John W. Barron
by John C. Barron
The ancestry of John W. Barron is a most puzzling genealogical problem. He was my great grandfather and it was because of him and the lack of knowledge about him that I started working on genealogy. In 1976 two of my cousins updated a genealogy pamphlet on the McClung family as a bi-centennial project.(1) They made the statement "... not much is known about John W. Barron. Only that he was a lawman of some kind ..." It seemed such a shame that this was all that was known about our ancestor only a hundred years after he lived. The more I thought about this, the more resolved I became to do something about it.
The search began with the 1880 census where John W. was shown living with his small family in the household of his father-in-law, Cowan McClung, in the Wadeville community of Navarro Co., TX.(2) Wadeville was located in Precinct 3 about three miles east of the present town of Kerens, but most all traces of it are now gone. The census taker listed Barron as having been born in Louisiana with both his parents born in Alabama. His age was shown as 29 as of June 1, 1880. The only other primary evidence found giving his age was his marriage license(3) where he was shown as 24 as of January 25, 1875.
These two age records produce a birthday overlap of some seven months. Consider that he had not had his 25th birthday by January 25, 1875, so according to this, his birthday was between 26 Jan 1850 and 25 Jan 1851. Conversely, he was not 30 by June 1, 1880 so his birthday from this record would be between 2 Jun 1850 and 1 Jun 1851. These two time intervals overlap from June 1, 1850, until January 25, 1851, which means that taken together they indicate that his birthday was in this period.
Despite the corroboration of the age evidence, it is possible that he was older than these records indicate. For some reason his McClung brothers-in-law would never discuss him in their latter years. Barron's grand daughter(4) asserted that as a child she begged her uncles to tell her about John W. Barron, but to no avail. She felt that they were antagonistic toward him, and since the younger brothers lived in the same household with him perhaps for as much as 6 years, they must have known him well. It could be that he was deceptive about his age and, therefore, perhaps other things. Obviously, one also had to be somewhat rough and tumble to handle the job of precinct constable in Texas in the 1880's and that may be all it was to this anecdote.
If animosity did exist between the McClung brothers and John W. Barron, then it could also have stemmed from religious differences. Cowan McClung came from staunch Scots-Irish Presbyterian stock, growing up in the close knit community of Maryville, Tennessee. Clannishness as well as avoidance and mistrust of strangers was a way of life to these Smoky Mountain people then and now. The family had been in America less than a hundred years before his birth in 1822; immigrating from northern Ireland where religious intolerance between the transplanted Presbyterians and the native Catholic Irish has resulted in hatred and open warfare from the beginning.
Cowan McClung must have been somewhat more liberal since he had evidently joined the Methodist church of his in-laws in Smith Co., Texas, where he married Elizabeth "Betsy" Lott.(5) ,(6)
John W. Barron and Sarah Eugenia McClung were married by Julius Turner, M.G. No
indication of his denomination was given and this should be further researched. Sarah E.
McClung Barron was married to her second husband, Bluford McKinney, by Methodist Episcopal
minister F.M. Winburne.(7)
It wouldn't have taken much to cause a conflict in those grim, troubled times just ten short years after the Civil War. By then the shortages and ravages of the war had begun to ease, but had no doubt taken a toll on everyone, including the children. The resulting military occupation followed by the harsh excesses of the reconstruction period contributed to and re-enforced the southern psychic, glorifying the "Lost Cause" forever. Cowan McClung's family back in Tennessee were divided over the war, in some cases brother against brother and perhaps newcomer John W. Barron or his family's loyalty to the south was questioned.
Exhaustive research efforts reading the Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi, and other censuses have not produced a solid candidate for the child, John W. Barron, born in 1850 or 1851 in Louisiana with parents born in Alabama. The most promising possibility is that of a John W. Barron born 1845-48 in Jackson Parish, Louisiana.(8),(9) This boy's father was Charles Barron who married Ann Eliza Brown in Montgomery Co., AL, in 1840.(10) They were both born in Alabama in 1822. The next most logical hopeful found in the census was born about 1854 to the family of Thomas W. Barron of Winn Parish, LA.(11) Many others were found, however, including a John W. Barron in Cherokee Co., Texas, and another from Smith Co. All were thoroughly investigated before being eliminated.
Just across the Trinity River from Navarro Co in Henderson Co., William H. Barron, seemingly the son of Charles Barron of Jackson Par., was shown on the census of 1880.(12) He had been in the county several years since he was shown marrying Rhoda Biggs there in 1876. Also in 1880 a hundred miles or so east in Rusk Co. was another Jackson Parish Barron. Wade H. Barron, the son of William Barron who was apparently the kinsman of Charles Barron, was shown as age 21 born LA, living in the household of Wm. Henley.(13) Next door was Andrew Wooley who was the husband of Katie Hamilton in the household of James Hamilton. By 1900, Wade H. Barron was living in Henderson Co. and had been married to his wife John Malissa for 17 years.(14) There certainly seemed to be more than a coincidental association with this east Texas are and Jackson Parish, but no other evidence has been located.
Whatever his background, John W. Barron first appeared in the Navarro Co. records in 1874 on the tax rolls of Precinct 3.(15) Where Barron had come from and what he was doing in this tiny rural setting in northeast Navarro Co. are two questions vital to identifying him. No other Barron's were found in the county, and he was shown as a man without any property who paid only a poll tax. He was listed between S.M. Brooks, agent for Mrs. E.S. Brooks who owned land in the Van Horn survey, and Mrs. H.H. Brice who was shown as owning property in the Emory, Harper, and Powers surveys. The Powers survey adjoined the Quero survey which contained Cowan McClung's land.
