Slebetch Barlows

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• The Barlows of Barlow Hall
  so named because Barlow Hall was the central home of this branch for some 500 years
• The Slebetch Barlows
  so named because this branch moved to Slebetch, Wales in the 1500's.

Both lines of Barlows are descendants of the Albini and D'Abitot Norman families.

Slebetch Barlows

Pedigree No 14

This was a very ancient family, enjoying equestrian rank for many generations prior to its being raised to the baronetcy.

Sir Thomas Barlow, knt. of Barlow, in the county of Lancaster, was father of

James Barlow, of Barlo Com Lancs
m. a daughter of Sir Thomas (Robert?) Worsley Kt, and was s. by his son,

Sir Richard Barlow, Kt. of Barlow
m. the daughter of Thomas Antwisle, Esq. and was father of

Sir Robert Barlow, who m. Ursula, daughter of Sir John Berron, knt. and left a son and heir,

Sir Christopher Barlow
m. Margaret, daughter of Robert Gamble, esq. and his son and heir,

Henry Barlow, Esq
m. Anne, daughter of Sir Rowland Shirwood, knt. and was s. by his son,

Richard Barlow, esq
m. the daughter of Sir John Townleyt knt and left a son and heir,

John Barlow, esq
m. Marian, daughter of Sir Thomas Sherburn, knt. and was s. by his son,

Sir Thomas Barlow, knt
m. Anne, daughter of Sir William Strangwidge, knt. and had a son and heir,

Sir John Barlow, knt
m. Anne, daughter of Sir Ralph Langford, knt. by whom he had a daughter, Margaret, m. to Edward Stanley, Earl of Derby, and a son and heir,

Sir Thomas Barlow, knt
m. according to Thoresby, (Thoresby's Leeds, but this marriage was not mentioned in the family pedigree.) Christian, daughter of Edward Barley, esq. of Barley, in the county of Hertford, and had several children. His second son,

Thomas Barlow, esq.
m. Margaret abt 1450, daughter and co-heir of John Trussel, esq. and had a son John Barlow.

John Barlow, esq
m. Christian, daughter of Edward Barley, esq. of Barley Com. Hertford.
He had four sons and a daughter, who were thrown upon the world almost destitute, owing to the political misfortunes of their father.
In the time of Henry VII. John Barlow was committed close prisoner to the Tower, for harbouring at Barlow his brother-in-law Barley, and Sir Robert Clifford, who had married his wife's sister, the night before their departure for the court of Margaret, Duchess of Burgundy, and his whole estate being wrested from him was conferred upou Vere, Earl of Oxford, then recently created lord high chamberlain of England, while he himself was detained in prison until he fully and legally ratified the transfer, getting free at last, but with difficulty, from the penalties of high treason.

The Wotton MSS has the following note.
" N.B.—John Barlow father of Roger Barlow and who marryd the daughter of Edwd (sic) Barlay was Committed prisoner to the Tower of London in the reign of K. Har. the 7th for harbouring his Brother Barlay and Sr Robt Clifford who marryd Mr. Barley's Sister at Barlow ye night before thyr departure unto Margt Duchess of Burgundy Sister to K. Edwd ye 4th being of the house of York maligning the prosperity of the Lancastrian Line and that only on a bare suggestion he had also his whole estate taken from him and given to Vere Earl of Oxford then newly created Ld high Chancellor of England, and detaind in prison till he had released all his hereditory right to ye sd Vere, after which he was with great difficulty released and freed from all Imputation of Treason by which means his four sons and one daughter were destitute of all manner of substance and forcd to seek their fortunes.

" THOMs eldest son became a Secular Priest Roger 2d son went abroad as hereafter Jno and Wm were Students at Oxon and fellows of Magdalen College in conclusion Jno was made Chaplain to Queen Anne of Bulleign and Wm was Canon regular and Prior of Bisham afterwds created Bishop of St. Davids by Har. ye 8th of Bath & Wells by Edwd the 6th fled ye realm in Queen Marys time and in ye reign of Queen Eliz. was made B. of Chichester where he was buryd anno 1569 he was the first Protestant Bishop and by his wife Agatha daughter of Jno Wellesborough Esqr had five daughters 1 marryd Dr. Matthew AB. of York 2 to Dr. Wickam B. of Lincoln 3d to Dr. Overton B. of Lichneld and Coventry 4th to B. Westphalia B. of Hereford and 5th to Dr. Day B. of Winchester.

1. Thomas Barlow
2. Roger Barlow (ca. 1500 - 1553)
3. John Barlow
4. William Barlow ( - c1569)
5. Elizabeth Barlow

Children of John Barlow

1. Thomas Barlow, became a secular priest, and was made chaplain to Queen Anne Bolkyke.

2. Roger Barlow (ca. 1500 - 1553)
This Roger was the first of the family who came into Pembrokeshire, and purchased an estate, Slebetch Manor¹ from the crown in 1546.

