The Story of Abraham Barnes
Abraham Barnes was born about 1715 in either Richmond County or Westmoreland
County, Virginia. According to a deed filed in Westmoreland Co., VA in
1744, he was the “son and heir of Thomas Barnes, deceased”. He married
first, about 1735, Mary King, daughter of Robert and Priscilla (Covington)
King of “Kingsland”, Somerset County, Maryland. Mary (King) Barnes died
October 25, 1739 and is buried at “Kingsland”. Her tombstone reads “Mary,
wife of Abraham Barnes, Merchant, died 25th October, 1739 in the 25th
year of her age.” There was one child born to this marriage, Mary King
Mary King Barnes married Thomson Mason (1732-1785), son of George Mason
and his wife, Ann Thomson of Stafford County, Virginia.
The second wife of Abraham Barnes was Elizabeth, daughter of Col. John
Rousby of Calvert Co. whom he married sometime between 1740 and 1742.
They had two sons, namely John Barnes (1743-1800) and Richard Barnes (ca1745-1804).
Both sons died unmarried and without issue.
The first record found of Col. Barnes in St. Mary’s County was in 1736
when he served as a Justice. From 1745-1754, he was one of the delegates
from St. Mary’s County to the Maryland General Assembly. In 1754, he and
Benjamin Tasker, Jr. were appointed to represent Maryland at the Albany
Congress whose resolutions, while not adopted, served as the forerunner
of the Declaration of Independence some 22 years later.
In 1744, Col. Barnes bought 1,096 acres on Breton Bay in Leonardtown.
He named this property “America Felix Secundus” probably to avoid to confusion
with “America Felix”, 156 acres located in Beaverdam Manor that had been
patented by Col. Thomas Truman Greenfield in 1720.
It can be surmised that although Col. Barnes owned many parcels of land
in St. Mary’s County, he chose to build his home at this location because
of its proximity to the courthouse. The house was probably completed in
1745-1746 and was probably small with a wide central hall, a room on either
side, and had a second floor with dormered bedrooms. The view must have
The house itself is now known as Tudor Hall. It was apparently given that
name by the Key family who owned it after the death of Richard Barnes.
This house remained in the Key family for over 150 years. Today Tudor
Hall is owned by the St. Mary’s County Historical Society and serves as
Abraham Barnes, Elizabeth (Rousby) Barnes, an infant daughter of Mary
(King) Mason and Richard Barnes were all buried near the house. The deed
conveying the property to Philip Key in 1817 conveys the property in its
entirety “always excepting from this grant, the graveyard in the garden
In addition to his primary career as a merchant, Col. Barnes also served
as a member of the Colonial Militia of St. Mary’s County 1740-1748. He
was an extremely active participant in the affairs of St. Mary’s County.
As one of the Trustees of the Poor, he helped to select the location of
the poor house and directed its construction and program. He also participated
in the division of the Episcopal parishes resulting in the establishment
of St. Andrew’s parish and helped to build the present church. He and
George Plater rented pew #1. He had a mill at “Wranglefield”, a customhouse
on McIntosh Run, and a variety of other business ventures.
By 1763, however, Col. Barnes had encountered some personal and business
problems, was living in England, and had apparently given some serious
consideration to remaining there. His wife had died and there had been
a serious downturn in the price of tobacco. The records during this time
period are replete with many farmers being jailed for debt. An additional
incentive, at least for awhile, would have been the education of John
and Richard Barnes who were then of school age.
The following letter dated May 2, 1763 from Cecelius Calvert in London
to Governor Horatio Sharpe shows that, at that time, Mr. Barnes was living
in England. It states:
“Here is a Col. Barnes, says he has been of the Assembly; thinks of
returning. I should be glad to know his behavior and disposition to
us, ‘tis here said, he is of good circumstances, request your opinion
about his being Receiver General and will be acceptable, he speaks very
respectable of you, no discourse has been material between us, I shall
not hint to him unless you approve”.
The response from Governor Sharpe to Cecelius Calvert apparently had not
been favorable as shown by the following:
“If a change of Receiver General must be, you seem alarmed about Col.
Barnes. Now here, you say, ‘I do not suppose you will choose to encourage
Col. Barnes to return hither with any such views’ and ‘you and he were
upon very good terms’. Of Mr. Barnes, he nor I have sought one another,
we have met by accident, (and) he informed his design was England, if
he could establish his sons here, he expressed himself with the utmost
regard and in the most obliging manner (of) you (in) public and private
very respectfully, and said a better Governor than you could not be
to the Province, he has since informed me that this project for his
sons emolument here will not do, therefore (he) thinks of his return
to Maryland, where he has a good settlement and where he has had success,
(although) with (some) risque of ruin.
very fond of his two sons, I am not surprised as they are of personage,
very engaging and well accomplished, Maryland born, and the father has
been a Representative in the Lower House as an unprejudiced man. In
discourse I have observed him a person of good sense and his character
is so and men speak of him of strict honour in all his dealings and
knowing in commerce and well versed in figures; he is sober and well-spoken,
appears not of a hasty temper and has by assiduity gained a fair substantial
fortune. I can’t help expressing his appearance and characterics is
of a person I believe well deserving, is polite and so are his sons.
These marks of him are substantially proved, and (others) characterize
him (as) a man of trust, confidence, and real credit entirely suitable
of acceptance, especially in an office and employ these requisites center
and points out and gives to his Lordship a fair opportunity and prospect
of him in the station of his being his Agent and Receiver General and
I shall recommend him unless you do point more suitable and contradictory
of what is assented of him. .........I hope (for) Mr. Lloyd’s continuance,
but the non-performance of the Receiver General and Office and his non-compliance
with his Lordship’s instructions will eject him with my Lord”.
