William Barnes Sr. facts for kids

Quick facts for kids William Barnes Sr.
From 1906's Golden Jubilee of the Republican Party
Superintendent of the New York State Department of Insurance
In office January 12, 1860 – February 5, 1870
Preceded by	None (position created)
Succeeded by	George W. Miller
Personal details
Born	(1824-05-25)May 25, 1824 Pompey, New York
Died	February 22, 1913(1913-02-22) (aged 88) Nantucket, Massachusetts
Resting place	Albany Rural Cemetery, Menands, New York
Political party	Republican (from 1854)
Other political affiliations	Democratic (before 1843) Liberty (1843–1848) Free Soil (1848–1854)
Spouses	Emily Weed (m. 1849–1889, her death) Elizabeth Balmer Williams (m. 1891–1913, his death)
Relations	Thurlow Weed (father-in-law)
Children	5 (including Catherine and William
Education	Manlius Academy, Manlius, New York
Profession	Attorney
Signature

William Barnes Sr. (born May 25, 1824 – died February 22, 1913) was an American lawyer, writer, and government official. He was from Albany, New York. He worked against slavery and helped start the Republican Party.

Barnes was the first Superintendent of Insurance for New York State. He held this important job from 1860 to 1870. He wrote books, including Semi-centennial of the Republican Party in 1904. He was the son-in-law of Thurlow Weed. His children included Catherine Weed Barnes and William Barnes Jr..

Early Life and Education

William Barnes Sr. was born in Pompey, New York, on May 25, 1824. His parents were Orson Barnes and Eliza Phelps Barnes. He went to school in Pompey. Later, he attended Manlius Academy in Manlius, New York.

After finishing school, Barnes became a teacher. He helped organize New York State's first meetings for teachers. These meetings, called annual institutes, happened in Baldwinsville in 1843 and 1844. While teaching, he began to study law. He learned law at firms in Baldwinsville and Syracuse. Barnes became a lawyer in 1846 and started his practice in Utica.

Legal Career and Public Service

Barnes soon moved from Utica to Albany. There, he practiced law with the firm of Hammond, King & Barnes. For several years in the 1850s, Barnes worked for the state's Department of Banking. He checked many banks and found some were not financially sound. These banks were then closed.

Barnes also helped the City of New York. He represented the city when rich families tried to lower their property taxes. In 1855, he was asked to look into insurance companies in New York City. He found some were cheating people. These companies were shut down. Because of his work, new laws were made to better control the insurance industry.

Leading the Insurance Department

One of the new laws created the state Department of Insurance. This department was led by a superintendent. William Barnes was chosen for this role in 1860. He was the very first person to hold this position.

He was chosen again in 1865 and served until 1870. Barnes greatly improved the insurance business in New York. His work was so good that other countries noticed. Insurance experts in places like England and Prussia praised his department's annual reports.

Political Journey

Barnes first belonged to the Democratic Party. But in the 1840s, he became very interested in the movement to end slavery. In 1843, he joined the Liberty Party. He supported James G. Birney for president in the 1844 election.

In 1848, he joined the Free Soil Party. He supported Martin Van Buren in the presidential election that year.

Founding the Republican Party

In 1854, Barnes played a big part in starting the Republican Party. This new party became America's main anti-slavery party. He was a delegate at its first New York state meetings in Saratoga Springs and Auburn. In 1855, he was the main organizer for the party in Albany County.

In 1856, Barnes helped create the Kansas Aid Society. This group helped people who were against slavery during the Bleeding Kansas conflict. He also planned two Kansas Aid meetings in 1856, one in Cleveland and one in Buffalo.

International Work for Peace

In 1872, Barnes was a U.S. delegate to the International Statistical Congress in Saint Petersburg, Russia. This congress brought together experts from different countries. They shared ways to collect and use information about things like farming and business. Barnes was a key person in the insurance part of the meeting. Czar Alexander II even gave him a diamond ring to thank him.

In 1904, Barnes attended the thirteenth Universal Peace Congress in Boston. These congresses aimed to prevent wars by finding peaceful ways to solve problems between countries. In 1907, he was also a delegate to the World's Peace and Arbitration Convention.

Author and Community Leader

In his later years, Barnes lived in Nantucket, Massachusetts. He often wrote for legal and history magazines. He wrote The Settlement and Early History of Albany in 1864. He also wrote a history of the Republican Party's first fifty years, called Semi-centennial of the Republican Party, in 1904.

Barnes founded and was the first president of New York's Society of Medical Jurisprudence. He was also a member of London's Royal Statistical Society. He belonged to the New York State and Albany County bar associations. He was also a member of the American Society of International Law. Barnes was part of the American Geographical Society and National Geographic Society. He helped start Albany's Fort Orange Club and was a member of the Albany Institute of History & Art.

Death and Family

William Barnes Sr. died at his home in Nantucket on February 22, 1913. He was buried at Albany Rural Cemetery in Menands, New York.

In 1849, Barnes married Emily Weed. She was the daughter of Whig and Republican leader Thurlow Weed. Emily died in 1889. In 1891, Barnes married Elizabeth "Lizzie" Balmer Williams.

With his first wife, Emily, Barnes had five children:

• Catherine Weed (1851–1913), a photographer who worked with Henry Snowden Ward.
• Thurlow Weed Barnes (1853–1918), who wrote a book about Thurlow Weed. He was also a businessman in China.
• Emily Weed Barnes (1856–1932), who married George C. Hollister, a leader in Rochester, New York.
• Harriet Isabella Barnes (1864–1928), a talented painter.
• William Barnes Jr. (1866–1930), a newspaper publisher and Republican Party leader in New York.

Images for kids

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  William Barnes Sr.

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  Signature of William Barnes Sr.