Dennis D Barnes - Uncle and Cousins?

as deduced by Don R. Hender


    The church has said that in various areas where you know that your ancestral families are resident, but because of the number of those with that last name, that there are so many and the details of evidence are lacking to make an exact, for sure connection, that it is suggested that you may just extract all of the family name members and have their work done for them for they would seem to be of a family relation to you in some manner or another, and this rather than to leave the work undone for those who are your ancestral relatives.

Of such is our Dennis Barnes of the family of James Barnes and Eliza Ann West. What is today Martin, Washington, Tyrrell and Dare counties in North Carolina, were once all just one Tyrrell county. And the Barnes families located betwix Washington and Tyrrell of today where once the two counties were but one prior to 1800, it seems that they are near on the borders and are surely all related to each other one way or another. In fact when our Harriet Barnes married our Henry Lewis Smith, that marriage was held at the home of Dennis Barnes in Washington county. And where Harriet Barnes was the youngst of many children and our Dennis Barnes was one of the older children, the second oldest son, of James & Eliza Ann Barnes, it would be logical that when Harriet got married she would be married at her older brother's home. The information from that marriage follows:


License Number: 	Not Entered
Register Volume/Page: 	1/189
Date of License: 	24th June 1874
Name of Groom: 		Henry Lewis Smith
Residence of Groom: 	Scuppernong Township,
			Washington County, N.C.
Age of Groom: 		23
Color of Groom: 	White
Name of Bride: 		Harriet Eliza Barnes
Residence of Bride: 	Scuppernong Township,
			Washington County, N.C.
Age of Bride: 		22
Color of Bride: 	White
By Whom Married: 	Joshua B. Davenport, J. P.
Date of Marriage: 	28th June 1874
Place of Marriage: 	At Dennis Barnes
			in Scuppernong Township,
			Washington Co. N.C.
Names of Witnesses: 	L. M. Barnes
			W. I. Barnes

Besides Dennis Barnes, most likely one of Harriett's older brothers, the two witneses of the marriage would also seem to be two other of Harriett's brothers as well. So further to see how this family is identified I present information from the 1850 and 1870 Census records which effectively lists the family of James Barnes and Eliza Ann [Ann E./Aneliza] West:

1850 Census Tyrrell County 521 521 Barnes, James 39 M W Laborer 150 NC Barnes, Ann E. 38 F W NC Eliza Ann West m. James Barnes 13 Feb 1834 Barnes, Nancy 15 F W NC Barnes, Mary E. 14 F W NC Barnes, William I. 13 M W NC Barnes, Dennis 11 M W NC Barnes, Clarissa 08 F W NC Barnes, Thomas J. 07 M W NC Barnes, Susady 05 F W NC Barnes, Priscilla 03 F W NC Barnes, Leonard 02 M W NC Barnes, Abel 10m M W NC
1870 Census Tyrrell County, pages 26-27 26 208 192 Sexton, Luther 58 M W Farmer 75 182 NC Y 27 Sexton, Rhody 56 F W Kps house NC 28 Sexton, Edmond 33 M W Farmer NC Y 29 Sexton, Cizzy 24 F W Domestic NC 30 Sexton, Snowden 20 M W Farm Laborer NC 31 Sexton, Pennie 16 F W No occupat. NC Y 32 Sexton, Mary 12 F W Go to school NC Y 33 Sexton, Sanford 11 M W Go to school NC Y 34 Sexton, Cathrine 10 F W Go to school NC Y 35 Sexton, Charles 8 M W At home NC 36 Langley, Levi 19 M W Farm Laborer NC 37 Barnes, Malacia 8 F W At home NC 38 West, Ann 85 F W At home NC 39 Barnes, James M. 61 M W Farmer 250 260 NC Y Y Y 40 Barnes, Aneliza 60 F W Kps house NC 1 Barnes, Claricy 28 F W Kps house NC 2 Barnes, Thomas 27 M W Invalid NC 3 Barnes, Harriett 16 F W Domestic NC Y Y 4 Barnes, William 8 M W Farm Laborer NC
The Sexton family inclusion is how Eliza Ann West's family of 'West' is in part connected together as grandma 'Ann West' is with the two familes of Luther Sexton and her daughter Rhoda/Rhody West Sexton and also with James M. Barnes and 'Ann West's', her daughter AnEliza or Eliza Ann West Barnes. Note Dennis is age 11 in 1850 thus born about 1839. And Thus now from this persective I present such evidence as there is for such a Dennis Barnes family being of Washington county to be the likely same Dennis Barnes of our family of Tyrrell county. And an additional note is that Scuppernong Township, which is a type of 'sub-county', is after 1799 split into being both part in Washington county and part in Tyrrell County.


