Introduction

The arrival of the immigrantancestor Thomas BARNUM (or BARNHAM, or BARNAM) in the British Colonies of NorthAmerica is well documented. A number of sources also refer to his probableEnglish roots, although without offering documentation. Even without adocumented connection, however, information concerning the English forebears ofthe Barnum family will be of interest to many. So, I've included on this website a partial genealogy of the Barnham family in England, together withmention of a few isolated individuals of the same or similar surname. For thosewho may be interested, I've also included in this section a narrative versionof the family history of the first Barnum generation in North America, as wellas a similar narrative concerning the life of the famous showman Phineas Taylor“P.T.” BARNUM.

In New England Families,Cutter says “an investigation of the English ancestry of the Barnum family ofAmerica justifies the belief that the immigrant ancestor was son or grandson ofSir Martin and Judith (Calthorpe) BARNHAM. His mother or grandmother wasdaughter of Sir Martin CALTHORPE, lord mayor of London, and Sir FrancisBARNHAM, knight of Hollingbourne, was either stepbrother or uncle, and the wifeof Francis BACON (Lord Bacon), great lord chancellor and viscount, was eitherfirst or second cousin.” Noah Greeley Barnum, in The Barnum Family,1350-1907, states (without providing documentation) that this sameimmigrant ancestor was the 15^th son of Sir Francis BARNHAM and hiswife Lady Elizabeth LEONARD. The Encyclopaedia Britannica, 15^thedition, confirms that SirFrancis BACON married Alice BARNHAM in the summer of 1606; she wasthe daughter of Benedict BARNHAM, Sheriff of London, and his wife DorotheaSMITH. By virtue of an apparent connection to Thomas Barnum, the immigrantancestor mentioned above, the members of the Barnham family in England are mostlikely the ancestors of those residents of North America who bear the namesBARNHAM, BARNAM, and BARNUM (the latter two of distinctly American origin).Every member of the Barnum family who has contacted me over the years withinformation concerning the family genealogy has been a direct descendant ofthat same Thomas Barnum.

In spite of that singularuniformity of descent in North America, the same can't be said of the Europeanrecord. As a result of the many linguistic changes which have affected theEnglish language during more than 650 years since the first recorded appearanceof the surname Barnham, numerous other spellings have been encountered in thegenealogical and historical record. References have been found to (amongothers) Simon DE BERNHAM (1273), Willelmus BARNOM (1379) and Stephen BARNEHAM(1592). Frank Holmes, in the Directory of the Ancestral Heads of New EnglandFamilies, calls the name a corruption of Bearnham, meaning a town in a woodor on a hill, and notes that the original family seat was at Southwich, Hants,England. Bardsley, in his Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames,defines it as a location-derived surname meaning “of Barnham,” and referring toparishes in Ely, Chichester, and Norwich. Whatever the truth may be, thecurrent English spelling of Barnham first appears in historical documentsdating from the mid-14^th century.

This web site includes referencesto the earliest-known members of the family, both in England and in NorthAmerica, together with annotated family trees for all those Barnum familiesthat have a historically-documented relationship. The family name has appearedat various times and in various countries as Barnham, Barnam, Barnom, DeBernham, Bearnham, Barneham, and Barnum (and perhaps other spellings). Often,different sources show two or more spellings of the surname for the sameindividual. In fact, the immigrant ancestor appears to have been born with thesurname Barnham, and to have used both Barnam and Barnum after arriving inNorth America. In the genealogy presented on this site, I've generally followedthe convention of using Barnham for the English branch and Barnum for thedescendants of the immigrant ancestor. With a few exceptions, that conventionfollows actual usage by the individuals involved. However, the spellingsBarnam, Barnham and Barnum all appear on this site, and searches for specificindividuals should be undertaken with that in mind. Although the completerecord of the family of Thomas BARNUM appears within the body of this site,some may be interested in reading a history of the first North Americangeneration in narrative form. The following few paragraphs of narrative areincluded for them.

