Born at Exeter, the ninth child of Ralph Barnes, Residentary Canon of Exeter from 1769, Archdeacon of Totnes, and Chancellor of the Cathedral. This Ralph Barnes (1731-1820) went to Christ Church as head boy from Westminster School. It is on record that "he was severely punished by the Dean and Chapter for his complicity with Richard James in the celebration of the Pretender's Birthday, June 10th, 1750", with the result that he migrated to St Edmund's Hall - with or without a 'bene decessit'. His companion, Richard James, who was also an old Westminster, and had come up in 1748, was expelled on account of the same night's work "for providing entertainment both of dinner and supper for several persons in celebration of the Pretender's Birthday, for forcing himself out of the College Gate at a very late hour, threatening to kill the porter and for failing to appear before the Dean and Chapter when cited." Ralph Barnes married Ann, daughter of the Rev Theophilus Blackall, Chancellor of Exeter Cathedral and Archdeacon of Barnstaple, and the children were thus members of one of the most energetic, wealthy and influential Devon families. Their great-grandfather was the bishop, and their uncles were dignitaries of the church; one of the brothers, Frederick (1771-1859), educated at Westminster, was Canon, and in 1852 Subdean of Christ Church, Oxford; another, George (1784-1847), of Exeter College, Oxford, was Archdeacon of Madras in 1814, and Archdeacon of Barnstaple in 1830; a third became Chapter Clerk and Bishop's Secretary at Exeter. Samuel was educated at the Exeter Grammar School and at the Hunterian School in London, where he came under the notice of John Sheldon (1752-1808), who had a family connection with Exeter, and thus acquired the traditions set by William and John Hunter. He passed from the Hunterian School to St Bartholomew's Hospital, where he acted for two years as House Surgeon to John Abernethy (1764-1831), and then returning to Exeter, began to practise ophthalmic surgery, and was elected to the Eye Infirmary. He was chosen without opposition Surgeon to the Devon and Exeter Hospital on July 13th, 1813. Within five years of his appointment the Surgeon to the Eye Infirmary and three out of the four hospital surgeons died, so that Barnes soon obtained a considerable practice. He introduced into Exeter the scientific Hunterian surgery and made a medical school there. With the help of his colleague John Haddy James, he obtained the leave of the Governors to discuss medical matters twice a week with students in the committee room of the hospital, to allow dissection and demonstrations of anatomy to take place, and to form a museum. Amongst the pupils were P C De la Garde (qv), who made a reputation as an ophthalmic surgeon, and John Harris, who became Surgeon to the Hospital. Barnes was at this time living at 5 Barnfield Crescent. He resigned his office as Surgeon in September, 1846, and in October of the same year he was appointed to an office especially made for him and Dr Blackall, as a Member of an Honorary Consulting Staff. From 1813-1858 he was Secretary of the Devon and Exeter Literary Institute. He married Juliana Speke, daughter of William Speke, of Jordans, Somerset, and there were many children of both sexes by the marriage. There is a portrait of Samuel Barnes in the Board Room of the Devon and Exeter Literary Institute, a replica in the hospital, and a bust by Haydon in the Institute. He died at Exeter in December, 1858. Of Barnes it is said that his equable temper neither took nor gave offence. His professional intercourse was distinguished by urbanity and integrity. His manner, pleasant and of almost child-like simplicity, never disguised the power of his mind, his clear perception, and his sound judgement. He was a good operator, for he knew what he meant to do and did it, yet he did not dislike nor did he love his profession. It was his business. Neither romance, nor ambition, nor enthusiasm gave a complexion to his life. For those who required his help he worked with all his power because he was an honest man conscientiously bent upon doing his duty. He never invented anything, and two cases in the *Medico-Chirurgical Transactions* were his sole contributions to knowledge. PUBLICATIONS: "Case of Double Encysted Tumour in the Orbit Containing a Tooth." - *Med.-Chir. Trans.*, 1813, iv, 819. "Case of Successful Treatment of Incontinence of Urine consequent to Sloughing or Ulceration of the Bladder from Injury during Labour; with Observations." - *Med.-Chir. Trans.*, 1815, vi, 583.