William Hiram Barnett
Submitted by Eloise Barnett Taylor

From "The History of Panola County TX", Biography #21

Abstracted by Marylee W. Knight

"William Hiram Barnett and his wife Deborah Ann Shaw were the first Barnetts to settle in Panola County. They came to Texas from Macon, Georgia shortly after their marriage on March 31, 1842. Beaumont was where they made their first home.

"By the time their third child was born, in 1846, they had moved to the Galloway Community. Hiram farmed his land in the flatwoods, as did the following four generations of Barnetts.

"Although Hiram and Deborah had had eleven children, only four of them lived to rear families of thier own. Their children were William Haley, Joseph Simeon, John Crawford, Zackary Taylor, Franklin Johnson, James Henry, Mary Caroline, Nathan Gardner, George Washington, Georgia ann Elizabeth and Lucious Augustus.

"William Haley was killed in the Civil War on June 16, 1862. His younger brother Joseph Simeon was killed ten days earlier on June 6, 1862. John Crawford also fought in the war. All three sons fought with Texas units of the Confederacy.

"John Crawford married Casandra Sinclair and their children were William Joseph, James Lane, Adella, Lee Ellah, Matre Mathis, John Maxey, Elizah F., Elisha D., Henry Pinkham, George F., Effie, Ellen, Mamie C. and Harvey D. Eleven of John's fourteen children lived to rear his sixty-six grandchildren.

"Zachary Taylor died at the age on15 in 1864.

"Franklin Johnson's children were Baskam, Nig and Cammie.

"James Henry died in 1854 at the age of one and Mary Caroline died as an infant of 23 days in 1855. Nathan Gardner died August 5, 1881, at the age of 24 and George Washington died at age seven months on March 12, 1861.

"Georgia Ann Elizabeth married James Frank Ritter and thier children were Hiram, Rant, Elle, Maude, Myrtie, Nath and Fames Frank, Jr. Three other Ritter children died as infants.

"Lucious Augustus married Pernelia Pyle and their children were Ola, Eddie, Hiram and Homer.

"Today several hundred descendants can be traced to the family of William Hiram and his wife Deborah."