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The First Barnum Generation in NorthAmerica

Thomas BARNUM (or BARNHAM, or BARNAM)was born in 1625 in County Kent, England; died on 26 Dec 1695 in Danbury,Connecticut. As mentioned above, Noah G. Barnum, in The Barnum Family,1517-1904 states (without providing documentation) that Thomas BARNUM wasthe 15^th child of Sir Francis BARNHAM and his wife Lady ElizabethLEONARD (LENNARD). He also states that Thomas left England in 1640 to come tothe American Colonies, where he first settled in what is now Bethel, FairfieldCounty, Connecticut.

This is perhaps a good place toinsert a CAUTIONARY NOTE about Noah G. Barnum'sunproven statements concerning the parentage of Thomas Barnum, and about a fewother doubtful entries you may find in our Barnum family history. There is nodocumentary evidence of the true parentage of Thomas Barnum, and without thatevidence the reference to Sir Francis Barnham as his father is really nothingbut supposition. It was quite common during the early 1900s for families towrite or commission genealogical records for the express purpose of showingtheir descent from the earliest settlers of North America - or from theEuropean nobility. The result was a fair amount of questionable research - andeven the publication of some outright falsehoods. As a result, while both thedirect descendants of Thomas Barnum and the English line of Barnham are shownon this site, the connection between them should be considered “probable, butnot certain,” because of the lack of reliable documentary evidence. The usersof this site are also cautioned to keep in mind that the original data uponwhich much of this genealogy was based may be suspect in some respects. One ofthe unfortunate effects of using any written genealogy (including this one) isthat there is a tendency to accept what is written as fact, even though the originalsource may be suspect.

As an example, literally hundredsof entries in both written and internet genealogies show the immigrant ancestorThomas Barnum as “Thomas (Earl) Barnum” or as “Thomas Earl Barnum,” and havehim married to Mary Feaks or Feakes. In fact, documentation exists for amarriage (in England) between a Thomas BARNHAM and a Mary FEAKS (Feakes).However, the birth and death dates for that Thomas Barnham are very differentfrom those for Thomas Barnum the immigrant ancestor. In over 45 years ofresearch into Barnum family genealogy, I've found no documentation whatever forassociating the name or title of “Earl” with Thomas Barnum, and it is quiteclear that he was never married to Mary Feaks. Yet, that erroneous datacontinues to be cited by careless researchers. This problem appears to haveoriginated with an error posted by a member of the LDS Church in 1942, citing asource that does not mention either Mary Feaks or the name or title “Earl.” Ithas been compounded over the years by having been accepted by hundreds ofpersons who have neither researched nor questioned it.

Additionally, there are many places where the name of Thomas Barnum'sfirst wife is cited as Hannah HURD. This is another error that has beencompounded over the years by its acceptance without question or research. Allavailable sources indicate that, while her name was probably Hannah, hersurname was almost certainly not Hurd. This error probably arose from confusionwith the second wife of Thomas. Before she married Thomas Barnum, she was Sarah(Thompson) HURD, the widow of John Hurd, Sr. of Stratford who died in 1681.

Although I sincerely hope that thisweb site will be a useful tool for genealogical research, and that it willprovide hours of enjoyment to new generations of Barnum family genealogists, Isuggest that it be used primarily as a guide to further research. There is nosubstitute for primary documentation in the study of genealogy.

