Hi Sharon, Berks Co. is certainly a good bet. It was a _very_ German county. And as well as Caernarvon Twp., Douglassville and Amity Twp. are also in Berks. Could the Barefoot family have been Quakers? The early Berks settlers who were English-speaking were mostly Quakers, or the fallen-away children of Quakers. In fact, Quakers were there before the Germans. Karen Sharon Sheldon wrote: > Hey Folks, > > Here's one for ya: in a dictated autobiography my distant uncle made the > following remarks about the progenitor of our Barefoot line: "Dr. Benjamin > Barefoot, came over from the North of Ireland in the last years of the 18th > century and located among the Pennsylvania Germans in German County." > > Now I know there's no such thing as German County, and Germantown isn't a > possibility, either, according to their historical society. In 1785 my > Benjamin Barefoot first appears on the tax records in West Nantmeal Twp., > Chester Co., PA. A man I believe is his brother, Samuel Barefoot, is on the > tax list as well. Does anyone have any comments on where would be a good > place in Chester Co. that would earn the designation of German County by > one who would not know any better? > > As an aside, the best I can find on this family (or even this surname) shows > activity in the 1760's off and on in Douglassville, Amity Twp. & West > Nantmeal. There's also a James Barefoot who would be a contemporary of > these two listed on the tax records in Nottingham Twp. In the 1770's there > were a few Barefoots who were in the Caernarvon Twp. area of Berks Co. as > well, but I can't find evidence of them in Berks earlier than that. > > This is my first foray into anything German in PA. Any clues, anyone? :) > > Thanks a bunch for reading this. > > Sharon > No. VA > > ==== PACHESTE Mailing List ==== > Stop by our associated website for Chester County Genealogy at > http://www.rootsweb.com/~pacheste/chester.htm

At 08:57 PM 8/2/2000 , fianna@fast.net wrote: Hi Sharon, all, This certainly is true! One must share the heritage with the Welsh that were probably already settled. Talk about fall-out. The Revolutionary War removed any question of "which side?" Quaker ranks were depleted with the enlistment of patriots. Many records exist of the re-receiving of R.W. vets into the Monthly Meeting. In re: BAREFOOT: NC State Representative,author of the history of Gen Robert E. Hoke, "Lee's Modest Warrior," and a leader in the Lincoln County Historical Society, as well as a Lincolnton attorney is Daniel W. Barefoot. He is probably descended to the folks you mention. You might write him at <danielb@ncleg.net>. I admire him immensely. My personal experience with him was as though I was allowed to see a man that history would speak kindly of. Except, instead of reading about it, I was allowed to see it during his age of achievement. Great list, best wishes, --Derick >Hi Sharon, >Berks Co. is certainly a good bet. It was a _very_ German county. And as well >as Caernarvon Twp., Douglassville and Amity Twp. are also in Berks. >Could the Barefoot family have been Quakers? The early Berks settlers who were >English-speaking were mostly Quakers, or the fallen-away children of Quakers. >In fact, Quakers were there before the Germans. >Karen > >Sharon Sheldon wrote: > > > Hey Folks, > > > > Here's one for ya: in a dictated autobiography my distant uncle made the > > following remarks about the progenitor of our Barefoot line: "Dr. Benjamin > > Barefoot, came over from the North of Ireland in the last years of the 18th > > century and located among the Pennsylvania Germans in German County." > > > > Now I know there's no such thing as German County, and Germantown isn't a > > possibility, either, according to their historical society. In 1785 my > > Benjamin Barefoot first appears on the tax records in West Nantmeal Twp., > > Chester Co., PA. A man I believe is his brother, Samuel Barefoot, is > on the > > tax list as well. Does anyone have any comments on where would be a good > > place in Chester Co. that would earn the designation of German County by > > one who would not know any better? > > > > As an aside, the best I can find on this family (or even this surname) > shows > > activity in the 1760's off and on in Douglassville, Amity Twp. & West > > Nantmeal. There's also a James Barefoot who would be a contemporary of > > these two listed on the tax records in Nottingham Twp. In the 1770's there > > were a few Barefoots who were in the Caernarvon Twp. area of Berks Co. as > > well, but I can't find evidence of them in Berks earlier than that. > > > > This is my first foray into anything German in PA. Any clues, anyone? :) > > > > Thanks a bunch for reading this. > > > > Sharon > > No. VA > > > > ==== PACHESTE Mailing List ==== > > Stop by our associated website for Chester County Genealogy at > > http://www.rootsweb.com/~pacheste/chester.htm > > >==== PACHESTE Mailing List ==== >Check out other counties in PA! >http://libertynet.org/~gencap/pacounties.html > >