Samuel Barker (Hebraist)

Samuel Barker (1686–1759) was an English Hebraist.

Life

Barker was the son of Augustin Barker of South Luffenham and Thomasyn Tryst of Maidford, Northants,[1] and inherited the Lordship of the Manor of Lyndon, Rutland by the bequest of his father's second cousin Sir Thomas Barker, 2nd Bt of Lyndon (1648-1706/7).[2] Sir Thomas was a member of the 'Order of Little Bedlam' or Bedlam Club based at Burghley House.[3] Samuel entered Wadham College, University of Oxford in June 1704 and graduated B.A. on 13 February 1707/8.[4]

In 1717 Samuel married Sarah, only daughter of William Whiston, in whose memoirs he is mentioned.[5] Their interests coincided closely, 'Wicked'[6] Will Whiston being the translator-editor of Josephus. Whiston in later life resided with Samuel at Lyndon Hall[7] and died there. Samuel was the father of Thomas Barker (1722–1809), called 'The father of meteorology', and was therefore the father-in-law of Ann Barker née White, the sister of Gilbert White of Selborne.[8] Gilbert White maintained correspondence with Samuel Barker junr. (grandson of Samuel), who like his great-grandfather Whiston attended Clare College, University of Cambridge.[9]

Works

He wrote (in Latin) several learned tracts, which were collected and published (1761) in one quarto volume after his death, together with a Hebrew grammar, on which he had long been engaged.[10] John Nichols said of it, 'This was a juvenile production – the produce of the ingenious Author's leisure hours.'[11] It contained:

  • Ancient Hebrew Poesy Restored
  • On the Anacreontic songs
  • On Greek accents
  • Ancient Ionic writings
  • On consonant and vowel letters
  • On the pronunciation of the Hebrew language

He was the author of a letter, dated 7 November 1723, to Joseph Wasse, rector of Aynho, Northamptonshire, concerning a passage in the Sigeion inscription,[12] which may be found in the Biblioteca Literaria of Samuel Jebb and William Bowyer, No. 10 (1724).

References
  1. See Abstract of Release of Marriage Portion published online by National Archives Online Leicester Record Office, Conant MSS, DG11/967.
  2. Will of Sir Thomas Barker, written 1704, see abstract published online by National Archives Online Leicester Record Office, Conant MSS, DG11/1013. A family tree is given in John Kington (ed), Thomas Barker, Weather Journals of a Country Squire (Rutland Local History and Record Society 1988) ISBN 0-907464-06-8.
  3. Bryan Waites, 'Sir Thomas Barker and the Order of Little Bedlam', Rutland Local History and Record Society Newsletter No. 1 Pt 10 (April 2010), pp 5–6. read here
  4. Oxford University Alumni 1500–1714, Vol. I p. 71, column 2, as 'son of Austin of Medford, Northants.'
  5. W. Whiston, Memoirs of the Life and Writings of Mr William Whiston (Author, London 1749), p. 271 (Google).
  6. See Jonathan Swift's 'Ode for Music, On the Longitude' (Swift's Works, ed. 1803, xxiv. 39), set to music by Benjamin Cooke: read here.
  7. John Cornforth, 'Lyndon Hall, Rutland. The home of Lady Conant', Country Life 10 Nov. 1966.
  8. H.A. Evans, Highways and Byways in Northampton and Rutland Pocket edition (Macmillan & Co., London 1924), 161–62.
  9. Venn, Alumni Cantabrigienses 1261–1900, Samuel Barker admitted 1777.
  10. Poesis vetus Hebraica restituta; accedunt quædam de Carminibus Anacreonticis, de accentibus Græcis; de scriptura veteri Ionica, de literis consonantibus et vocalibus, et de pronunciatione linguæ Hebraicæ. Auctore Samuele Barker armigero, nuper de Lyndon, in com. Rotelandiæ, (Londini: Prostat venalis apud J. Whiston & B. White, 1761). In modern reprints the name in the title is mistakenly written 'Baker'.
  11. J. Nichols, Literary Anecdotes of the Eighteenth Century, (Nichols and Bentley, London 1812–1815) Vol. 9: Additions to the Eighth Volume, p. 680.
  12. Stone stela (6th century B.C.), The British Museum, Accession number: 1816,0610.107 (British Museum).
Attribution

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: "Barker, Samuel". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.

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