Now, let's return to the story ofour ancestor Thomas BARNUM. According to Orcutt's History of Stratford,Thomas came first to New York and afterwards to Norwalk. Several sources agreethat he married (1^st) a wife whose name may have been Hannah, butwhose surname is not known, and had with her all of his ten children. Hepurchased land in Fairfield, Connecticut on 28 Feb 1673, and received a grantof land in Norwalk five years later. The grant reads: “Granted by theplantation unto Thos: Barnam a certaine swampe lyinge neere the west side ofStonie brooke and not far of Soabatucke hill, the sayed swampe containinge fiveacres more or lesse and lyeth bounded of west north and south with the commonland. Aprill the 30^th, 1678.” That same year, he sold his land inFairfield and removed to Norwalk. Hall's History of Norwalk says: “ThomasBarnam, of Fairfield, had a grant before 1663.” The same history gives theassessment of his estate in lands in that town in 1671 and 1687 as 40 pounds.There is also a mention of Thomas in a Fairfield book of records as follows:“28 Feb. 1673 Thomas Barnam has by purchase of John Crump one parcel of land atMaximus, being in quantity by estimation three quarters of an acre more orless.” The next record is in Norwalk, dated 30 Apr 1678, and says that theplantation granted to Thomas Barnam was “three acres lying by the land saidThomas purchased of John Rayment.” At a town meeting in Norwalk, on 8 Nov 1681,he was appointed to “oversee and keep good Decorum amongst the youth in timesof exercise on the Sabbath and other Publique meetings; and the town doeimpower him if he see any disorderly, for the keep of a small stick to correctsuch with; onely he is desired to doe it with clemency; and if any areincoridgable in such disorder, he is to present them either to their parents ormasters; and if they doe not reclaime them, then to present such to authority.”Cutter, in New England Families, Notes that Thomas Barnam was one of thefirst eight settlers of the town of Danbury, Connecticut, in 1684. The Historyof Stratford makes the same statement. The others are listed as: ThomasTAYLOR, Francis BUSHNELL, John HOYT, James BENEDICT, Samuel BENEDICT, JamesBEEBE and Judah GREGORY. Those eight individuals purchased from the localIndians a large tract of land that now includes the towns of Danbury, Bethel,New Fairfield, Redding, Ridgefield, and a portion of Derby, and establishedthere the settlement of Danbury. Thomas located his homestead in a portion ofthe new settlement that in 1855 became a part of the town of Bethel, and isknown today as the Old Homestead at Grassy Plain. He was charged by his fellowsettlers with the formulation of the articles of agreement establishing theform of civil government that they were to have in their new town. From that,and other references found in contemporary records of the locality, it appearsthat Thomas BARNUM was a man of more than ordinary intelligence among theimmigrants of his time, and was very active in both church and town affairs. Hemarried (1st), in 1642, Hannah __________ . She died in 1683. The Barnum Family,1350-1907 calls her Hannah HURD (providing no source for that name) andalso calls her the mother of the first four children of Thomas. All otheravailable sources indicate that her surname is not known, and also state thatshe was the mother of all ten of the known children of Thomas. Thomas andHannah had the following children:

Thomas married (2^nd) Sarah (Thompson) HURD. The most likelydate for their marriage is after 1688 (the birth year of Thomas' daughter Abigail),since most sources agree that all of his children were born of his firstmarriage. A prenuptial agreement is said to exist. Sarah THOMPSON was born in1642 in Stratford, Connecticut; died on 24 Jan 1718 in the same place. Herfather was John THOMPSON (b. about 1617), the first of that name in Stratford.Prior to her marriage to Thomas BARNUM she had been married to John HURD,Senior, of Stratford, who died in 1681. Thomas died on 26 Dec 1695, aged about70 years. His estate, which amounted to 330 pounds, 4 shillings, 4 pence, wasdivided among “five sons and five daughters, the eldest son to have a doubleportion.” His widow Sarah returned to “Stratfield,” in Stratford, and diedthere in Jan 1718 at the age of 76 years.

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The Life of Phineas Taylor (P. T.)Barnum

Phineas Taylor BARNUM was born 5 Jul 1810 in Bethel, Connecticut; died 7Apr 1891 in Bridgeport, Connecticut. He became a celebrated American showman byemploying sensational forms of presentation and publicity to popularize suchamusements as the public museum, the musical concert, and the three-ringcircus. In partnership with James A. BAILEY, he made the American circus apopular and gigantic spectacle, the so-called “Greatest Show on Earth”.

