An American Family History

Barnes Family

Henry Barnes was born on November 6, 1643 in St. James, London, England.

He married the widow, Sarah Coffer, in 1663 in Charles County, Maryland. Sarah had been married before to John Coffer (1640). Their children included:
Thomas Cofer,
Francis Cofer,
and John Cofer.

Henry and Sarah's children included:

Edmond Barnes(1668),
Matthew Barnes (1672),
Christian Barnes (1674), and
Henry Barnes (1676).

Marylandwas established with religious freedom for Catholics. The colonial economy was based on tobacco cultivated by Africans who had been enslaved.

Rent rolls were lists of landowners showing whether they had paid their annual quit-rents to the Crown. A quick-rent was a feudal remnant and was paid by a freeholder in lieu of services that might otherwise have been required.

Matthew Barnes was born about 1672 in Charles County, Maryland. His parents were Henry and Sarah Barnes.

Matthew's first wife was Elizabeth Jones (1666). Elizabeth was the daughter of Owen and Joanna Jones.

Their children probably included:

Godshall Barnes (1692),
Philip Barnes (1693),
Elizabeth Barnes Courts (1694),
Jane Barnes (1694), and
Henry Barnes (1698).

In 1699, Matthew was the administrator of Philip Jones' and Johanna Hudson's estates.

His second wife was Frances Osborn. She was the daughter of John Osborne. Their children included:

Anne Barnes Harrison (1699),
Matthew Barnes (1701, married Catherine Wood), and
Frances Barnes Harrison (1709).

In 1705, the Matthews' children, Matthew and Elizabeth, registered cattle marks for heifers they were given by their uncle, Richard Hudson.

In 1726 he had 400 acres of St. Thomas resurveyed into Barnes Purchase.

His third wife was Sarah Douglas Gifford (1670). Matthew and Sarah were administrators of her former husband's estate.

His fourth wife was Mary Fendall Theobald who had been married before to John Theobald. She was the daughter of Josias and Mary Fendall.

In 1741 he had 62 acres of Hansons Advice surveyed and recorded the deeds to 400 acres called Hansonton, Robertus, and Addition to Robertus.

Matthew died in 1745 in Charles County, Maryland. When he died, he owned about 1,707 acres in Charles, Calvert and Prince George Counties.

Mary died in 1751.

Cattle were vital to a household and an important legacy.
Unweaned cattle are calves.
Female cattle are heifers and cows (had a calf).
Male cattle are steers (castrated) and bulls.
Oxen are trained draft animals and are often castrated adult male cattle.

The first European settlements in Maryland were made in 1634 when English settlers created a permanent colony.

Many young healthy people died in colonial Maryland due to outbreaks of malaria and yellow fever.

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©Roberta Tuller 2025
tuller.roberta@gmail.com
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