Biographical Sketch of BARNARD/BERNARD Family (1881); Chester County, PA Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Candace Roth . Copyright 2004. All Rights Reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/pafiles.htm ********************************************************* From THE HISTORY OF CHESTER COUNTY, by Futhey and Cope (1881); pg. 473 BARNARD, or BERNARD.-This is one of the most ancient of surnames, being first taken from Roche-Bernard, an ancient fortified manor-house of Normandy; it had been in use, however, as a baptismal name since the eighth century, and originally derived from northern mythology, signifying boldness; literally, bear's heart, from Bern, the bear, and the courage it implies. The French pronounce it Bair-nar, and the English broadly on the first syllable, as Bdr nrd, just as they call Derby 'Darby,' and Bertram 'Bartrm.' The ancestor of the Chester and Delaware County family of this name was Richard Barnard (1), who served as a grand juror at Chester, A.D. 1686, and died previous to May 5, 1698. He owned land near Chester as early as 1683. Letters of administration on his estate were, on May 11, 1698, granted by William Markham in Philadelphia to the widow, Frances Barnard. There is a tradition among the descendants of this man that he came from Sheffield, Yorkshire, England, when a young man, and that he accompanied William Penn, but this is, as yet, unsupported by evidence. There is an English tradition that he left England about 1642. Attempts have been made to harmonize these traditions, and letters, now in the possession of a member of the family, from a gentleman of the same name in the Parliament of England who is a grandson of Sir Francis Bernard, colonial Governor of New Jersey and Massachusetts, declare that "Governor Penn was well known to our family. I have great reason to think that you may claim descent from Richard of Astwood, who in the troubled reign of Charles I. is supposed to have emigrated. The family were well acquainted with Admiral Sir William Penn, the father of the celebrated Mr. Penn, the founder of the State of Pennsylvania, and if Richard had already emigrated he might easily have been attracted to the new settlement where a family friend presided. I am fully aware that some of our family settled in America, which might probably have induced my grandfather to seek that appointment." These letters were followed by a pedigree, commencing the Godfrey Bernard, A.D. 1240, and a photograph of the correspondent, which bears a resemblance to Simon Barnard, of Philadelphia, James Barnard, of West Marlborough, and some of the Barnards of an older generation. The late compilation of John Camden Hotten, entitled "Original Lists of Persons of Quality, Emigrants, Religious Exiles, &c," published in 1874, contains a ship's list in which the name of Richard Barnard, aged twenty-three, appears as having sailed Feb. 17, 1634, from London to Barbadoes in the ship "Hopewell," Capt. Thomas Wood...It is now thought that this is the same individual. Richard Barnard (1), the immigrant above alluded to, left seven children, namely, Richard (2), b. 1684; d. 1767, m. Ann, daughter of Abiah Taylor, about 1715; settled near Doe Run, West Marlborough township, then known as "Hilltown," where he had previously purchased between 400 and 500 acres of the Simcock tract, some of which is still held by his descendants. He also purchased in 1726 about 200 acres in Newlin, part of the Nathaniel Newlin tract, also a tract adjoining in the township of East Marlborough, the same now in the occupancy of Charles Barnard, Milton Barnard, descendants, and James Gawthrop, John Huey, Courtland Michener, William Thorne, et al. He was the ancestor of all the Chester County branch of the Barnard family. Thomas Barnard, brother of the former (died at Chester 1732), purchased his father's lands in Delaware County about A.D. 1712, married, first, Elizabeth Swain, of Newark; second, Sarah Carter, of Chester, and be became the progenitor of the Delaware County branch, which is now extinct in the male line, the late Maj-Gen. Isaac D. Barnard being of this line, of whom hereafter. The other children of the first settler were Sarah, m. Joseph Coburn; Mary, m. Jacob Roman; Lucy, m. Thomas Dutton; Lydia, m. Daniel Walker; Rebecca, m. Enoch Flower. Dr. Smith, in his "History of Delaware County," says that Richard the first was a Quaker, as all his children appear to have been. If this be correct, he must have become so after his settlement in this State, as George Fox did not begin to preach his doctrine until 1648, or several years after Richard Barnard had left England. However that may be, it is certain that most of his descendants have been Friends...