Beard Envy

My ancestor Samuel Barker Jr. was clearly ahead of his time.  With such magnificent whiskers, he would have made a formidable contestant in the freestyle category at the World Beard and Mustache Championships, held this past week in Brighton, England.  Check out his competition here, courtesy of the BBC, or images from the previous event covered by National Geographic News. 

My previous post on the subject of beards was a big hit with a hirsute subset of the gay community of which I was completely unaware known as "bears":  husky large men with lots of body hair and thought to be cuddly.  By that standard, Gr-great grandfather Samuel Barker was a hottie, though heterosexual as far as anyone knows.

Whether or not someone of either gender besides my wife thinks I'm attractive, I may have to set aside a couple of years down the road to preen and wax and develop my whiskers to resplendent absurdity.  Then I can take on the likes of these fine fellows:

Comments

[Howard Kaepplein]

I am also a descendant of Benjamin Barker of Andover via three generations of Jonathan Barker. I would like to know more about Mary Abbott of Marblehead who married the first Jonathan Barker. Is she a descendant of George Barker, tailor, of Andover? I would also like to know how Symonds Epes Barker was named. I would like to get his photo.

Howard

[Bill West]

Then that's another cousin connection for us, Tim. I'm descended from William's brother
Benjamin. He married Hannah Marston and their son Jonathan married Mary Abbot(t)who was
from one of the other Abbot(t)lines, I believe. I think I might have mentioned that
before but the hour was later when I sent the last comment and I couldn't recall.

I asked about this because I have a photo sent to me by a Barker cousin of Symonds Epes
Barker Jr, another bearded gentleman. I'm going to be posting it to my blog shortly.

Bill

[GreenmanTim]

Here is how my Abbott line links to Andover Barkers (alas, not via my mother's paternal line which arrived on these shores in the mid 19th century).

My Gr-gr-gr-gr-great grandfather was Nathaniel Abbot(t) b. 1751 Andover d. 1791 Wilton, NH. He was a Revolutionary war vet and I blogged about him here:

http://greensleeves.typepad.com/berkshires/2007/02/too_late_for_le.html

His wife was Sarah Stevens of Andover(born March 22 1741/42), daughter of Samuel Stevens, Jr. and Hepzibah Ingalls. Her grandfather, Samuel Stevens Sr., married Elizabeth Barker, b. abt 1679 in Andover, whose father was William Barker (b. 1646). William Barker served as a fence viewer, pound keeper, & Constable in Andover and during the Witch hysteria confessed that, being a poor man, and having a large family & debts, he signed the devil's book. His father was Richard Barker, founding settler of Andover and 4th on the list of freeholders.

[Bill West]

Tim,
Does you Barker line connect to any of the three Barker brothers from Methuen Mass, who
migrated to Bethel, Oxford County Maine and other towns in that area?

That would be Jonathan Barker,(my ancestor), Nathaniel Barker, and Benjamin Barker.

All grandsons btw of a Jonathan Barker and Mary Abbott of Andover.

[GreenmanTim]

I would think SCUBA diving would be right out, given the tendency of whiskers to flow in front of one's mask. There again, a few tight braids might do the trick.

[Tour Marm]

I'd like to see what some of these look like after a hot shower!