Overview: The Bartlow Branch


Of all the Van Borculo groups, the BARTLOWS may be the most unique, in more ways than one. They comprise the largest number of descendants, 26 percent in 1900. And, except for the Burtlow line within the BURKLOW branch, the Bartlows are the only surname variation to substantially alliterate using the "t" in lieu of the harder "k" or "c". Somewhat like the Burklow lines, whose lineage cannot be documented to their assured ancestor, Reynier Harmense Van Burkelow(1659-1713), the Bartlow lines have a similar problem being separated completely before 1800, and connected to their common progenitor, Jacques(James) Barkelow(1698-1780) through one of his sons. In addition, many of these lines retained the "k" as in Barklow. However, all Bartlow lines who can trace their ancestry back before 1840 in the U.S. must, without exception, connect their roots to Hunterdon County. New Jersey during the period 1728-1790, where the sons and many of the grandsons of Jacques(James) Barkelow were born.

Jacques, known as James Barkelow most of his life, was the son of William Harmense Barkeloo(c1666-p1738), of New Utrecht, Kings Co.,NY., and grandson of the immigrant, Harmen Janse Lubberdinck van Borculo. Jacques was named after his maternal grandfather, Jacques Cortelyou(c1625-1693), a surveyor of French Huguenot ancestry, who was commissioned in 1656 to lay out the tip of Manhattan Island, land that includes Wall Street, arguably the most expensive piece of real estate on earth. As long as Jacques Barkeloo resided in Readington Township,Hunterdon Co.,NJ., a Dutch and German community, he was called Jacques (or Jacob) Barkeloo in tax records. However, after he moved a few miles west to the predominantly English community of Kingwood in 1747/48, also in Hunterdon County, his given name "Jacques" translated from its French origin to its English equivalent,"James", and the moniker remained with him until he died in 1780.

James Barkelow,Sr.(1698-1780), to use the preferred identity, had six sons: William(1726), Barent(Barnet)(1730), James,Jr.(1732), John(1734), Cornelius(1736) and Harmanus(1746), though only four are known to have produced descending lines. Jan and Harmanus did not have families, although Harmanus did, in fact, marry.

William Barkelow(c1726-p1791), the oldest son, married about 1747 and fathered James(1753-1834), William(1755-1813), John(c1756-p1831), Cornelius(1760-1833) and Daniel(1767-1842). James settled in Union Co.,PA., William and Cornelius relocated in Lycoming Co.,PA., while John and Daniel opted for Sussex Co.,NJ. The latter may be the same Daniel Bartlow who married Rachel Ward in 1799 at Cincinnati, Ohio Territory. The Stephenson Co.,IL and Coos Co.,OR Barklows descend from James(1753), as do the Knox Co.,MO Bartlow line. The Bartlows of Henry Co.,OH descend from Cornelius(1760) through a grandson, Cornelius(1811-1889). Bartlow Township in Henry County,Ohio is named after the grandson.

Barnet Barkelow(1730-c1800) moved to the Shippensburg,PA area about 1789/90, after spending a short time in Buffalo Valley(Centre County) teaching before being driven back down to communities along the Susquehanna because of Indian attacks. From census to census, Barnet's descendants can be found on either side of the line between Franklin and Cumberland Counties despite having the same Shippensburg post office address. His sons appear to be, James(c1765-c1798), Barnet(c1768-1824), John(c1774-a1820) and Absalom(c1779-1842). The Franklin County wills of Barnet and Absalom attest to the relationships and early deaths of their brothers, James and John, who left widows and children. Besides the Barklow branches which still reside between Shippensburg and Chambersburg, the Mahaska Co.,Iowa Bartlows likewise descend from this branch.

James Barkelow,Jr.(1732-1796), removed to Hampshire Co.,VA(now W.VA.) in 1789. His sons were, Benjamin(c1760-p1806) and Johnson(c1762-1808), both of whom went to Greenup Co.,KY. Most descendants tended to settle across the river in Scioto Co.,OH. The children of Benjamin Barklow(1797-1866), son of Johnson, remained in the Portsmouth,OH area until well after his death. The Iron Co.,MO Bartlows appear to descend from Johnson's line through his youngest son, Stout Bartlow(1803-c1851), who was last found in Mason Co.,KY, but who may have died on his way to the California gold fields.

Cornelius Barkelow(1736-1806) left New Jersey in 1765, but returned to Kingwood Twp., Hunterdon Co.,NJ in 1789 after spending nearly 25 years in the Cumberland Gap region. His three sons settled in Ohio and Indiana. James Bartlow(1766-1854) stopped in Bracken Co.,KY in 1790/91, but removed to Franklin Co.,IN in 1814. Another son,Cornelius Barklow,Jr.(c1770-1819), remained in Martinsburgh,W.VA until 1807/08, then relocated in Knox Co.,OH. The youngest son of Cornelius,Sr.(b.1736) was Isaac Bartlow(1778-1850), who accompanied his brother, James, to Kentucky as an 11-year-old. Isaac married the first of three wives in 1798 and remained in KY ten years before moving, in 1808, across the Ohio River to Clermont County,OH(that part which became Brown County in 1818). James and Isaac Bartlow had, between them, five wives and 33 children, mostly sons. It is not difficult to understand how the Bartlow surname variation became the most populous among Van Borculo lines by 1900. There are several large Bartlow enclaves associated with specific U.S. states and counties. The Schuyler Co.,IL lines descend from John(1791-1834), the oldest son of James(1766). The Campbell Co.,KY lines descend from Isaac Bartlow(1792-1866), no. 2 son of James(1766).


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