Aesop Barnes

Black male, born 13 July 1865 in Cottondale, Jackson County, FL. Died of chronic myocarditis and general edema at his home at 1021 North I Street in Pensacola, FL on 31 December 1938 at the age of 73 years, 5 months and 18 days.  The death certificate indicated his occupation was “common labor.” The informant in the death certificate was his wife, Pearlie Barnes, living at the same address. He was buried at the Escambia County Poor Farm Cemetery.

[Note: the death certificate spells the name “Baines” all the way through. The genealogical record, however, proves the name was Barnes.]

Aesop was enumerated in the 1870 Federal Census for Marianna, Jackson County, FL in the household of his father, Henry Barnes, a farmer born in North Carolina. The family included his mother, Lily (born in Florida); sisters Flora (13) and Charity (8); and brothers Thompson (10), and Henry, Jr. (2). While the parents were identified as Black, all of the children were identified as Mulatto in this census.

According to Jackson County, FL records, Aesop married Patty Long on 5 March 1879, though this was well before the 1880 census and Aesop is not identified as being married in that census.

In the 1880 Federal Census, Aesop was 16 and the family was still farming in Jackson County and two sons had been born since 1870: Sheppard (4) and Charly (3). The entire family was identified as Black in this census. On a separate enumeration in a different location in Jackson County done a few weeks earlier, an Aesop Barnes of 18 years old was living in a household with three unrelated people, working as a farm laborer. It is possible that there were two Aesop Barnes living in Jackson County (there were a lot of Barneses in Jackson County at this time), but there are no other indications that this was the case. It may have been that Aesop was performing some sort of paid seasonal labor. If he moved back home within the three-week interim, he could have been enumerated twice.

Aesop Barnes married Pearlie Stafford in Washington County, FL on 15 June 1908.

In the 1910 Federal Census, Aesop and Pearlie were living in Vernon, Washington County, FL. Aesop was 44 years old and had been married to Pearlie for 3 years. His occupation was laborer in a turpentine distillery. This census says Aesop’s father was born in Georgia. Pearlie was 22 years old, born in North Carolina. The census indicated she had given birth to 4 children, none of them living.

The 1920 Federal Census found Aesop enumerated on his own in Marianna, Jackson County, FL, on a street called the Russ Addition. He was identified as single, 50 years old. The census says he was born in Florida, his father in North Carolina, and his mother in Florida. His occupation was “Worker, Gardens.”

In the 1930 census, Pearlie was again enumerated with Aesop. They were living in Pensacola by then. Aesop was 65 years old and married; he was identified as being unable to read and write. He claimed to have been 38 at the time of his first marriage; this matches most closely to his marriage to Pearlie. He worked as a laborer on a golf course. Pearl was 39.

Interesting gaps in Aesop’s genealogy include the 1885 Florida State census. Given the large family, they should have been fairly easy to find but have so far proven elusive. Neither has he been found in the 1900 Federal census or the 1935 state census. I was also unable to find him in the Pensacola City Directories. While I found a woman named Pearl, I was unable to match her information to what I know about Aesop and thus cannot confirm her identity.

FAMILY:

Wife: Pearlie Stafford Barnes

Father: Henry Barnes

Mother: Lila Barnes

Siblings: Flora Barnes, Thompson Barnes, Charity Barnes, Henry Barnes, Jr., Sheppard Barnes, and Charly Barnes

SOURCES: