Source: HISTORY OF THE PAN-HANDLE OF WEST VIRGINIA 1879
Page 355

     JOHN BARRETT, Esq. was born on the 17th of December 1807, in Jefferson county Ohio, within three miles of the town of Wellsburg.

     His father came from Northumberland county Pennsylvania here he was born, grew up and was married. His name was also John Barrett. The following incidents of his life are furnished by his son, the subject of this sketch.

      Born December 3rd 17709 in Northumberland county, Pennsylvania. Married Elizabeth Kelly on the 11th of September 1798 and reared a family of five sons and two daughters. He moved from Northumberland county to Lycoming, and started from there for the western county in November 1801. He stopped at Big Redstone, in Fayette county, where he remained untill the spring of 1804, when he went to Jefferson county, Ohio. He purchased land there and carried on farming throughout his life. He was elected to the Legislature of that State in the year 1819, and served two sessions. He served as Justice of the Peace for a consecutive period of more than thirty years. He also served in the office of County Commissioner for a number of years, being appointed to fill a vacancy, and subsequently elected for three consecutive terms. He died on the 1st day of April 1839, highly respected by all who knew him.

      Our subjects grandfather was born in Ireland, June 11th 1695, and died March 20th 1800, in the 105th year of his age, living throughout the seventeenth century and witnessing all its events. The following obituary was published in a Northumberland paper of the olden time. Longevity

     "Died at his home in Derry township, Northumberland county, in the 105th years of his age, John Barrett; he was born on the 11th of June 1`695, and departed this life on the 10th of March 1800.

     "Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord, they rest from labors and their works follow them"

     Our subject was reared in Jefferson county, Ohio educated at the common schools, and went on the river when scarcely twenty years of age. He was first engaged in transporting flour on flat-boats, and made his first trip to New Orleans in December 1827, in company with his brother James, who died at Natchez the following March. His brother Israel was engaged as Captain of a steamboat as early as 1829, and run the boat Neptune from St Louise to New Orleans. This boat was sunk in 1830, and the following account in relation to it was published in the Steubenville Herald of that date.

     St Louis, October 20, 1830 Steamboat Disasters: We have information of the loss of two more steamboats on the Mississippi. The Neptune, Capt Barrett, from this port for New Orleans, on the morning of the 17th inst. Struck a snag a short distance below the mouth of the Ohio, and sunk in two minutes, in twenty -two feet of water. Boat and cargo wholly lost. The passengers escaped by jumping on board the boats which the Neptune had in tow, all baggage was lost.

     The new steamboat New Jersey, which left this port on Thursday last for New Orleans, when near St Genevieve, was snagged and filled with water to the guards. The boat, it is thought would be raised.

     (Capt. Barrett, whose boat is lost as above stated, is a son of John Barrett Esq. of this county, and is a most worthy and enterprising young man. From our knowledge of Capt. Barrett, we will venture to say, that the accident is not attributed to any negligence or want of care on his part.)

     (There is further details of this story in the above stated book. You can stop by the Library and read this book.)