Barney Family
Encyclopedia
The Barney
Barney
-Notable people with the surname Barney:* Albert W. Barney, an American jurist* Alice Pike Barney, an American artist* Charles D. Barney, an American banker* Darwin Barney, second baseman for the Chicago Cubs...

 Family are important American financiers, equally famous for their pervasion in the society pages as they are for economic journals. For the last 300 years the Barney clan has been lauded for their for their patronage of the arts and philanthropic pursuits. From Barney's Department Store to the SmithBarney brokerage house. Their name and descendants have long been associated with style and high class. To this day the Barney's are a notable family in high society and the American social register.

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Barney is derived from old English and the family traces their lineage back to England where they prospered as merchants and investors in the East India Trading Company under colonial England.

Their earliest American ancestors sailed over with the pilgrims and the signature of their ancestors, the Tilly's, is found on the Mayflower Compact
Mayflower Compact
The Mayflower Compact was the first governing document of Plymouth Colony. It was written by the colonists, later together known to history as the Pilgrims, who crossed the Atlantic aboard the Mayflower...

. During the 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th centuries the Barney line has produced numerous generals, titans of industry and influential politicians.

The Barney family genealogy has been extensively researched. One of the leading genealogists is William C. Barney, founder and President of the Barney Family Historical Association in Springfield, Virginia. William C. Barney has been researching the Barney family for more than 40 years, and has traveled to libraries throughout the United States and England to conduct genealogical research. He co-authored, with Eugene D. Preston, a book entitled 'The History of the Barney Family in America'.

The Barney's gained considerable power in government and business after the American revolution. The USS Barney
USS Barney
Three ships of the United States Navy have been named Barney for Commodore Joshua Barney.* The , was a torpedo boat.* The , was a Wickes-class destroyer.* The , was a Charles F. Adams class guided missile destroyer....

 was named in their honor and Joshua Barney
Joshua Barney
Joshua Barney was a commodore in the United States Navy, born in Baltimore, Maryland, who served in the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812.-Revolutionary War:...

 raised the flag at Fort McHenry
Fort McHenry
Fort McHenry, in Baltimore, Maryland, is a star-shaped fort best known for its role in the War of 1812, when it successfully defended Baltimore Harbor from an attack by the British navy in Chesapeake Bay...

, which inspired Francis Scott Key
Francis Scott Key
Francis Scott Key was an American lawyer, author, and amateur poet, from Georgetown, who wrote the lyrics to the United States' national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner".-Life:...

 to write the Star Spangled Banner

The family created a tremendous fortune through banking, investments, brokerage, real estate and marriage during the Gilded Age
Gilded Age
In United States history, the Gilded Age refers to the era of rapid economic and population growth in the United States during the post–Civil War and post-Reconstruction eras of the late 19th century. The term "Gilded Age" was coined by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner in their book The Gilded...

. The 20th century marriage of William Barney, a descenant of Charles D. Barney
Charles D. Barney
Charles Dennis Barney was an American stockbroker and founder of Charles D. Barney & Co., one of the predecessors of the brokerage and securities firm Smith Barney....

, to Laura Jane Belmont, notable bankers with close ties to the Vanderbilts, marked the merging of two of America's most influential financial families.

Today the Barney name remains powerful in business largely due to their ancestor Charles D. Barney
Charles D. Barney
Charles Dennis Barney was an American stockbroker and founder of Charles D. Barney & Co., one of the predecessors of the brokerage and securities firm Smith Barney....

 who is a founder of Smith Barney
Smith Barney
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney is a retail brokerage joint venture between Morgan Stanley and Citigroup.On January 13, 2009, Morgan Stanley and Citigroup announced that Citigroup would sell 51% of Smith Barney to Morgan Stanley, creating Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, which was formerly a division of...

 which today, under Citigroup
Citigroup
Citigroup Inc. or Citi is an American multinational financial services corporation headquartered in Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States. Citigroup was formed from one of the world's largest mergers in history by combining the banking giant Citicorp and financial conglomerate...

 is the largest firm of its kind.

Notable Relatives

Charles D. Barney
Charles D. Barney
Charles Dennis Barney was an American stockbroker and founder of Charles D. Barney & Co., one of the predecessors of the brokerage and securities firm Smith Barney....

,
Laura Jane Barney
Laura Jane Barney
Laura Jane Barney is an American socialite, collector and philanthropist. She sits on the board of the SmithBarney division of Citigroup and the Frick Museum. She is a patron of the arts and supporter of various charitable causes both in the United States and abroad...

,
Joshua Barney
Joshua Barney
Joshua Barney was a commodore in the United States Navy, born in Baltimore, Maryland, who served in the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812.-Revolutionary War:...

,
William Barney,
John Barney
John Barney
John Barney was a U.S. Congressman from the fifth district of Maryland, serving from 1825 to 1829.Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Barney was appointed a captain and assistant district quartermaster general in the United States Army on August 15, 1814, and served until June 15, 1815, when he was...

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