Background
Isaac Barre was born at Dublin, Ireland in 1726; the son of the son of Peter Barré, a French refugee.
Isaac Barre was born at Dublin, Ireland in 1726; the son of the son of Peter Barré, a French refugee.
Isaac was educated at Trinity College, Dublin and graduated in 1745.
Entering the army, in 1759 Barre was with Wolfe at the taking of Quebec, on which occasion he was wounded in the cheek. His entry into parliament in 1761 under the auspices of Lord Shelburne, who had selected him "as a bravo to run down Mr Pitt, " was characterized by a virulent attack on Pitt, of whom, however, he became ultimately a devoted adherent. His appointment in 1782 to the treasurership of the navy, which carried with it a pension of £3200 a year, at a time when the government was ostensibly advocating economy, caused great discontent; subsequently, however, he received from the younger Pitt the clerkship of the pells in place of the pension, which thus was saved to the public. Becoming blind, he retired from office in 1790 and died on the 20th of July 1802.
Barre is known for coining the term "Sons of Liberty" in reference to American Whigs opposed to the British government's policies. The town of Barre, Massachusetts is named for him, as is the city of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. There are also a town and a city named for Barré in Vermont (Barre City and Barre Town), as well as the towns of Barre, New York and Barre, Wisconsin. In addition, there is a memorial to Barré in New York City, and numerous eastern US cities have named streets for him.
A vigorous opponent of the taxation of America, his mastery of invective was powerfully displayed in his championship of the American cause, and the name "Sons of Liberty, " which he had applied to the colonists in one of his speeches, became a common designation of the American organizations directed against the Stamp Act, as well as of later patriotic clubs.
Barre was a member of Parliament.
Horace Walpole described Barré as "a black [meaning his hair was black], robust man, of a military figure, rather hard-favoured than not, young, with a peculiar distortion on one side of his face, which it seems was a bullet lodged loosely in his cheek, and which gave a savage glare to one eye".
