My name is Lee Cognetta. I am one of a group of Barnfather descendants who have been researching the Barnfather name for several years now.   I conduct a 'One Name Study' of the surnames BARNFATHER, BAIRNSFATHER & BANFATHER that is registered with The Guild of One Name Studies (GOONS).    Although this website is devoted to the surname Barnfather, I am always happy to hear from Bairnsfather and Banfather descendants.  As you will see in the information about our DNA study on the Bulletin Board page, it certainly appears that we are all related!

I have created this site to help you find your link to the many other Barnfathers who are also researching their roots. You will find family trees for Barnfather families from many locations in England, Australia, the US and Canada. Information here will change from time to time, so do check back often.

	Lanercost Priory The beautiful place in the photo above is Lanercost Priory in Cumbria, England. Barnfathers have been baptized, married and buried here since the 17th century. This photo was taken during BARNFATHER 2000 in August, 2000, when over 50 Barnfathers from all over the world came together to explore their common heritage. A highlight of this reunion was a coach trip to many of the farms, still in operation, where our various ancestors lived and worked centuries ago. BARNFATHER 2002 included a trip to Beamish Open Air Museum where we were able to see the sort of Colliery Village in which the Barnfather miners of Durham and Northumberland lived and worked. A wonderful description of a childhood spent in such a village in Tyneside by one Barnfather family member may be seen by following the link to TYNESIDE MEMORIES below. BARNFATHER 2004, held in October 2004 in York, took us to the place where we think it is possible that our earliest Barnfather ancestors lived based upon the results of the BARNFATHER VIKING DNA STUDY. In addition to a tour through the lovely Yorkshire countryside to Rievaulx Abbey, we spent the afternoon at the JORVIK CENTRE where we were able to get a sense of how our earliest Yorkshire ancestors lived. BARNFATHER 2006 was, once again, held in Carlisle, Cumbria, from August 24-27.  Several local Barnfathers called in at the hotel to try and find connections (all did!).  We took a coach tour up into Scotland where we visited the Clan Armstrong Museum to learn about this family that is so connected to the Barnfathers through many marriages. We were honored to have the Mayor of Carlisle, who holds the same office as John Barnfather did in 1542, and his wife join us for our Gala Dinner at the Tullie House Museum.    If you would like information on future reunions, please contact me at the email link below. NEW BARNFATHER FAMILY RESEARCH WEBSITE David Cuff has created a website that will enable Barnfather researchers to find other Barnfathers with similar research interests. For more information on "BARNFATHER RESEARCHERS 2005," please visit the FAMILY TREES page of this website.     AUTHOR, AUTHOR!!   I am really pleased to tell you about a new book by Barnfather descendant ANGUS MANSFIELD about his grandfather, who was RIVERSDALE ROBERT BARNFATHER, a spitfire pilot during World War II.  For more information, please visit the Bulletin Board page by clicking on the link above. THE BARNFATHER DNA PROJECT Are the BARNFATHERS descended from the Norwegian Vikings? From the Danish Vikings? From both?? Is there a connection among the BARNFATHERS, BAIRNSFATHERS and BANFATHERS? Modern technology now makes it possible for us to find answers to these questions and I am pleased to say that we have had some eager volunteers to help us get to the bottom of this matter. The BARNFATHER VIKING DNA PROJECT has been ongoing for about two years now with the assistance of representatives of the BARNFATHER, BAIRNSFATHER and BANFATHER families and in conjunction with the Viking DNA studies now being conducted by University College London. THE FASCINATING RESULTS ARE NOW IN! For a full account of what this might mean to Barnfather research, please see the BULLETIN BOARD PAGE To learn a bit more about the Vikings, I suggest you start by clicking here.
	Please do visit my pages for IN MEMORIAM, BARNFATHER FAMILY TREES, BARNFATHER WILLS & MISCELLANEA, THE BARNFATHER BULLETIN BOARD, BARNFATHER FACTS & FIGURES and US BARNFATHERS. Just click on those titles at the top of this page.   To search the great volume of data (parish records, census records, etc.) that has been posted to the BARNFATHER MAILING LIST, at Rootsweb, just follow the link to BARNFATHER ARCHIVES below. Join the Mailing List Enter your name and email address below: Name: Email: Subscribe  Unsubscribe
	WHAT'S NEW AT BARNFATHER CENTRAL? Please visit the BARNFATHER MARRIAGE WITNESSES & PARTIES TO PROBATE page and find Barnfathers who witnessed marriages or were named in non-Barnfather wills.  Click on the link above. Canadian births/deaths/marriages are being added to the BARNFATHER FACTS & FIGURES page.  Click on the link above.  Marriages at Gretna Green are being added to the BARNFATHER FACTS & FIGURES page.  Click on the link above.  A new page, RESEARCH ISSUES, has been added to deal with the problem, as least as far as the County of Cumberland/Cumbria in England is concerned, of births and marriages that are not included on the IGI.  The list is astounding and of real concern to those researching the Barnfathers of this area. Another new page, CAN YOU HELP?, has been added.  Items will be added that are issues we are having trouble sorting out.  The first posting is a part of the will of George Barnfather of Hardhurst in Cumberland.  His wife's name is listed as 'Denny.'  Do you know what this is a 'pet name' for??? NON-CONFORMIST BIRTHS/DEATHS/BURIALS.  Please see the BARNFATHER FACTS & FIGURES page.  Data will be added as found, so do check back often! Click on the link at the top of this page.

Barnfather Mailing List Archives	Tyneside Memories

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