Barnabas Kelet and Mary Savage Gibson had 9 children, they are James Hamilton Henagan, Mary Frances Henagan, Lucius Quintius Cincinnatus Calhoun Henagan, Andrew Barnabas Henagan, Robert Young Hayne Henagan, William Lowndes Henagan, Alice Caroline Henagan, Mary Rhoda Rutledge Henagan and Samuel Gordon Gibson Henagan.

He was educated at the academies in Marlboro County and he went on to study medicine at the University of Heidelberg in Germany. Afterwards he returned to South Carolina to practice medicine as a physician and he also engaged in planting. In 1826, he became the President of the Brownsville Minerva Academy.

In 1834 B. K. Henagan was first elected to represent Marlborough District in the South Carolina Senate from 1834 to 1838.

In 1838, B. K. Henagan was elected by the legislature to be the next Lieutenant Governor under Governor Patrick Calhoun Noble, and upon Noble's untimely death, B. K. Henagan assumed the office of Governor of South Carolina from April 1840 to December 1840.

Sometime in the early 1840's B. K Henagan moved to Marion District where he was elected to the South Carolina Senate from 1844 to 1847.

In the campaign of 1844, the Whigs and Democrats had another contest in Marion District. The respective parties had each of its candidate for the Presidency.  James K. Polk headed the Democratic Party, and Henry Clay led the Whig party. Polk was elected President. The respective parties had each of its candidates in Marion.  Ex-Governor Dr. B. K. Henagan was the Democratic candidate for the Senate; John C. Bethea, Barfield Moody and Chapman J. Crawford were the Democratic candidates for the House of Representatives. Senator Benjamin Gause was a candidate for re-election to the Senate as the Whig candidate; William H. Grice, John Woodberry and N. Philips, Esq., were the Whig candidates for the House. The campaign was conducted with spirit and dogged determination-every exertion possible was made by each party for success. The result was that the Democratic ticket carried the county by a majority of 200 or more. The writer remembers that Henagan's majority over Gause was 204. The campaign that year (1844) lacked the "Coon-skin and Red Pepper" clap-trap of 1840 to give it success. The class of men carried by such clap-trap in 1840 were generally such as could be swerved and seduced from that path by silent and effective influences, no doubt used, which were powerless in 1844.  The writer remembers hearing a remark made by Colonel W. H. Grice, one of the defeated candidates for the House, at Marion on the second day of the election, when it was ascertained that the Democratic ticket was elected entirely, to this effect:  That such a thing had never before been heard of the entire delegation from a district, Senator and Representatives, all belonged to one family.  The Senator, Dr. B. K. Henagan, and Representatives, Bethea, Moody and Crawford, were all connected with each other by blood or marriage.  The wife of Barfield; Moody was the aunt of John C. Bethea and Chapman J. Crawford, Bethea and Crawford were first cousins; Crawford's father and Bethea's mother were brother and sister, and Moody's wife was a sister of Crawford's father and also of John C. Bethea's mother; Bethea's name was John Crawford Bethea. The Senator-elect, Dr. B. K. Henagan's, mother was a Bethea. The result of the election verified Colonel Grice's remark; yet it was not a pre-concerted arrangement, it was only a happen so.

On December 2, 1846, the South Carolina legislature elected B. K. Henagan as the next Secretary of State for a four year term, and he was forced to give up his seat in the Senate.

B. K. Henagan died on January 10, 1855 in Charleston, South Carolina and was buried at Rogers Cemetary in Marlborough County near the town of Brownsville.

"This is the Last Will and Testament of me, B. K. Henagan of Marion District, State of South Carolina, as follows:

1st – I give and set apart the following named negroes to my beloved wife Anna Mariah Henagan, namely Harry and his two sons Henry and Wesley, Juda, his wife, Old Simon and his wife, Cally, Dolly, Long Juda, Cate, Mariah, Phoebe, Chloe, Flora, Hatway, Elisa, Solomon and Clarissa – the above named negroes I give to my beloved wife during the term of her natural life, and after the death of my beloved wife, then it is my will and desire that all of the above named negroes together with their increase, shall be equally divided share and share alike, among my six children, vis: Jas H. Henagan, Andrew B. Henagan, Robert Y. Henagan, Alice G. Henegan, Mary A Henagan, and Samuel I. Gibson Henagan.

