He was born at Leeds , and educated at the University of Glasgow from 1737 to 1740, which he left with a testimonial signed by Francis Hutcheson and Robert Simson . Baron became a friend of Thomas Gordon , author of the Independent Whig , and afterwards of Thomas Hollis , whom he helped in collecting works defending the republicanism of the seventeenth century.

He had a congregation at Pinners' Hall, London in 1753. ^[1] An impractical person, Baron died in poverty. ^[2]

He edited in 1751 a collection of tracts by Gordon, under the title, A Cordial for Low Spirits , 3 vols.; and in 1752 a similar collection by Gordon and others, called The Pillars of Priestcraft and Orthodoxy shaken, in 2 vols. An enlarged edition of the last, in four volumes, including tracts by Benjamin Hoadly , Arthur Ashley Sykes , William Arnall , and Francis Blackburne , was prepared by him, and published in 1767 for the benefit of his widow and three children. ^[2]

In 1751 he edited Algernon Sidney 's Discourse concerning Government , and in 1753 John Milton 's prose works; of which an edition by John Toland had appeared in 1697, and one by Thomas Birch in 1738. Baron later found the second edition of Eikonoklastes , and reprinted it in 1756. He also edited Edmund Ludlow 's Memoirs in 1751, and Marchamont Nedham 's Excellency of a Free State in 1757. Hollis engaged him in 1766 to superintend an edition of Andrew Marvell ; but the plan was dropped and it was later taken up by Edward Thompson in 1776. ^[2]

He wrote also against Archibald Bower in A faithful account of Mr Archibald Bower's motives for leaving his office of secretary to the court of inquisition (1750). ^[3]

Attribution

  ?This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain :? " Baron, Richard ". Dictionary of National Biography . London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885?1900.