William Taylor Barry (February 5, 1784 – August 30, 1835) was an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
statesman and jurist.
Born near
Lunenburg, VirginiaLunenburg is an unincorporated community in and the county seat of Lunenburg County, Virginia, United States. It is the county seat of Lunenburg County. The community is also known as Lunenburg Courthouse or by an alternative spelling, Lunenburg Court House.-External links:...
, he moved to
Fayette County, KentuckyFayette County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2008, the estimated population was 282,114. Its territory, population and government are coextensive with the city of Lexington, which also serves as county seat....
, in 1796 with his parents John Barry, an
American Revolutionary WarThe American Revolutionary War , also sometimes known as the American War of Independence, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen united former British colonies in North America, and concluded in a global war between several European great powers...
veteran, and Susannah (Dozier) Barry. He attended the common schools, Pisgah Academy and Kentucky Academy in
Woodford CountyWoodford County is a county located in the heart of the Bluegrass region of the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 23,208. Its county seat is Versailles. The county is named for General William Woodford, who was with General George Washington at Valley Forge...
,
Transylvania UniversityTransylvania University is a private liberal arts college related by covenant to the Christian Church . The college is located on a 35 acre campus about 4 blocks north of downtown Lexington, Kentucky, and is currently ranked number 77 on US News & World Report's Best Liberal Arts Colleges...
at
LexingtonLexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 65th largest in the United States. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
and graduated from William and Mary College at
Williamsburg, VirginiaWilliamsburg is an independent city of Virginia located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads region in southeastern Virginia. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 11,998. It is bordered by James City County and York County, and is an independent city...
in 1803, after which studied law and was
admitted to the barIn the United States, admission to the bar is permission granted by a particular court system to a lawyer to practice law in that system. Each U.S. state and similar jurisdiction In the United States, admission to the bar is permission granted by a particular court system to a lawyer to practice...
in 1805.
William Taylor Barry (February 5, 1784 – August 30, 1835) was an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
statesman and jurist.
Born near
Lunenburg, VirginiaLunenburg is an unincorporated community in and the county seat of Lunenburg County, Virginia, United States. It is the county seat of Lunenburg County. The community is also known as Lunenburg Courthouse or by an alternative spelling, Lunenburg Court House.-External links:...
, he moved to
Fayette County, KentuckyFayette County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2008, the estimated population was 282,114. Its territory, population and government are coextensive with the city of Lexington, which also serves as county seat....
, in 1796 with his parents John Barry, an
American Revolutionary WarThe American Revolutionary War , also sometimes known as the American War of Independence, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen united former British colonies in North America, and concluded in a global war between several European great powers...
veteran, and Susannah (Dozier) Barry. He attended the common schools, Pisgah Academy and Kentucky Academy in
Woodford CountyWoodford County is a county located in the heart of the Bluegrass region of the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 23,208. Its county seat is Versailles. The county is named for General William Woodford, who was with General George Washington at Valley Forge...
,
Transylvania UniversityTransylvania University is a private liberal arts college related by covenant to the Christian Church . The college is located on a 35 acre campus about 4 blocks north of downtown Lexington, Kentucky, and is currently ranked number 77 on US News & World Report's Best Liberal Arts Colleges...
at
LexingtonLexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 65th largest in the United States. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
and graduated from William and Mary College at
Williamsburg, VirginiaWilliamsburg is an independent city of Virginia located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads region in southeastern Virginia. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 11,998. It is bordered by James City County and York County, and is an independent city...
in 1803, after which studied law and was
admitted to the barIn the United States, admission to the bar is permission granted by a particular court system to a lawyer to practice law in that system. Each U.S. state and similar jurisdiction In the United States, admission to the bar is permission granted by a particular court system to a lawyer to practice...
in 1805. He commenced practice at
Jessamine County, KentuckyJessamine County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It is within the Inner Blue Grass region, which was the center of farming and blooded stock raising, including thoroughbred horses. It was formed in 1799. As of 2000, the population was 39,041. The 2008 population estimate was...
and then at Lexington.
