Thomas James Barker 1806-1889
2010
Thomas James Barker was born in England to William Barker and Elizabeth Sanders. He was the sixth of ten children born to his parents. Nothing has been recorded about his childhood that we have found. In 1825, direct ancestor Thomas married Elizabeth Thompson. They became the parents of twelve children including their eighth child John Thompson Barker who is our direct ancestor. John married Jane Pickett.
Thomas was a farmer but also possessed other skills. His daughter records that when farming was slow he made baskets and the steps on which people knelt in their churches. When his wife and children heard the message of the missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints they were baptized. Thomas’ wife Elizabeth had been a religious woman all of her life and had raised her children to attend church as well. Thomas was at first hostile towards his family’s new religion. But, over time he studied and learned and was eventually baptized. Once converted, he was a faithful member for the rest of his life. Several of Thomas’ children made the voyage to America before he did. In fact, when direct ancestor John Thompson Barker arrived in America and made the trek to Utah and then Idaho, he worked and saved until he was able to send enough money for all of his remaining family to make the voyage. Once in America, the family settled in The Bear Lake Valley on the Idaho side in the town of St. Charles. Thomas and Elizabeth Barker are buried together in the St. Charles City Cemetery, St. Charles, Idaho.
The migration of Thomas James Barker
England to Utah to Idaho