EV. BURWELL BARRETT was born April 3, 1769, and died at his home in Southampton county, Virginia, September 6, 1836, in the sixty-seventh year of his age. He was the son of Edmon and Janett Barrett. He died of cancer in the face.

      In 1788, he married Miss Lucy Tharpe, and to them were born several children the oldest of whom was Rev. Mills Barrett. After the death of his first wife, Rev. Burwell Barrett was married a second time to Mrs. Nancy Davis, who survived him.

      In 1789, he embraced religion and united with the Methodist church; he soon obtained a license to preach. But, in 1794, when James O'Kelly came through Virginia after breaking off from the Methodist Conference in Baltimore, he embraced the opportunity and joined with O'Kelly in protesting against episcopacy. Thus he was in the Christian Church at its beginning, and always stood firm and firmly supported the principles for which it stands.

      He organized Barrett's chapel, in Southampton county, a church which is named for him. In 1808, Rev. Burwell Barrett was visited by Rev. Joseph Thomas, the White Pilgrim, in Southampton county, Virginia. The White Pilgrim says, "Here we came to old Bro. B. Barrett's (a preacher) where the work of the Lord [56] revived; two souls were converted and many of the Christians were made to rejoice and give hosannahs to the Son of David. Brother Barrett was very kind and friendly to me, which proved a great blessing to my soul, as by his affectionate conversation I was much strengthened." The following year, 1809, the White Pilgrim speaks of preaching at "Brother Barrett's meeting house" in Southampton county, where the good work was prospering through the instrumentality of Rev. B. Barrett, and that he held meeting in his home. Again, he preached here in his home, and his son Mills and a twelve year old daughter professed faith in Christ. After a preaching tour of some time, he returned again to Brother B. Barrett's where "the work of the Lord was still prospering gloriously and had increased rapidly." Before leaving for North Carolina, the White Pilgrim says that he was engaged about here at this time above a week in which time "we had two days' meeting in Brother B.'s meeting house." During the winter he labored in North Carolina, and in the spring he returned on a tour and spent the first week in April, 1810, "laboring for the good of souls in Brother B.'s neighborhood." This was his last visit to Rev. B. Barrett's home.

      Rev. Burwell Barrett took part in the organization of the Eastern Virginia Christian Conference in 1818 and 1819. The first regular session was held at Cypress Chapel in Nansemond county, where the name was adopted. It is said that a preliminary meeting was held the year before at Holy Neck in the same county. At Union chapel in Southampton county "A Union Meeting and Conference of the Christian Elders and Brethren" was held in 1828; and according to its minutes he was still actively engaged in the work of preaching the gospel.

      He was a plain, practical preacher, and lived the gospel he professed. He possessed great influence, which [57] was never exerted except for the general good. Energetic, talented, determined and zealous, he was conscientious in the discharge of his duty, whether with the few or with the many. For many years before his death, he was looked upon as authority in matters pertaining to the Church and his Denomination.

[LCM 56-58]