General Notes

Occ: Farmer
Rel: Methodist
Note: 1860 census for Edray, Pocahontas Co VA shows John & Martha Barlow next door to Henry and Rachel Barlow. In 1870 census Martha is in Henry's household. John Barlow was listed among the first members of the Methodist church on Stony Creek in Edray District, WV, about 1805.
Buried at family cemetery on Red Lick Mountain.
When he bought the land he paid for it in venison at fifty cents a saddle pair. He estimated the number of deer killed by him at fifteen hundred. On the most lucky day of all his hunting career he killed six deer. He didn't count all the bears, panthers, wildcats, turkeys, and foxes he shot.
He was an expert marksman, and passionately fond of shooting, but the rules of his church -- the Methodist Episcopal, of which he was one of the original memebers on Stony Creek -- forbade shooting for prizes. A shooting match was arranged for in the neighborhood, and he attended as a spectator.The main prize was a quarter of beef. Near the close of the match a neighbor proposed to Mr. Barlow to shoot in his place as his substitute. After much solicitation he consented, took careful aim, and pierced the centre, thus gaining the savory prize of fat beef. A scrupulous fellow member felt in honor bound to report to the Presiding Elder,and have the offending brother duly disciplined for the credit of religion. The elder had him cited to appear before the quarterly conference for trial. Brother Barlow meekly obeyed, and put in his appearance. When his turn came on the docket, the Elder said:
"Well, Brother Barlow, you are charged with shooting for a prize. What did you do?"
"I merely shot once,"replied Mr. Barlow, "to accommodate a firend, not for the purpose of getting a prize for myself."
"Did you win the prize?"
"I did."
"Did you get the beef?"
"Only so much as my friend sent me for a mess."
"Was it good beef?"
"Yes, very nice."
"Well, says the Elder, after some apparently serious reflection, and solemn groanings of the spirit, "I see nothing wrong in what Brother Barlow has done, so I will just drop this case and proceed to the next matter of business."
During his last days, while kept at home and out of the woods by the infirmities of age, our venerable friend was asked if he would like tol ive his life over again. He replied: "I have no wish to live my life over again, but there is one thing I would like to do, and that is to have one more good bear hunt on Red Lick Mountain."
Historical Sketches of Pocahontas County WV, p. 184-188
The marriage of John Barlow and Martha Waddell is recorded twice, once on Dec. 8, 1804 in Bath County and again on Dec. 4, 1806 in Pocahontas County.
The New History of Pocahontas County WV, 1983, published by the Pocahontas Times, p. 22, lists him as a land owner in Pocahontas County in 1822