Robert BARR was born and lived in Donegal county, Ireland near Coleraine. He sold this place
when he came to Amrica, it was known as the "old Barr homestead" and had been in the family a
great many years. Robert was born ca 1725 and married Mary WILLS about 1747. Mary was the
sister of Samuel WILLS of Mifflin Co., PA.
Robert and Mary had six children: Robert b. 1748 and married Christian Reed; David b. 1750
and married Sarah THOMPSON (This is my ancestor); William who married Anna TODD; Samuel b. 1757
who married Lydia BLACK; Gabriel who married Mary WILLS; and Margaret b. 1764 who remained
single.
Robert b. 1748 and David b. 1750 both left Ireland and came to America before their parents
and other brothers. Robert and Mary and the other children left for America on 26 July 1790 and
landed in America on Sunday, 3 October 1790 at New Castle, below Philadelphia. Finally after
several weeks journey, the family came to Oldtown (Lewistown), Mifflin Co on 24 October.
The next day, two of the brothers went to find Robert and David. They first came to David's
house and found him and his son threshing wheat. David didn't recognize his brothers at
first sight. After they made themselves known, it was a joyful meeting. They went on to
Robert's house and the next day all went back to Lewistown to see their parents.
Robert, the father, a few years after bought a farm in Stone Valley, Huntingdon Co.,
PA one half mile north of McAlevy's Fort. In 1796, he built a two-story log house and was
still standing in 1901, and still belonged to a Barr family.
Source: Rev. William B. Barr, "History of the Barr Family, Beginning with Great-grandfather
Robert Barr, and Mary Wills" (Hamilton (ohio): Brown & Whitaker, 1901), 9-16.
David BARR b. 1750 died 1835 near Boalsburg, Centre Co. PA. David was a soldier of the
Revolution as per Pension File #882412. David and Sarah (THOMPSON) BARR had nine children.
The second child being David BARR born 1791 near Boalsburg, Centre Co. PA.
David b. 1791 married Rachel PAXTON daughter of Col. Samuel PAXTON and Elizabeth LESHER
(Still proving this), ca 1814. They had nine children. Joseph b. 1815; Mahala Ann b. 1818;
Elizabeth b. 1820; Margaret b. 1821; John S. b. 1825; Samuel Paxton b. 1816; David T. b. 1834;
Rachael b. 1828; Mary Jane b. 1826. David and Rachel BARR are buried at Mt. Pleasant Cemetery,
West Corsica, Clarion Co., PA This cemetery is at the edge of Clarion and Jefferson Counties.
John S. BARR was married three times. First to Susan WIREY who died 1851,
they had a daughter Agnes BARR b. 1851 who married Robert T. KELLEY. Second,
John married Nancy Siar ca 1857. They had two children deceased. Third John married
Nancy Jane ANTHONY daughter of William ANTHONY and Jane NOTTENBAUGH.
John and Nancy had five children: Mary Elizabeth b. 1862; Samuel Paxton b. 1861; John W.
b. 1866; George Marshall b. 1868; and Blanche C. b. 1873. Of these children, George Marshall
is my great-grandfather.
George Marshall BARR b. 12 June 1868 married Elizabeth Jeanetta Fitzgerald on 27 April
1892 in Georgeville, Indiana Co., PA. Elizabeth was born 19 July 1871, the daughter of
William FITZGERALD and Mary HOLLOWELL. George and Elizabeth had four children: Gerald
Thomas BARR b. 1894; Jeanetta Blanche BARR b. 1896 (my grandmother); William Kenneth
BARR b. 1908 and Mary Ellen BARR b. 1914 and died 1930.
