caprice sacrilege: Family Tree of George Washington Barrett ? TAYLOR FAMILY POEMS

One of my great-grandfathers was George Washington Barrett (September 3, 1873-June 12, 1956). ?His paternal great-grandfather was John Barrett (born circa 1776), probably the son of Reuben Barrett, a soldier on the colonial side of the U.S. Revolutionary War. ?With John Barrett the family settled in Hall County, Georgia, the seat of which is Gainesville. ?John Barrett had a son,?Elisha Chastain Barrett (June 13-1806-May 13, 1886). ?Elisha, born in Pendleton, South Carolina, was a farmer. ?George Washington Barrett, a Methodist of the old school (no alcohol or playing cards) and a staunch Victorian (down to saying ?limbs? instead of ?legs?), described him as follows:

He was a loyal friend, sunny by serious-minded, an obliging neighbor. ?He was strictly temperate, drank no alcoholic beverage, used no tobacco, was as far as any man from profaning God?s name. ?In the years when one must take long trips to market, he took great care to see that his team rested on the Sabbath day. ?He would no more have engaged in a game of cards than he would have undertaken a trip to the moon?.

As a Christian and church official he was very devout and faithful. ?He read his Bible much. ?He received much pleasure and profit from reading two books of sermons, one by Bishop Thomas A. Morris of the Methodist Church and one by Rev. Ira L. Potter of the Georgia Conference. ?In his latter years, if unable to attend church services on Sunday, he would read from these books and his Bible, often reading aloud, till his cup of rejoicing would overflow.

?George W. Barrett, Descendants of John Barrett and William Winburn (Emory University, Banner Press, 1949), page 6

Elisha was a member of what is now First United Methodist Church, Gainesville, Georgia.

He married twice. ?His first wife was Nancy Mabry (February 2, 1810-January or February 1849), whom he wedded on January 15, 1828. ?She died a few weeks after giving birth to a daughter, Nancy Elizabeth, her tenth child. ?Wife number two was Lee Ann Pendely (June 1, 1823-July 10, 1910), married to Elijah from September 28, 1876.

William Wesley Barrett (January 20-1835-December 30, 1911), father of George Washington Barrett, was the fourth child of Elisha and Nancy. ?He was a lifelong Methodist. ?William Wesley was also a Confederate veteran, having served in Company K, 43rd Georgia Regiment from March 1862 until the end of that treasonous war. ?(I added the ?treasonous? aspect of that sentence.) ?Of William Wesley Barrett my great-grandfather wrote:

The family altar was a fixture in his home. ?He sought to train his children wisely and to shield them from the sins of the day. ?If any one profaned God?s name in the presence of his children he was sure to let them know he disapproved of it. ?His pastor was a welcomed visitor in his home. ?He was neighborly and hospitable to all. ?His faith in God was never shaken. ?During his latter years he read his Bible and prayed much. ?He was ready to go or to suffer as the Lord willed.

He was a steward in the church and served some years as the Superintendent of the Sunday School at Oakwood, Ga. ?The Methodist Church there grew out of the school. ?He was highly esteemed by all who knew him.

He married Miss Sarah Jane Winburn of Jefferson, Georgia, September 1, 1859. ?She was born February 19, 1838, and died January 26, 1883. ?She was the daughter of William and Elizabeth Winburn. ?She was quite a beautiful young woman and a devoted Christian. ?One of father?s sisters told me: ??I always will believe your Mother was the the best woman I ever knew.?

?page 10

George Washington Barrett was one of six children of that marriage.

This is how my great-grandfather described himself:

George Washington Barrett, born Sept. 3, 1873. ?Joined the church when seven years of age. ?Was licensed to preach Nov. 15, 1894. ?Entered Young Harris College December 1, 1895, graduating with an A.B. degree, May 22, 1899. ?He averaged almost a sermon a month at the college.

In July, 1899, he was appointed supply pastor of the Alpharetta circuit, whose pastor was sick. ?In November, 1899, he was admitted on trial by the North Georgia Conference and was ordained deacon also. ?He was returned to the Alpharetta charge. ?He served as pastor without a break till reaching retirement age. ?November, 1945, having preached 6,082 sermons. ?He served as Secretary of 25 District Conferences, being pastor-host of three of them; for thirty-five years served somewhere on the Conference staff of secretaries, twenty-one of which he was Conference Secretary and for eighteen years was editor of the Conference Minutes.

On January 17, 1900, he married Miss Nellie Seguin Fox of Atlanta, Ga. ?She was the daughter of Dr. James O. and Sarah Thomas Fox. ?She was born at Hot Springs, Ark., Sept. 18, 1876. ?She graduated in art at Marion, Ala., and taught art two years at Young Harris College.

?pages 12-13

They had six children, including Nell Fox Barrett, who married John Dodson Taylor, Jr., on June 12, 1937.

I moved to Athens-Clarke County, Georgia, in August 2005. ?This change in geographical location brought me close to family history, for Gainesville and Oakwood are only about an hour away from my home. ?And Winder, where George Washington Barrett served in 1925-1926, is about twenty minutes (depending on traffic) away from my front door. ?My explorations of the Barrett side of my family history have turned up interesting details, some of them from the 1978 history of Barrow County, Georgia. ?Beadland to Barrow: ?A History of Barrow County, Georgia, from the Earliest Times to the Present (Atlanta: ?Cherokee Publishing Company, 1978; reprinted, 1983), contains a history of First United Methodist Church (pages 276-280), part of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, when my great-grandfather served as pastor there, and features a photograph of the parsonage where the Barretts, including my grandmother, Nell Fox Barrett Taylor, lived for a year, on page 265. ?Unfortunately, the Winder church building in which my great-grandfather preached burned down (probably due to a lightning strike) a few days ago. ?(http://onlineathens.com/local-news/2012-07-27/fire-destroys-century-old-church-building-winder)

I wrote that my great-grandfather was an old-style Methodist. ?Another piece of supporting evidence for this is the fact that, in 1928, he broke party ranks and voted for Herbert Hoover for President. ?The reason was simple: ?the Democratic Party had become the first major political party to nominate a Roman Catholic for President of the United States. ?Most Americans do not think about Roman Catholicism as a disqualifying factor for the Presidency anymore, for attitudes have changed. ?I can think of a number of practicing Roman Catholics have sought the Presidential nomination of either the Democratic or the Republican Party since John F. Kennedy won the highest office in 1960. ?But his campaign had to contend with anti-Roman Catholic bias. ?In my library I have a pamphlet?a reprinted article, really?by George L. Ford, Executive Director of the National Association of Evangelicals, in 1960. ?The title of

A Roman Catholic President: ?How Free from Church Control?

speaks for itself. ?Each of us is, to a great extent, a product of our formative environment. ?I am who I am for a variety of reasons, including my childhood and home life then. ?I apply the same principle when trying to understand my great-grandfather, a product of a very different social climate.

KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR

JULY 28, 2012 COMMON ERA