Trying to find the first BARNES to arrive in South Africa
barnesma
Hi, my name is Morne Barnes. I live in Cape Town, South Africa and I am researching the BARNES family history in this country.I have significant data to track it back to my great grandfather's father who was known a "CHARLIE" BARNES. But here is where it stops. I really need to understand where CHARLIE BARNES came from. His eldest child(son) GEORGE BARNES, my great grandfather,died in 1937 and was about 63 years old at the time. This would make his birth date at about 1874. They lived in the Transkei region. I fact, most of the BARNES families of today still reside or have their traceable roots in the Eastern Cape. This inspired me to look at the possibility that the BARNES family could have had their origins in England. Settlers were encouraged by the BRITTISH government of that time to voluteer for settling in the cape colonies. The 1820 settlers docked at habours in the Eastern Cape and settled in these areas. So I checked the shipping records for the 1820 settlers from BRITTIAN to see if there was a BARNES family on it and was very excited to see that was.JAMES BARNES(12) and GEORGE SUTTON BARNES(8), stepsons of HENRY HARPER is listed as having formed part of the HOWARD group on the ship named "OCEAN". Their mother was Mary Harper. Her maiden name was DIXON. She married JAMES BARNES and they had 4 children JAMES (died before age 3), ELISABETH, JAMES and then GEORGE SUTTON BARNES. I'm trying to find out if my family has its roots in this family or was there maybe other BARNES families already in South Africa at that time or even later. If anyone can shed some light on this I'd be very greatful.
Comments
mbarnessa on 2010-09-14 16:14:09Hi Morne, my name is Michael Barnes and I have a book published by Pamela Barnes in 1984 with a relatively comprehensive family tree of the descendents of James and George Sutton Barnes. I can possibly assist you in your query but can you perhaps provide any further details such as your grandfather's name and date of birth because the data you have supplied for your great grandfather seems vague and un-reliable to try and trace. Any further details could help.
Based on my experience and research the Barnes families did arrive in SA with the 1820 settlers and were unlikely here prior to that.
barnesma on 2010-09-15 17:44:45Hi Michael, thanks for the response. I don't have any good information about my great great grandfather, but I will try to provide you with some of what I know. His name was "charles" or was known as "charlie". Apparently he moved from Palmietfontein to Transkei. He's eldest son was George Barnes who was born in Palmietfontein in 1874 (I don't know how reliable this information is, because I got it from a family member who has an old bible where the names of the children was written in, and it starts with George Barnes). Now, with South Africa's past, I feel I should mention that I am coloured, so I don't know how significant that is or will be in my attempt to trace my family history back any further than I have done so far. Where would I be able to purchase a copy of your book? I started this project just for fun, but have grown so intrigued by my family research thus far that I can not imagine stopping now. Reading the history surrounding the times that my ancestors lived gives one such great insight into what their lives were like during those times.
mbarnessa on 2010-09-17 02:45:59Morne, when I looked for information about a "Charles" or "Charlie" nothing came up but do you have more info on George - date of birth, year of death, was he perhaps George Sutton Barnes, George Usher Barnes then from your grandfather we can try work back to your great grand father. I must warn you there are many George's in the family history.
As for the book - I really don't know - the copy I have in my possession was given to my grandfather by the author but I will see if I can work something out for you.
Kind regards.
muzoman on 2012-03-02 07:24:04Michael,
Can you let me know if you received a post I sent you re Christopher Barnes and Annie Barrett.
Thank you.
IanFBarnes on 2012-05-13 15:18:05Hi Morne. My name is Ian Barnes and Im interested in your research with regards to the Barnes family. I also reside in Cape Town and until recently decided to trace my family history. I have very little information to work on ,except that my father's name was Joseph Stanley Barnes and my grand father was Alexander Edward Barnes and hailed from the Transkei. It would be appreciated if I could rely on your research for assistance to get my project off the ground. Further, contact was made with the Barnes family in Wellington thus we have established a relationship, but confirmation is needed as to how I fit into the family tree. Your help in this regard and the possibility of meeting each other in the near future, would be higly appreciated. I can be reached by email ifbarnes@mweb.co.za or cell 0829278155. Hoping to year from you soon.
Kind regards.
allsort on 2012-06-09 10:13:36HI Morne my grandmother was a Barnes. She was Mary Hannah Madia Grace Barnes and she married a Thomas Herbert Flint. She was from Durban and my understanding is that she was the first matron of the Addington Hospital.