Descendants of John and Grace Barker
by
Shaun L Wilson – February 2017
Barker families have resided in Hampsthwaite since the early seventeenth century and were extensive in the area during the nineteenth century. From the 1881 England Census for Hampsthwaite taken on 3rd April that year, Barker was the most popular name totalling 57 out of 457 people enumerated – 12.5% of those recorded living in Hampsthwaite at the time of that census.
From the registers of Hampsthwaite parish, Barkers were in existence as early as 1610. The earliest Barker mentioned is John Barker, son of Peter who was baptised on 17th March that year.
Where Hampsthwaite is mentioned in this article it refers to both village and parish. We will never know exactly where the early Barker’s dwelling houses were as they are not recorded in either the parish registers or on the early census returns, but it is assumed that they lived in the village or within the parish. It was not until the England Census of 1911 that full address details were given together with the total number of children born alive to the present marriage of the head of the family.
