The Barcroft Genealogy

May 18, 2011 By Marfy Goodspeed in Delaware Township Tags: Going, houses

Part Two of Going, Going, Gone

In response to the previous post, Buzz Woods sent me a link to Emma Ten Broeck Runk’s massive genealogy of the Barcroft family, available on Google Books (here’s the link).

I have no idea how I missed this resource. Like most 19th century/early 20th century genealogists, she did not worry too much about citing sources, but considering the thousands of names and dates she provided, I hardly see how she could. This is just to say, it is a wonderful resource, but must be taken with a grain of salt.

BarcroftJames — James Barcroft, 1796-1875

Be that as it may, there was so much good stuff in the book that I spent a rainy yesterday plowing through it, comparing what she had with my database, and connecting up a lot of people who needed connecting. The reason Buzz sent me the book is that it had an entry on James Barcroft, owner of the old ruin on Strimples Mill Road. What I suspect Buzz didn’t realize was that a photograph of James Barcroft was included.

Unfortunately, there was no picture of his wife, Nancy Opdycke.

However, after somewhat obsessively working my way nearly to the end of the book, I was rewarded with a picture that should have appeared next to Barcroft’s portrait. It is the James Barcroft house as it appeared in 1908.

Compare to how it appeared a couple winters ago:

The James Barcroft House, photo by Buzz Woods

I suspect the stone walls that are still standing were the middle section of the house, which was originally stuccoed, as most stone houses were.
Many thanks to Buzz for tipping me off to such a treasure.

11 Comments

Jeannie Colalillo
May 18, 2011 @ 12:10 pm

Thank you, Buzz and Marfy for connecting these dots. The photos remind me to be thankful for the great care given to our home by the previous owners . I wonder what happened to the to the Barcroft family that the house was left to ruin.
Pete Sudano
May 18, 2011 @ 12:58 pm

What a great bit of detective work! Thanks Buzz and Marfy
Phoebe wiley
May 19, 2011 @ 6:15 am

Thanks Marfy for all the thorough,precise,and interesting researchyou do,and for sharing it with all of us. It adds to our appreciation of Delaware township-a great place to live
Phoebe wiley
- Marfy Goodspeed
  May 19, 2011 @ 7:09 am
  
  Thank you, Jeannie, Pete and Phoebe. Encouraging words keep us bloggers going.
Craig Barcroft Ewing
June 22, 2011 @ 4:44 pm

Thanks for the photos re: James Barcroft. He would be my great-great -great grandfather. I am descended from James’ son Aaron and Aaron’s son Jordan and Jordan’s daughter Alice. Unfortunately I am unable to provide much other information on these generations of Barcrofts.
- Marfy Goodspeed
  June 22, 2011 @ 6:11 pm
  
  Thanks for your comment, Craig. Did you know your grandparents, Judiah Ewing and Alice Mathews Barcroft?
  - Craig Barcroft Ewing
    June 23, 2011 @ 9:48 am
    
    My grandmother Alice Mathews Barcroft passed away when I was about 6 months old, in early 1954, so I didn’t know her. I spent time with my grandfather Judiah when I was very young, I do remember him. He passed away in 1962 when I was 8 years old. My cousins and I who are all grandchildren of Judiah and Alice held a reunion in Flemington in 2006, and we all posed for a photo on the front porch of our grandparents’ former home on Mine Street.
    - Sue Cavallo
      September 14, 2019 @ 4:39 pm
      
      Craig, I remember your grandmother, Alice Barcroft Ewing. She was the sister of my grandfather, Ambrose Earl Barcroft. I actually have some of the Barcroft family bibles with names and dates if you would be interested.
      - Craig Ewing
        November 4, 2019 @ 6:38 pm
        
        Hello Sue! Sounds like we relatives. I wish I had gotten to know my grandmother Alice, I was barely 5 months old when she died. Would like to hear of any memories you have of her.
      - Linda Wayne
        February 29, 2020 @ 10:25 am
        
        I am Craig’s sister. I would be interested in any family information you have. We met Earl and Hazel in 1971 on a trip to Flemington. They were very sweet to us. It was fun to see the old family store that Dad told us about.
Marfy Goodspeed
September 10, 2011 @ 8:30 pm

I just stumbled across a link to a website that inventories great houses in England that have been destroyed. About 2000 of them. Rather mind-boggling.
http://www.lostheritage.org.uk/