Roger Barlow

Roger Barlow (c.1483-1553) was born in Essex, in or near Colchester, where his father was a customs official.

After becoming a merchant in Seville, Barlow joined Sebastian Cabot's 1526 voyage to South America. He accompanied Cabot up the Rio de la Plata (River Plate) river system. 

He returned to England in 1530 and lived in Bristol, where he married Julyan Dawes. He moved to Pembrokeshire in 1535. In 1542 he presented a cosmography to Henry VIII, based on a translation of Enciso's Spanish Suma de Geographie. This included Barlow's descriptions of his travels - the first account of the New World in English. Roger Barlow had three younger brothers, William Barlow (successively bishop of St David's, Bath and Wells, and Chichester), John Barlow (dean of Worcester), and Thomas Barlow (a cleric in Norfolk). After renting the dissolved commandery of the hospitallers of St John of Jerusalem at Slebech, Roger and Thomas Barlow bought Slebech in 1546, and then Roger became the sole owner in 1553. Barlow had at least 10 children, including John who inherited Slebech, near Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, south west Wales.==