Barton, Bernard

(1784-1849)

   Barton, known as the "Quaker Poet," was born at Carlisle and educated by Quakers. When his wife died in childbirth he became a tutor to a Liverpool merchant, but soon returned to his home in Woodbridge, Suffolk, to work in a bank, where he re26 mained until he died. He wrote 10 books of poems, many of which became hymns. A prolific poet, his works include: Metrical Effusions, 1812. Convict's Appeal, 1818 (dedicated to James Montgomery [see entry]), is a protest in verse against the severity of the criminal code. Devotional Verses, 1826. Household Verses, 1849. Some of his other poems: "A Call to Build the Lord's House," "Bruce and the Spider," "Comfort in a Cloudy Day," "Getting to the WatchTower," "Hope in Conflict," "Lamp of our Feet" (possibly inspired by Psalm 119:105), "Not Ours the Vows" (which maybe his heart's expression after the death of his wife), "Pride Reproved," "The Famine of the Word," "The Frailty of Man's Goodness," "The Lukewarm Threatened," "The Three Faithful, in the Fiery Furnace," "Walking in the Light."

   Sources: Best Loved Story Poems. Walter E. Thwing, ed. Garden City, 1941. Dictionary of National Biography. Electronic Edition 1.1. Oxford University Press, 1997. English Poetry: Author Search. Chadwyck-Healey Ltd., 1995 (http://www.lib.utexas.edu:8080/search/epoetry/author.html). Poemhunter (www.poemhunter.com). The Columbia Granger's Index to Poetry. 11th ed. The Columbia Granger's World of Poetry, Columbia University Press, 2005 (http://www.columbiagrangers.org). The Cyber Hymnal (http://www.cyberhymnal.org/index.htm). The National Portrait Gallery (www.npg.org.uk).