James Barzey was a ship captain who resided at times in New Bern. In 1777 he refused to take the oath of allegiance to the State of North Carolina and he, like many other loyalists, had to leave the state. He captained a ship called The Brothers, but often called the "Tory Brig," which took many prominent loyalists from North Carolina to British-held territory. American privateers preyed upon the ship, taking many loyalists' property and delaying their journey. Barzey eventually pursued a claim with the American Loyalist Claims Commission for the losses he sustained.