1880 Federal Census Washington County, North Carolina


Page No: 37 Enumeration Dist. No. 139 SCHEDULE 1. - Inhabitants in Scuppernong Township


D N N w F C o o e a o Civil l m Name of Each l Sex Age Month Relation Cndtn Occupation R W Place of Birth l i Person o Born e r i l r S M W/D Profession a i Prsn Fthr Mthr n y d t g e 314 314 Woodley(?), W. D. W M 3 - Son S - - - - - NC NC NC Woodley(?), Jennett W F 1 - Daughter S - - - - - NC NC NC Woodly(?), S. N. W M 24 - Bro S - - Laborer - - NC NC NC 315 315 Loman(?), H. A. B F 25 - - - - W Servant y y NC NC NC Loman(?), Cilla H. B F 8 - Daughter - - - - - - NC NC NC Loman(?), Beaca B F 4 - Daughter S - - - - - NC NC NC Loman(?), Mary L. B F 2 - Daughter S - - - - - NC NC NC Sawyer, Henry B M 23 - - S - - Servant - - NC NC NC 316 316 Barnes(?), D. D. W M 41 - - - M - Farmer - - NC NC NC Barnes(?), Asnnith W F 37 - Wife - M - Kpg House y y NC NC NC Barnes(?), Francis E. W F 3 - Daughter S - - - - - NC NC NC Barnes(?), John J. W M 10/12 Aug Son S - - - - - NC NC NC Spruill, Patsey W F 74 - Aunt - - W None - - NC NC NC Barnes, Hendson W M 23 - Nephew S - - Laborer - - NC NC NC Barnes, Denis W. W M 18 - Nephew S - - Laborer - - NC NC NC
First it is to be noted that this D. D. Barnes is age 41 in 1880 and thus as our Dennis Barnes was, is calculated to being born about 1839 as well. Second the wife of this D. D. Barnes is listed as 'Asnnith'. Thus I next present such information from the marriage registration of Dennis and Asnnith Barnes in 1876 below:

License Number: Not Entered Register Volume/Page: 1/102 Date of License: 11th March 1876 Name of Groom: Dennis Barnes Residence of Groom: Scuppernong Township, Washington County, N.C. Age of Groom: 34 Color of Groom: White Name of Bride: Assinith Barnes Residence of Bride: Scuppernong Township, Washington County, N.C. Age of Bride: 32 Color of Bride: White By Whom Married: Joshua B. Davenport, J. P. Date of Marriage: 16th March 1876 Place of Marriage: At the residence of John Barnes, Scuppernong Township, Washington Co., N.C. Names of Witnesses: Franklin Furlough, Washington Co James Barnes, Washington Co [Note: I would suggest that the 'John Barnes' at whose residence this wedding was held is that of Assinith's relation, either her father's house or a brother's house.]
There is a slight age variance between the 1880 census record and that of the marriage of Dennis Barnes and Assinith/Asninthe Barnes and both Dennis and Aseneth appear to have stated their ages as younger than they were upon that marriage date which is not unheard of so doing at such a time and event as marriage. An additional consideration of this fit ought to be considered. That is when Tyrrell county was split in 1799 and Washington county was created out of the then western portion of Tyrrell county, the Township land of Scuppernong was divided in two, one part going to the new Washington county and the other part staying in Tyrrell County. Thus the single historical Scuppernong Township is today both in Washington and Tyrrell couties, that is there is a Scuppernong Township in Washington county and a Scuppernong Township in Tyrrell county, both of which use to be and was but one Scuppernong Township before the 1799 dividing of Washington Couty out of Tyrrell County. (See Tyrrell County History)

