Ok let me be a little more speacific!?

Question:There is a circus called Barnum and Bailey.My husbands grandfather was a Bailey and the grandmother a Barnum.They have family still in NewYork.My husbands family comes from Mississippi.What are the chances that he is a great grand child of Mr.Barnum the man who started the Barnum and Bailey circus?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: There is a circus called Barnum and Bailey.My husbands grandfather was a Bailey and the grandmother a Barnum.They have family still in NewYork.My husbands family comes from Mississippi.What are the chances that he is a great grand child of Mr.Barnum the man who started the Barnum and Bailey circus?

Tammy, the only way you would really know is to trace yours and your husband's family starting with yourself and your husband and work back.

Anytime you wish to do this, there are lots of good people on this board regularly that can give you some geat tips and advice. Just ask.

I'd say the chances are good that he is related, based on the rarity of the name, but the devil is in the details.

The US Census
http://www.census.gov/cgi-bin/namesearch...
saiys Bailey is the 60th most popular name in he USA. (Smith is #1). Barnum is 5,424th.

http://www.ringling.com/explore/history/...
Phineas Taylor Barnum was born on July 5, 1810, in Bethel, Connecticut.

http://www.ringling.com/explore/history/...
doesn't say as much about James A. Bailey.

60 people have Phineas on
http://worldconnect.genealogy.rootsweb.c...
(4, if you insist on descendants, notes and sources.)

You might look there for clues. About 75% of the genealogy data in the Internet is accurate.

He needs to do a tree, backwards and sideways, it is a fairly unusual surname so I think you are in with a shout,

Good luck and good hunting