Thomas Spencer Baynes

Thomas Spencer Baynes (24 March 1823 – 31 May 1887) was an English writer and scholar. He was born in Wellington, Somerset, the son of a Baptist minister. Initially, he intended to study for the Baptist ministry and attended a theological seminary in Bath. However, he developed a strong attraction to philosophical studies and left the seminary to study at the University of Edinburgh. There, he became a favoured pupil of Sir William Hamilton, and he remained a proponent of Hamilton's philosophical system throughout his life. Baynes began his career in journalism, working as the editor of a newspaper in Edinburgh. Following a period of ill health that necessitated a rest, he returned to journalism in 1858, taking on the role of assistant editor for the *Daily News* in London. In 1864, his academic career advanced when he was appointed Professor of Logic and English Literature at the University of St Andrews. In this position, his scholarly interests turned towards the works of Shakespeare. He contributed significant papers on Shakespeare's vocabulary and the extent of his learning to journals such as the *Edinburgh Review* and *Fraser's Magazine*. These papers were later compiled and published as *Shakespeare Studies*. A major milestone in Baynes's career was his appointment in 1873 to oversee the ninth edition of the *Encyclopædia Britannica*. He served as its editor-in-chief, a role in which he was later assisted by William Robertson Smith from 1880 onwards. Baynes holds the distinction of being the first English-born editor of the *Britannica*; all previous editors had been Scottish. He passed away in London in 1887.