At the peak of hiscareer, Barnum's own appearance was nearly as familiar to the public as theexhibits he promoted. An impressive figure six feet two inches tall, semi-bald,with blue eyes, a bulbous nose, and potbelly, he called himself the “Prince ofHumbugs”. He dwelt in a three-story Oriental mansion, named Iranistan, on a17-acre estate in Bridgeport, Connecticut, where he played host to suchnotables as George CUSTER, Mark TWAIN, Horace GREELEY and Matthew ARNOLD. Closefriends regarded him as good-natured, thoughtful, and kind, as well asparsimonious and egotistical. The quote “There's a sucker born every minute” isoften attributed to him. Barnum himself doubted ever having uttered those words- although he conceded that he might have said, “The people like to behumbugged”. In the appendix to A. H. Saxon, P. T. Barnum: The Legend and theMan (1989), it's claimed that the phrase “There's a sucker born everyminute, but none of them ever die” actually originated with a notorious con manknown as “Paper Collar Joe” (real name, Joseph BESSIMER), and was later falselyascribed to Barnum by show-business rival Adam FOREPAUGH in a newspaperinterview. Barnum never took specific pains to deny it, and even thanked Forepaughfor the free publicity. In spite of the confusion about the statement mentionedabove, Barnum was fond of making extravagant and colorful statements, many ofwhich have been properly quoted. Among them is the paraphrased statement,“Every crowd has a silver lining”. He served two terms in the Connecticutlegislature (1865-67) and a term as mayor of Bridgeport (1875). Barnum wasnominated by the Republican Party as a candidate for U.S. Congress (1867), butwas defeated. His Democratic opponent was William Henry BARNUM (1818-1889), athird cousin once removed, who as a U.S. Senator became known for doing much tohelp re-elect Grover Cleveland as President.

What is now New York's famous Madison Square Garden opened in April, 1874under the name “Barnum's Hippodrome”. At the north end of the city's38-year-old Madison Square Park, on Fifth Avenue, was a shed that had been useduntil 1871 as a freight depot for the New York and Harlem Railroad. Barnumspent $35,000 to remodel the roofless structure and sold his lease that winterto Patrick S. GILMORE for a handsome profit. Gilmore renamed it “Gilmore'sGarden” and used it for flower shows, policemen's balls, America's first beautycontest, religious and temperance meetings, and the first Westminster Kennel ClubShow, while Barnum pitched his circus tent at Gilmore's Garden each spring.Madison Square Garden got its present name on May 30, 1879 when it was acquiredand renamed by railroad heir William K. VANDERBILT, who announced that it wouldbe used primarily as an athletic center.

BARNUM himselfeloquently described the sort of life lived by him and his contemporaries inBethel, in the first years of the 19^th century. In his 71^styear he presented a bronze fountain to the citizens of his birthplace, accompanyingthe presentation with the following speech.

“My friends: Among all the varied scenes of an active and eventful life,crowded with strange incidents of struggle and excitement, of joy and sorrow,taking me often through foreign lands and bringing me face to face with theKing in his palace and the peasant in his turf-covered hut, I have invariablycherished with most affectionate remembrance the place of my birth, the oldvillage meeting house, without steeple or bell, where in its square family pewI sweltered in summer and shivered through my Sunday- school lessons in winter,and the old school-house where the ferule, the birchen rod and rattan didactive duty, and which deserved and received a liberal share. I am surprised tofind that I can distinctly remember events which occurred before I was fouryears old.

“I can see as if but yesterday our hard-working mothers hetcheling theirflax, carding their tow and wool, spinning, reeling, and weaving it intofabrics for bedding and clothing for all the family of both sexes. The samegood mothers did the knitting, darning, mending, washing, ironing, cooking,soap and candle making, picked the geese, milked the cows, made butter andcheese, and did many other things for the support of the family.

“We babies of 1810, when at home, were dressed in tow frocks, and thegarments of our elders were not much superior, except on Sunday, when they woretheir 'go-to-meeting clothes' of homespun and linsey-woolsey.

“Rain water was caught and used for washing, while that for drinking andcooking was drawn from wells with their 'old oaken buckets' and long poles andwell sweeps.

