John Barry

John Barry 1745-1803, U.S. naval officer in the American Revolution, b. Co. Wexford, Ireland. He went as a youth to Philadelphia, where he was a trader and a shipmaster. In the Revolution he commanded the brig Lexington when she captured (1776) the British tender Edward —first British ship taken by a commissioned American ship. He fulfilled later commands with gallantry: in the Raleigh he fought against superior forces until compelled to beach the vessel to save it and the crew from capture; in the Alliance he took (1781) two British vessels after a hard fight. His renown as a naval hero of the Revolution was second only to that of John Paul Jones.

Bibliography: See biographies by J. Gurn (1933) and W. B. Clark (1938).

Barry, John (1745?–1803) ship captain and Revolutionary War naval hero, born in County Wexford, Ireland. Barry is considered the patriarch of the American navy. He was appointed the senior captain of the U.S. Navy when it was created by Congress in 1794. In the Americans' first naval victory in the Revolutionary War, Barry, captain of the brig Lexington, captured the British sloop Edward near the Virginia Capes (1776). Congress awarded him command of its finest vessel, Alliance (1780), which he used to capture many British ships. During the Quasi-War with France (1798) he commanded the frigate United States, flagship of the West Indies squadron.

Barry, John (b York, 1933). Eng. composer of film mus. Has had much success with scores for films and TV.