Henry Baber facts for kids
Henry Hervey Baber (born 1775 – died 1869) was an English expert in languages and old texts. He spent his life working with important books and manuscripts.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Henry Hervey Baber was born in Slingsby, a village in Yorkshire. He was the second son of Thomas Baber, a lawyer from London, and Elizabeth Baber. Henry went to school at St Paul's School, London. After that, he studied at All Souls College, Oxford and finished his university studies in 1805.
Working with Important Books
Henry Baber loved books and old writings. He first worked as a sub-librarian at the Bodleian Library in Oxford. This library is one of the oldest and most famous in the world.
In 1807, he moved to London to become an Assistant Librarian at the British Museum. This museum is also very famous and has a huge collection of books. By 1812, Henry was promoted to a very important job: Keeper of the Printed Books. This meant he was in charge of all the printed books in the museum's collection.
A Special Project
Henry Baber worked on a very important project. He helped to create a three-volume edition of the Old Testament. This was part of a very old and valuable Bible manuscript called the Codex Alexandrinus. It is one of the oldest complete copies of the Bible. Because of his hard work on this project, the King gave him a special reward in 1827. He was made the rector (a type of church leader) of St James' Church, Stretham in Cambridgeshire.
In May 1816, Henry Baber was also chosen to be a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a great honor given to top scientists and thinkers in the United Kingdom.
Later Life and Family
In 1837, the British Museum made a new rule. Staff members could no longer hold other paid jobs at the same time. Because of this, Henry Baber decided to leave his job at the museum. However, he continued to be the rector of Stretham church until he passed away. He was 94 years old when he died.
Henry Baber married Ann Smith in 1809. They had five children together: two sons and three daughters.
His Published Works
Henry Hervey Baber also wrote and published several important books during his life. These books helped other scholars and researchers.
- Librorum Impressorum Qui in Museo Britannico Adservantur Catalogus ... (Latin Edition) - This was a catalog of printed books kept at the British Museum. He worked on this with Henry Ellis.
- The New Testament: Translated From The Latin In The Year 1380 By John Wiclif (1810) - This book was a translation of the New Testament by John Wycliffe, which Henry Baber helped to publish.
