David Barrow (1753–1819), Baptist minister and abolitionist, was a native of Brunswick County. He joined the Baptist Church about 1770, was ordained around 1772, and served as a minister in Isle of Wight County, 1774–97. Barrow freed both of his slaves in 1784 and often spoke out thereafter about the evils of slavery. After two preliminary trips to Kentucky, he moved there permanently in 1798. In a letter he published that year, Barrow explained that he left Virginia partly because he could not prosper there without slaves. His support for emancipation led to several church schisms after his arrival in Kentucky, but he continued to preach. In 1808 Barrow published an important antislavery tract and helped to organize the Kentucky Abolition Society. As president of the society, in October 1815 he unsuccessfully petitioned Congress to set aside some public land for freed slaves. Barrow died at his home in Montgomery County, Kentucky (DVB description begins John T. Kneebone and others, eds., Dictionary of Virginia Biography, 1998– , 3 vols. description ends ; John H. Spencer, A History of Kentucky Baptists [1886], 1:192–7; Carlos R. Allen Jr., “David Barrow’s Circular Letter of 1798,” WMQ description begins William and Mary Quarterly, 1892–  description ends , 3d ser., 20 [1963]: 440–51; ASP, Miscellaneous, 2:278–9).

Barrow may have been inspired to write this letter after receiving one dated 27 Dec. 1814 from his congressman, James Clark, in which Clark forwarded copies of William Canby to TJ, 27 Aug. 1813, and TJ to Canby, 18 Sept. 1813, both of which had recently appeared in the newspapers. Clark commented that he sent Barrow the exchange “under a supposition that everything from the pen of so distinguished a citizen as mr Jefferson and particularly upon the subject of religion will be gratifying” (OhCiUAR: John Day Caldwell Collection).

The charity that never fails is from the Bible, 1 Corinthians 13.8. The enclosed scraps probably included the Minutes of the Kentucky Abolition Society, met at George Smith’s, in Franklin County, on the 19th of October, 1814, and continued until the evening of the following day (Winchester, Ky., 1814; probably Poor, Jefferson’s Library description begins Nathaniel P. Poor, Catalogue. President Jefferson’s Library, 1829 description ends , 10 [no. 546]), which contained a circular letter and a society constitution each issued under Barrow’s signature as president; and possibly also Barrow’s Involuntary, Unmerited, Perpetual, Absolute, Hereditary Slavery, Examined; on the Principles of Nature, Reason, Justice, Policy, and Scripture (Lexington, Ky., 1808; probably Poor, Jefferson’s Library description begins Nathaniel P. Poor, Catalogue. President Jefferson’s Library, 1829 description ends , 10 [no. 546]). The biblical tribute rendered by the heavenly songsters is in Revelation 5.13.