US Congressman. He was a United States Representative from the State of New York. He was born as Thomas Jefferson Barr in New York City, New York, on October 9, 1811. He was educated locally and attended the common public schools. Following his education, he moved to Scotch Plains, New Jersey, where he engaged in business pursuits, and opened a roadhouse. He then moved back to New York City, New York, in 1842. He eventually entered politics and served a term as an Assistant Alderman from the Sixth Ward from 1849 to 1850, and a term as an Alderman from 1850 to 1853. He also served as a Member of the New York State Senate representing the 3rd District from 1854 to 1855. He then decided to run for a seat in the United States Congress and was elected as an Independent Democrat Party Member to represent the Thirty-Fifth Congress on January 6, 1859, to succeed the outgoing United States Representative John Kelly who had resigned. He was then re-elected to represent the Thirty-Sixth Congress to succeed the outgoing United States Representative William McMurray (1813-1868), on January 17, 1859. A Member of the Independent Democrat Party, he then served New York's 3rd District (Thirty-Sixth Congress), in the United States House of Representatives from January 17, 1859, to March 3, 1861. After his term in the United States Congress had expired he was succeeded in office by the United States Representative James Kerrigan (1828-1899), on March 4, 1861. He was then appointed to serve as the New York City Police Commissioner in 1870. He served in that position until the post was abolished three years later in 1873. He lastly served as Collector of the Port of New York, or The Collector of Customs at the Port of New York, a federal officer who was in charge of the collection of import duties on foreign goods that entered the United States by ship at the Port of New York until his death on March 27, 1881. On an interesting note Chester Alan Arthur (1829-1886), the 21st President of the United States from September 19, 1881, to March 4, 1885, also served as Collector of the Port of New York, or The Collector of Customs at the Port of New York, from December 1, 1871, to July 11, 1878. He passed away suddenly while visiting a friend in New York City, New York, on March 27, 1881, at the age of 69, and he was buried in Calvary Cemetery in Woodside, New York. He was married to Margaret M. Barr (1813-1879), and together they had one child, William Acken Barr (1831-1873). His wife Margaret passed away on January 13, 1879, at the age of 65, and his son William passed away on January 9, 1873, at the age of 41, but they are both buried in Saint Andrews Church Cemetery in Richmondtown, New York. He was the uncle of Peter Barr Sweeny (1825-1911), an accomplished lawyer and politician from New York City, New York, in his own right.