“Fire was kept over night by banking up the brands in ashes in thefireplace, and if it went out one neighbor would visit another about daylight thenext morning with a pair of tongs to borrow a coal of fire to kindle with. Ourcandles were tallow, home-made, with dark tow wicks. In summer nearly allretired at early dark without lighting a candle except on extraordinaryoccasions. Home-made soft soap was used for washing hands, faces and everythingelse. The children in families of ordinary circumstances ate their meals ontrenchers, wooden plates. As I grew older our family and others got anextravagant streak, discarded the trenchers and rose to the dignity of pewterplates and leaden spoons. Tin peddlers who traveled through the country withtheir wagons supplied these and other luxuries. Our food consisted chiefly ofboiled and baked beans, bean porridge, coarse rye bread, apple sauce, hasty puddingbeaten in milk, of which we all had plenty. The elder portion of the family atemeat twice a day and had plenty of vegetables, fish of their own catching, andoccasionally big clams, which were cheap in those days, and shad in theirseason. These were brought from Norwalk and Bridgeport by fish and clampeddlers. Uncle Caleb Morgan of Wolfpits or Puppytown, was our only butcher. Hepeddled his meat through Bethel once a week. It consisted mostly of veal, lamb,mutton or fresh pork, seldom bringing more than one kind at a time. Probably hedid not have beef oftener than once a month. Many families kept sheep, pigs andpoultry, and one or more cows. They had plenty of plain substantial food.Droves of hogs ran at large in the streets of Bethel.

“When one of the neighbors wanted to feed his hogs he went out in thestreet and called 'Pig,' which was pretty sure to bring all the other hogs inthe neighborhood. I remember one man, called 'Old Chambers,' who had no troublein this respect, and he was the only one excepted from it. He had a peculiarway of getting his hogs from the general drove. When he wanted them he would goout into the street and shout Hoot! hoot! hoot! At this cry all the hogs buthis own would run away, but they understood the cry and would stand still andtake the meal.

“Our dinners several times each week consisted of 'pot luck,' which wascorned beef, salt pork, and vegetables, all boiled together in the same bigiron pot hanging from the crane which was supplied with iron hooks and trammelsand swung in and out of the huge fireplace. In the same pot with the salt pork,potatoes, turnips, parsnips, beets, carrots, cabbage, and sometimes onions, wasplaced an Indian pudding, consisting of plain Indian meal mixed in water,pretty thick, salted and poured into a home-made brown linen bag which was tiedat the top. When dinner was ready the Indian pudding was first taken from thepot, slipped out of the bag and eaten with molasses. Then followed the 'potluck.' I confess I like to this day the old-fashioned 'boiled dinner,' butdoubt whether I should relish a sweetened dessert before my meat. Rows ofsausages called 'links' hung in the garret, were dried and lasted all winter.

“I remember them well, and the treat it was when a boy, to have one ofthese links to take to school to eat. At noon we children would gather aboutthe great fire-place, and having cut a long stick would push the sharpened endthrough the link, giving it a sort of cat-tail appearance. The link we wouldhold in the fire until it was cooked, and would then devour it with keenrelish.

“There were but few wagons and carriages in Bethel when I was a boy. Ourgrists of grain were taken to the mill in bags on horseback, and the women rodeto church on Sundays and around the country on weekdays on horseback, usuallyon a cushion called a pillion fastened behind the saddle, the husband, father,brother, or lover riding in front on the saddle. The country doctor visited hispatients on horseback, carrying his saddle-bags, containing calomel, jalap,Epsom salts, lancet and a turnkey, those being the principal aids in relievingthe sick. Nearly every person sick or well was bled every spring.

“Teeth were pulled with a turnkey, and a dreadful instrument it was inlooks, and terrible in execution. I can remember that once I had a convenienttoothache. Like many other boys I had occasions, when school was distasteful tome, and the hunting for birch or berries, or going after fish were more of adelight than the struggle after knowledge. This toothache struck in on a Mondaymorning in ample time to cover the school hour. I was in great pain, and heldonto my jaw with a severe grip. My mother's sympathetic nature permitted me tostay at home with the pain. My father was of rather sterner stuff. He didn'tdiscover I was out of school until the second day. When he found out I had theteethache, he wanted to see the tooth. I pointed out one, and he examined itcarefully. He said it was a perfectly sound tooth, but he didn't doubt but itpained very much, and must be dreadful to bear, but he would have somethingdone for it. He gave me a note to Dr. Tyle Taylor. Dr. Tyle read the not,looked at the tooth, and then, getting down the dreadful turnkey, growled, “Sitdown there, and I'll have that tooth out of there, or I'll yank your young headoff.” I did not wait for the remedy, but left for home at the top of myspeed—and I have not had the toothache since.

