Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Barnes, Edward
BARNES, Sir EDWARD (1776–1838), of Beech-hill Park, near Barnet, was colonel of the 31st regiment. He commenced his career as an ensign in the 47th regiment on 8 Nov. 1792, became a lieutenant in the army on 8 May 1793, was gazetted into the 86th regiment on 30 Oct. following, became a captain in the 99th regiment on 11 Feb. 1793, a major in the 79th regiment on 17 Feb. 1800, a lieutenant-colonel in the 46th regiment on 23 April 1807, a colonel in the army on 25 July 1810, and a major-general on 4 June 1813. He was lieutenant-governor of Dominica (1808–12), and was gazetted lieutenant-governor of Antigua Dec. 1813, although he did not take up the appointment. He served on the staff in the Peninsula, to which he was appointed in 1812, and commanded a brigade at the battles of Vittoria, Pyrenees, Nivelle, Nive, and Orthes, receiving a cross and three clasps. He also served in the campaign of 1815 in the Netherlands and France as adjutant-general, and was severely wounded at Waterloo. For this campaign he received the Austrian order of Maria Theresa, and the Russian order of St. Anne, 1st class; and previously, on the enlargement of the order of the Bath, was nominated K.C.B. He was colonel fourth garrison battalion 1815–6, and was gazetted as colonel of the 99th regiment on 24 Oct. 1816; he was appointed to the staff in Ceylon in 1819. From 1820 to 1822 he was colonel first battalion rifle regiment. On 25 Aug. 1822 he was made colonel of the 78th regiment, and became a lieutenant-general on 27 May 1825. From Jan. 1824 till Oct. 1831 he was governor of Ceylon. On 24 Feb. 1831 he was made G.C.B., and on 7 June commander-in-chief in India, which appointment he held till May 1833 with the local rank of general. On 14 Oct. 1834 he became colonel of the 31st regiment. In July 1834, on the death of the Right Hon. Michael Angelo Taylor [q. v.], he contested Sudbury as a conservative, when, the number of votes being equal, the mayor or returning officer claimed the privilege of selecting Sir Edward Barnes. A petition was in progress when the general election of 1835 ensued, at which he failed to secure his seat. At the next election (1837) he was returned at the head of the poll. He died in Piccadilly on 19 March 1838, at the age of 62. A general meeting in Ceylon resolved to erect a monument to his memory at Colombo. His portrait was painted for the island of Ceylon by John Wood, and a mezzotint engraving of it on steel was afterwards published by G. T. Payne.
[Gent. Mag. 1838, p. 214; Royal Military Catalogue, iii. 227; Napier's History of the War in the Peninsula; Army Lists.]
Dictionary of National Biography, Errata (1904), p.16
N.B.— f.e. stands for from end and l.l. for last line
| Page | Col. | Line | |
| 249 | i | 13 | Barnes, Sir Edward: after 1818 insert He was lieut.-governor of Dominica 1808-12 and was gazetted lieut.-governor of Antigua Dec. 1813, though he did not take up the appointment |
| 26 | after He insert was colonel of the 4th garrison battalion 1815-16 and | ||
| 28 | after 1819 insert He was colonel 1st battalion rifle regiment 1820-2 | ||
| 21 f.e. | for M. A. Taylor, Esq. read the Right Hon. Michael Angelo Taylor [q. v.] | ||
| 20 f.e. | before the borough insert in the conservative interest |