John Barrow

This article is about the English statesman Sir John Barrow. For the article on the US politician John Barrow, see John Barrow (U.S. politician). For the article on the British theoretical physicist and author, see John D. Barrow

Related Topics:
John Barrow (U.S. politician) - John D. Barrow

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Sir John Barrow, FRS , FRGS , LL.D (June 19, 1764 – November 23, 1848) was an English statesman.

Related Topics:
FRS - FRGS - LL.D - June 19 - 1764 - November 23 - 1848 - English - Statesman

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He was born in the hamlet of Dragley Beck in the parish of Ulverston in Lancashire. He started in life as superintending clerk of an iron foundry at Liverpool and afterwards taught mathematics at a school in Greenwich.

Related Topics:
Dragley Beck - Ulverston - Lancashire - Liverpool - Mathematics - Greenwich

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Through the interest of Sir George Leonard Staunton, to whose son he taught mathematics, he was attached on the first British embassy to China as comptroller of the household to Lord Macartney. He soon acquired a good knowledge of the Chinese language, on which he subsequently contributed interesting articles to the Quarterly Review; and the account of the embassy published by Sir George Staunton records many of Barrow's valuable contributions to literature and science connected with China.

Related Topics:
George Leonard Staunton - China - Comptroller - Lord Macartney - Chinese language - Quarterly Review - Literature - Science

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Although Barrow ceased to be officially connected with Chinese affairs after the return of the embassy in 1794, he always took much interest in them, and on critical occasions was frequently consulted by the British government.

Related Topics:
1794 - British government

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In 1797 he accompanied Lord Macartney, as private secretary, in his important and delicate mission to settle the government of the newly acquired colony of the Cape of Good Hope. Barrow was entrusted with the task of reconciling the Boers and Kaffirs and of reporting on the country in the interior. On his return from his journey, in the course of which he visited all parts of the colony, he was appointed auditor-general of public accounts. He now decided to settle in South Africa, married Anne Maria Trüter, and in 1800 bought a house in Cape Town. But the surrender of the colony at the peace of Amiens (1802) upset this plan. He returned to England in 1804, was appointed second Secretary to the Admiralty by Viscount Melville, a post which he held for forty years (apart from a short period in 1806-07 when there was a Whig government in power).

Related Topics:
1797 - Colony of the Cape of Good Hope - Boers - Kaffirs - South Africa - Anne Maria Trüter - 1800 - Cape Town - Peace of Amiens - 1802 - England - 1804 - Secretary to the Admiralty - Viscount Melville - Whig

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In particular, when Lord Grey took office as Prime Minister in 1830 Barrow was especially requested to stay in post, starting the principle that senior civil servants stay in office on change of government and serve in a non-partisan manner. Indeed, it is during his occupancy of the post that it was renamed Permanent Secretary.

Related Topics:
Lord Grey - Prime Minister

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He enjoyed the esteem and confidence of all the eleven chief lords who successively presided at the Admiralty board during that period, and more especially of King William IV while lord high admiral, who honoured him with tokens of his personal regard.

Related Topics:
Admiralty - King William IV

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In his position at the Admiralty, Barrow was a great promoter of Arctic voyages of discovery, including those of John Ross, William Edward Parry, James Clark Ross, and John Franklin. Point Barrow in Alaska is named for him. He is reputed to have been the initial proposer of St Helena as the new place of exile for Napoleon Bonaparte following the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.

Related Topics:
Arctic - John Ross - William Edward Parry - James Clark Ross - John Franklin - Point Barrow - Alaska - St Helena - Napoleon Bonaparte - Battle of Waterloo

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Barrow was a fellow of the Royal Society, and in 1821 received the degree of LL.D from Edinburgh University. A baronetcy was conferred on him by Sir Robert Peel in 1835.

Related Topics:
Royal Society - 1821 - LL.D - Edinburgh University - Baronetcy - Robert Peel - 1835

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He retired from public life in 1845 and devoted himself to writing a history of the modern Arctic voyages of discovery (1846), as well as his autobiography, published in 1847. He died suddenly on November 23, 1848.

Related Topics:
1845 - Arctic - 1846 - 1847 - 1848

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The Sir John Barrow monument on Hoad Hill overlooking his hometown of Ulverston was built in his honour (though it is more commonly called The Hoad).

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Besides the numerous articles in the Quarterly Review already mentioned, Barrow published among other works:

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• Travels in China (1804)
• Travels into the Interior of South Africa (1806)
• lives of Lord Macartney (1807), Lord Anson (1839), Lord Howe (1838).
 
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