“I remember seeing my father and our neighbors put through military drillevery day by Captain Noah FERRY in 1814, for the war with Great Britain of1812-15.

“My uncles, aunts, and others, when I was a child, often spoke about theravages of Indians from which their ancestors had suffered, and numbers of themremembered and described the burning of Danbury by the British in 1777.

“One season I attended the private school of Laurens P. Hickok (now Prof.Hickok), in which his sweetheart, Eliza Taylor, was also a scholar. One day hethrew a ruler at my head. I dodged, and it struck Eliza in the face. He quietlyapologized and said she might apply that to some other time when she mightdeserve it. He and his wife are still living in Andover, mass., a happygrey-haired old couple of eighty or more.

Eliza's father, Esquire Tom TAYLOR sometimes wore white-topped boots. Hewas a large, majestic-looking man, of great will-force, and was considered therichest man in Bethel. Mr. Eli JUDD was marked second in point of wealth. Everyyear I took twelve dollars to Esquire Tom TAYLOR to pay the interest on a two-hundred-dollarnote which my father owed him. I also annually carried four dollars and fiftycents to Eli JUDD for interest on a seventy-five-dollar note which he heldagainst my father. As these wealthy men quietly turned over each note filedaway in a small package until they found the note of my father, and thenindorsed the interest thereon, I trembled with awe to think I stood in thepresence of such wonderfully rich men. It was estimated that the richer of themwas actually worth three thousand dollars!

“Esquire Tom TAYLORmade quite a revolution here by one act. He got two yards of figured carpet toput down in front of his bed in the winter, because the bare board floor wastoo cold for his feet, while he was dressing. This was a big event in the sociallife of that day, and Esquire Tom was thought to be putting on airs which hisgreat wealth alone permitted.

“When I was but ten years old, newspapers came only once a week.

“The man who brought us the week's papers came up from Norwalk, and drovethrough this section with newspapers for subscribers and pins and needles forcustomers. He was called Uncle SILLIMAN. I can remember well his weekly visitthrough Bethel, and his queer cry. On coming to a house or village he wouldshout, 'News! News! The Lord reigns!' One time he passed our school-house whena snow storm was prevailing. He shouted: 'News! News! The Lord reigns — andsnows a little.'

“It took two days, and sometimes more, to reach New York from Bethel orDanbury. My father drove a freight or market wagon from Bethel to Norwalk.Stage passengers for New York took sloop at Norwalk, sometimes arriving in NewYork the next morning, but were often detained by adverse winds several days.

“Everybody had barrels of cider in their cellars and drank cider-spiritscalled 'gumption.' Professors of religion and the clergy all drank liquor. Theydrank it in all the hat and comb shops, the farmers had it at hay and harvesttimes. Every sort of excuse was made for being treated. A new journeyman mustgive a pint or quart of rum to pay his footing. If a man had a new coat he must'sponge' it by treating. Even at funerals the clergy, mourners, and friendsdrank liquor. At public vendues the auctioneer held a bottle of liquor in hishand and when bidding lagged he would cry 'a dram to the next bidder,' the bidwould be raised a cent, and the bidder would take his boldly and be the envy ofmost of the others.

“The public whipping post and imprisonment for debt both flourished inBethel in my youthful days. Suicides were buried at crossroads. How blessed arewe to live in a more charitable and enlightened age, to enjoy the comforts andconveniences of modern times, and to realize that the world is continuallygrowing wiser and better.

“I sincerely congratulate my native village on her character fortemperance, industry, and other good qualities.

“And now, my friends, I take very great pleasure in presenting thisfountain to the town and borough of Bethel as a small evidence of the lovewhich I bear them and the respect which I feel for my successors, the presentand future citizens of my native village”.

