Armstead Barnes was a son of Elijah Barnes (1777-1845) and Rachel Willcocks (1774-1840). [Nelson County, Kentucky Will Book No. 4, Elijah Barnes. Meade County, Kentucky death records for 1854 show that Armstead Barnes was born in Nelson Co., Ky., the son of Elijah & R. Barnes. The family Bible of Mary Barnes Fife (1849-1936), daughter of Armstead Barnes, states that Armstead's father was Elijah Barnes.]

Elijah and Rachel Barnes were married in Nelson County, Kentucky and are buried somewhere in Nelson County, Kentucky, likely in the area of the First Cedar Creek Baptist Church, a church Elijah Barnes donated bricks to for a new building shortly before his death. It is unknown where Rachel Willcocks was born. Elijah Barnes may have been born in Maryland or Pennsylvania. Elijah Barnes and Rachel Willcocks had the following known children; Samuel R. Barnes, Nancy Barnes married James Brown, William Barnes, James B. Barnes, Armstead Barnes, Gideon Barnes, and Eliza Barnes married Hugh V. Rachford.

Barnes family notes written by Mollie (Barnes) Gauld (1875-1968) state, "Grandfather was a twin and his twin's name was Gideon." Note that Mollie was a daughter of Elijah Hicks Barnes (1845-1933), a son of Armstead Barnes. Though this census does not show birth dates, the 1850 Federal Census does indicate that Gideon Barnes of Nelson County, Kentucky and Armstead Barnes of Meade County, Kentucky were each 41 years old.

I do not claim to know the source of Armstead's unusual first name, but I offer a possibility. James Barnes, the grandfather of Armstead Barnes, had a step-son, Col. Andrew Hynes (1750-1800). Andrew, a former surveyor with more than 11,000 acres of property listed in his will, and a former 2-time member of the General Assembly of Virginia, was a very prominent and influential man. Hynes died in his home in Bardstown, Nelson County, Kentucky. Andrew's daughter, Sarah, married Armistead H. Churchill. Members of this Churchill family owned property that would later become Churchill Downs, site of the Kentucky Derby.
Then we come to the spelling of his unique first name. In various Meade County land deeds his name is spelled as Armistead, yet can be listed as Armstead elsewhere in the same document. In family Bibles and death certificates of his children it's spelled as Armstead. His son, Armstead L. Barnes (1843-1923), apparently didn't like his first name and was known to non-family members as A. L. while his siblings were known to call him Bud. Minerva J. (Barnes) Brandenburg (1837-1925), 4th child of Armstead and Elizabeth (Dowell) Barnes, had a son William. His headstone reads, "William Armstead Brandenburg." Apparently the written record of this name was "lost" to other family members as an interesting version of Armstead appears in the name of his (Armstead, b. 1809) grandson Armpstead E. Barnes (1883-1956) and great-grandson Armpstead E. Barnes (1921-2005), they being the son and grandson of William Walker "Billy" Barnes (1851-1932).

Armstead Barnes (age 21) was married to Elizabeth Dowell (age 16) in Meade County, Kentucky on September 5, 1830. They were married by Baptist preacher Simeon Buchanon (1789-1863), their minister at Hill Grove Church who at other times served as minister at Otter Creek, Ohio, Mt. Pleasant, Dorrits Creek and Walnut Grove churches in the Meade County area. Buchanan, born in an area of Virginia later to become Woodford County, Kentucky, was a veteran of the U. S. Army during the War of 1812 and son of pioneer preacher Alexander Buchanan, an officer in the American Army during the Revolutionary War. Following the war Simeon moved to Hardin County (KY.) becoming a member of Rudes (Rhudes) Creek Church and was baptized by John Taylor and ordained there in 1822. (J. H. Spenser, History of Kentucky Baptists, Vol. 2.)
See the note included here written by Armstead's granddaughter Mary E. "Mollie" (Barnes) Gauld (1875-1968) that says, "Grandfather Barnes....also had a sister, she was married....that was where grandmother met him at his sister's."
This sister of grandfather's is very likely referring to Armstead's sister, Eliza (Barnes) Rachford-Martin (1813-1881) who lived in Larue County, Kentucky with her husband at that time, Hugh V. Rachford.

Armstead and Elizabeth Barnes farmed in Stith Valley, located about 10 miles south of Brandenburg, Meade County, Kentucky. Brandenburg, the county seat, is located on the mighty Ohio River.

A case in Breckinridge Circuit Court (Chancery Case 126, Barnes Adm'r. vs. Brashear et al., Proof of wills.) dated May 26, 1842 shows Armstead Barnes, administrator for Samuel C. Barnes, a citizen of Breckinridge County who died in May, 1839, in the state of Mississippi, whither he had gone on a trading and collecting expedition. The major part of his estate remained in Kentucky when he died; but he had with him at his death a promissory note for about $900, on a citizen in Kentucky and two citizens in Indiana, and some personal items which he carried with him. About six months following Samuel Barnes' death a Mr. Heavern, as executor, procured probate in the state of Mississippi, of a document written after his death and purporting to be a nuncupative (oral, not written) will, appointing said Heavern executor, with power to dispose the estate as he might deem best. Heavern, immediately after Barnes' death, took possession of said note and other moveables in Mississippi, and seems to have assigned the note to one Brashear before the probate of the nuncupative document.
The Breckinridge court decided neither Heavern nor his assignee has shown any title to the note or to the amount of it collected by the receiver; and therefore, the decree in favor of Brashear and dismissing the original bill, is reversed and the cause remanded, with instructions to direct the receiver to pay the whole of the money to Armstead Barnes, as administrator of Samuel C. Barnes, deceased.

