The Hon. and Rt. Rev.

Dr. SHUTE BARRINGTON,

LORD BISHOP OF DURHAM,

was the sixth and youngest son of John Shute, first Viscount Barrington, by Anne, daughter and coheiress of Sir William Daines, knight; and was born May 26, 1734, not six months before his father's death*. His father was the friend of Locke, and the confidential agent of Lord Somers in preparing the Scottish Legislature for the Union with England. Of his brethren, William Wildman, the eldest, was second Viscount Barrington, and Secretary at War; Francis, the second, died young; John, the third, died a Major-general in the army in 1764, and was father of the late and present Peers; Daines, the fourth, was an eminent King's Counsel and a Welch Judge; and Samuel, the fifth, a highly distinguished Admiral. The Bishop lost both the latter, his last surviving brothers, in the year 1800.

The Hon. Shute Barrington was educated at Eton; he became a Gentleman-commoner of Merton College, Oxford, in 1752; Fellow in 1755; entered into holy orders in 1756; and took the degree of M. A. October 10, 1757. In 1760 he was appointed one of the King's Chaplains, and in 1761 a Canon of Christ Church.

At the time of his Lordship's death he was Bishop of Durham, Count Palatine and Custos Rotulorum of that Principality, Visitor of Baliol College, Oxford, a Trustee, by election, of the British Museum, President of the School for Indigent Blind, and of the Society for bettering the Condition of the Poor.

* Viscount Barrington died Nov. 14, 1734.

† An ample memoir of Viscount Barrington, with an account of his family, may be found in the "Literary Anecdotes," vol. VI. pp. 444-452.

On the 2d of February in the latter year, he was married to his first wife, Lady Diana Beauclerk, only daughter of Charles, second Duke of St. Alban's, and sister of the then Duke. Her Ladyship died in child-bed, May 28, 1766, leaving no issue.

The late Bishop took the degree of D. C. L. at Christ Church, June 10, 1762. In 1781 he was nominated Canon Residentiary of St. Paul's, and in 1769, on the death of Bishop Newcombe, he succeeded Dr. Shipley, who was translated to St. Asaph, in the Bishopric of Llandaff. His consecration sermon was preached by Dr. Stinton, at Lambeth, Oct. 4, 1769, and was afterwards published.

On the 20th of June, 1770, the Bishop was married to his second wife, Jane, only daughter of Sir John Guise, Bart. and sole heiress of her brother Sir William, the fifth and last Baronet of Elmore in Gloucestershire. Mrs. Barrington was named after her mother, Jane, daughter and heiress of John Saunders, Esq. of Mongewell, in Oxfordshire. That mansion Miss Saunders brought to Sir John Guise, and he intended it for the future residence of his descendants, his fine paternal seat at Elmore, built from the ruins of the De Bohuns' castle at Haresfield, having grown out of repair. With this view he left Mongewell to his son Sir William, and bequeathed Elmore to his son-in-law Bishop Barrington, with remainder to his own family. It was, however, his son who was first destined to die without issue, on which occurrence in 1782, Mrs. Barrington became possessed of Mongewell, afterwards the favourite residence of the Bishop. Mrs. Barrington died there, Aug. 8, 1807, having had no children.

In 1770 appeared the Bishop's first publication, an edition, in three 8vo volumes, of his father's " Miscellanea Sacra, or a new method of considering so much of the History of the Apostles as is contained in Scripture." Of this work see the "Literary Anecdotes, vol. VI. p. 447. In 1772 he published in 4to,

"A

Sermon preached before the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, Jan. 30, 1772; and in Svo, 1775, "A Sermon preached before the incorporated Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, Feb. 17, 1775." The latter is reviewed in the "Gentleman's Magazine," vol. XLV. p. 373.

In 1777 the Bishop exchanged his Residentiaryship of St. Paul's for a Canonry of Windsor, the confined air of the London residence being found injurious to the health of Mrs. Barrington.

In 1782, on the death of Dr. Hume, Bishop Barrington was translated to the See of Salisbury. There he greatly distinguished himself by his liberality in promoting the repairs of the noble Cathedral. The palace was repaired and embellished by him at the expence of no less than £7000*. His munificence is commemorated in an appropriate Latin inscription placed over the door leading to the great staircase, by the late prelate, Dr. Fisher. He also established a fund of £2000, the interest of which is yearly distributed among the poor clergy and their families by the existing Bishop; and appropriated a sum of £6000 bequeathed to him by the Rev. Mr. Emily, to augment the revenue of the alms-houses, or College of St. Nicholas.

In 1783 was published in Svo, his "Charge to the

"The principal improvements made by him were these. The situation of the palace being very low, and subject to great damps, he caused several drains to be cut from the river, some of which pass through the grounds, and some under the house, by which means all the stagnate waters are carried off. He changed the entrance; the present entrance-hall was formerly the diningroom. To guard against the inconvenience arising from damp, all the sitting-rooms are now on the first floor, and to give a sufficient number of lodging rooms, a floor was thrown over the great hall, by which six bed-rooms were gained. The great room is 52 by 24. The doors, windows, and chimney, were designed by Sir Robert Taylor; but the ceiling formed in the time of Bishop Sherlock was very properly retained."-Rev. S. H. Cassan's Lives of the Bishops of Salisbury, from information furnished by the late Bishop Fisher.