born on 21 january 1920 in the parish of saint lucy, barbados , his parents names are unknown. errol walton barrow was the youngest among his sibling of his sister nita barrow. he had one sister only. at the age of 7 in 1927, barrow traveled abroad for his primary education and secondary education to the united kingdom on the advice of his parents because education was weak in barbados then in the 1920s and his family wanted him to presue his education abroad to become a successful person in the future. so when he and his family reached the united kingdom in 1927 when barrow was 7 years old and nita barrow was 11 years old.