Photograph and Biography of William E. Barnett, a Founding Member of the Pelham Manor Protective Club

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According to the minutes of the Pelham Manor Protective Club, on December 3, 1881, "[a]n informal meeting of citizens at Pelham Manor was held at the residence of Mr. H. Reynolds . . . for the purpose of organizing a Protective Club." The citizens of Pelham Manor selected three men to create the articles of association of the new organization: William E. Barnett, H. Q. French and George H. Reynolds.

As I have written on the Historic Pelham Blog before, the population of Pelham grew quickly after the Civil War. With development came problems, particularly as “tramps” found the area enticing and hitched rides to Pelham on trains running on the New Haven Main Line and the Branch Line. Before the Village of Pelham Manor was incorporated in 1891, local residents founded the Pelham Manor Protective Club as a means of working together for the good of their community. The organization essentially served the purpose of a village government in the decade before incorporation of the Village of Pelham Manor.

Nearly the entire adult male population of the area – 52 local residents – subscribed as members. The purpose of the club was “to assist the public authorities in maintaining law and order within a radius of one mile from Pelham Manor Depot....” The club raised money to fund its work, which included guarding against tramps, petty thieves, stray livestock and other local problems. The records of the club, which was disbanded once the village of Pelham Manor was incorporated, provide documentation of the development of a local government in lower Westchester County in the 1880s.

Today's posting to the Historic Pelham Blog provides a photograph and biographical data for one of the most active members of the Club: William E. Barnett. His photograph appears immediately below.



"William Edward Barnett, LL.B. (West Haven, Conn.), the son of William Noyes and Mary Sullivan (Pritchard) Barnett, was born at Charleston, S. C., February 20, 1845. In college he was a member of Linonia and Δ.Κ. In Sophomore Year he received a first prize in Declamation. The first year after graduation he passed at home at West Haven, the second, was Principal of Staples Academy, in Easton, Conn., and the third was studying in the Law School at Albany, N. Y., where he received the degree of LL.B. in May, 1867. After spending the summer in a New Haven office, he formed, in September, 1867, a partnership with Norton '64, at Bridgeport, Conn. In 1868 he was Clerk of the Common Council of Bridgeport. In 1869 the partnership with Norton was dissolved, and he became Secretary to the President of the New York, New Haven and Hartford R. R., and Attorney for that Company, and for the Portchester and Harlem R. R., of which he was also a director, with offices in the Grand Central Depot, New York. In this business he has remained until the present time, but about 1887 his duties were changed and he became Executive Secretary of the Railroad, and his office was moved to New Haven, where he removed his family in 1888. From 1870 to 1880 his residence had been in New Rochelle, and from 1880 to 1888 at Pelham Manor, N. Y.

He attended the Class Meetings in 1867, 1889 with his wife, and 1894 with two daughters.

He was married March 30, 1875, at Trinity Church, New Rochelle (of which he was vestryman and organist), to Miss Marie A. Lockwood. They have had six children: --

I. William Lockwood, born Sept. 26, 1876, at New Rochelle, Yale '98; [Page 59 / Page 60]

II. Paul, born Dec. 16, 1877, at New Rochelle;

III. Edith, born July 27, 1879, at New Rochelle;

IV. Lillie, born March 22, 1881, at Pelham Manor; died March 22, 1881;

V. Helen, born August 3, 1883, at Pelham Manor;

VI. Edward, born May 13, 1887, at Pelham Manor; died February 4, 1888.

His address is care N. Y., N. H. and H. R. R., New Haven, Conn."

Source: History of the Class of 1864, Yale College. 1860 - 1895, pp. 59-60 (Princeton, N.J., C. S. Robinson & Co., University Printers, 1895).

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