Blue plaque unveiled

A blue plaque recognising the life and work of John Henry Barlow was unveiled on 17 June

A blue plaque was unveiled in Birmingham on 17 June in recognition of the life and work of John Henry Barlow, one of the outstanding Quakers of his generation.

John Henry Barlow (1855-1924) was clerk of London Yearly Meeting from 1913 to 1916. He led Quakers in opposing the 1914 Defence of the Realm Act and in 1915 became a leading member of the No-Conscription Fellowship.

He helped to establish the Friends Ambulance Unit and was the first secretary of the Bournville Village Trust.

There was a strong family turnout at the event, including three generations of John Henry’s descendants. There were several grandchildren, a great-grandchild, and also great-great-grandchildren.

The newly elected lord mayor of Birmingham, Shafique Shah, and his wife were in attendance. Tony Barlow, a grandson, commented that they were ‘unfailingly kind and showed genuine interest and concern in the work of the Quaker pacifists’.

Representatives from the Bournville Village Trust, the Woodbrooke Quaker Study Centre and the Birmingham Civic Society also attended the event. Over fifty guests enjoyed hospitality at the Woodbrooke Quaker Study Centre after the unveiling ceremony.

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