The following is a very rough timeline of Barnhill’s life culled solely from online sources. More information will be folded into the timeline from other sources as time permits.
1882 (18yo) – Employed as a “lecture agent” by William H. Herndon, who was a Law Partner with Abraham Lincoln, and a controversial biographer of him. Much younger than Lincoln, he lived decades after the President’s assassination. Barnhill designed a flyer for Herndon’s lecture tour. The 1882 tour was a failure, resulting on only a handful of events.
1882-85 – (1) Listed as (2) a Junior at University of Michigan Department of Law
May 14 1887 – Unity magazine (pub. By Charles H. Kerr) notes “Rev. John B. Barnhill, of he Unitarian theological school at Meadville, has written a letter to Henry George, in which he states his acceptance of the theory of the nationalization of the land.”
July 19 1888 – Bristol, VT Herald noted “Sunday Services at Holley Next Sunday– July 22– at 3 p. m: there will be a religious service at Holley hall, consisting of a short sermon by John B. Barnhill and singing. A cordial invitation is extended to every one.”
August 2 1888 – “The subject of the discourse is Why I am a Liberal,” Text can be found in Acts, twenty-eighth chapter and twenty-second verse.”
1890 – Listed in “Graduates of 1890” for Meadville Theological School
June 6 1890 – “(RJBB) of Meadville, Pa will preach at Unity church…”
October 9, 1891 – “Next Thursday evening Rev. John Basil Barnhill will be ordained as pastor of the Second Congregational church of Marblehead.”
September 22, 1892 – “John B. Barnhill, who spoke here (Salem, Ill.) last Saturday night, left the ministry to make speeches for the democratic party.”
Sept 24, 1892 – resigning as pastor to Unitarian society of Marblehead Massachusetts.
1893-1895 Minister of Mountpottinger Unitarian Church, Belfast.
October 21 1893 – “MOUNTPOTTINGER UNITARIAN CHURCH. REV. JOHN B. BARNHILL (formerly of Marble Head, near Boston, Mass.) will Preach TO-MORROW, 22nd last. Morning, 11.30 a.m.—Subject, Miracles. Evening, 7 p-m.—Subject, Victor Hugo
July 13 1894 – THE IRISH VEGETARIAN UNION… Last evening a meeting, in connection with this union was held in the Central Hall, Rosemary Street, when an address was delivered by Mr. A. F. Hills, . president London Vegetarian Union and the Vegetarian Federal Union. Mr. W. M. Scott, president of the Irish Temperance League, occupied the chair, and there was a good attendance. The meeting having been opened by the singing of a hymn and prayer by the Rev. J. B. Barnhill.
1894—1895, many notices of RJBB preaching at churches in Ireland.
April 18 1896 – “In the Unitarian denomination the Rev. J.B. Barnhill, of Belfast, has accepted an invitation from the church at Maidstone.”
October 25, 1896 – Article “Maitland on Bimetalism” by JBB in St. Louis Post-Dispatch (ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI) Sunday, October 25, 1896. “Subject analyzed by an Able Englishman”
1900 – Notices of sermons in Kent England (Maidstone is in Kent).
May 11 1901 – RJBB “of London” gives sermon in Pontypridd Wales
July 6 1902 – A sermon at a Unitarian Church in London.
Feb 22, 1904 – “Rev. John B. Barnhill, of London, England, was in the city this morning, en route from Atlanta, Ga., to Fairfield and Xenia, his mother being a resident of that village. Mr. Barnhill returned in January from England, where he has been living for the past eleven years, Mr. Barnhill is a son of Col R. S. Barnhill, of the 40th Illinois, who was killed at Kennesaw Mountain Georgia, during the civil war.”
July 14 1904 — In Scottsboro, Alabama to debate James Beeson “of this county” on socialism. “Rev. Mr. Barnhill was a friend and co-worker with the late Herbert Spencer and holds the name views as that distinguished teacher.”
December 16 1904 – “Debate on Socialism” in Little Rock Arkansas, with E.W. Perrin. Advertisement notes he has already debated Eugene V. Debs and other “prominent Socialists of the United States and England.”
May 2, 1905 – “Second Debate” on socialism with Perin in Pine Bluff, Arkansas.
October 23, 1905 – Los Angeles, “The final debate between J.W. Slayton and John B. Barnhill”
November 5, 1905 – San Luis Obispo “…challenged the Socialists”
July 3 1907 – Platteville, Wisconsin, JBB will discuss the question “Which is the aim of Socialism”
Aug 6 1907 – to speak at the Dexter Chautauqua (Poplar Bluff, Missouri) 3:15 debate on “The Trusts” with Walter Thomas Mills, 8:20 debate on “Government Ownership” with Walter Thomas Mills
Jan 3, 1908 – Carbondale Free Press (CARBONDALE, ILLINOIS) announced “John B. Barnhill, editor of the Louisville, Ill. Ledger has announced himself as a democratic candidate for congress against Congressman Pleas Chapman. Mr. Barnhill will be remembered as the opponent of W.H. Boles in the debate on the liquor question here a short time ago.”
Aug 6 1908 – We are authorized to announce John B. Barnhill, of Clay County, as a candidate for Congress
Dec 21 1908 – The Oregon Daily Journal of 21 Dec 1908, noted that famous Anarchist Emma Goldman was willing to debate John Basil Barnhill, if it could be arranged before she left for Australia.
1908-1909 – many notices of debates on Socialism
October 18 1911 – JBB “of Washington, D.C.” Notive of debates in the area around November.
June 17 1914 – J.B.Barnhill (50) marries Josephine M. Harcoum (23)
1921-1922 – Noted as a “contributor or subscriber” to the ACLU for these first few years of the organization’s existence. There was no “membership” at that time, so this is de facto membership.
July 31, 1922 – Elmira New York, gives a lecture on Unions and living wages. Noted as editor of “Humanity First.”