William Barnard DD

THE RIGHT REV DR WILLIAM BARNARD (1697-1768), younger son of John Barnard, of the Middle Temple, London, and Clapham, Surrey, married Anne Stone, sister of the Archbishop of Armagh, and had issue,

THOMAS, his heir;
Henry (Rev Dr).

Dr Barnard, Vicar of St Bride's, Fleet Street, London, 1729, Prebendary of Westminster, 1732, was appointed Dean of Rochester, 1743, and was consecrated Lord Bishop of Raphoe, 1744, and from thence translated to the bishopric of Derry, 1747.

His lordship was succeeded by his elder son,

THE RIGHT REV DR THOMAS BARNARD (1726-1806), who wedded, in 1758, Anne, daughter of William Browne, and had issue, an only child,

ANDREW BARNARD, his heir.

Dr Barnard, Vicar of Maghera, 1751-60, Archdeacon of Derry, 1761-9, Dean of Derry, 1769-80, was consecrated Lord Bishop of Killaloe and Kilfenora, 1780, and thence translated to the bishopric of Limerick, 1794, until his death in 1806.

His only son,

ANDREW BARNARD (c1765-1807), Secretary to the Colony of Cape of Good Hope, espoused, in 1793, the Lady Anne Lindsay, daughter of James, 5th Earl of Balcarres, though the marriage was without issue.

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Bishop (William) Barnard was buried in the Islip chapel in Westminster Abbey.

A modern stone for him reads:WILLIAM BISHOP OF DERRY 1768.

His white marble memorial tablet is now in the Abbey triforium.

This was originally in a niche above the entry to the chapel of Our Lady of Pew, next door to the Islip chapel, but was removed in the 1930s.

The Latin inscription can be translated:

Here awaits a blessed resurrection the Right Reverend Father in Christ William Barnard, DD, first a pupil of this Collegiate Church, then Prebendary, afterward Dean of Rochester, thence elevated to Bishoprics in Ireland, of Raphoe in 1744, of Derry in 1747, by King George II. 

How great a benevolence he exercised in relieving the poor, in repairing churches, in setting up endowments, that diocese (over which he presided for more than twenty years) will long be aware and acknowledge. 

Returning to England for reasons of ill health, he died in London 10th Jan. 1768 aged 72.

Bishop Barnard was born in Clapham, south London, a son of John Barnard, a lawyer, and his wife Isabella.

After attending Westminster School he went to Trinity College Cambridge.

He then became Rector of Esher in Surrey and chaplain to the Duke of Newcastle.

Later he was chaplain to the King and vicar of St Bride's, Fleet Street.

On October 4th 1732 he was made a prebendary of Westminster and his other preferments followed.

He married Anne Stone, daughter of an eminent London banker and sister of the Archbishop of Armagh.

Bishop Barnard's great-grandson was General Sir Henry William Barnard KCB, son of the Rev William Barnard, Rector of Water Stratford, Buckinghamshire.

The Bishop was possibly related to Sir John Barnard (c1685-1764), of Mincing Lane, London, and Clapham, Surrey, Lord Mayor of London, 1737-8.

Dr Barnard’s successor in the bishopric was FREDERICK AUGUSTUS HERVEY.

First published in March, 2020.