He was a member of
Kentucky House of RepresentativesThe Kentucky House of Representatives is the lower house of the Kentucky General Assembly. The House is composed of 100 representatives elected from single-member districts throughout the Commonwealth. Representatives are elected to two-year terms with no term limits...
in 1807, a member of the
U.S. House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives, commonly referred to as the "House," is the lower house of the bicameral United States Congress, the upper house being the United States Senate. The composition and powers of the House and the Senate are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from 1810 to 1811, served in the
War of 1812The War of 1812, between the United States of America and the British Empire , lasted from 1812 to 1815. It was fought chiefly on the Atlantic Ocean and on the land, coasts and waterways of North America.There were several immediate stated causes for the U.S...
, was a U.S. Senator from Kentucky, 1814 to 1816; then a member of the
Kentucky SenateThe Kentucky Senate is the upper house of the Kentucky General Assembly. The Kentucky Senate is composed of 38 members elected from single-member districts throughout the Commonwealth. There are no term limits for Kentucky Senators...
, 1817 to 1821, and
Lieutenant Governor of KentuckyThe office of lieutenant governor of Kentucky has existed under the last three of Kentucky's four constitutions, beginning in 1797. The lieutenant governor serves as governor of Kentucky under circumstances similar to the Vice President of the United States assuming the powers of the presidency...
, 1820 to 1824, then
Secretary of State of KentuckyThe Secretary of State of Kentucky is one of the constitutional officers of the U.S. state of Kentucky. It is now an elected office, but was an appointed office prior to 1891. The current Secretary of State is Trey Grayson.-History and name of position:...
, 1824 to 1825, and a candidate for
Governor of KentuckyThe Governor of Kentucky is the head of the executive branch of the U.S. state of Kentucky, and serves as commander-in-chief of the state's army, navy, and militia forces...
in 1828. He was
U.S. Postmaster GeneralThe United States Postmaster General is the executive head of the United States Postal Service. The office, in one form or another, is older than both the United States Constitution and the United States Declaration of Independence...
in
Andrew JacksonAndrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . He was military governor of Florida , commander of the American forces at the Battle of New Orleans , and eponym of the era of Jacksonian democracy...
's administration from 1829 to 1835.
He was appointed
ambassador to Spain-Ambassadors:*John Jay**Appointed: September 29, 1779**Title: Minister Plenipotentiary**Presented credentials:**Terminated mission: ~May 20, 1782*William Carmichael**Appointed: April 20, 1790**Title: Chargé d’Affaires...
, but died en route to his post, while stopped in Liverpool, England August 30, 1835. He was originally interred and a
cenotaphA cenotaph is a tomb or a monument erected in honor of a person or group of persons whose remains are elsewhere. It can also be the initial tomb for a person who has since been interred elsewhere. The word derives from the Greek κενοτάϕιον...
still stands at St. James’s Cemetery, Liverpool, England; he was reinterred in 1854 at
Frankfort CemeteryThe Frankfort Cemetery is located on East Main Street in Frankfort, Kentucky. The cemetery is the burial site of Daniel Boone and contains the graves of other famous Americans including seventeen Kentucky governors.-History:...
,
Frankfort, KentuckyFrankfort is a city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky that serves as the state capital and the county seat of Franklin County. The population was 27,741 at the 2000 census; by population, it is the 5th smallest state capital in the United States...
.
Barry County, MichiganBarry County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is part of the Grand Rapids – Wyoming Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2000 census, the population was 56,755. The county seat is Hastings....
,
Barry County, MissouriBarry County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. As of 2000, the population was 34,010. Its county seat is Cassville. The county was organized in 1835 and named after William Taylor Barry from Kentucky, a United States Postmaster General....
and
BarryvilleBarryville is a hamlet in Highland, Sullivan County, New York. It is named for William T. Barry, postmaster general under President Andrew Jackson. The community grew up around the D&H Canal, which opened in 1828 and operated until 1898...
, New York are named in his honor.
Barry was an uncle to Kentucky governor
Luke P. BlackburnLuke Pryor Blackburn was a doctor and philanthropist who, despite only meager previous political experience, served as Governor of Kentucky from 1879 to 1883...
.