Barnabus Winterscale

by

Stefan Bielinski

According to provincial military records, Barnabus Winterscale was born in Ireland about 1729. In 1762, he was a thirty-five-year-old soldier in a regiment of New York provincial troops. He was described as 5' 8" tall, with red hair, blue eyes, and a fair and freckled complexion. That source also identified him as a weaver and/or laborer.

His name appears in the record under a variety of spellings. He lived in Albany during the 1760s and 70s. His modest home in the first ward appeared on city assessment rolls in 1766 and 1779. He resided in the same neighborhood where former soldiers (and weavers as well) had lived for many decades.

He was married to a woman named Elizabeth. In 1768, his family of three belonged to St. Peter's Anglican church. A list of St. Peter's communicants for 1771 identified and "Barnaley" and family as members.

He may have been the same "Baraby Winterscale" who served as an enlisted man in Colonel Marinus Willett's regiment of levies during the American Revolution. A subsequent pension application for that individual has not yet been researched.

After 1779, his name no longer appeared in the community-based record. We seek information on his later life and passing. This one time Albany resident was among the many newcomers of Irish background who were associated with the military.

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notes

the people of colonial Albany Sources: The life of Barnabus/Barney/Barnaley/Barnet Winterscale is CAP biography number 6926. This baseline sketch is derived chiefly from family and community-based resources. At this point, we hold only sketchy material on him and seek defining information on his background and fate. We understand that this biographical offering is premature!



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first posted 2/15/03; updated 7/16/14