Thomas Barnes (journalist)
Thomas Barnes | |
---|---|
Born | 11 September 1785 London |
Died | 7 May 1841 (aged 55) |
Alma mater | |
Occupation | Journalist |
Thomas Barnes (11 September 1785 – 7 May 1841) was an English journalist, essayist, and
which he edited from 1817 until his death in 1841.Early life and education
Barnes was the eldest son of John Barnes, a solicitor, and his wife Mary, née Anderson. After his mother's death, Barnes was raised by his grandmother before beginning his education at
After considering a career as an academic, Barnes acceded to his family's wishes and embarked on a career in the law, moving to London in 1809 and entering the
Career in journalism
With his legal career characterised by drudgery, Barnes sought an outlet for his talents. He found this through his friendship with
Editor of The Times
Walter's trust in Barnes was soon demonstrated when in 1815 Walter empowered him revise the controversial
During Barnes's editorship, the influence and the scope of The Times grew, and with it its prominence in public affairs. Moved by what he saw during a trip to Ireland, Barnes became a passionate supporter of
Barnes feuded with Lord Palmerston, who manipulated public opinion to enhance his control of foreign affairs. Palmerston leaked secrets to the press, published selected documents, and released letters to give himself more control and more publicity, all the while stirring up British nationalism. Barnes refused to play along with his propaganda ploys.[9]
Personal life
Though Barnes never married, he had a relationship for over two decades with Dinah Mary Mondet. Together they lived at 49 Nelson Square Southwark, London from 1821 to 1836 and then at 25 Soho Square, London. After Barnes's death in 1841, Dinah Mondet continued to live in their home in Soho Square until her own death in 1852, after which she was buried next to Barnes in Kensal Green Cemetery.[10] It is probable (from correspondence with the volume, between A. N. L. Munby and the Archivist of The Times, in 1971) that an auction catalogue of 'A valuable collection of books ... comprising the library of an editor, deceased' and sold by Mr Fletcher on 11-13 May 1842 represents Barnes's library, sold by 'the administratrix', presumably Mondet. A copy of the catalogue is at Cambridge University Library (shelfmark Munby.c.155(29)).
References
- ISBN 9789038213408.
- ^ Gordon Phillips, "Barnes, Thomas (1785–1841)", in The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, H.C.G. Matthew and Brian Harrison, eds. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004), vol. 3, p. 1013.
- ^ History of The Times, vol. 1: "The Thunderer" in the Making (London: Printing House Square, 1935), p. 198.
- ^ Phillips, op cit.
- ^ History of The Times, op cit, pgs. 159, 175, 391.
- ^ Phillips, History of The Times, p. 256.
- ^ Hansard 22 March 1832
- ^ Roy Jenkins, Portraits and Miniatures p. 176
- ^ Laurence Fenton, "Origins of Animosity: Lord Palmerston and The Times, 1830–41." Media History 16.4 (2010): 365–378; Fenton, Palmerston and The Times: foreign policy, the press and public opinion in mid-Victorian Britain (2013).
- ^ Phillips, op cit, p. 1014.
Further reading
- Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). 1911. .
- Dictionary of National Biography. 1885–1900. .
- "Barnes, Thomas (BNS804T)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
- Hudson, Derek (1943). Thomas Barnes of "The Times". London: Cambridge University Press.
- Jenkins, Roy (1993). Portraits and Miniatures. London: Macmillan. ISBN 9780333592823.
- Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Volume 3. 2004.