BARNES, ERNEST WILLIAM (1874— ), British divine, was born on April 1, 1874, and was educated at King Edward's school, Birmingham, and at Trinity college, Cambridge, where he had a brilliant career, being bracketed second wrangler in 1896 and elected in 1898 to a fellowship of his college Or dained deacon in 1902 and priest in 1903, he held various appoint ments at Trinity college, Cambridge, becoming tutor in 1908. He wrote many valuable papers on mathematics and in 1909 was elected F.R.S. In 1915 he was appointed Master of the Temple and in 1918 canon of Westminster. He rapidly acquired a repu tation as a vigorous and broadminded preacher and in his sermons discussed either evolution and science, or the more homely aspects of Christianity, with equal candour and individ uality. In 1924, on the recommendation of Mr. Ramsay Mac Donald, Canon Barnes was appointed bishop of Birmingham. In this capacity his "advanced" views, and in particular his refusal to sanction the practice of the reservation of the Sacrament which he considered contrary to the spirit of the Prayer Book and likely to foster "superstition" rather than "mysticism" led to sharp controversy with the Anglo-Catholic elements of his diocese and to wide discussion. The controversy was revived in an acute form in 1927 when a procession entered St. Paul's cathedral, where the bishop was preaching, to make a public protest against his views.