i Introduction This Barden record is the result of many year's research by several persons unknown to one another, widely separated and searching for their ancestors. This combines their efforts into one record. These persons, many with much genealogical experience, all agree that the Barden family is the most difficult to trace of all the families they have encountered. One reason for this is that many of them moved often, bought no land, left no wills, and forgot to erect headstones. They also managed to avoid the census taker. Another reason they are so hard to trace is the name itself; when the name Barden is spoken, it may be misunderstood by a clerk or census taker. It appears on the census records as Borden, Bordin, Bowden, McBarden, Bardeen, Bardin, Bordean, etc. When the word Barden is spoken to a clerk or lawyer, and written or printed in an index, it may appear as Burden, Bardens, etc. Another fact that confused early historians and genealogists was that the first Bardens, and Bordens in Massachusetts, both lived in southern parts of the state and had the same given names, like John, William, and Joseph. Credit for untangling the early generations and compiling correct Barden data goes to Ruth Story Eddy, of Providence, RI. She graduated from Brown University, where she specialized in research and was granted degrees of A.B. and A.M., with Phi Beta Kappa. She was compiler of the excellent Eddy genealogy. Her manuscript "The Ancestry and Descendants of Isaac Barden" can be found in Providence in the Library of the Historical Society. Living in Providence near the home of the early Bardens, she was able to study the early town records, deeds and wills and to search cemeteries. She found and corrected many errors in the town histories and even in Borden genealogy. She was a careful and experienced searcher, with excellent judgement, and no mistakes in her work have been found. Mrs. Eddy has passed on, buy the compilers of this record have the permission of her children to use the data in her manuscripts as a basis for the start of this record. Another early Barden record was prepared by Ezra Cornelious Potter and called the "Barden Blue Book." This record is sketchy and confuses Bardens and Bordens. The compilers of this record have been unable to confirm connections which Potter has given to the early Bardens. Sources of information were not recorded. Information he gathered from later descendants is considered more reliable. A third Barden record is found in the book "Vermont Once No Man's Land," compiled by Merritt C. Barden. Most of the Bardens records in that book are descendants of John Barden of Freetown, Mass. In writing about John's ancestry, the author states: "As there is no actual proof of the above I leave the enigma to my kin." Most of the data on the descendants of John we have checked against vital records of Vermont, and we have found them correct. The Vermont book contains much data on early Bardens in England dating back to 1000 A.D. (page 99). Near the front of the book are shown the Barden and Borden Coats-of-Arms. They are almost identical, proving, the author says, that they are or were ii Introduction once the same family. On page 66 of that book is a map and a photograph of one of the six Barden Towers near Bolton, Yorkshire, England. It is said the Bardens, owned thousands of acres of land in the valley of the River Warf, and is called "Barden" on a very old map. The book also states that after the coming of William the Conqueror in 1066, the Barden estates were confiscated and taken over by the Cliffords, and the Bardens may have been driven to Scotland and Ireland. No family genealogy can be complete and this is less complete than most. Few of the Barden's now living in this country will be found in this record, but nearly all will find their early ancestors recorded here. In addition to the early work of Ruth Eddy, Merritt Barden, and Ezra C. Potter, a vast amount of research has been done by Charles Livingood of Washington, DC, George Livingood of Seattle, Washington and Mary R. Porter of Provo, Utah, who is also taking an interest in its publication. The text is written by Leon R. Brown of Rochester, New York. Thanks goes to Jackie Jackson of Pleasant Grove, Utah - Typist. There are some errors in the Vermont book that will be pointed out to readers; on page 115 it is stated that Edward Barden, who married Patience Barrows, was a son of John Barden and Hannah Chamberlain; but John's son Edward, born 1789, was born 60 years too late. On page 90 is shown John Barden, descended from Richard Borden, which we think is wrong. But a statement that Tiverton was "afterwards a part of Freetown, Massachusetts," if true, helps clear up deed records we have found, where Abraham Barden and William (perhaps his son), bought land in Tiverton and Freetown. In compiling a family history there are sometimes instances where sure proofs, such as vital records, and wills, are lacking. This has been true in this record. In such cases other evidences or a combination of other evidences may be effective. Such evidence may consist of census records, persons living next door or near each other, given names appearing frequently in a family, families living near each other in one place and later found near one another in another place, perhaps in another state, etc. It is sometimes possible to prove that no other person could have been the parent of certain children. The author of the history of Middleboro, Mass., where William Barden and all his children lived at one time, stated that all the Bardens in this country probably descended from William of this record. While this may not be entirely true today, it appears to be generally true. So, if we or the sources of our information have been wrong in choosing the wrong brother as the parent of someone, not too much damage has been done. However, where doubt exists it has been so stated. We hope sometime that someone with plenty of time and resources will attempt to improve and complete this record. In order to make this a single record with a connected sequence, it has been necessary in one or two instances to use iii Introduction a genealogist's judgement (not a guess) in connecting two branches of the family. The evidence back of such decisions is given in each case. In compiling the record, usual genealogical methods have been followed. The generations are separated and follow one another. Bardens are numbered consecutively according to ages of children. William Barden is number one. His oldest child is number two, etc. Daughters of Bardens are numbered and wherever possible their husbands and children are given. An asterisk (*) before a child's name indicates the name has been continued, and a write-up or more about the family will be found in its proper order, in the next generation. Sources of information have been indicated where not apparent and in recent generations where it has been garnered personally, or by letters from the family, in order to save space and condense the record, common genealogical abbreviations have been used as follows: b.- born Mid.- Middleboro B.B.B. - Barden Blue Book m.- married M.F.- Mayflower Desc. R.E.M.- Ruth Eddy d. - died Ply. - Plymouth Vt. N. M. L.- Vermont d.y.- died young pg.- page P.D.- Plymouth Deed Once No Man's Land P Bk.- book Am. Rev.- American ca.- about Ms.- manuscript Revolution g.s.- grave stone *- see next generation int.- intentions V.R.- vital record #- number N.C.- no children Ae.-age daut.- daughter c. r.- church record No.- number C.A.G.- Compendium American Genealogy 1 First Generation 1. WILLIAM BARDEN, who was born about 1624, came to this country from England in the year 1638 as a covenant servant of Thomas Boardman. According to the "Pioneers of Massachusetts" by Pope, William was bound for seven years’ service, and on December 1, 1638, after having served Boardman for only seven months, he was transferred to John Barker of Marshfield for the rest of the period, to learn the trade of a brick-layer. He was classified as being able to bear arms in 1643 (Pope). His service with Barker terminated in 1645, indicating that William was twenty-one years of age that year. John Barker was a proprietor in Marshfield, about ten miles north of Plymouth, as early as Nov. 5, 1638, where he performed his trade as bricklayer and also served as ferryman over the Jones River. It is probable that William Barden was in Marshfield during this period and that he served many a time as boatman. John Barker had purchased this ferry from John, son of Elder Brewster, and in 1652 he was drowned from the ferry (at little Bridge) and his estate was administered 17 Dec. 1652, by his wife. A division was made June 9, 1653, and the three daughters, Anna, Deborah, and Mary, were to receive their shares when twenty-one. In February 1660/1 William Barden married DEBORAH, daughter of JOHN BARKER, his former master. Savage, in his Genealogical Dictionary, says this marriage occurred in February 1661. "Genealogical Notes and Barnstable Families" gives February 1660 and says that Deborah was born after 1632. There is no conflict in the dates since one is Old Style and the other New Style.