Career
Barry joined the Royal Navy in the early 1870s. He was promoted to Captain on 30 June 1892, and commanded the protected cruiser HMS Astraea, before he was appointed in command of the pre-dreadnought battleship HMS Mars in September 1900. During his time in command of the Mars, she suffered a serious accident in April 1902 when one of her forward 12-inch (305-mm) guns was fired before the breech was closed, killing two officers and nine enlisted men, injuring seven, and wrecking the forward main battery turret.
He later became Director of Naval Ordnance, and in February 1905 was appointed Admiral-superintendent of Portsmouth dockyard, serving as such until November the following year, when he was appointed in command of a Cruiser squadron in the Mediterranean.
Barry married, in 1881, Elizabeth Annie Maltby, daughter of Review H. J. Maltby.