Armstead Barnes died December 9, 1854. Cause of death was pneumonia. [1854 Meade County death records.] Following the death of Elizabeth Barnes in Texas, their son William "Billy" W. Barnes (1851-1932) eventually acquired his sibling's shares of their parent's farm, farming the property himself. (Research by Ann T. Sipes, whose husband is a descendant of Armstead and Elizabeth.) Billy built a fine two-story house that still stands today on what is currently the Thomas J. Stith farm located about 3/4 of a mile south of the Meadville Cemetery (2006).

Armstead and Elizabeth Barnes had the following children;

1. Gideon R. Barnes (1832-1862), Confederate soldier, 2nd Corporal, Company C, 9th Texas Infantry. Gideon died at the age of 29 from a measles epidemic during the Civil War. Buried at Old City Cemetery, Paris, Lamar County, Texas. Military information spells his name as Gideon R. Barns.

2. Barbara Catherine Barnes (1834-1913), married Richard M. Riddle. Burial at Pilot Point Cemetery, Pilot Point, Texas.

3. Rachel Barnes (1836-1874), married Richard Saunders. They divorce. Rachel then married Andrew J. Rees. Burial at Cap Anderson Cemetery, Meade County, Kentucky.

4. Minerva Jane Barnes (1837-1925), married William Brandenburg. Burial Elizabethtown City Cemetery, Elizabethtown, Kentucky.

5. Francis Eliza Barnes (1840-1920), married Nicholas Rowan Lamkin. Burial at Buck Grove Baptist Church Cemetery, Meade County, Kentucky.

6. Jemima Evaline Barnes (1841-1909), married James Abel Wimp. Burial at Star Cemetery, Harvey County, Kansas.

7. Armstead Lovelace Barnes (1843-1923), married Inez G. Dickerson. Burial at Star Cemetery, Harvey County, Kansas.

8. Elijah Hicks Barnes (1845-1933), married Sophia Swan Hayden. Burial at Ridgely Cemetery, Platte County, Missouri.

9. Mary E. Barnes (1849-1936), married John W. Fife. John Fife died as the result of an accident while cutting trees in Jackson Twp., Livingston County, Missouri in early March of 1883. The exact location of John Fife's burial is unknown. Mary is buried at Evergreen Cemetery, Louisville, Kentucky.

10. William Walker Barnes (1851-1932), married Elizabeth Ellen Miller. Burial at Buck Grove Baptist Church Cemetery, Meade County, Kentucky.

11. Nancy B. Barnes (1852-1874), married Zachary Taylor Dowell. Family notes state that Nancy died at the age of 21 on May 28, 1874 in Meade County, Kentucky. The place of Nancy's burial is currently unknown.

12. Benjamin Franklin Barnes (1855-1936), youngest of the children and may have the most unusual story.
Ben F. Barnes married Melissa McMurry in Harvey County, Kansas in January 1880, farming there briefly in the same township (Lake Twp.) as Ben's brother Armstead L. Barnes and their sister Jemima (Barnes) Wimp. How is it known this Ben is their brother? Well, Armstead's son, Charles L. Barnes (1892-1980) wrote that Ben was his uncle and talks about Ben's sons Clarence and Frank. Charles also writes that Ben and his wife Lissa didn't get along.
Ben left his wife Melissa and their four children in 1895. Ben's niece Mollie (Barnes) Gauld (1875-1968) wrote, "Ben hasn't been heard of since 1895, he left Aunt Barb's in Texas." Note that Ben had an older sister, Barbara (Barnes) Riddle who lived in Pilot Point, Texas.
There is much evidence to suggest that Ben F. Barnes reappears in Plainview, Hale County, Texas, but goes by Frank D. Barnes. He's married to a young woman, Jefferson D. "Davis" Tully, 26 years younger than him. Known to be "overbearing as thunder," Davis' father, William Tully, a former Confederate soldier, apparently thought it would be proper to name his daughter after the former President of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis.
Frank and Davis Barnes have two children Frank Dalcom Barnes and Eugene Lovelace Barnes.
Note that Frank D. Barnes in Plainview, Texas was born on the same month and day (August 3) as Ben F. Barnes, has the same unique professions, piano tuner and at other times the operator of a billiard or domino parlor. A granddaughter of Frank D. Barnes alerted this writer (Larry E. Barnes) to the info on her grandfather's death certificate which noted that Frank was born in Meade County, Kentucky and his father was Armstead Barnes. After comparing the information she felt her grandfather, Frank D. Barnes, and Ben F. Barnes were the same person.