3. John Barlow

John Barlow was an English diplomat in the time of Henry VIII.

He was a fellow of Magdalen College and graduated M.A. at the University of Oxford in 1521.

He was made archdeacon of Westbury-on-Trym , and afterwards dean of Worcester.

Barlow was intimately involved in the King's attempts to secure a divorce from his first wife, Katherine of Aragon from the Pope. Barlow was a supporter of Henry's fiancee, Anne Boleyn. Barlow uncovered evidence of Cardinal Wolsey's betrayal of the King's cause in Rome, which he faithfully reported to a horrified Anne in 1528. This information helped solidify the future queen's hatred towards Wolsey, something which played a major part in the Cardinal's fall from power the following year.

He is described as one of Anne Boleyn's favourite clerics.

Later he became archdeacon of Westbury-on-Trym, and then dean of Worcester.

His closeness to Anne Boleyn led some to suggest he must have known of her 'treason.'

4. William Barlow ( -c1569), also of Oxford, and a fellow of Magdalen, was a canon regular and prior of Bisham: in the 37th Henry VIII. he was constituted Bishop of St. Asapb, and two months afterward translated to St. David's.

In 1538 Bishop Barlow of St. David's, unroofed the Palace at St. David's (some say he sold the lead to get portions for his five daughters, who all married bishops). He also unroofed Llawhaden.

In 1540 Henry VIII. rented Lamphey Palace from Bishop Barlow of St. David's, and gave it to Richard Devereux, eldest son of Earl Ferrers, afterwards Earl of Essex.

In the 2nd Edward VI. (1547) he was translated to Bath and Wells but in the 1st of May 1553 he was deprived and forced to fly the realm, and remained in exile until the accession of Elizabeth, when be was appointed Bishop of Chichester, and was the principal Bishop of the four at the consecration of Archbishop Parker. He was the first Protestant Bishop in England.

Bishop Barlow, who always managed to suit himself to every change, like the Vicar of Bray in the old song, became Bishop of Bath and Wells in 1548, and afterwards of Chichester, where he died 1569, and was interred in his own cathedral of Chichester.

He married Agatha Wellesbourne, a runaway Abbess of Norfolk, daughter of John Wellesborne, esq.

They had several sons, but only one is known.

1. William Barlow (d. 25 May 1625)

They had five daughters, who all became the wives of bishops, namely,

1. Anne, of Herbert Westfaling, Bishop of Hereford.
2. Elizabeth, of William Day, Bishop of Winchester.
3. Margaret, of William Overton, Bishop of Lich field and Coventry.
4. Frances, of Tobias Matthews, Archbishop of York. Toby Matthews, Archbishop of York, was a great favourite of Queen Elizabeth and King James I., and an able and indefatigable preacher, who kept an account of all the sermons he preached, by which it appears he preached, while Dean of Durham, 721 ; whiUi Bishop of Durham, 550, and while Archbishop of York, 721 - in all 1992 sermons.
5. Antonina, of W. Wickham, Bishop of Lincoln.

In the marriages of these ladies Thoresby has been followed, bat the family pedigree makes Anne to marry first, Augustus Bradbridge, and secondly, Bishop Westfaling; and Frances to marry first, Matthew Parker, son of Archbishop Parker, and Secondly, Bishop Matthews.

5. Elizabeth Barlow
m. first, Alexander, Lord Elphinstone
m. second Lord Drummond

Elizabeth went as a companion with the Countess of Oxford into Scotland, and was maid of honour to Mary Queen of Scots: she m. first, Alexander, Lord Elphinstone; and, secondly, Lord Drummond, and was mother of the succeeding Lords Elphinstone and Drummond.

From Barlow Family Records.

"It is important to notice that according to the Wotton pedigree the mysterious John Barley's mother was Margaret Trussel, daughter and coheir of John Trussel.    And this is probably correct, for there were considerable ties connecting the Trussels, and also the De Veres, with the Barleys, and it is in the Trussel alliance that we probably find  the explanation of Elizabeth  Barley's advancement as Maid of Honour to Margaret, Queen of Scotland.   Margaret Tudor, who married James IV. of Scotland, was born November 29th, 1489; the poor girl was despatched from the house of her parents at Richmond with a great train of nobles on June 27th, 1503, to travel north and meet her future husband, being then aged 13, and she married him August 8th the same year.   Elizabeth Barlow, who as subsequent events showed, was a great favourite with Margaret Tudor, would when she travelled north in her train probably be about the same age as her royal mistress, or at most a year or two older, say 13 to 15, and therefore was born about 1487-89.   Margaret and the King induced Elizabeth to stay in Scotland and pressed her as wife on Alexander Elphinstone, subsequently showering lands on him and his wife.   On October 2Oth, 1509, when Queen Margaret gave birth to a son, a peerage was conferred on these royal favourites, mention being expressly made in the grant under the great seal of the " special favour we bear to the foresaid Alexander and Elizabeth his spouse.

