Francis Barnes (13 January 1744 - 1 May 1838) was an English philosopher and a

Knightbridge Professor of Philosophy The Knightbridge Professorship of Philosophy is the senior professorship in Faculty of philosophy cambridge, philosophy at the University of Cambridge. There have been 22 Knightbridge professors, the incumbent being Rae Langton. History One of the ...

Early life and education

Barnes was born in Bolton-le-Sands, Lancashire the son of Joseph Barnes a yeoman farmer. He attended local schools at Kellett and Silverdale, but his teachers noticed his abilities and he won a place at

Eton College Eton College ( ) is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school providing boarding school, boarding education for boys aged 13–18, in the small town of Eton, Berkshire, Eton, in Berkshire, in the United Kingdom. It has educated Prime Mini ...

. His family were not wealthy and it was said that he travelled to Eton seated behind his father on one of the farm's horses. After finishing his schooling he went up to

King's College, Cambridge King's College, formally The King's College of Our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge, is a List of colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college lies beside the River Cam and faces ...

. He graduated in 1764 at the age of twenty.

Career

Barnes took a Bachelor in Divinity and Doctor of Divinity at Cambridge in preparation for a career in the church. He was ordained in 1769 held various livings in Norwich and Wattisham, Suffolk, and became Vice-Provost of King's. In 1788 Barnes became Vice-Chancellor of

Cambridge University The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...

as well as Master of

Peterhouse, Cambridge Peterhouse is the oldest Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge in England, founded in 1284 by Hugh de Balsham, Bishop of Ely. Peterhouse has around 300 undergraduate and 175 graduate stud ...

. His appointment to the latter post was highly contentious. He was only nominated to prevent the election of another man and had not particularly wanted the position. It was said by a Peterhouse Fellow that he was unsuited to "any duty which required the exercise of high notions of morality, and a careful regard to what is just, decent, and venerable". He held the Mastership for over 50 years. In 1813 Barnes was elected to the Knightbridge Professorship of Moral Philosophy. As with his appointment to Master of Peterhouse, this election has been the subject of controversy. There were four electors for the vacant Professorship: the Vice-Chancellor, the Regius and the

Lady Margaret's Professors of Divinity ''Lady'' is a term for a woman who behaves in a polite way. Once used to describe only women of a high social class or status, the female counterpart of lord, now it may refer to any adult woman, as gentleman can be used for men. "Lady" is al ...

, and the Master of Peterhouse. The casting vote belonged to the last of these if the vote was split. There is a popular story that Barnes, as well as being Master of Peterhouse, was Vice-Chancellor; that as Vice-Chancellor, he nominated himself for the Professorship; that as Master of Peterhouse he seconded himself; and that, by two original votes and a casting vote, he elected himself to the Professorship. The story is almost certainly apocryphal. Although Barnes had been Vice-Chancellor in 1788 and 1807, he did not hold the post in 1813, the year of his election to the Knightbridge. As was common for incumbents of the chair in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, he seems to have given no lectures, and did not publish anything. Barnes had the distinction of being the last wearer of the eighteenth century wig in Cambridge University. He died in 1838 at the age of 95 and is buried in the chapel at Peterhouse.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Barnes, Francis 1744 births 1838 deaths People educated at Eton College Alumni of King's College, Cambridge Fellows of Peterhouse, Cambridge Masters of Peterhouse, Cambridge Vice-chancellors of the University of Cambridge Knightbridge Professors of Philosophy