Godfrey Barnsley (1805-1873)

He was born in Derbyshire, England, to the prosperous owner of a cotton mill. He came to America in 1824 and established himself as a cotton buyer in Savannah and New Orleans while setting up a shipping company to export his merchandise to Europe. His first shipment went to Norway and in gratitude King Charles III (1763-1844) sent him a set of iron chairs. Not before long, Barnsley was one of the ten wealthiest men in the south. His fortune now made, he had intended to return home in the 1830s but was persuaded by three friends (Charles Howard, William Stiles and Francis Bartow) to join them on an expedition to find land for development in newly opened northwest Georgia. The expedition was a success, and each of them purchased large estates in what became Bartow County. The 24-room house Barnsley built there was called Woodlands, but it was plagued by tragedy for 100-years, recounted in its history. In 1828, Barnsley married Julia Scarborough and they were the parents of eight children.