Thomas C. Barrett, jurist during the Great Hanging at Gainesville, son of Thomas and Jane (Christian) Barrett, was born in Anson County, North Carolina, on June 21, 1809. After the trial ended, Barrett, fearing reprisals, decided to move his family to a safer place. The Barretts moved to Mount Vernon in the fall of 1863 and remained there until June 1865, when they moved to Bell County. In Bell County Barrett heard that federal soldiers were arresting people who had committed crimes during the Civil War. He spent several nights sleeping out of doors and hiding before he decided to leave Texas until proper authorities were again in control. He went to Mount Pleasant, Mississippi, in January 1866 and visited relatives in Tennessee before returning to Gainesville in December 1866. He demanded a jury trial for his part in the hangings and was found not guilty on December 11, 1868. In 1885 Barrett published his memoirs in a book, The Great Hanging at Gainesville. He deprecated the role of emotion in the jury's decisions and argued that his being on the jury had saved large numbers of lives. He spent the remainder of his life as a preacher for the Church of Christ, a doctor, and a farmer in Cooke County, where he died on July 24, 1892.
Handbook of Texas, On Line.

1860 Census Mt. Vernon, Titus Co., TX
Thomas Barrett M 51 North Carolina
Alsay Barrett F 31 Kentucky
Flavius J Barrett M 24 Tennessee
Monroe S Barrett M 17 Tennessee
Leonidus C Barrett M 15 Missouri
Marena E J Barrett F 12 Missouri
Thomas J Barrett M 10 Texas
Virginia A Barrett F 8 Texas
Missouri A Barrett F 6 Texas
Columbus E W Barrett M 4 Texas
Eugene Barrett M 3 Texas
Lafayett Blake M 27 Tennessee

1870 Census Cooke County, Texas
Thomas Barrett M 61 North Carolina
Alsay Barrett F 41 Kentucky
Marrilina Barrett F 21 Missouri
Thomas J Barrett M 20 Texas
Virginia A Barrett F 17 Texas
Missouri A Barrett F 16 Texas
Columbus E Barrett M 14 Texas
Eugene T Barrett M 13 Texas
Robert E Barrett M 8 Texas
Lucy Barrett F 90 Texas (Black Servant)

Suggested edit: Thomas C. Barrett was born on Wednesday, June 21st, 1809, in Anson County, North Carolina. His parents were Thomas Richard Barrett (1775-1820) and Jane Christian (1780-1842).

He married Martha Jane Alexander (1810-1845) at Tennessee, in January, 1933. They had 4 or 5 children. Martha passed away in 1845 and Thomas remarried. His second wife was Alsey Lindley (1828-1918). They married October 30th, 1845, at Anson County, North Carolina. This marriage produced at least 9 children.

Following info contributed by Ronald C. Brewer (48104028)
Thomas C. Barrett was a preacher of the gospel of Jesus Christ. His brother, Wade Barrett, was also a preacher. He died on Thursday, July 21st, 1892, in Gainesville, Cooke County, Texas
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