The remarkable showman lived yet another ten years following thepresentation outlined above, passing away at the age of 80 years, 9 months and2 days, in his home at Bridgeport, Connecticut. In 1890 he had visited Denver,intending to go on to the Pacific Coast, but gave up the trip and returned homeon 1 November. He appeared as well as usual, but after 6 Nov 1890 he no longerleft his house, and he died on 7 Apr 1891. The (1^st) marriage of P.T. BARNUM was to Charity HALLETT, on 8 Nov 1829 in New York, New York. Themarriage was performed by the Reverend Dr. McAULEY. Charity HALLET was born in1808 in Bethel, Connecticut; died on 17 Nov 1873. She was a tailoress in Bethel,Connecticut, prior to her marriage to Barnum. The Barnum Family, 1350-1907calls her Charity HALLOT.

They had the following children:

Following the death of his first wife, P. T. BARNUM married (2^nd)Nancy FISH.Although they were publicly married in New York on September 16, 1874, they hadactually been secretly married in London on February 14 (Valentines Day), afact that was not discovered until 120 years later. There was no issue of theirmarriage. Forty years younger than her husband, Nancy Fish was born in 1850 inSouthport, Lancashire, England. She was the daughter of John FISH, a Manchestercotton mill owner and an old friend of Barnum's, who had based his commercialsuccess on the principles laid down by Barnum. Upon his death, Barnum was laidto rest in beautiful Mountain Grove Cemetery, which he himself had created. Inpoignant contrast to the garish notices that had accompanied his 60-yearcareer, the inscription on his tombstonewas a modest one. “P. T. Barnum,” it read, “Not My Will But Thine Be Done.”Although the original stone is still there, a larger, more impressive one waslater raised by a grateful community.

From “Life of Hon. Phineas T. Barnum”, by Joel Benton, First edition.Edgewood Publishing Company, Philadelphia, 1891 comes the following:

