Henry Barrowe

Henry Barrow (or Barrowe) ( – 6 April 1593) was an English Separatist Puritan, or Brownist, who was executed for his views. He led the London underground church from 1587 to 1593; spent most of that time in prison; and wrote numerous works of Brownist apologetics, most notably A Brief Discoverie of the False Church.

Life Barrow was born about 1550, in Norfolk, of a family related by marriage to Nicholas Bacon, and probably to John Aylmer, Bishop of London. He matriculated at Clare College, Cambridge (then called Clare Hall), in November 1566, and graduated B.A. in 1569–1570. According to John Cotton, Barrow gambled a lot and would boast of spending his winnings ‘in the bosoms of his courtesans’. He was a member of Gray's Inn for a few years from 1576, but was never called to the bar. Subsequently, he came into close relations with John Greenwood, the Separatist leader. He insisted on the illegality of this arrest, refused either to take the ex officio oath or to give bail for future appearance, and was committed to the Gatehouse Prison.

Barrow was subjected to several more examinations, once before the Privy Council at Whitehall on 18 March 1589, as a result of petition to the Queen. On these occasions he maintained the principle of separatism, denouncing the prescribed ritual of the Church as "a false worship," and the bishops as oppressors and persecutors.

Barrow and Greenwood were returned to the Clink in 1593. It was resolved to proceed on a capital charge of "devising and circulating seditious books". As the law then stood, it was easy to secure a conviction. They were tried and sentenced to death on 23 March 1593. The day after the sentence, they were brought out as if for execution and respited. On 31 March they were taken to the gallows, and after the ropes had been placed about their necks, they were again respited. Finally, they were hanged early on the morning of 6 April. There is some evidence that Lord Treasurer Burghley endeavoured to save their lives and was frustrated by Whitgift and other bishops.

Barrow has been credited by H. M. Dexter and others with being the author of the Marprelate Tracts; but this is not generally accepted.