Both Margaret the Queen and Elizabeth lost their husbands at the Battle of Flodden, September 9th, 1513. Elizabeth subsequently married Lord Forbes, and died before February 13th, 1522.

Son of William Barlow ( -c1569)

William Barlow b. Pembrokeshire; d. 25 May 1625

William Barlow was an English churchman and scientist.

He was the son of William Barlow and Agatha Wellesbourne and was born at St David's when his father was bishop of that diocese. In 1560 he entered a commoner at Balliol College, Oxford and graduated B. A. in 1564. He then went to sea, but in what capacity is not known.

About 1573 he entered into holy orders, and was promoted to a prebend's stall at Winchester, and rector of Easton, near that city.

In 1588 Barlow was transferred to a prebendal stall at Lichfield, which in the following year he resigned, on being appointed treasurer of Lichfield Cathedral. He afterwards became chaplain to Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales, son of James I, and finally archdeacon of Salisbury (1615).

Barlow died 25 May 1625, and was buried in the chancel of his church at Easton.

He corresponded with William Gilbert. A controversy arose between Barlow and Mark Ridley, who published a reply to Barlow's Magnetical Advertisements, charging him with plagiarism, not only of Gilbert's work De Magnete (1600), but of his own book, Magnetical Bodies and Motions (1613). Barlow made a stinging reply. The work had in fact its origins in a manuscript he had prepared in 1609 for Sir Thomas Chaloner; Chaloner may have found him the position as chaplain to Prince Henry.

Barlow was the first English writer on the nature and properties of the magnet.  He was the first who made the inclinatory instrument transparent, and to be used with a glass on both sides.   It was he also who suspended it in a compass box, which, with the weight of two ounces, was made fit for use at sea.  He also found out the difference between iron and steel, and their tempers for magnetical uses.  He likewise discovered  the proper method of touching magnetical needles; of piercing and cementing loadstone; and also why a padstone, being double-capped, must take up so great a weight.  The work which established his reputation, and which, considering the period at which it was written, is certainly a most extraordinary production, is entitled, the Navigator's Supply, containing many things of principal importance belonging to Navigation, and Use of Diverse Instruments framed chiefly for that purpose, 4to Lond. 1597.

"This booke," said he, "was written by a bishop's sonne, and by affinitty, to many bishop's kinne; himself a good pastor," --  the author feeling it necessary to enter into a long defence of his emploing his time upon subjets so foreign to his vocation; which he does with great skill and in a singularly quaint style.   This work contains descriptions of several instruments for the use of navigation, the principal of which is an azimuth compass, with two upright sights; and as the author was very indefatigable in making experiments on the loadstone, he treats well and fully upon the sea-compass. 

But Barlow did not pursue his scientific career uninterrupted. He corresponded with William Gilbert. A controversy arose between Barlow and Mark Ridley, who published a reply to Barlow's Magnetical Advertisements, charging him with plagiarism, not only of Gilbert's work De Magnete (1600), but of his own book, Magnetical Bodies and Motions (1613). This was contained in "Idle Animadversions" by Mark Ridley, M.D.  This paper war ended in the complete triumph of Barlowe.  Barlowe is mentioned with commendation by Gabriel Harvey, in his Pierce's Supererogation 4to, 1593.  --Hutton's Math. Dict. and Davies's Hist. of Mag. in vol. i of the British Annual--

His works are:

1. The Navigator's Supply, London, 1597;
2. Magnetical Advertisements concerning the nature and property of the Loadstone, London, 1618;
3. A Brief Discovery of the Idle Animadversions of Mark Ridley, M.D., London, 1618.

References

Science and Patronage in England, 1570 - 1625 p. 156 and p. 171.
This article incorporates text from the entry Barlow, William (d.1625) in the Dictionary of National Biography (1885–1900), a publication now in the public domain.

A New General Biographical Dictionary
Projected and partly arranged by the late Rev. Hugh James Rose, B.D.
Principal of King's College, London

Prebend:  a stipend paid out of cathedral revenue, e.g. to a member of the chapter
    --the land or tithe which produces this revenue --

Prebendary: a cleric receiving a prebend -- Church of England-- an honorary canon
     receiving no such stipend.

Canon:  A church law -- any general principle or body of principles--
              --a list of people venerated as saints --
              -- a member of the chapter,  or administrative body, of a cathedral --