Edmund Barker

1788 (age 51)

Hollym, Yorkshire, United Kingdom

After acting as amanuensis to the famous Samuel Parr, the vicar of Hatton in Warwickshire, he married and settled down at Thetford in Norfolk, where he lived for about twenty-five years. He was in the habit of adding the initials O. T. N. (of Thetford, Norfolk) to the title-page of his published works. In later life he became involved in a law-suit in connexion with a will, and thus exhausted his means. In 1837-1838 he was a prisoner for debt in the king's bench and in the Fleet. He died in London on the 21st of March 1839. In a volume of letters Barker disputed the claims of Sir Philip Francis to the authorship of the Letters of Junius; his Parriana (1828) is a vast and ill-digested compilation of literary anecdotes and criticisms. He also saw through the press the English edition of Lempriere's Classical Dictionary (revised by Anthon) and of Webster's English Dictionary. It is as a lexicographer, however, that Barker is chiefly known. While at Hatton, he conceived the design of a new edition of Stephanus's Thesaurus Graecae Linguae. The work was undertaken by A. J. Valpy, and, although not expressly stated, it was understood that Barker was the responsible editor. When a few parts had appeared, it was severely criticized in the Quarterly Review (xxii. , 1820) by Blomfield; the result was the curtailment of the original plan of the work and the omission of Barker's name in connexion with it. It was completed in twelve volumes (1816 - 1828). The strictures of the Quarterly were answered by Barker in his Aristarchus Anti-Blomfieldianus, which, although unconvincing, was in turn answered by Bishop Monk. He also published notes on the Etymologicum Gudianum, and collaborated with Professor Dunbar of Edinburgh in a Greek and English Lexicon (1831). The editio princeps (1820) of the treatise attributed to Arcadius of Περὶ τόνων was published by him from a Paris manuscript. Continental scholars entertained a more favourable opinion of him than those of his own country. He expressed contempt for the minute verbal criticism of the Porsonian school, in which he was himself deficient.

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The Classical Journal (Cambridge Library Collection - Classic Journals) (Volume 13)

(A precursor of modern academic journals, this quarterly p...)

Literary Anecdotes and Contemporary Reminiscences of Professor Porson and Others; from the Manuscript Papers of the Late E.H. Barker

(This book was originally published prior to 1923, and rep...)

The Cryopaedia of Xenophon;

( This work has been selected by scholars as being cultur...)

The Classical Journal (Cambridge Library Collection - Classic Journals) (Volume 16)

(A precursor of modern academic journals, this quarterly p...)

Parriana: Or, Notices of the Rev. Samuel Parr ... collected from various sources, printed and manuscript, and in part written by E. H. Barker

The Classical Journal (Cambridge Library Collection - Classic Journals) (Volume 15)

(A precursor of modern academic journals, this quarterly p...)

Classical recreations: Interspersed with much Biblical criticism

(This book, "Classical Recreations: Interspersed with Much...)

Edmund Henry Barker

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Background

Edmund Henry Barker was born at Hollym in Yorkshire, United Kingdom in 1788.

Education

Barker entered Trinity College, Cambridge, as a scholar in 1807, but left the university without a degree, being prevented by religious scruples from taking the oath then required.

Career

After acting as amanuensis to the famous Samuel Parr, the vicar of Hatton in Warwickshire, he married and settled down at Thetford in Norfolk, where he lived for about twenty-five years. He was in the habit of adding the initials O. T. N. (of Thetford, Norfolk) to the title-page of his published works. In later life he became involved in a law-suit in connexion with a will, and thus exhausted his means. In 1837-1838 he was a prisoner for debt in the king's bench and in the Fleet. He died in London on the 21st of March 1839.

In a volume of letters Barker disputed the claims of Sir Philip Francis to the authorship of the Letters of Junius; his Parriana (1828) is a vast and ill-digested compilation of literary anecdotes and criticisms. He also saw through the press the English edition of Lempriere's Classical Dictionary (revised by Anthon) and of Webster's English Dictionary. It is as a lexicographer, however, that Barker is chiefly known. While at Hatton, he conceived the design of a new edition of Stephanus's Thesaurus Graecae Linguae. The work was undertaken by A. J. Valpy, and, although not expressly stated, it was understood that Barker was the responsible editor. When a few parts had appeared, it was severely criticized in the Quarterly Review (xxii. , 1820) by Blomfield; the result was the curtailment of the original plan of the work and the omission of Barker's name in connexion with it. It was completed in twelve volumes (1816 - 1828). The strictures of the Quarterly were answered by Barker in his Aristarchus Anti-Blomfieldianus, which, although unconvincing, was in turn answered by Bishop Monk. He also published notes on the Etymologicum Gudianum, and collaborated with Professor Dunbar of Edinburgh in a Greek and English Lexicon (1831). The editio princeps (1820) of the treatise attributed to Arcadius of Περὶ τόνων was published by him from a Paris manuscript. Continental scholars entertained a more favourable opinion of him than those of his own country. He expressed contempt for the minute verbal criticism of the Porsonian school, in which he was himself deficient.

Achievements

Barker was a prolific writer on classical and other subjects. In addition to contributing to the Classical Journal, he edited portions of several classical authors for the use of schools. He was one of the first commentators to write notes in English instead of Latin. He produced a new edition of the Thesaurus Ellipsium Latinarum of Elias Palairet, published notes on the Etymologicum Gudianum and Greek and English Lexicon. In 1809 Barker obtained the Browne medal for Greek and Latin epigrams.