George Barry (author) facts for kids
George Barry (born in 1748, died in 1805) was a Scottish minister. A minister is like a religious leader in the Church of Scotland. He is best known for writing a book called History of the Orkney Islands.
George Barry's Life
George Barry was born in a place called Berwickshire in Scotland. He went to college at the University of Edinburgh.
After finishing his studies, he became a licensed preacher for the Church of Scotland. For a while, he worked as a tutor, teaching children in a wealthy family.
In 1782, he became a minister in Kirkwall, a town in the Orkney Islands. However, some people in the church didn't like his sermons. Because of this, a new church group, called a Secession congregation, was formed in the area. This group decided to separate from the main church.
Later, in 1793, George Barry moved to another island called Shapinsay to be a minister there. In 1804, the University of Edinburgh gave him a special degree called a D.D., which stands for Doctor of Divinity.
What George Barry Wrote
George Barry passed away in Shapinsay on May 11, 1805. Just before he died, he published his famous book. It was called History of the Orkney Islands.
This book talked about many things, including:
- The people who lived in the Orkney Islands long ago and today.
- Old buildings and monuments found there.
- The plants and animals of the islands.
- How farming, making goods, and trading were done.
- Ideas for making the islands even better.
A second version of his book came out in 1808. It had new information added by a Reverend named James Headrick. George Barry's book included his own discoveries and also used notes from George Low that had not been published before.
