Bernard Barton Biography

Bernard Barton (31 January 1784 – 19 February 1849) was known as the Quaker poet.

Born of Quaker parentage in London, educated at a Quaker school in Ipswich, passed nearly all his life at Woodbridge, for the most part as a clerk in a bank. His wife died at the end of their first year of marriage.

He became the friend of Southey, Lamb, and other men of letters. His chief works are The Convict's Appeal published in 1818 (see 1818 in poetry), a protest against the severity of the criminal code of the time, and Household Verses published in 1845 (see 1845 in poetry), which came under the notice of Sir R. Peel, through whom he obtained a pension of £100.

With the exception of some hymns, his works are now nearly forgotten, but he was a most amiable and estimable man—simple and sympathetic. His best known hymns are Lamp of our feet, whereby we trace, Walk in the light, so shalt thou know, Fear not, Zion's sons and daughters, Hath the invitation ended?, See we not beyond the portal?, Those who live in love shall know.

His daughter Lucy, who married Edward Fitzgerald, the translator of Omar Khayyám, published a selection of his poems and letters, to which her husband prefixed a biographical introduction.