BARRINGTON, Daines, fourth son of Lord Viscount Barrington, distinguished as an antiquarian and naturalist, was educated for the profession of the law; and, after possessing various posts, was appointed a Welsh judge in 1757, and afterwards second justice of Chester. He never rose to much eminence at the bar, but he showed his knowledge of the law as an object of liberal study, by a valuable publication entitled "Observations on the Statutes, chiefly the more ancient, from Magna Charta to 21 James I. c. 27; with an Appendix, being a Proposal for new-modelling the Statutes," 4to, 1766. This work has been quoted with great respect by many of our historians and constitutional antiquaries. In 1773 he published an edition of Orgus, with Alfred's Saxon version, and an English translation and notes of his own, which met with some severe animadversion from the critics. His "Tracts on the Probability of reaching the North Pole," 1775, 4to, were written in consequence of the northern voyage of discovery undertaken by Captain Phipps (now Lord Malgrave). He accumulates in them a variety of evidence favourable to his own opinion of the practicability of attaining the object in which that voyage failed; but there is little probability that the attempt will be renewed. Mr Barrington's other writings, which are numerous, are chiefly to be found in the publications of the Royal
and Antiquarian Societies, of both of which he was Barrington long an assiduous member, and of the latter, vice-president. They relate to a variety of topics in natural history and antiquities, and show great industry and extent of research, though with an occasional leaning to singularity and paradox. Many of his tracts were collected by him in a 4to volume entitled "Miscellanies on various Subjects," 1781. His "Experiments and Observations on the Singing of Birds," and his "Essay on the Language of Birds," are among the most curious and ingenious of his papers. These, and many others, prove that he was not only deeply conversant in books, but was a very attentive and sagacious observer of nature. In private life he was a man of worth and integrity, unambitious, and devoted to study and literary conversation. He resigned his office of justice of Chester in 1785, and afterwards lived in retirement in his chambers in King's-bench-walks, Inner-temple, associating chiefly with his brother benchers, and amusing himself with superintending the improvements of the gardens. He died March 14, 1800, and was buried in the Temple church.