Now the next step I suppose is to attempt to tie Dennis Barnes of Scuppernong, Washington to being that Dennis Barnes which is the son of James Barnes and Eliza Ann West. To that end, though it supposes that either Aseneth dies or Dennis and Aseneth divorce, is to present another marriage of Dennis Barnes which occurs 10 years after Dennis' marriage to Assinith Barnes. That next marriage information follows:



    State of North Carolina Office of Register of Deeds Washington COUNTY January 28th 1886

    To any Ordained Minister of any Religious Denomination or any Justice of the Peace of said County: Isaac Furlaugh having applied to me for a LICENSE for the marriage of Dennis Barnes of Washington Co. N.C., aged 45 years, color White the son of James Barnes and Eliza Barnes the father now Dead, the mother Dead, resident of Washington Co. N.C. And Nancy W. Ambrose of Washington Co. N.C. aged 30 years, color White, daughter of Woodson S. Ambrose and Elizabeth Ambrose the father Living, the mother Dead, resident of Washington Co. N.C.. And the written consent of (blank) the (blank) of the said (blank) to the proposed marriage having been filed with me. And there being no legal impediment to such marriage known to me, you are hereby authorized, at any time within one year from the date hereof, to celebrate the proposed marriage at any place within the said county. You are required, within two months after you shall have celebrated such marriage, to return this License to me, at my office, with your signature subscribed to the certificate under this License, and with the blanks therein filled according to the facts, under penalty of forfeiting two hundred dollars to the use of any person who shall sue for the same. W. H. Stubbs Register of Deeds
    (blank), being duly sworn, says: That the parties applying for the License are of lawful age, and that so far as he is informed and believes, there is no lawful cause or impediment forbidding said marriage. (blank) Witness: (blank)
    State of North Carolina, Washington County. I, James I. Ambrose, a Minister of the Primative Baptist Church united in Matrimony Dennis Barnes and Nancy W. Ambrose the parties licensed above, on the 31 day of January, 1886, at my residence in Scuppernong Township, in said County, according to law. J. I. Ambrose Witnesses present at Marriage: J. B. Ambrose of Washington Co. N. ?. Ambrose of Washington Co. J. J. Arnold of Washington Co.



Here then Dennis Barnes, nearly 10 years after his marriage to Assinith Barnes on 16 March 1876, is next marrying Nancy W. Ambrose on 31 January 1886. That again the marriage age of Dennis being off from the Census Records of Dennis as son in 1850 and as head of house with wife Asnnith Barnes in 1880 ought not be overly concerning. And this because Dennis' and Asinith's marriage record had their dates off from the census dates as well. What is of interest here is the statement as to who the parents of Dennis Barnes are, and that is James Barnes and Eliza Barnes, both dead at the time of this at least the second marriage. That the county statement of parents residence on a 45 year old, with the fact that there is one Scuppernong Township which crosses the county lines and is in both the county of Tyrrell as well as the county of Washington, should be of little concern here as well. The next fact that may be of concern is that there is no other Dennis Barnes who can be shown in either counties to have been born child to any other parents other than James Barnes and Eliza Ann West. In that respect only one Dennis Barnes is to be found.

Thus while there is not absolute proof that this is the Dennis Barnes, brother of our Harriett Barnes, and son of our James Barnes and our Eliza Ann West; there seems to be enough evidence to make it apparent that he is. Now I will turn to fill in some of the missing details concernging Dennis.

Dennis and Acenith Barnes:

Acenith/Assinith/Asnnith Barnes' Family:


