John Baynes facts for kids

John Baynes (born 1758, died 1787) was an English lawyer and writer. He was known for his legal work and for writing about politics. He was also a strong supporter of political reform during his time.

The Life of John Baynes

John Baynes was born in 1758 in a place called Middleham, Yorkshire, in England. He went to school at Richmond Grammar School in the same area. After that, he studied at Trinity College, Cambridge, which is a famous university.

His Time at University

John Baynes was a very good student. He earned his first degree (B.A.) in 1777. He won special prizes for his work in philosophy and for his knowledge of old Greek and Roman studies. He then earned his master's degree (M.A.) in 1780.

Becoming a Lawyer

Around 1778, John Baynes began studying to become a lawyer at Gray's Inn in London. This is one of the places where lawyers in England are trained. In 1779, he also became a Fellow at Trinity College, Cambridge, which meant he was a senior member of the college. He worked as a special pleader, which is a type of lawyer who writes legal arguments for court cases.

Getting Involved in Politics

John Baynes was also very interested in politics. He became a strong supporter of the Whig party, which was a political group that wanted to make changes to the government. He joined a group called the Society for Constitutional Information in London. This group worked to change how elections were run and to give more people a say in government.

He took part in important meetings, like one in York in 1779. In 1784, he supported William Wilberforce in an election. Wilberforce later became famous for working to end slavery.

His Final Years

Not long before he died, John Baynes and other younger members of Trinity College spoke up about how some college leaders were chosen. They felt the elections were not fair. They took their concerns to a higher authority, and the college had to fix the problem.

Sadly, John Baynes died young, at just 29 years old. He passed away in London on August 3, 1787, from a serious fever. He was buried next to his friend, Dr. Jebb, in Bunhill Fields.

What John Baynes Wrote

John Baynes wrote many articles about politics for a newspaper called the London Courant. He also wrote poems and translated poems from French and Greek. Some of his writings were published in a magazine called the European Magazine.

He also helped gather information for a large book about famous people called the Biographia Britannica. There was a funny poem about old writings, called an archaeological epistle, that was thought to be written by him. However, he said he did not write it, even though he helped get it published.