If he had been a young man living with his family and coming of legal age, then he would most likely have made a very similar appearance on the tax rolls. This does not seem to be the case, however, since he was apparently 23 years old in 1874 and should have been paying taxes for several years. It would appear then that he arrived in the area in 1874 or the year before either alone or with unknown companions. A search for persons coming to the county about this time is currently being conducted.
In 1871 a John (or Jno) Barron was listed on the tax roll of McLennan Co., Texas.(16) He owned no real estate and was only taxed for a poll and one horse. This was surely the same young man shown in the McLennan Co. census the year before.(17) He was listed as a farm laborer age 21 and born in Louisiana. He was in the household of George Stembeck born in Virginia. The following laborers were also in the household: John Taylor age 20 born MS, William Taliafero age 24 born TN, and James Purtell age 24 born MS. If this is the son of Charles Barron then he had already begun to strike years off his age.
In Precinct 3 of Navarro Co., Barron was not found in or before 1873, but paid only a poll tax in 1874. He was not found in 1875, but in 1876 he is shown paying a poll and tax on a horse. He was next taxed in 1879 where he was shown paying tax on 2 polls, a horse, and 4 cattle. He apparently did not own any real estate and probably grazed his animals on the pastures of his father-in-law, Cowan McClung. He marked his stock according to the customs of the time with the marks and brand as follows:(18) brand which looked like JIK along with two notches in the right ear and diagonal cuts in the left ear are not as easily discerned.
Barron's marks fell in the book between those of J.R. Goodman and Charlie Rich who both registered on the same day as he did, October 3, 1879. Barron was to brand his cattle on the right hip and horses on the left shoulder. Just what the brand JIK meant is also a very interesting mystery which demands research, but probably can't really be reconciled. Was he in partnership with others having the initials IK which added to his made up the brand or was it a holdover from an earlier time? This may be a valuable clue or may represent nothing concrete.
In the fall of 1878, Cowan McClung was elected justice of the peace for precinct 3 of Navarro Co.; the same office that his son William had held previously. A.B. Stringer was elected constable at the same time. Stringer, however, failed to qualify according to law and at the county commissioners court meeting on February 11, 1879, J.W. Barron was appointed to assume the duties of constable.(19) This was surely at the recommendation of Cowan McClung and was, seemingly, unabashed nepotism.
The office of constable in Texas was authorized by the state constitution of 1876 as an elective official who answered to the county commissioners.(20) A constable was assigned to each precinct where he could make arrests and serve warrants and various legal papers. In addition to other law enforcement duties, he acted as bailiff to the justice of the peace.
Little evidence has been found concerning Barron's work as a lawman. Searches of the few remaining contemporary area newspapers from Dallas and Kaufman have not proved fruitful, although there was mention of an escaped prisoner being caught during this time in the county. However, on June 2, 1879, J.W. Barron was allowed $5.00 for summoning juries of inquest(21) and on August 11, 1879, he was paid $45.00 for 14 days as riding bailiff at the spring term of the district court.(22) Little as this seems, cash money in those days was not easily acquired and probably of considerable help to the family. Obviously it was not a full time job and on the 1880 census he listed his occupation as farmer and constable.
John W. was elected constable in his own stead during the fall of 1880. At the January 5, 1881, commissioners court meeting he presented his official bond, along with W.B. Wood from precinct 4 and J.L. Bennett from precinct 7.(23) A few months later, however, he was gone.(24) At the commissioners court meeting on May 10, 1881, J[ohn] F. Selman was appointed constable of precinct 3 "vice J.W. Barron, deceased." Selman was the son of Dr. J.T. Selman a friend and neighbor of the McClung family.
Prepared by: John C. Barron, November 23, 1991
Latest revision: June 22, 1996
1. Reed & Barron. 1976. Progress of McClungs to Texas.
2. U.S. Census Navarro Co., TX 1880 (Wadeville, ed 130, p 21).
3. Marriage License # 272 Between John W. Barron & Sarah E. McClung by Julius Turner, M.G.
4. Spencer, Theresa Barron. 1978. Personal communication. She was the oldest child of Ollie C. Barron, son of John W. Barron.
5. McClung. 1904. The McClung Genealogy (reprinted 1983). p 54. Gives date as 2 Oct 1850, although no marriage record has been found in Smith Co.
6. Navarro Co. History, vol 2. p 320. Said to have formed the Long Prairie Methodist Church along with the Inmon and Henderson families.
7. Marriage Record Book 4, Navarro Co. p 320.
8. U.S. Census Jackson Par., LA 1850 (p 587).
9. U.S. Census Jackson Par., LA 1860 (Vernon, p 467).
10. Gandrud. 1960. Alabama Records, vol 196. p 71.
11. U.S. Census Winn Par., LA 1860 (Louisville, p 967).
12. U.S. Census Henderson Co., TX 1880 (ed 32, p 133).
13. U.S. Census Rusk Co., TX 1880 (ed 74, sh 9).
14. U.S. Census Henderson Co., TX 1900 (ed 58, sh 4).
15. Tax Roll Navarro Co., Texas, 1874, Precinct 3, page 2.
16. Tax roll McLennan Co., Texas 1871.
17. Census McLennan Co., TX 1870 (West of the Brazos River, p 143).
18. Marks and Brands Book 1846-1881, Navarro Co., no. 2708.
19. Deed Bood D. Navarro Co., p 538.
20. Webb. 1952. The Handbook of Texas, vol 1 (reprinted 1976). p 396.
21. Deed Book D, Navarro Co., p 556.
22. ibid., p 562.
23. Deed Book 3, Navarro Co. p 23-27.
24. ibid., p 50-54.