Richard Harris Barham

• Name — Richard Harris Barham • Born — 6 December 1788 • Birthplace — Canterbury, Kent, England • Died — 17 June 1845 • Place of death — London, England • Other Names — Thomas Ingoldsby • Occupation — cleric, novelist, humorous poet • Notable Works — Ingoldsby Legends

Richard Harris Barham was born in Canterbury. He was the illegitimate son of a local alderman, also called Richard Harris Barham and a woman named Elizabeth Ffox. When he was seven years old his father died, leaving him a small estate, part of which was the manor of Tappington, in Denton, Kent, mentioned frequently in his later work The Ingoldsby Legends. At nine he was sent to St Paul's School, but his studies were interrupted by an accident that partly crippled his arm for life. Deprived of vigorous bodily activity, he became a great reader and diligent student. During 1807 he entered Brasenose College, Oxford, intending at first to study for the law, but deciding on a clerical career instead. In 1813 he was ordained and found a country curacy at Snargate in Romney Marsh, marrying Caroline Smart the following year. While there he wrote his first novel Baldwin, published in 1820. He began his second novel, My Cousin Nicholas, though this was not published until 1834. in 1821 he moved to London (to 51 Great Queen Street), after gaining a minor canonry at London's St. Paul's Cathedral, where he served as a cardinal. Three years later he became one of the priests in ordinary of the King's Chapel Royal, appointed as rector of St Mary Magdalen and St Gregory by St Paul's, living at Amen Corner in St Paul's Churchyard. • Illustration — Illustration by George Cruikshank for the 'Dead Drummer of Salisbury Plain', one of The Ingoldsby Legends He edited the London Chronicle in 1823, and in 1826 first contributed to Blackwood's Magazine. In 1837 he began to contribute to the recently founded Bentley's Miscellany a series of tales (mostly metrical, some in prose) known as The Ingoldsby Legends. These became popular and were published in collected form in three volumes between 1840 and 1847, and have since appeared in numerous editions. They may perhaps be compared to Hudibras. The stories are generally whimsical, but based on antiquarian learning. There is also a collection of Barham's miscellaneous poems, edited posthumously by his son, called The Ingoldsby Lyrics. Barham was a political Tory, yet a lifelong friend of the liberal Sydney Smith and of Theodore Hook. Barham, a contributor to the Edinburgh Review, The Literary Gazette and John Gorton's Biographical Dictionary, also wrote a novel, My Cousin Nicholas (1834). He died in London on 17 June 1845, after a long and painful illness.

He also worked under the name Thomas Ingoldsby. The authorities additionally record the headings Thomas Ingoldsby and Richard Barham. His recorded language was English. His recorded confession was Anglicanism.

Works recorded as notable number 3: The Ingoldsby Legends, The "Monstre" Balloon and Family Stories, by Thomas Ingolsby.

Some account of my cousin Nicholas, by Thomas Ingoldsby. Recorded as writer, anglican priest and humorist.