It should be noted here that the Mr. Lloyd spoken of here was Edward Lloyd
of Talbot Co. who was a brother-in-law of Abraham Barnes. The wife of
Edward Lloyd was Ann Rousby, another daughter of Col. John Rousby of Calvert
Col. Barnes was back in St. Mary’s County within the year. He and his
son Richard both played prominent roles in St. Mary’s County during the
Revolutionary War. But all was not well. His only daughter, Mary King
(Barnes) Mason died in 1771 as shown in the following obituary:
Mrs. Mary Mason, wife of Thomas (also given as Thomson) Mason, Esq. of
Loudon Co., Virginia died on Monday, October 21 at Westwood, the seat
of the Rev. Mr. Scott in Prince William Co. on her return home from a
visit to her father. (This is Rev. James Scott, the first pastor of Dettingen
Parish, Prince William County, Virginia. His wife was Sarah Brown, the
daughter of Dr. Gustavus Brown and his wife, Frances Fowke of Charles
In addition, his son John Barnes became involved in a business venture
with Thomas How Ridgate in Charles County that had apparently failed miserably.
The will of Abraham Barnes dated June 29, 1773 reads:
“In 1764 I gave my son John a very sufficient quantity of goods to begin
trade and merchandise. Contrary to my expectations, he has carelessly
lost and sunk all I gave him and is more in debt than I am able to pay,
he having stripped all the ready money I had and has involved me in a
very considerable security to Osgood, Hanberry and Company, merchants
in London, and others. On the whole, this will amount to an equal share
of my estate, but above all, he has robbed me of my happiness and peace
of mind at a time of life when I expected to be free from any disturbance
When he reflects on this and that this profoundly unhappy condition and
misfortune is entirely owing to his own obstinacy in rejecting my advice
and opinion in all things and at the same time not informing himself of
the true state of his affairs and endeavors (and) to keep everything material
from my knowledge. From this melancholy consideration, he cannot, with
any reason, expect any further favor or indulgence from me. Therefore,
I give all to my son, Richard Barnes”.
John Barnes moved to Washington County, Maryland and lived on property
owned by his brother Richard. He died there in 1800.
Richard Barnes, the last surviving male heir of Abraham Barnes died in
1804 and devised the Barnes home and property to his nieces and nephews,
the children of his sister, Mary King Barnes who married Thomson Mason
Richard Barnes stipulated in his will that his slaves, numbering almost
200 were to be freed with the proviso that they take the surname Barnes.
Unfortunately, he failed to take into consideration that in 1796 the state
of Maryland had enacted legislation prohibiting any slave over the age
of 45 to be freed. He also neglected to make any provision for those slaves
born after the making of his will. Consequently, only about half or 101
slaves were freed.
The story of Abraham Barnes really doesn’t end here. He was the ancestor,
through his daughter, Mary, of many men of prominence who played a major
role in the development of this nation. One would think from the histories
that have been written, that their only ancestors were the Masons. Rarely
have I ever seen the name of Abraham Barnes mentioned. To name but a few:
Gen. Stevens Thomson Mason (1760-1803) was a U.S. Senator from Virginia
from 1795 until the year of his death. Grandson of Abraham Barnes.
John Thomson Mason (1764-1824) attained high rank at the bar but twice
declined the office of Attorney-General of the U.S. when offered by Presidents
Jefferson and Madison, and failed as election as Senator from MD by one
vote. Grandson of Abraham Barnes.
Stevens Thomson Mason (1811-1843) the first Governor of Michigan. Known
as the “Boy Governor”. He was appointed territorial secretary of Michigan
in 1831 (at the age of 20); appointed Governor of the State of Michigan
in 1835; reelected in 1837; and died in New York, New York where he was
practicing law in 1843. Mason County, Michigan was named in his honor.
Great grandson of Abraham Barnes.
Laura Mason (1820-1911) married Brigadier Gen. Robert Hall Chilton, who
was chief of Gen. Robert E. Lee's staff until the last year of the war.
In 1862, Gen. Chilton wrote Robert E. Lee’s Special Order #191 which fell
into Union hands. This order detailed the detachments and orders of the
march of Lee’s Army during its invasion of the North. Using this information,
George McClellan was able to strike at Lee's scattered army which ended
in the Battle of Antietam. This battle ended Lee's first invasion of the
North and is said to have probably sealed the fate of the Southern cause.
Great granddaughter of Abraham Barnes.
Mary Mason (1791-1813) married Benjamin Howard a member of the Kentucky
House of Representatives; Congressman from Kentucky; Governor of Louisiana
(Missouri) Territory; and Governor of Missouri Territory. Howard County,
Missouri is named in his honor. Great granddaughter of Abraham Barnes.
Armistead Thomson Mason (1787-1819) U.S. Senator from Virginia, 1816-17.
As the result of a bitter election campaign, was killed in a duel with
his brother-in-law, William McCarty at Bladensburg, Maryland. Great grandson
of Abraham Barnes.
John Thomson Mason (1815-1873). Member of Maryland state House of Delegates;
U.S. Congressman from Maryland; Judge, Maryland Court of Appeals; and
secretary of state of Maryland, 1872-73. Great grandson of Abraham Barnes.
Prepared by: Linda Davis Reno, July 27, 2001