Baldwin County GaArchives History .....History of Baldwin County - Barron Biographies 1925
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Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 October 7, 2004, 12:19 am

p. 269-272

BARRON

    Captain William Barren and brother, John Barron, were descendants of the
Barons of Burnchurch, Kilkenny County, Ireland, and hence lineal descendants of
Lord Gerald of Offaby. The patronymic name of the Barons of this Church was
Fitzgerald ;i e. of Gerald, Fitz meaning of, they having descended from Lord
Gerald. But why the cognomen "Barron" was eventually added, the historian of the
Baron Fitzgerald, alias Barron, family does not tell us. He tells us, however
why the patronymic Fitzgerald was dropped, and why the name Baron became the
more prominent of the two. The historian says: "The Barrons now so widely
dispersed thru out the county of Waterford in Ireland are a branch of the great
house of Offaby (the house of Lord Gerald), and were formerly Barons of
Burnchurch in the neighboring county of Kilkenny." —"The Fitzgerald's of
Clonamery, alias Barrons, styled Barons of Brownf ord were a branch of the
Burn-church family."—Collateral of the last branch of the Fitzgeralds who were
Barons of Burnchurch. These two branches of the Burnchurch Fitzgeralds—the last
branch that held a position in the Burnchurch and the Barons of Brownford—says
the historian "involved in the troubles that marked the early part of the 17th
century were forced to abandon their native Shire and settle in the bordering
county of Waterford where to escape the rancor of persecution and to elude its
vigilance, they dropped their patronymic Fitzgerald and retained only the
cognomen Barron."

    It seems that Maurice Fitzgerald, a lineal descendant of Lord Gerald was the
founder of the Fitzgerald family in Ireland. His grandson, Maurice Fitzgerald,
Jr., was the "first Knight of Kerney, and known generally as the "31ack Knight;"
was the common ancestor of the Fitzgerald of Alloone, of the Fitzgerald of
Cloyne, Seneschals of Inskilly, and of the Fitzgeralds of Gurteens." Nothing is
said of any of these having been Barons or having changed their name to that of
Barron. Other branches of the Fitzgerald Family retained the name of Fitzgerald.
While others of Lord Gerald descendants retained the name Gerald, and others
obtained other names from their parents. "The Burnchurch branch," continues the
historian "has produced many distinguished characters. Authentic records and
their monuments still extant fully attest." These show that they were Bishops,
Archbishops, Generals, Commodores, etc.

    The Commodore Barrens of Virginia, Commodore James Barren and his two sons,
Commodore Samuel Barron and Commodore James Barren, Jr., as well as Samuel's
son, Captain Barron, were the same family, and were in the service of the United
States during the Revolutionary War and since then.

    One of the monuments referred to above bears the date 14th of April, 1621;
another, Feb. 1545. A deed to lands for military service bears date 17th of
Sept. 1622; another from Queen Elizabeth, July 7, 1597 for military service.
Roland Barron, alias Fitzgerald, consecrated Archbishop of Coshel, 1553. Other
records of different dates, and some earlier.

    Three branches of the Fitzgerald, alias Barron family, dropped their
patronymic Fitzgerald and retained the cognomen Barron—all descended from the
Burnchurch family and all fled to Waterford County, Ireland, but from which of
these three branches Captain William Barron, of Warren County, Georgia,
descended, it is not known.

    Captain William Barron was born about 1740 or earlier but lived no doubt, in
Waterford County, Ireland, or less likely in the adjoining county of Kilkenny.
His wife, Prudence (Prudy) Davis, born about 1742. They were married about 1760
and two or three of their children were born in Ireland. They came from Ireland
about 1766 to Warren County Georgia. Captain William Barron was in command of a
Company in the Revolutionary War. He was wounded in the Battle of Augusta, Ga.,
and fell into the hands of the Tories who hired an Indian to behead him. They
put his head as trophy on a pole erected in the center of Augusta where it
remained three weeks until the Whigs regained the town and took it down. His men
after he had lain three days on the battlefield without any attention returned
under a flag of truce to bury the dead and care for the wounded, took him up,
contrary to his wishes, and carried him into the edge of town and laid him down
on old Grayson's piazza. Grayson was an old Tory. As soon as the Tories found
out that it was Captain Barren, they set about to have him beheaded. He was a
brave fighter and a terror to the British and Tories and they had previously
offered a considerable sum for his head. The widow, Prudy Barren, nee Davis,
died in Warren county, Ga., about 1815. The names of only four of their children
are known; John Barron, Jr., born 1763 in Ireland, Elizabeth Barron born Oct,
25, 1765, most likely in Ireland, William Barron born July, 1767 in Warren Co.,
Ga., Samuel Barron born July 4, 1768 in Warren Co., Ga. No doubt there were five
or six children younger than Samuel and possibly one older than John. Children
of Captain William Barron and wife, Prudence Davis Barron:
    John Barron, Jr., was married between 1788-1790 to Frances Garrard, the
daughter of John Garrard of Wilkes County, Ga. She was the sister of Jacob
Garrard who married Elizabeth Barron.

    Elizabeth Barron was married in 1786, June 22, and died in 1827 in Putnam
County, Ga. She married Jacob Garrard, the son of John Garrard of Wilkes County,
Ga. The Garrards of Milledgeville and Dennis, Putnam County, Ga., are
descendants of this Elizabeth Barron and Jacob Garrard.

    —William Barron, Jr., married Martha (Patty) Farr about 1791.

    —Samuel Barron, married March 22, 1793, to Joannah Braswell, moved to Jones
County about 1805 and died in Jones County on June 20, 1826. He left eight sons
and three daughters.



Additional Comments:
From: 

Part V

HISTORY of BALDWIN COUNTY GEORGIA
BY MRS. ANNA MARIA GREEN COOK

ILLUSTRATED
ANDERSON. S. C.
Keys-Hearn Printing Co.
-1925—

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