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Papers And Records
VOL. III
Toronto: Published By The Society, 1901
A BRIEF HISTORY OF DAVID BARKER, A UNITED
EMPIRE LOYALIST
BY JOHN S. BARKER
David Barker, the subject of this sketch, was born in Rhode Island in 1732, being the youngest child of James Barker and Elizabeth Tucker, of that New England colony, and the youngest of ten children - six boys and four girls. His parents belonged to the Society of Friends, as well as his grandfather, who married Elizabeth Eaton (sic), to whom were born eight children. David Barker married 11th March, 1762, Lydia Shove, a daughter of Samuel Shove. They lived at or near Newport, R.I. until nine children had been born unto them; then they, in 1780, removed to New York, Dutchess County, within six miles of Poughkeepsie, to what is called the Mitchell farm; here two more children were born, namely, Abraham and Lydia. On the 16th of June, 1784, they reached Adolphustown in Canada, where their last child Caleb was born in 1786, making a total of twelve children.
The principal incident or incidents of his life in causing his removal from his last abiding place were, being a Friend he was non-combatant, and on the 17th April, 1783, he was waylaid while returning homeward on his favorite palfry, by the ragged troopers of Washington's freebooters. He saw them in the distance approaching, and knew the consequence might be what had resulted to others in similar circumstances. On meeting, he was halted and ordered to dismount. His sleek charger was taken from him, with saddle and saddlecloth, etc. Also, when that was done he was ordered to strip; his coats, vest and knee breeches being substituted, and distributed among the three for some of their rags and tatters, and the poorest horse was considerately offered him to get home with, which was accepted as of course. But at that midnight he was at the stables, where some forty head of horses were tethered, and a low sound of his voice was recognized by his horse where he stood at the end of the line. The return exchange was speedily made, the horse delighted to take his master home no doubt; but this was not the end of it. He was pursued the next morning by a relief party, who wanted to hang him for stealing his own horse. He kept in hiding for two days, when, happily, peace was declared. But the animosity towards even a non-combatant in those times could hardly be borne, when it is known and boasted of to-day, and shown the church in Fishkill village where such were imprisoned, to make up their minds to either join the rebellious party, or take a horsewhipping and be let go. The tree with the stapled ring is pointed out near-by the church, at which many took the dressing rather than go back upon their principles.
The property of David Barker was confiscated in the belief he had sold
some fat cattle to British forces. In after years some of his sons, Samuel
Shove and David Barker, jun., located Barkerville, near Saratoga. The youngest
son, Caleb, that born at Barker's Point on the Bay of Quinte, became in
after years a successful merchant and the president of the bank at Poughkeepsie,
N.Y. All his girls, whether then married or unmarried, he assisted by giving
them farms in the county of Prince Edward. His son Edward, who had married
Mary Casey in Rhode Island, settled near him at Barker's Point, now known
as Thompson's, and had a licensed ferry to the Prince Edward shore. Lydia
Shove Barker died in 1804; Edward, her son, died in 1820; and the husband
and father in 1821. Their bodies lie in the old meeting-house graveyard,
unmarked, except by a red cedar post at the grave of the father, and where,
in the picture taken by County Judge Merrill, his great grandson, John
S. Barker, stands like a hewn statue at the head of the grave. The branches
of the family possess some few relics: his favorite arm-chair and the lady's
saddle are in Toronto; a few dishes of an ancient pattern and a pewter
platter are in Napanee; and some bricks of the first chimney of the first
house in the wilderness are at Picton. The house at the Point, carriage-house
and barns, are as they were one hundred years ago, and are often a point
of pilgrimage of the family having historic interest in the same. Their
descendants in the county of Prince Edward are many, and it used to be
told the late David Barker Stevenson, M.P.P., of the Canadian Parliament,
that it was due to his relatives that he was elected; but he was really
beloved by all classes, holding that respect few can hold to-day as a man
who lived for the good of the county alone.
Births
- DAVID BARKER was born the sixteenth day of seventh month, old style, seventeen hundred and thirty-two.
- LYDIA SHOVE was born the fourth day of twelfth month, seventeen hundred and forty-three, old style.
- DAVID BARKER and LYDIA SHOVE was (sic) married the eleventh day of third month seventeen hundred and sixty-two.
- SAMUEL S. BARKER, our first son, was born the eighth day of tenth month, 1763.
- ASA BARKER, our second son, was born the fourth day of first month, 1765.
- EDWARD BARKER, our third son, was born the seventeenth day of eleventh month, 1766.
- DAVID BARKER, our fourth son, was born the nineteenth day of ninth month, 1768.
- PHOEBE BARKER, our first daughter, was born the twenty-sixth day of first month, 1770.
- JAMES BARKER, our fifth son, was born the tenth day of eighth month, 1772.
- ELIZABETH BARKER, our second daughter, was born the eighth day of seventh month, 1774.
- SARAH BARKER, our third daughter, was born the first day of twelfth month, 1776.
- REBEKAH, our fourth daughter, was born the first day of eighth month, 1779
- ABRAHAM BARKER, our sixth son, was born the fifth day of eighth month, 1781.
- LYDIA BARKER, our fifth daughter, was born the sixteenth day of tenth month, 1783.
- CALEB BARKER, our seventh son, was born the fourth day of ninth month, 1786.
- LYDIA SHOVE BARKER departed this life the tenth day of seventh month, about the sixth hour in the afternoon, 1804. Aged 61 years 7 months and 26 days.
- DAVID BARKER departed this life the seventh day of first month, 1821. Aged 88 years 5 months and 21 days.
- EDWARD BARKER, their son, departed this life the twenty-ninth day of seventh month, 1820. Aged 53 years 8 months and 12 days.
Grandchild of James Barker and son of Joseph BarkerJ. S. BARKER,
To William Canniff's "Settlement of Upper Canada"
The Descendants of James Barker, II of Rhode Island
To the Barker Family Home
Back to the Story of David Barker
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