2nd – I give to my beloved wife Anna Mariah Henagan eight head horses to be selected from my stock of horses not to exceed in value of $600.00. I further give my beloved wife 20 head of cattle and hogs to be taken my stock on the Catfish plantation. I further give my beloved wife one wagon and harness, one cart, the household and kitchen furniture on the Catfish plantation, also one half of all the plantation tools and farming implements that I may leave on my Catfish plantation. All the property given in this 2nd clause to my beloved wife shall be subject to the same restrictions and limitations contained in the first clause, vis: that my beloved wife shall have and enjoy the same during her natural life and at her death to be divided among my six children as in the first clause, share and share alike.

3rd – I give and bequeath to my two sons, James H. Henagan and Andrew B. Henagan all that tract or plantation of land lying and situated in the District of Marlborough and state of South Carolina know as the Cannon Land.

4th – I give and bequeath to my son Robert Y. Henagan the tract or plantation of land known as the Grove Land, also the land on ------ (unclear).

5th – It is my will and desire that all my personal property of whatsoever kind or description shall be equally divided among my six children mentioned in the 1st clause on the first page, equally, share and share alike, the shares received by my four sons I give to them, absolutely, and the share set apart for my two daughters Alice and Mary and upon their marriage the property to be received shall be in no way responsible for the debts existing that may be contracted by their husbands and if either of my above-named daughters shall die leaving no issue surviving them, then and in that event I desire that there share or shares shall revert back to my other children, or if any of them is dead then to the issue, the child or children of my deceased child or children to receive the portion the parent would have been entitled to if living.

6th – It is my will and desire that the crops made on the lands shall pay my debts. But in the event that the proceeds arising from the crops and otherwise are not sufficient then I desire my Executor, hereinafter named, to dispose of a sufficiency of personal property to pay the same or if my Executor think best, they are empowered to sell the part or the whole of the land, given to my son Robert Y Henagan if the Executor should in their judgment dispose of a part or the whole of the lands above described given to my son Robert Y. Henagan then and in that cause I devise my son Robert shall be entitled out of my personal property over and above his distributive share the amount the land may sell for above specified.

7th – It is my will and desire that my son James H. Henagan shall retain the distributive share of my son Samuel I. Gibson Henagan as long as he may remain living with Major Samuel F. Gibson and in the event that Maj. Samuel F. Gibson shall be will or otherwise give to my son Samuel I. Gibson Henagan property to the value or exceeding the value of his distributive share of my estate then, and in that event, I desire the distributive share of my son Samuel I Gibson Hengan given in the 1st and 5th clause shall become part of my estate and be divided among my other five children equally, share and share alike, the shares of my two daughters Alice and Mary be entitled to such division shall be subject the same restrictions and limitation on the property given them in the 5th clause.

(Marion City Probate Records November 1863)

Petition of Robert Y. Henagan shows that B. K. Henagan died about Nov or Dec 1855 leaving his last will and testament in full force. Appointed J. H. Henagan, J.J. Harlee and Jno. W. Henagan execs. Two former qualified and the last declined to act. Your petitioner is informed that several years before removal from the state J.J. Harlee turned over the whole business to his co-exec J. H. Henagan in the year 1859 or 1860 permanently removed from this state to Arkansas with his whole property and that since he has no connection with the estate and is now in the Confederate Army of the West and is in very bad health. That J. H. Henagan the brother of your petitioner volunteered in Col. Orr's Rifle Regiment, SC Vols. and was killed in Virginia in the fight near Richmond in 1862 but before leaving executed a power of attorney to your petitioner to take charge of and manage the estate of their deceased father. It is now legally authorized to manage the estate or execute the trusts imposed by the will which are of importance as the debts are unpaid, the property not distributed and the negroes, cotton, corn, and other property are on the plantation without any one legally authorized to manage the estate or execute the trusts. Petitioner prays letters of testamentary to J. J. Harlee be revoked as he has left the state and abandoned his trusts, and that administration De Bonis non with will annexed be granted to your petitioner. 2 Mar 1863....Inventory 12 June 1863. Negroes: 43 (age, sex, date of birth unknown). Returns for 1863, 1864, 1865. Cash to Mary and Alice to purchase clothing for themselves. Cash to Mary at Raleigh. Jno W. Henagan board of A. and M. Mrs. J. C. McClenaghan for funeral expenses of J. H. Henagan. Cash sent Mary and Alice Henagan. Expenses for Alice and Mary traveling home. Sent to J. H. Henagan in the Confederate Army. Clothing for Alice and Mary in Charleston.