Isaac Barton (52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2025 Week 47 theme: "The Name's the Same")

Isaac Barton is a name that shows up 8 times in my database and numerous times in other databases for various branches of the Barton family. For example, the Barton Database has 207 instances of Isaac included in the first/middle name for a Barton surname. Findagrave.com has 148 matching listings. Even local Victoria genealogist Buxton has 11 Isaac Bartons in her book. It would be interesting but exceedingly time-consuming to investigate all instances of "Isaac Barton".

I have a particular curiosity in sorting out any potential relationships for two of the men sharing this name. Not only do I have a maternal ancestor named Isaac Barton (my 4th great grandfather), but I have a paternal cousin who has a different man of the same name who is her 4th great  grandfather. Both of these men came from the New York State area and were born in the late 18th century. However, the family of my Isaac Barton supported the American cause in the American Revolutionary War, whereas my cousin Louise's branch were "Loyalists", remaining loyal to the British. Louise's Isaac moved north to what would become Canada; he died in 1851 in Prince Edward County, Ontario. My Isaac died in 1857 in Huron, Wayne County, NY.

Try as I may, I have yet to find a connection between these two men who share the same name. What I have been able to learn about these two Isaacs:

1. My 4th great grandfather Isaac Barton was born about 1780 in Huron, Wayne, New York. In 1804 he married Margaret "Abba" Vought/Voak who came from Cortlandt, Westchester, New York. Between 1804 and 1820, they had a family of 5 daughters and a son. 

In the 1850 US Federal Census, Isaac is at Huron, Wayne County, NY.  He was 70 and a farmer; wife Margaret was 65. Enumerated next to them was the family of their son Gerod Barton, 45. 

He died 24 June 1857 at age 77 and is buried in the Huron Evergreen Cemetery in Wayne County, NY.

 

Isaac Barton memorial, Huron Evergreen Cemetery; photo by Robert Byrne of Findagrave.eom

2. Louise's 4th great grandfather Isaac Barton was born about 1770 in New York State. He married Phoebe Vonblack. Following the American Revolutionary War, his father Gilbert Barton (1734-1782) escaped north with his family to start a new life in Canada. Gilbert was a Quaker who had served for the American cause, despite being admonished for breaking Quaker rules against serving in wars. 

[Don't let me get started with all the Gilbert Bartons in my and my cousin Louise's family trees. So far no overlap has been found among the Gilberts either, notwithstanding the names being the same.]

Louise's Isaac died in 1851 in Prince Edward, Ontario.

Buxton had speculated that perhaps these two Isaacs were the same man (and combined data from the two men into one in her listing!) -- at least until she found the inconsistencies. On page 49 of her work she wrote the following:

 224. Isaac BARTON was born in 1770/74 in NY. Died after 1851 in Hillier Twp, Prince Edward County, Ontario. --The 1992 IGI gives marriage date of 1804, in a Presbyterian Church in Westchester Co., NY of Isaac BARTON and Abba C. VOAK; this rules out this Isaac and Abba being the parents of our Gilbert born 1800 in Prince Edward County, Ontario. It also rules out this Isaac being the Quaker Isaac found in 1851 census of Prince Edward County, Ontario, whom I still believe to be the father of Gilbert. . . .

--[1851 census Hillier Twp.] Isaac, age 82, widower, living with Marmanduke ELLIS and his wife Mahatable. Mahatable is prob. d/o Isaac.

Conclusion: Although the names might be the same, these are clearly two different men from two different Barton lines. So it seems I must remain content to be related to cousin Louise through our mutual Norwegian lines on my Dad's side.

 

Some Resources:

• Barton Database accessed online 27 October 2025 at https://www.bartondatabase.com/
• Buxton, Anna Joan, Family History of Barton 1559-1993, privately printed Victoria, BC, Canada December 1995, 199 pp, copy in possession of author of this story
• "The Barton and Ellis Connection",  Loyalist Trails, United Empire Loyalists of Canada, accessed online 29 October 2025 at https://uelac.ca/loyalist-trails/loyalist-trails-2011-50/