Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Baber, Henry Hervey
BABER, HENRY HERVEY (1775–1869), philologist, was born in 1775. He was educated at Oxford, and took his degree as master of arts in 1805. Two years later he entered the service of the British Museum, and in 1812 was promoted to the office of keeper of the printed books, in the general duties of which post, and in work upon the catalogue of books in the collection, he was actively engaged for twenty-five years. Besides his keepership, Baber also held the rectory of Stretham in Cambridgeshire, to which he was appointed in 1827. In the year 1837 he resigned his post at the British Museum, and retired to his rectory. His resignation was partly made in consequence of a recommendation of a parliamentary committee in 1836, that officials of the museum should not hold any other situation conferring emoluments or entailing duties. Mr. Baber died on 28 March 1869, at the age of 94. His chief published work was an edition of the Old Testament portion of the Codex Alexandrinus, Vetus Testamentum Græcum e Codice MS. Alexandrino … typis ad similitudinem ipsius codicis Scripturæ fideliter descriptum cura et labore H. H. Baber 3 vols. London, 1816–21 [28], fol.