James Baber 1762-1836

The search for records of Rutherford County soldiers of the revolution carried writers to Gwinnett County, Georgia. It was to that county that JAMES BABER migrated, after living in Rutherford County for about 32 years. His application for pension was filed before the Gwinnett County court on Oct. 6, 1832, (National archives file #W-3754). Additional data on the family of James Baber was obtained from the files of C. Kenyon Withrow of Hollis, Mrs. Delmas Ruppe of Gaffney, SC, R.E. Carpenter of Rutherfordton, marriage bonds, census records and cemetery records.

JAMES BABER was born on June 1, 1762 in Bedford Co., VA, son of Robert and Margaret (?) Baber, Jr. He was still living in Bedford Co. when he first volunteered, in the summer of 1779 for Capt. James Adams’ company of Col. Charles Buck’s Regiment of the Virginia Militia. The Regiment was sent to a place called the Lead Mines to guard and protect against the Tories and Indians, and although they were engaged in no battles, they remained on guard duty for about three months.

A third tour of duty was performed under the same officers in the year 1781 when the Regiment was ordered to the Bedford Court House, to guard prisoners, and the munitions storage there. In none of these tours were there any battles or engagements with the enemy.

After this tour, when the regiment was again ordered out, JAMES BABER, for some reason was not able to participate, and he hired a substitute, John Q. Dabney, to fill his place. It was during this tour of service that the Regiment participated in the siege of Yorktown.

After the close of the war, BABER remained in Bedford County for some 7 or 8 years, and it was there that he was married about the year 1785 to MILLY ARTHUR. A few years later James moved his family to Rutherford County, NC. Where he remained for some 32 years, reared his family, and later along with some of his children, migrated to Gwinnett County, Georgia. In November of 1843, his widow was a resident of Cobb County, Georgia.

The original of the Family bible Record was attached to his pension application and lists the birthdates of himself, his wife, and children as follows:

JAMES BABER born June 2, 1762

Milly Baber, his wife, was born June 13, 1762

And in 1827 we resided at Wm. Green’s, Gwinnett County, and State of Georgia.

Anna Baber was born 25th day of September 1785
William Baber was born the 14th day of March 1787
Salley Baber was born the 3rd day of November, 1788
Robert Baber was born the 13th day of April 1791
Jane Baber was born the 10th day of March 1793
John Baber was born the 9th day of September 1797
Barnabus Arthur Baber was born the 25th day of December 1799
George Baber was born the 31st day of March 1802
Milly A. C. Crooks was born on Wednesday, 27th of March 1810
(This was a granddaughter of James and Milly Baber).

James Baber died at Gwinnett County, on July 17, 1836

And about 10 years later, in 1846, his wife, Milly (Arthur) Baber died and they are buried in the Marietta Cemetery.  (Note: James is buried in Edwardsville, Alabama)

Most of the children of James and Milly Baber were married in Rutherford Co. NC and some of them remained in this section, while others migrated to Georgia along with their parents. It is likely that one or more of the children went to Georgia first, and the parents followed.

Anna Baber married Kinchen Carpenter in Rutherford County March 5, 1808, and their children were: Kinchen Tennessee Carpenter, James Hines Carpenter, Jonathan Arthur Carpenter, Elizabeth Carpenter, Millie Ann Carpenter, Minerva Carpenter and William Worley Carpenter. Anna (Baber) Carpenter died Feb 28, 1887 at the age of 101 years, 6 months and 3 days and is buried at the Providence Methodist Church Cemetery (Rutherford County). Her husband Kinchen Carpenter is buried near the Ball Creek Church in Yancey County NC.

William M. Baber married Mary (Polly) Burge in Rutherford County on Oct. 1, 1807, and although we do not have a complete list of their children, one known daughter was Judith who married Walter S. McArthur. William M. Baber’s wife Mary (Polly Burge) Baber died in 1875 and is buried at Concord Baptist Church Cemetery, near Bostic.   (Note:   Polly Burge was dead by April 5, 1821)

Sarah (Sally) Baber first married Andrew(?) Crooks who died soon after in Rutherford County. Their only child was Millie A. C. Crooks. Sarah’s second marriage was to Rev. James Arthur, and they lived and died near Fingerville, SC.

Robert Baber married Mary (Polly) Daniel in Rutherford County, on Sept. 27, 1816. It is thought that they too went to Marietta, GA, where Robert was a minister.

Jane Baber married William Green in Rutherford County on March 9, 1816. They lived and died in Gwinnett County, Georgia.

James Baber, Jr. married Catherine Bell in Rutherford County on Oct. 29, 1817. This family remained in Rutherford County where the following children were born: Nancy, who m. Samuel Biggerstaff; Mary Elizabeth who m. Joseph Biggerstaff; Millie Ann who m. Aaron Biggerstaff, Jr.; Martha J. (Mattie) who married Elijah Biggerstaff; Rebecca M. who m. William Cansler DePriest; Cynthia who m. Elisha W. Long/ Jane who j. John W. Calton; Wilkie who m. Leanna Price; and William who m. Eliza Keeter.

James Baber Jr. died Feb 9, 1873 and Catherine Bell Baber died July 29, 1875. They are both buried in the Cedar Grove Methodist Church Cemetery at Sunshine in this county.

John Baber married Nancy Daniel in Rutherford County on May 1, 1820, and we have no other information on this family.
(This has been updated to 10 pages.)

Barnabas Arthur Baber married Matilda Baber in Rutherford County on July 18, 1825, and we have no other information on this family.

George Baber: We do not have any data on his marriage nor his descendants. However, a record of the Marietta, Georgia cemetery, indicates adjacent graves of a "George Baber 1802-1848" and "Anne Haynes Baber 1809-1891" and this no doubt is the son of James.

James Baber was a son of Robert Baber, Jr., and his wife Margaret (?). The will of Robert Baber, Jr. was filed for probate in Bedford county VA, in 1786 and lists heirs as: wife, Margaret; sons, William, John, and James; daughters, Jane Farmer, Mary Perrin, Elizabeth Haynes; grandsons, Charles and Robert Perrin, and Robert Haynes.

Robert Baber, Jr. was a son of Robert Baber, Sr. of Albemarle Co., VA. Whose wife was also named Margaret. Robert, Sr. left a will in Albemarle Co. in 1747 listing the following children; William, John, Charles, Robert Jr., Elizabeth, Anna, Sally, Mary, and Juriah.

Although our files do not show any documentary proof of the parents of Robert Baber, Sr. it is indicated that he was a son of Thomas and Elizabeth (?) Baber who had settled in Virginia sometime prior to 1722.

Taken from "Bridges to the Past" by Mrs. Ernest Newton, Ellenboro, NC and Mr. Roy Brooks, Forest City, NC, as printed in THIS WEEK, Forest City Newspaper, May 24, 1972, p. 11B.

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