Person:William Barker (13)

There is some discrepancy between the Vermont Cemetery headstone and the death certificate in Mason - the death record in Mason says William was76 years old at death - giving him a birth date of 1816.

Our William Barker filed an intent to renounce the Queen of England in Washtenaw County in 1851. The record is recorded in a ledger; the following records are for a Thomas King and John Barker. Obviously, the two Barkers and Thomas King were together when they filed for citizenship. It is too much to believe that there was a long line of people waiting and John left to go to the bathroom, only to lose his place in line. Ergo, Thomas King is a relative, whether brother, father, uncle or cousin of William and John's wives.

Citizenship intent paper for another William Barker, dated 24 March 1866, were filed in Mason. This William purchased 160 acres in Green Oak Twp, Ingham Co, MI - Section 4 - paying cash 7-2-1836. He resided in Ontario Co, NY at time of purchase.

There are no records for deaths or marriages for the Barkers found in Washtenaw County. Records begin in 1867 for deaths, 1833 for marriages. Birth records are not readily available.

The Washtenaw County Genealogical Society has a note that indicates that William lived in Leslie for 54 years before his death. This would have him arriving in Leslie in 1838.

Lenawee County has this probate record - unproven

JOHN F. MILLS - prob. 14 Nov 1867, admin. WM. BARKER.

From Michigan Weather

1843: At Edwardsburg, Michigan, snow lies 2' deep at the end of March, and sledding continues until April 8 in the Detroit area. On April 3, ducks are spotted heading back south over Detroit after foolishly flying north the week before. Thousands of cattle starve as hay supplies run out. Springlike weather finally arrives around April 10 but Lake Erie doesn't open for navigation until May 6. A warm summer brings a good crop season. 1848: Mild winter allows ships to cruise Lake Erie between Buffalo, Cleveland, and Detroit in February.

Ann Arbor Courier, May 18, 1892 Obituary

Wm. Barker, formerly of Chelsea died at Leslie, May 6th, aged nearly 78 years.

Ann Arbor Argus, May 20, 1892 Obituary

William Barker, a former resident of Chelsea, died at Leslie, May 6th, aged 77 years.

Chelsea Obit

Barker, William Died May 6, 1892, Vt. William Barker, a former resident of Chelsea, died at the home of his son-in-law, Mr. James Ross, in the town of Leslie, May 6, 1892, aged 77 years, 6 months, and 29 days. His remains were brought to Sylvan, and buried in the Vermont Cemetery on Sunday, 8th instant. Bn. November 10, 1814 Md. Eliza.

Steve and Jane Barker are related. They have shared info. The pertinent sources they have are: Certificate of Death for William Barker. Death Records for Ingham County, Michigan, Page 114, Film # 975,644. Notice of Death for William Barker published in the Ann Arbor Courier, May 18, 1892. Notice of Death for William Barker published in the Ann Arbor Argus, May 20, 1892. 1900 Michigan Federal Census For Ingham County, Film # 1,240,716. Obituary cards for William Barker, Benjamin Barker, Charles Barker, Ann Barker, and William K. Barker on file in the Chelsea District Library, Chelsea, Washtenaw County, Michigan. Death Records for Washtenaw County, Michigan 1885-1900, Record # 349, Page 118, Film # 1,019,063. Certificate of Marriage for Francis H. Barker and Melvina Wort. Certificate of Death for Francis Henry Barker. Marriage Records for Bloomer, Montcalm County, Michigan, Page 142, Record # 1285, Film # 1,295,520. Death Records for Ingham County, Michigan, Record #796, Film # 1,019,063. 1900 Michigan Federal Census For Ingham County, Film # 1,240,716. 1910 Michigan Federal Census for Ingham County, Film # 1,374,664. Obituary for John H. Barker printed July 15, 1952 in the State Journal, Lansing, Michigan.

Why are folks from Lincolnshire called Yellow Bellies? Here are a list of possibilities, but no one seems to know for sure...

The name came from the custom of Lincolnshire people hanging "belly" bacon for so long that it turned yellow. People living in the fens often caught malaria or ague from stagnant water, which turned their skin yellow. Opium taken to relieve malaria and other disorders also turned people's skin yellow. Wildfowlers (not flowers!) became covered in yellow clay of the fens as they stalked their prey. A Lincolnshire farmer with an ugly 28-stone daughter offered would-be husbands a dowry of as many gold coins as it would take to cover her belly. The fenland administrative Warpentake of Elloe was called in bygone times "Ye Elloe Bellie" as bel was German for low-lying. This was often corrupted into "Yellow Belly". Drivers of the Lincoln-to-London stage coaches wore yellow waistcoats and were nicknamed Yellow Bellies by London Cockneys. Legend had it that if shillings were placed on Lincolnshire stomachs at bedtime and they were still there the next morning, they would have turned into gold sovereigns. Many Lincolnshire country women carried their money or gold under their dresses when going to market and were called yellow bellies. The 10th Lincs Regiment of Foot had as its colours from 1851 to 1881 the red cross of St George on a yellow background. Soldiers of the 10th Foot once wore green tunics with yellow facings. There was a species of frog peculiar to the fens region which had yellow bellies. An unpopular explanation is that the 10th foot had retreated from the enemy in battle, and had been dubbed cowardly or "yellow". Labourers working to reclaim the fens became covered in the yellow clay. The Lincolnshire Mail Coaches which ran between 1785 and 1871 were painted dark blue with a bright yellow belly to conceal splash marks from the yellow county clay roads. A Lincolnshire lady whose canary died replaced it with a frog with a yellow belly, in the belief that the frog would sing like the canary and said to it, "Now sing yellow belly."

grippe, la grippe -- having sharp pains in the bowels, influenza (flu), killed many people in 1918; acute contagious viral infection characterized by inflammation of the respiratory tract and by fever, chills, muscular pain, and prostration; highly contagious disease caused by a number of different viruses, usually begins abruptly with fever, muscular aches, and inflammation of the respiratory mucous membranes; its more severe forms are bacterial pneumonia and bronchitis. Influenza epidemics have decimated large populations; an outbreak in 1918 killed over 20 million people.

1. ↑ Vital Records - Miscellaneous Sources.

   Daughter Eliza's Death Certificate, Death Certificate from Ingham Co, MI #290