Eliphalet Douglas Barnum

Eliphalet's mother died while he was a youth and his father placed the boy with a family on Long Island, New York while he continued his recruiting and intelligence activities for the British. After the War, Eliphalet likely continued in New York while his father searched for land and compensation from the British government, then joined him in his 1793 expedition to settle at Long Point. For December 1794 Reverend Robert Addison recorded in his register "Dec. 15. Mr. Barnham, a stranger, dropped down dead." It is believed that Eliphalet Douglas Barnum, and a Douglas Barnum mentioned in the Kent County Biographical Record (1904) were the same person. Eliza Ann Wood stated that her parents were Jacob Wood and Ann Barnum, the latter born in 1793 to "Douglas" Barnum and Mary Willson. Soon after Eliphalet Douglas Barnum died, his brother Nathan Bunnell Barnum moved from New York and married his widow.

GEDCOM Note

ELIPHALET BARNUM son of (Ensign) Nathan Barnum-21

The following shows quite conclusively that Eliphalet Barnum was actually Eliphalet "Douglas" Barnum.

Fact #1 - Eliza J. Wood (Wife of John Kitchen Willson) recorded in the "Commemorative Biographical Record of Kent County, Ontario 1904" that her parents were Jacob Wood and Ann Barnum, who was the daughter of Douglas Barnum and Mary Willson. These names must be correct because Eliza J. Wood would certainly have known her parents and grandparents names.

Fact #2 - The above account and all census and other records show that Ann Barnum was born in 1793, so that is probably accurate.

Fact #3 - Other records show that Mary Willson was married to Nathan Bunnell Barnum and that their first child was born in 1797. That would indicate a probable marriage date of 1795 or 1796.

Fact #4 - The Barnum family had just recently arrived in Upper Canada in July 1793 when Eliphalet's father, Nathan, went to Newark (Now known as Niagara on the Lake, Ontario) to meet with Lt. Governor John Graves Simcoe to petition for land. Along with other land he received a Crown Grant to Lot #278 (One acre) in Newark in 1794.

Fact #5 - In a land petition Nathan, the father, stated that he had three sons and two daughters. His sons were Nathan Bunnell, Wheeler and Eliphalet. The first two lived the rest of their lives in Norfolk County, Ontario but no record of Eliphalet has been found since 1793/4.

Fact #6 - Addison's Register Record, a record of events in Newark in the early days, shows: " Mr. Barnham, a stranger, dropped down dead, 15 December 1794." I believe that this "MR. Barnham" was Eliphalet Barnum son of Nathan. His father was well known in Newark but this, quite possibly, was Eliphalet's first visit. Perhaps he had gone there to file for land as son of a U.E.Loyalist.

Fact #7 - This family is the only Barnum family known to have have lived on the Niagara Pennsula at that time and no other Douglas Barnum has been found in Canada or in their home state of Connecticut. Also, each of Eliphalet's brothers named a son Douglas.

THEREFORE: It appears almost certain that the "Mr. Barnham" who dropped dead in Newark was Eliphalet Barnum, who was also known as Douglas; that he married Mary Willson in the early 1790's; that Mary (Willson) Barnum delivered a daughter, Ann, in 1793 and that Douglas died 15 December 1794. Quite possibly he went to Newark to petition for land. After his death his widow married his brother, Nathan Bunnell Barnum and their first child was born in 1797. It should be noted that in those days it was not uncommon for a widow to marry her former husbands brother.

Submitted by Clarence W. Wood, Gr, Gr, Gr, Grandson