John Barnes Sr. = Love/Lovi/Lovey West b a1800 | b a1797 NC | NC m 2 Jan 1817 | Tyrrell NC | | | | | __________________________________________________|_____________________________ | | | | | | | ? | John Barnes Jr. James J Barnes William Barnes | b a1824 b a1827 b ? | NC NC | m 9 Oct 1846 m 19 Jul 1854 m 25 Aug 1862 | Tyrrell NC Tyr. NC Tyr. NC | = Prescilla West = Mary E. Barnes = Clarissa Barnes? | | | | |_______________________________________________________________________________ | | | | ? Nancey Barnes Riley Barnes Joshua L. Barnes Acenith Barnes Lucina Barnes b a1833 b a1835 b a1836 b a1840 b a 1842 NC NC NC NC NC m 11 March 1876 Scuppernong Towns. Washington NC = Dennis D. Barnes sources: 1850 Census Tyrrell County, North Carolina, Page 392, 393 & (See Barnes Page: 513 513 Barns, John Jnr. 26 M W Laborer 50 NC Prescilla West m. John Barnes 9 Oct 1846 Barns, Priscilla 25 F W NC Barns, Frances E. 02 F W NC Barns, Louisa E. 1mo F W NC [Note: This Priscilla West, wife of John Barnes Jnr., would be the daughter of Gabriel West and his wife Priscilla] 532 532 Barnes, John Senr. 50 M W Laborer NC Barnes, Love 53 F W NC Barnes, Nancy 17 F W NC Barnes, Riley 15 M W NC Barnes, Joshua L. 14 M W NC Barnes, Acenith 09 F W NC sources: 1860 Census Tyrrell County, North Carolina, Page 308: 105 BARNES, JOHN 37 M W SHGMKR 150 155 NC RW BARNES, PRISCILLA 37 F W NC RW BARNES, JOSEPHINE 4 F W NC BARNES, ALLEN 1 M W NC 106 BARNES, LOVEY 62 F W 100 NC RW BARNES, LUCINA 19 F W DOM NC RW sources: Marriage License and Record Entry (See Above) sources: 1880 Census Scuppernong, Washington County, North Carolina, Page 17, 37(See Above): 160 162 Barnes, John W M 58 - M Farm hand - y - y y NC NC NC Barnes, Priscilla W F 58 - Wife M Kpng House - - - y y NC NC NC Barnes, Josephine W F 24 - Dau. S At Home Malarial Feve - - - y NC NC NC Barnes, Allan W M 22 - Son S Farm hand - - - y y NC NC NC Barnes, Alexina W F 19 - Dau. S At Home - - - - y NC NC NC Barnes, Ann W F 14 - Dau. S At Home - - - y y NC NC NC

There are any number of possible Barnes/Barns children that could further be of this family. Perhaps as additional infomations is found others may be fitted in. Certainly John Barnes Snr. would have a John Barnes Jr. in his family, thus that seems a no brainer. And following this family in 10 year census intervals does add more children as well and ties Lovey Barns - Grandmother - into the John Barnes and Priscilla West family, or visa-versa. Of course for the family of Dennis Barnes, there is but to reference the Barnes Family Page for our direct line Barnes family. I will put Dennis Barnes and Acenith Barnes family here, though I am quite sure that Dennis is the same Dennis, son of James Barnes and Eliza Ann West of the Family Page.



 Dennis D. Barnes = Acenith/Assinith/Asnnith Barnes = Nancy W. Ambrose 
 b Apr 1839       |  b a1841                          b Jan 1846
   NC             |    NC                               NC
 m 16 Mar 1876    |                                   m 31 Jan 1886
   Scupp. Wash.   |                                     Scupp. Wash.
                  |
                  |
          ________|________
         |                 |
 Francis E. Barnes    John J. Barnes
 b a1877              b Aug 1879
   NC                   NC




Source: Marriage License: Dennis Barnes of Wash. age 45, son of
James Barnes and Eliza Barnes, and Nancy W. Ambrose of Wash. 
age 30, daughter of Woodson S. Ambrose and Elizabeth Ambrose, 
married on 31 January 1886 in Scuppernong Township, Washington 
County.



Now as to why Dennis and Aseneth took so long to getting around to getting married one can only suppose. And I would suggest that the Civil War came into play of delying many people's family plans.


[Note: D. D. Barnes' wife dies: 

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      Article ID#: 2086 
   Newspaper Date: 1889-12-06 
           Person: BARNES, D.D. (Mrs.) 
  Type of Mention: Decedent 
        Newspaper: Roanoke Beacon 
 Newspaper County: Washington 
  Newspaper State: NC 
    Article Title: Creswell Letter 
     Article Type: Death 
Relevant Counties: Washington 
             Info: Mrs. D.D. BARNES died suddenly on Friday morning last. 
           Source: Personal Review 
             Link: N/A 
      Contributor: Taneya Koonce 
            Image: No Image Available 

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rev. 15 May 2014