George Barker was my second great-grandfather. He was born around 1815 in New York City and was the son of Ralph Barker and Sarah Brown Kirtland. George married Cornelia Clark, who was born on December 27, 1825, in Manchester. Cornelia was the daughter of Myron Clark and Laura Clark (maiden name unknown), who was born around 1790. Based on the reported birth dates, Cornelia appears to have been approximately ten years younger than George.
George and Cornelia Barker had the following children:
- Edward Barker (born about 1841)
- Alfred Barker
- Ralph Barker (my great-grandfather)
- William Ham Barker
- Sarah Kirtland Barker, later known as the “First Deaconess”
The 1850 U.S. Federal Census listed George Barker as 35 years old and born in New York. No occupation was recorded for him. The census showed him living with:
- Ralph Barker, age 72 (born about 1778), a farmer with real estate valued at $125
- Sarah Barker, age 60 (born about 1790)
- Mary Barker, age 27
This strongly suggests that Ralph and Sarah were George’s parents, while Mary may have been his sister.
In the 1860 U.S. Federal Census, George Barker was listed as 50 years old with the occupation “Gent,” likely meaning gentleman or a member of the gentry — someone supported by income from land or investments rather than manual labor. The household included:
- Cornelia Barker, age 34
- Ralph Barker, age 2 (my great-grandfather)
- Sarah Barker, age 11 or 12
- William “Ham” Barker, age 21, employed in the lumber business
- Edward Barker, age 19, employed in the furniture business
- Alfred Barker, age 14, working as a clerk
Also living in the household were two servants:
- Ann Donnoho
- Mary Ann McMahan
Observations and Questions
The census records raise the possibility that Cornelia Clark may have been George Barker’s second wife. If William Ham Barker was truly 21 years old in 1860, he would have been born around 1839, meaning Cornelia would have been only about 13 or 14 years old at the time of his birth. Additionally, Cornelia does not appear in the 1850 census household with George, further suggesting the possibility of an earlier marriage.
Another possibility is that some ages in the census records were incorrectly recorded, which was common in nineteenth-century census data.
The 1870 U.S. Federal Census listed George Barker as 55 years old and identified him as a retired merchant with real estate valued at $40,000, indicating considerable financial success. The household included:
- Charles Barker, age 48, a merchant with real estate valued at $25,000
- Charles R. Barker, age 22
- George Barker, age 19
- Mary Barker, age 18
- Mary Barker, age 52
The older Mary Barker was likely George’s sister, although her listed age does not align with the previously estimated birth year of 1823. If born in 1823, she would have been about 47 in 1870 rather than 52. Such discrepancies were not uncommon in census records.
Also listed in the household were:
- Ralph Barker, age 12 (born about 1858)
- Sarah Barker, age 10 (born about 1860)
Cornelia Clark Barker had died on April 22, 1866, four years before the 1870 census, which explains her absence from that record.
Overall, the census records portray George Barker as a man who rose from a farming family background in New York to become a prosperous merchant and property owner by the end of his life. However, several inconsistencies in the ages and household relationships suggest that additional records — such as marriage certificates, probate records, cemetery records, or church documents — may help clarify whether George had more than one marriage and confirm the identities and birth dates of his children.