Our family's journey to America began in 1637 when James Barnes arrived in Jamestown from London England. His son Frances Barnes and wife Tabitha lived in Jamestown as well. There Frances son John Barnes would marry Sarah Raibone. John Barnes' will states that he too was born in Jamestown. John has several children, but our next ancestor is his son William Barnes who married Susannah Maxey, daughter of Edward and Elizabeth. They lived in Buckingham County Virginia. Virginia county lines began to change often at that time so one has to check the maps for the time frame. Williams son John Maxey Barnes married Elizabeth. They lived on the Slate River and Maxey Creek in Buckingham County. John Maxey Barnes land patent plat shows that he owned the headwaters of both.

The family was still growing. Part of the family moved on to Rockingham County NC in the area of Spring Garden by the Mayo and Dan Rivers. Son Turbyfield Barnes and brother Chesley moved with several of the others to that area. Many Barnes descendants still reside in that area. Turbyfield Barnes was a wheeler dealer in NC real estate. He married Agnes Fields in Rockingham County. Rockingham, Guilford, and Rowan County changed boundaries several times, so the family can be found in all three counties at one time or another. In 1809 Turbyfields children move to Williamson County TN. Turbyfields wife arrives but he doesn't. A dead letter was found for him in the Nashville Post Office.

Son Nathaniel bought a lot in Nolensvile TN as did son George W. It is George W. Barnes and wife Nancy C. that are the link to the Lauderdale County Barnes ancestors. George and Nancy had several children. He was quite wealthy judging from his will. His will names his children except for the ones deceased . A letter written from Texas back to family in Williamson County provided more insight into other relatives. And in 1911 an estate settlement found in the Williamson county records provided the keys to solving more of the riddles.

George and Nancy's children are scattered everywhere today. But the ones coming to Lauderdale County TN long ago were: John C. Barnes, Nathaniel W. Barnes, Andrew Jackson Barnes, Caroline Barnes and husband William McFarland, Martha Barnes Crosby, Jemima Barnes who married Samuel Jackson Fields, and Minerva Barnes who married Richard F. Moore. The others remained in Williamson County TN and there are descendants there even today. John C. Barnes is seen in Tipton county early records of 1826.

Information on the Lauderdale County Barnes:

John C. Barnes was the second sheriff of Lauderdale County. He married Susan Childress Hulme, the daughter of Captain Stephen Childress. They had two children, namely Nancy M. who married a Timmons and then Augustus Tindell. They went to Johnson County Texas around 1854. John C. Barnes son Stephen G. married Caras Given and they moved west as well. I've never been able to locate Stephen or his second wife. But Stephens son John C. Barnes from marriage #2 was living in Fannin County in 1870 with Nancy and Augustus Tindell. I last see that John C. Barnes in 1900..

Nathaniel W. Barnes married Margaret Wardlaw. They had two children, Nancy C. Barnes and Thomas Valentine Barnes. Nancy C. married Thomas E. Alston. Thomas Valentine married Lucinda Clementine Pitts. She was the daughter of Abner Pitts and Lucinda M. Golding. According to family stories as the civil War was threatening, the family fortune and slaves were taken to Texas by John C. Barnes to protect from the war. The 1850 census provided insight as the money Nathaniel had, later shows up under John C. Barnes in the 1860 Census. He never returned. Most of the Barnes you see in Lauderdale County in the Lightfoot area in the 1900's descend from Nathaniel and Margaret.

Andrew Jackson Barnes arrived later in Lauderdale than John C. and Nathaniel. He was still in Williamson County in 1850, moving to Lauderdale by 1860. He married Mary Robinson in Williamson County. Children include Mary C. Barnes who married James Spencer Hipp, Martha C. Barnes who married William F. Griggs, John C. Barnes and wife Mary Bell Dahlgreen, Nathaniel, Emily L. Barnes that married Jasper Hipp, George W. Barnes and wife Mildred A. Gaines, Blounty Hyde Barnes who married Mattie Lela Blankenship, and Samuel Boyd Barnes that married Mary Darlena Woodard. Many of these were in Lauderdale County in the early 1900's and even today. Some moved to Mississippi County Arkansas.

Caroline Barnes marries William McFarland in Williamson County. They leave for Texas with Brother John C. Barnes. Apparently they stop in Arkansas for a while as one of the daughters marries there. As their journey progressed they were next seen in Washington County Texas. Three of their sons were drafted into the CSA while there, never to return home. They died from measles in a camp outside of Little Rock. Finally the remainder of the family moved on to a town named Grandview in Johnson County Texas. William McFarland bought a drug store there. Some of the names and places in that area carry Lauderdale and Tipton County names. There were many names in Johnson County that I believe came from Lauderdale County.

Martha Barnes marries Levi Crosby in Williamson County. He dies early on and she moves to Lauderdale County with some of their children. Daughter Louisa marries Thomas Nance in Lauderdale County. They move west ending up in Goliad Texas. Daughter Mary Ann Crosby marries A.B.B. Bone. It's thought they moved to Madison County TN. Son George Crosby serves in the CSA as a doctor, ultimately ending his career in Randolph County Arkansas. He had a doctor's office in Maynard. There are descendants still in Pocahontas Arkansas. His family story can be found in Goodspeed bibliography of NE Arkansas. As for Martha Barnes Crosby, she remarries Martin Stewart in Lauderdale County. Martin dies, and Martha together with her family and Martin Stewart Jr move to Memphis where she operates a boarding home.

Jemima Barnes marries Samuel Jackson Fields in Williamson County. When Samuel is first seen in Lauderdale County in 1850, it is believed that Jemima has died. We believe it must have been around 1848. The reason being that all their daughters get married about the same time. Children include Bolin Fields who served in the Lauderdale CSA, Brooks Fields, George W. Fields who married Sarah J. Tindell (Tindall). She is sister to Augustus that marries John C. Barnes daughter. They married in Williamson County TN. We believe that Jemima died around 1848 because around that time a care arrangement had been made in the Williamson County Courthouse to care for the two minor children of Jemima. Since they were already living in Lauderdale county we have determined that George Fields went back to Williamson county with news to her father. He issued the care arrangement and George Fields married while back in Williamson County then returned to Lauderdale County. Sarah Fields is next, then Nancy Caroline Fields marries Thomas E. Lockard, Martha J. Fields marries Moses P. Lockard. John E. Fields marries Mary Elizabeth Turner. They lived in the Henning area, although their children are scattered today. Next is William Fields who married Elizabeth A. Moseley, then Nathaniel Fields who married Juretia Chism and they move to Arkansas. Susan Fields marries Robert Alexander Tucker. Louisa V. who was young when her mother died married John W. Ledbetter. Lastly Mary Elizabeth Fields marries John W. Rainey. This family has many varied names still in Lauderdale County.

Minerva Barnes married Richard F. Moore in _______(hasn't been found). They move to Lauderdale around 1838 as evidenced by the early records in Minute Book A of Lauderdale County. In 1850 they are seen in Mississippi in Marshall County. In 1860 they move to Desoto County. In 1870 they are seen in Fannin County Texas. Sorrow came to their family as it did the McFarlands.

The knock on the door and three of their sons taken away and enlisted into the CSA. John, Richard, and George never returned. Mary marries and has other children. Descendants live in Oklahoma.

Other children of George W. Barnes and Nancy C. remained in Williamson County. George died in 1852 and Nancy died in 1858. There are many relatives of the Barnes family in Williamson County today. This is not an exhaustive Bibliography, but an outline that will help anyone trying to determine where their family fits into the overall scheme.