Mary Barker

Little is known about the early life of Mary Barker. She was born about 1821 in Northumberland County according to census records. Her brother was Leonard A. Barker (1832-1905), William Barker (1830-1911) may have also been a brother. She married William Alexander on November 9th, 1842 in Northumberland, Charles C. Haydon provided the security for their bond. Her mother wrote a statement to the clerk authorizing the marriage, meaning that Mary was not yet 21. Her mother signed her name as Mary Barker as well. On January 1st, 1846 Mary's possible brother William was bound as an apprentice to James A. Snead to learn the craft of harness making by the overseers of the poor for Northumberland County.

I have not been able to locate Mary and William in the 1850 census. On May 2nd, 1854 William Alexander reported the death of his 10-year-old son, William Alexander, from pleurisy. William Alexander, Sr died before February 14th, 1859. On that day the administration of this his estate was granted to Henry J. Marsh and the appraisal and sale was ordered. At the sale Mary purchased items totaling $197.30, including the "rent of one part of the land for the present year," "Hire of the negro woman Siner for the present year," and the wheat crop. After the estate was settled and divided Mary received $194 and each child received $65.

In September of 1860 Mary was given guardianship of their six children. In the 1860 census Mary is listed as the head of the family with all the children ages three to 14 in Northumberland near Burgess Store. Mary is marked as not being able to read or write. No real estate is noted and her personal estate was valued at $200.

Mary appears again in the 1870 census in the same area. Her age is given as 50. Her children Robert and Mary are living with her. Mary is listed as keeping house and her personal estate is valued at $200, no real estate is listed. Robert is listed as a farmer, during the Civil War he had participated in the Northumberland County Home Guard. All three are listed as being unable to read or write. On the following census page Mary's three younger children; Joseph, Eudora and William, are living with Dr. Hiram Harding.

Mary was also listed on the 1870 Agricultural Schedule. Her farm was recorded as 200 acres with 75 being improved and valued at $1,000. Livestock recorded was one milk cow, four working cows, one "other cow," and 10 swine all valued at $100. The farm yielded 150 bushels of corn the previous year.

Leonard A. Barker's Family Bible gives the date of Mary's death as November 17th, 1886. A grave stone sits in the Haynie Family Cemetery on Whay's Creek Road in Reedville, Northumberland County, for a Mary Alexander - September 18th, 1820 to November 18th, 1886. Those dates are a strong match, and her son Robert J. Alexander lived near that area in Fairport. The only other Alexander identified there is Edmonia Alexander - circa 1856 to November 22nd, 1879. This is probably her daughter Mary E.. Edmonia appears to have been a family name because the Family Bible names a grandchild of Leonard A. Barker as Edmonia Barker. I have yet to find a connection to any of the Haynie or other names buried in this small family plot.

Two of Mary's children married children of Urbane Bush and Nancy Ann Haynie. Robert J. Alexander married Fannie E. Bush and both parties parents were listed on the bond. Eudora V. Alexander married Robert E. Bush and again both parties parents were listed on the bond.