“April10th, 1891, was the day set for Mr. Barnum's funeral. The morning was cold,gray, and dismal. Nature's heart, with the spring joy put back and deadened,symbolized the melancholy that had fallen upon Bridgeport. No town was evermore transformed than was this city by one earthly event. On the public andprivate buildings were hung the habiliments of woe; flags were at half mast,and, in the store windows were to be seen innumerable portraits and likenessesof the dead citizen, surrounded by dark drapery, or embedded in flowers. Norwas this all. The people on the street and in the windows of their housesseemed to be thinking of but one thing -- their common loss. The pedestrianwalked slower; the voices of talkers, even among the rougher classes, were moresubdued, and in their looks was imprinted the unmistakable signal of no commonor ordinary bereavement. The large church was not only filled, with itslecture-room, a considerable time before the hour set for the services; butthousands of people crowded the sidewalks near-by for hours, knowing they couldonly see the arrival and departure of the funeral cortege. The private servicesat the house, “Marina,” near the Seaside Park, which preceded the publicservices in the church, were simple and were only witnessed and participated inby the relatives and immediate friends. The immense congregation that filled torepletion the South Congregational Church, while the last services were beingheld over the remains of Hon. P. T. Barnum, were deeply impressed with thetouching tribute which was paid the great showman and public benefactor by hisold friend, Rev. Robert Collyer, D.D. It was a pathetic picture which met theeyes of the vast throng. The aged preacher, with long white hair hangingloosely on his shoulders, and an expression of keen sorrow on his kindly face,standing in a small pulpit looking down on the remains of his old and cherishedfriend. The speaker's voice was strong and steady throughout his sermon. Eachword of that sad panegyric could be distinctly heard in every part of theedifice, but in offering up the last prayer, he broke down. The aged preachermade a strong effort to control himself, but his voice finally became husky,and tears streamed down his wrinkled cheeks. The audience was deeply touched bythis display of feeling, and many ladies among the congregation joined with thepreacher and wept freely. The immense gathering were unusually quiet when theaged minister took his place in the pulpit, and his words were strangely clear,and distinct in all portions of the church, In his feeling tribute, Dr. Collyersaid: “P. T. Barnum was a born fighter for the weak against the strong, for theoppressed against the oppressor. The good heart, tender as it was brave, wouldalways spring up at the cry for help and rush on with the sword of assistance.This was not all that made him loved, for the good cheer of his nature was likea halo about him. He had always time to right a wrong and always time to be agood citizen and patriot of the town, State, or republic in which he lived. Hisgood, strong face, was known almost as well on the other side. You may be proudof him, as he was proud of his town. He helped to strengthen and beautify it,and he did beautify it in many places. 'It is said that the hand that graspstakes away the strength from the hand that ought to give', and that such a manmust die without friends or blessings. He was not that man. He was always theopen and generous man, who could not do too much for Bridgeport. He often toldme of his desire to help this place, and he was not content to wait until afterdeath. What he has done for Bridgeport is the same as he has done for othernoble works. As my brother, Rev. Mr. Fisher said today, there was neveranything proposed in this city that had any promise of goodness but that he wasready to pour out money and assistance for it. “Faith in one's self fails inthe spring if one has not faith in God also. He had that faith I know. He hadworship, reverence, and love in his heart, and as he rests from his labors wemeet and linger here for a few minutes and pay respect and honor to the memoryof a great and good man. We can forget that we belong to divers churches, andstand here as children of one faith and one baptism, honoring for the last timeone who has finished his labors here and with a crown of glory for his reward,has joined in his eternal home the Father he served so well.” When the churchservices were over, the procession moved to Mountain View Cemetery, a mile ormore distant, where, in a beautiful plat, long ago arranged, with a modestmonument above it, rest the remains of Mr. Barnum's first wife. Here, in aplace made beautiful by nature and improved by art, was consigned the mortalpart of him whose story we have tried, weakly, perhaps, to tell. Great massesof flowers, similar to those displayed in the house and church, were upon thegrave and about it, and the people, who came there in large numbers, did notleave for hours after the religious service had been read. A book of good sizemight be made of the notable expressions called forth by Mr. Barnum's deathfrom leading journals and men known to fame. It is impossible to give any fairsample of them here, but the London Times' leader of April 8th may serve,perhaps, as a good specimen: “Barnum is gone. That fine flower of Westerncivilization, that arbiter elegantiarum to Demos, has lived. At the age ofeighty, after a life of restless energy and incessant publicity, the greatshowman has lain down to rest. He gave, in the eyes of the seekers afteramusement, a lustre to America. * * * He created the metier of showman on agrandiose scale worthy to be professed by a man of genius. He early realizedthat essential feature of a modern democracy, its readiness to be led to whatwill amuse and instruct it. He knew that 'the people' means crowds, payingcrowds; that crowds love the fashion and will follow it; and that the businessof the great man is to make and control the fashion. To live on, by, and beforethe public was his ideal. For their sake and his own, he loved to bring thepublic to see, to applaud, and to pay. His immense activity, covering all thoseyears, marked him out as one of the most typical and conspicuous of Yankees.From Jenny Lind to Jumbo, no occasion of a public 'sensation' came amiss tohim. “Phineas Taylor Barnum, born in 1810, at Bethel, Connecticut -- howserious and puritanical it sounds! -- would have died with a merely localreputation unless chance had favored him by putting in his way something tomake a hit with. He stumbled across Charles H. Stratton, the famous, theimmortal 'General Tom Thumb' of our childhood. Together they came to Europe andheld 'receptions' everywhere. It was the moment when the Queen's eldestchildren were in the nursery, and Barnum saw that a fortune depended on hisbringing them into friendly relations with Tom Thumb. He succeeded; and theBritish public flocked to see the amusing little person who had shown off hismature yet miniature dimensions by the side of the baby Heir Apparent. Then camethe Jenny Lind furore. Then came a publicity of a different sort. Mr. Barnumbecame a legislator for his State, and even, in 1875, Mayor of Bridgeport. Whynot? The man who can organize the amusements of the people may very well betrusted to organize a few of their laws for them. “When, in 1889, the veteranbrought over his shipload of giants and dwarfs, chariots and waxworks, spanglesand circus-riders, to entertain the people of London, one wanted a Carlyle tocome forward with a discourse upon 'the Hero as Showman.' It was the ne plusultra of publicity. * * * There was a three-fold show -- the things in thestalls and cages, the showman, and the world itself. And of the three perhapsBarnum himself was the most interesting. The chariot races and the monstrositieswe can get elsewhere, but the octogenarian showman was unique. His name is aproverb already, and a proverb it will continue”.

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A Research Guide to the Genealogy of the Barnum/Barnam/BarnhamFamily in England and North America

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