BARKER, EDMUND HENRY (1788-1839), English classical scholar, was born at Hollym, Yorkshire, England, and died in London on March 21 1839. He entered Trinity college, Cambridge, as a scholar in 1807, but left the university without a degree, being prevented by religious scruples from taking the oath then required. After acting as amanuensis to the famous Samuel Parr, he married and settled down at Thetford, Norfolk, where he lived for about 25 years. In later life he became involved in a law-suit which exhausted his means. In he was a prisoner for debt in the King's Bench and in the Fleet. Barker was one of the first commentators to write notes in Eng lish instead of Latin. He conceived the design of a new edition of Stephanus's Thesaurus Graecae Linguae. The work was under taken by A. J. Valpy, and it was understood that Barker was the responsible editor. It was completed in 12 vols. (1816-28) with out Barker's name. Severe criticisms of the earlier parts in the Quarterly Review (182o) were answered by Barker in his Aris tarclaus Anti-Blomfieldianus. He also published notes on the Etymologicum Gudianum, and collaborated with Prof. Dunbar, of Edinburgh, in a Greek and English Lexicon (1831). The editio princess (1820) of the treatise attributed to Arcadius, II€p Tovcsv, was published by him from a Paris ms. Continental schol ars entertained a more favourable opinion of him than those of his own country. He expressed contempt for the minute verbal criticism of the Porsonian school, in which he was himself deficient.
An account of his life will be found in the Gentleman's Magazine for May 1839 ; see also Notes and Queries (6th series, xii. p. 443), where a full list of his works is given.