Barlow, John

John Barlow was one of the four ex-soldiers from the 28^th Regiment of Foot, the Royal Gloucester’s, who purchased land in Berrima. The others were Daniel Burgoyne, Michael Brennan and Henry Forster. (Forster had been a-sergeant and was appointed as the township’s gaoler in 1840.) None had served in Berrima prior to settling there.

Barlow was born in Boyle County Roscommon, Ireland around 1807. At the time of his enlistment, aged 18 years in 1825, he was described as 5’ 6¹/₈” tall, with blue eyes, light coloured hair with fresh complexion. He travelled to Sydney on the convict ship Recovery, arriving in February 1836. As was customary he was assigned to various places, including Pennant Hills, Parramatta, Sydney, Liverpool, and Port Macquarie. He was discharged on 31st August 1841.

The reserve price for land had been raised just before he made his purchase and his half-acre allotment, 3 in Section 7, cost him £19/12/6 which would have been covered by his grant as a discharged soldier. He was also granted a gratuity of £9/2/6.^[1]

He probably remained in Berrima for a number of years as he is among other Berrima subscribers to the Irish Relief Fund to which he subscribed 6/- in 1846 and he and his wife are also listed as subscribers to the building for Berrima’s Catholic Church in 1847 to which they gave a generous £2/11/-.[2]

No record of a John Barlow linked to Berrima can be found after this date

[1] Personal Communication Royal Gloucester Project

[2] Sydney Chronicle, 10 October 1846 and 19 June 1847

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