JOHN D. BARNHILL was the son of ALEXANDER BARNHILL, Jr. and MARGARET __(?). John had at least three brothers, ABEL, ALEXANDER III, and ALFORD (ALFRED). JOHN D. BARNHILL was born probably in Greenville, S.C. around 1806. He was in Texas with his first wife by 1847. They had no children. This is explained in the Memoirs of James Norman Smith, his father-in-law by his second marriage to ELIZABETH HUNGERFORD SMITH. In 1878, John D. Barnhill is listed as living in the in Dallas, Texas at the home of both daughters: Sarah Williamson and Lydia Hook. He does not appear in the 1880 Census so date of death is estimated to be 1879.
He married 2nd - MRS. ELIZABETH HUNGERFORD SMITH CALHOUN [1814TN-1864TX] (widow of William Calhoun of Tipton County TN) 30 Jan 1848, DeWitt CoTX. Elizabeth Hungerford Smith was the daughter of JAMES NORMAN SMITH and SARAH JENKINS of Maury County, Tennesse [Smiths and Jenkins formerly of Charles County, MD]. Children of JOHN D. BARNHILL and ELIZABETH H.S.C. BARNHILL:
MARTHA "Mattie"(b. 1849 TX d. by 1880 TX) - m. William Carter, one daughter, Willie Carter b. 9 Oct 1870, m/ David Edward Fowler. See McLennan County TX U.S. Census Records 1870.
SARAH "Sallie" (b. ca 1852 TX) m/ H.C. Williamson, (1832-1898); Sarah died after 1928. Children from the 1880 and 1900 U.S. Census, Dallas, TX: Amantha b.1874, Henrietta b. 1876, John Henry b. 1877, Clay b. 1882, Jessie b. 1885, and Cecil b. 1887. Sallie Williamson is identified as sister of the deceased in Lydia Nelson's obituary. See also Dallas County TX Deeds, Vol. 30, P. 238, Feb. 1876 - H.C. Williamson and M.V.B. Hook sale of jointly owned property.
LYDIA "Libbie" (b. 10 Feb 1854,DeWitt CoTX, d. 11 Dec 1928, Dallas, TX) m/1 1871, C.D. Newton in McLennan Co TX. In Dallas County, Lydia Barnhill m/2-1877 M.V.B. Hook, m/3- 1891, J.M. Forrester, m/4-1908 S.F. Nelson. Children from U.S. Census 1880, Dallas, TX, Robert Van Hook (Adopted) and John Calhoun Hook (b.31 Jan 1886, d. 9 March 1942, Dallas TX).
SOURCES:
1. ROBERT BARNHILL, I, by Arthur Virgil Barnhill, Jr., Arviba Publishing,
Knoxville Tennessee, 1999.
2. HISTORY OF DEWITT COUNTY TEXAS, DeWitt County Historical Commission,
Curtis Media Corporation, Dallas, Texas, 1991.
3. Marriage Records DeWitt County, Texas and Dallas County, Texas Marriage
Records.
4. HISTORY OF HIS EARLY LIFE, by James Norman Smith, 1870. Original
handwritten memoirs in Barker Library, Center for American History,
University of Texas Library, Austin, Texas. Typed copy in Daughters
of the Republic of Texas Library, San Antonio, Texas, Daughters of the
American Revolution Library, Washington, D.C., Maury TN Library, and
Dallas Public Library.
5. Obituary of LYDIA BARNHILL ( HOOK) NELSON, Dallas Morning News, Dallas,
Texas, December, 12, 1928.
6. Jim Wheat's Dallas County Archives Online
7. Morrison & Company Dallas City Directory (1878-1879).
8. 1850 -1860 U.S. Census DeWitt County Texas; 1870 U.S. Census McLennan
Texas; 1900 U.S. Census, Dallas Texas
January 2003 - Bennie Lou Hook Altom