The Samuel Barnes Family

Last Update; 26th December 2010

This Web site is dedicated to John Lionel Barnes 1928-2010 of Blackwood
The Grandson of Samuel J. Barnes

This site is designed and researched by Dale M. Lewis
Also added to by Loryn Clarke(Samuel's South Africa granddaughter)
and Diane Donohue of Cornwall

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Luke Barnes c1795 Luke Barnes married a girl named Elizabeth in about 1818. Luke was a gardener for the nuseries of the Overnhill and Overndale House estates, which he lived on the edge of with Elizabeth on Downend Road in a little area called Pendenny(now Pendennis Road). On 1st August 1819 they baptised their first child, who was a daughter named Mary. On 23 June 1822 George their second child was baptised. When their next son Luke Baptised and named after the father on 4th April 1824. Another son was born in 1826 and Baptised on 12th November 1826. He was named William. On 17th May 1829 their second daughter was baptised. She was named Martha. Five years later Charles was born and was baptised on the 6th April 1834. Finally in 1840 Stephen was born and on 27th September 1840 he was baptised. Elizabeth and Luke never left Pendenny. In the Summer of 1874 Elizabeth died, and eight years later in the winter of 1882 Luke died too aged about 88 years old. At the end of Luke's Life, his Grandson William was living in the next house with his wife Ann, and they probably helped Luke in his remaining years. George Barnes 1822 George was born to Luke and Elizabeth Barnes, in Mangotsfield. George became a stone mason, then he married a girl named Sophia Bees. George and Sophia and the Mother-in-law moved to Pontypool, in Monmouthshire along with Sophia's two younger brothers, to find work. Tragicly Sophia developed cancer of the uterus and six months later she died on the 5th November 1869. Mangotsfield George had already met Mary Jane Bennett, the daughter of Samuel Bennett, before Sophia had died, and when Mary reported Sophia's death, she was already calling herself Barnes. George and Mary Jane married in 1870 at Llanhilleth parish church. George and Sophia had a home in Moreton Street, Pontypool(Moreton Street no longer exists), so Mary moved in and George continued to ply his trade as a stone mason. In December 1870 they had a son, who they called Oliver George. On 3rd October 1872 another son was born, this was Samuel John, and then came William George in 1874, and continuing the pattern, Stephen was born in 1877, then their first daughter Hannah Elizabeth in 1879, affectionately known as Annie. Next came Edgar Thomas in 1882. George and his family then moved to 4, Old Bailey, Pontymoel. Philip was then born in 1884, and then another daughter, Martha, was born in 1886, when George was nearly 70 years old. George died in about 1892. Samuel John Barnes 1872-1950 Samuel was born to George and Mary Barnes at home in Moreton Street, Pontypool on 3rd October 1872. He attended a local school, when he left school he became baker.

HF Bakery(left) in Pontymoil where Sam probably worked	In his early twenties he met Elizabeth Jane Oliver, who he would have known from school, the daughter of a travelling tradesman, Peter Oliver from Pontypool. Elizabeth was born in Pontypool in 1873. Samuel and Elizabeth married at Abersychan Church on 5th August 1893. By the time of the wedding, Samuel had become a Grocer's haulier. Samuel and Elizabeth set up home at 28 Gwent Street, Pontypool.
Abersychan Church where Samuel and Elizabeth married	Gwent Street where Samuel and Elizabeth lived

Samuel was eventually lured to the collieries like many young men, where the money was better. Samuel and Elizabeth now started a family. They had two sons, their first was Herbert George, who was born on 9th August 1895. Elizabeth went to her sister in-laws house, Sarah's, Oliver's wife, and Thomas Lewis's sister, at 18 Gwent Street, when her second birth became due where. On 20th September 1898 a second son Samuel Lionel was born. At this time Samuel was a Colliery Hitcher, but there was trouble brewing in the British Empire. Soon after

the Boer War flared up and Samuel decided to enlist. joined the South African Mounted Rifles which were enlisting in Monmouthshire. The Boer War was a merciless war, and the Boer forces didn't fight conventionally. It was a guerilla war which the British would eventually have to withdraw from. Samuel like many others in this war desserted.

Boer War 1899-1902

Samuel John Barnes

Janet Jenkins(Cato)

He never returned to Elizabeth and his family, he never left South Africa, he was a wanted man. Desertion carried a death sentence. Samuel had to forget his family he left in Pontypool. He remarried which may well have been Bigomy. The object of his affection was Janet Jenkins Cato. Samuel had become a medical orderly during the war. In the meantime Elizabeth had become very friendly with a man by the name of James Godwin, who was boarding with Mary and William Absolam in Panteg. Some members of the family say Samuel may have done something while in service, such as attack a senior officer, but I think the war was simply too much for him, like many others. Herbert George 1895 - c1943 Herbert was the first born to Samuel and Elizabeth. After Samuel left for South Africa, and it had long been obvious that his father was not coming back, his mother became involved with Aunt Sarah's older brother, who had recent lost his wife, then his son. They eventually married and started a family but neither Herbert or Lionel were happy about this, and didn't hide the fact. Herbert worked in the local colliery, probably Oakdale like his step father, until war broke out in 1914. He went to war, and came back with a minor injury. He returned to working in the pits around Blackwood, until the Great depression. Herbert had married and had two sons and two daughter, and one sons like his own brother, was named Lionel. When the depression struck he went to Ramsgate in Kent and continued to dig coal there, until he died. He died when his stomach ulcer turned sceptic and lead him to die from scepticemia in Ramsgate around 1943, a couple of years after his mother. Samuel Lionel 1898 - c1946 Samuel Junior was known by his second name Lionel from an early age. Perhaps to hide the family connection to his father who would be forced to abandon them at a young age, because of his desertion from the Boer War. He was born on 20th September 1898. His Father having not returned from South Africa, and Germany declaring war in Europe in August 1914, he was only fifteen when war broke out, He wanted to fight and seeing Herbert come back injured he may have thought he had something to prove. He lied about his age, and signed up. He came through it safely. He married Ivy Smith, the daughter of Bill Smith, a Durham pit sinker. They had two sons, John, and Vincent, and a daughter, Mary Rose, who was born 21st March 1936. He also worked in the mines around Blackwood. One day Lionel was hit by a Coal wagon, causing his knee caps to be shattered and what at first seemed less serious, a bolt from the wagon went into his stomach. After that walking was difficult, with stiffened legs, due to the disintergration of his knees, but later he developed stomach cancer, thought to be caused by the bolt, but since leaving the Army he was a very heavy smoker. The cancer eventually killed him in about 1946. Charles c1834 Charles was a younger brother of George and was also born in Penndennis Road on 6th April 1834. Like George, Charles trained as a Stone Mason, and when George went to South Wales, Charles followed. He married a girl from Usk named Mary(possibly Edwards). In about 1857 they had a son named Godfrey who was born in Bassalog and in about 1860 they had a son named Henry who was born in Pontypool. In Pontypool they lived at 8 Royal Oak, Trevethin. Within 2 years Charles had moved his family to Penzance in Cornwall. They lived in Dock Lane, and on 6th February 1863 Godfrey Charles, Henry and the new baby Edward were baptised. They moved to 1 Foster Place and in 1868 Emily was born. Henry c1860 Henry was born in Pontypool in about 1860 to Charles and Mary Barnes. Henry grew up in Penzance in Cornwall and like his father trained as a stone mason. He married Catharine Guard a widow on the 14th January 1884. She had a son named George aged about 4 years old. Catharine was the daughter of Patrick Keane, a master mariner who had already died before the wedding. Henry set up home in 20 Quay Street, Catharine's own marital home. In the year of their married Catharine gave birth to a son named Charles Henry. In 1886 they had another son named Godfrey. Mary Ann was born in 1889 and then William Laurence was born in 1891. Stephen c1840 Stephen was George's youngest brother, and was also born in Mangotsfield in 1840. He married Mary Ann Hawkins in Stoke Gifford, just outside her parish, on 25th September 1865. Mary was born in the parish of Stapleton, Bristol. They had at least nine children. They were Thomas, who was born in 1867, Sarah in 1870, Emily in 1872, Stephen in 1873, Francis in 1875, Matilda in 1876, John in 1878, Samuel in 1879, and Alfred in 1880. During this time they were living in Lodge Causeway, Fishponds, which is in the parish of Stapleton, Bristol, and Stephen was a coal miner at the local colliery. Oliver George 1870 Oliver was born in Pontypool in 1870 to George and Mary Barnes in his home in Moreton Street, Pontypool. He married Sarah Lewis in around 1890. His new wife's parents lived in Twistles Row, Tranch, near him, and Sarah probably went to the same school. As Sarah's sisters and older brothers were no longer at home, she and her new husband were allowed to stay at the Lewis family home. There they had their first child, they named Blodwen, like Sarah's older brother, Thomas's first daughter. They eventually moved into a home of their own in Pontypool at 18 Gwent Street, a short walk away. Oliver worked at the Tirpentwys Colliery, in the Gelly Ged valley, less than a mile away. Their next child was a son they called Oliver like his father, and when he grew into adulthood he started the bus company that transported the colliers between Tirpentwys Colliery and Crumlin, with his friend, David Benfield. They also delivered coal to household in the area. Stephen Charles 1876 Stephen was born in Pontypool in 1876 to George and Mary Barnes in his home in Moreton Street, Pontypool. He married Edith May Meadows. Unfortunately Edith died shortly after the birth of their daughter Ivy May in 1908. Stephen re-married in 1914 to Olivia ada Zoe Blake. Stephen's daughter Ivy didn't get along with her new step-mother and so she moved to London in service. She married Thomas Baxton in London in 1933. Home Ancestral List Sam's America The Thomas Lewis Line Guest Book Tom's Siblings The Olivers