From The Descendants of Robert Barker of Duxbury, p. 12: "The first mention of Robert Barker is found in the Colonial Records under the date of 20 January 1632: 'Robert Barker, servant of John Thorp, complayned of his Mr. for want of clothes. The complaint being found just, it was ordered that Thorp should either foorthwith apparell him, or else make over his time to some other that was able to provide for him.' He was later bound to William Palmer as a carpenter's apprentice, and his time was out 1 April 1637. This date probably marks the attainment of his majority...In 1641 he, with others, bought from Jonathan, son of Elder Brewster, a ferry and one hundred acres of land at Marshfield, and in 1643, he was a member of the military company in that town under Lieut. Nathaniel Thomas. He held the office of surveyor in Marshfield in 1645 and 1648, constable in 1646, and was admitted freeman in 1654. In 1648, he bought a house and land for 45 shillings, having been licensed in 1646 to keep an inn to retail wine. Although he did not entirely give up his interests in Marshfield, where he kept his liquor license until 1666 and was grandjuryman in 1669, he seems to have removed to Duxbury about 1650-1655, for Aug. 2, 1653, he desired the laying out of lands at Nemassakeeset (v. p. 7). There is a tradition that he stayed the first winter in a dug-out. He appears several times as surveyor of Duxbury from 1654 to 1679, and grandjuryman 1684-5."

In 1651, he bought 35 acres of land in Pembroke (then called Nemassakeesett) from Miles Standish. The court at Plymouth on 5 March 1667/8, granted him nine and one-half acres of meadow at Robinson's Creek, North River, Duxbury. According to one source (Albert F. Gilmore, Keene Descendants, published in 1975), the Barkers built a sawmill and grist mill on the stream near their house where they ground grain for the neighboring farmers.

Robert's wife was fined on 7 March 1681/2 for selling cider to the Indians. She died before 1688/9 as she was not mentioned in the will of her husband dated 18 February 1688/9. The estate of Robert Barker was valued at 142 pounds.

Robert and his wife Lucy (Williams) Barker had five children, probably born in Marshfield and/or Duxbury, MA:

• Robert, Jr., b. 27 Feb. 1650/1; d. 25 Sept. 1729; m. (1) Alice Snow; m. (2) Phebe (Cook) Arnold Marsh.
• Francis, date of birth unknown; d. 1720/1; m. in Hingham, MA, 5 Jan. 1674/5, Mary Lincoln, daughter of Thomas and Margaret (Langer) Lincoln.
• Isaac, date of birth unknown; d. before 169; m. 28 Dec. 1665, Judith Prence, daughter of Gov. Thomas and Mary (Collier) Prence.
• Rebecca, date of birth unknown; m. William Snow, who came from England in the Susan and Ellen in 1635 (Savage 1:116); or Josiah Snow (Wakefield & Beale, "Richard Warren," MFIP, p. 29).
• Abigail, date of birth unknown; d. between 19 April and 27 June 1718; m. Joseph Rogers.

From The Descendants of Robert Barker of Duxbury, p. 13: "Robert Barker began his career as a soldier, and was made a lieutenant under Maj. James Cudworth Oct. 4, 1675, but during King Philip's War abruptly terminated his connection with the company, as Deane suggested, because he had become convinced of Quaker principles. The record is that he was degraded and fined 15s. because he 'broke away from the army, when they were on the march, in a mutinous way and by his example allured others.' Several of his associates in this movement were Friends, and the meetings of the society were regularly held in his house about the year 1700. He early utilized the water power of the brook, on which his father's house stood, for in 1681 he owned a sawmill there, and in 1684 held land at Pudding Brook, where he was given liberty to build a dam in 1693. Farming (and blacksmithing?) also occupied his time in later years -- and he held the offices of constable (1685) and surveyor (1687). His interests extended to Rhode Island, for he deeded land in 1707 for 36 pounds to his Uncle Robert of Jamestown."

Robert, Jr. and his wife Alice (Snow) Barker had eight children, all born in Duxbury, MA:

• Abigail, b. 24 Aug. 1682; m. (1) William Carr; m. (2) Michael Wanton; m. (3) Thomas Rodman.
• James, b. 1 Jan. 1683/4; m. Hannah (Allen) Wanton.
• Caleb, b. 24 May 1685; m. Anna Carr.
• Deborah, b. 7 Nov. 1686; m. (1) Prince Howland; m. (2) Benjamin Keen.
• Luceanna, b. 20 Nov. 1689; d. 11 July 1769; unmarried.
• Robert, b. 4 July 1693; m. Lydia Booth.
• Alice, b. 3 June 1695; m. Matthew Estes.
• Lydia, b. 5 Sept. 1697; m. Ebenezer Stetson.