John Barber

b. after 1602

d. September, 1670

buried: 19 September, 1670

John Barber was called 'Yeoman of Fressingfield' in his Will. He is not in my direct line of ancestry, but he and his Will are important links in tracing the family tree. He was the son of Simon Barber (1562 - 1637) and Simon's second wife, Agnes (nee Aldous). In 'reading between the lines' in both of his parents' wills it seems they had more trust in him than in any of Simon's four sons by his first wife.

John did not marry, although he had a servant, Ann Wilkenson who, according to his Will, "lived with him a long time."

From the point of view of my family tree, the most vital clause in the Will is that in which John gives 10 shillings to each of the 10 sons and daughters of his half-brothers, Nicholas and Simon Barber (sons of Simon Barber by his first wife) (i.e. Simon, Nicholas, James, William, Thomas, Francis, Robert, Ann, Rebecca and Elizabeth).

It is known from the Fressingfield Parish records that Simon, Nicholas and James were sons of Nicholas and Margaret Barber, but the other seven children could have been the issue of either Nicholas or Simon Barber. Notwithstanding this, all ten were the grandchildren of Simon Barber (1562 - 1637) and his first wife Anne or Agnes (nee Aldous).

The baptisms cannot be found of the latter seven, in the Parish records, most probably because they were born during the inter-regnum from the late 1630's to ca 1660, when such records were either not kept or were destroyed.

It is, however, reasonably certain that the Robert Barber referred to in the Will of John Barber, is the Robert Barber in my line of descent. If one assumes that he was the youngest of the seven sons mentioned, his date of birth would have been about 1638, which would tie in with his marriage of 1663.

Very little has been found about the other 9 children of Nicholas and Simon Barber, except the dates of the baptism of Simon, Nicholas and James - and also that William Barber married Anne Edrich (Etheridge), that Francis Barber married Elizabeth (unknown) on 26 September, 1671, and that Rebecca Barber had a son out of wedlock, by John Watson. The child was christened 2 December, 1673.