thing I have located is his name in the 1850 census for Kane County, Illinois, when he was living with Anne, Samuel, Samuel's first wife Jane, and a cousin, Celestia Williams, who is incorrectly identified as a Barker.  Sarah Ann Barker married Henry Tubbs, the son of Peter and Catharine (Zimmer) Tubbs, and Elizabeth Barker married Merritt Norton Tubbs, Henry's brother.  Samuel Barker first married Jane E. Cannan (or Carman) on June 23, 1849 in McHenry County, Illinois.  They either divorced or Jane died sometime between 1850 and 1855, and Samuel then married Sarah Rosina Fuller around 1855.  Sarah was the daughter of Dennis and Diana (Tubbs) Fuller, and a niece of Henry and Merritt Tubbs.  Sarah Ann and Elizabeth remained in the Kane/McHenry County area, and many of their descendants are still living there today.  Samuel and Sarah had five children born in Illinois, and then moved to Lawrence County, Missouri, along with another of Sarah's uncles, Peter Tubbs, Jr.  After moving to Missouri, Samuel and Sarah had four more children born in Lawrence County.

                                                                                                                                     Dean Barker