Barbara Janet Baynton (née Lawrence; 4 June 1857 – 28 May 1929) was an Australian writer known primarily for her short stories about life in the bush. She published the collection Bush Studies (1902) and the novel Human Toll (1907), as well as writing for The Bulletin and The Sydney Morning Herald. She was a shrewd manager of her second husband's estate, owning properties in Melbourne and London. She acquired the title Lady Headley from her third marriage to Rowland Allanson-Winn, 5th Baron Headley, but never wrote under that name.
Baynton was born in 1857 at Scone, New South Wales, the daughter of Irish bounty immigrants,[a] John Lawrence and Elizabeth Ewart. However, she claimed to have been born in 1862 to Penelope Ewart and Captain Robert Kilpatrick, of the Bengal Light Cavalry.[1]
Personal lifeedit
The fictional narrative of her birth gave her "entrée to polite circles as a governess" and, in 1880, she married Alexander Frater, the son of her employers.[1] They soon moved to the Coonamble district, and had two sons and a daughter. However, in 1887, Alexander Frater ran off with her niece, Sarah Glover,[2] and Barbara moved to Sydney and commenced divorce proceedings. A decree absolute was granted 4 March 1890.
On 5 March 1890, she married Dr Thomas Baynton, a retired surgeon aged 70 years who had literary friends. Beginning in December 1896, she began contributing short stories to the Bulletin. Six of these were published in 1902 in London by Gerald Duckworth and Company Ltd under the title of Bush Studies because Mrs Baynton had been unable to find a publisher for them in Sydney. Alfred Stephens, a close friend, reviewed the book in the Bulletin and stated: 'So precise, so complete, with such insight into detail and such force of statement, it ranks with the masterpieces of realism in any language. Percival Serle, however, found that The building up of detail, however, is at times overdone, and lacking humorous relief, the stories tend to give a distorted view of life in the back-blocks.
Baynton's husband died on 10 June 1904 and left his entire estate to her. She invested in the stock market, bought and sold antiques, and collected black opals from Lightning Ridge.[1] She also became chairman of the Law Book Company of Australasia. In 1907, her only novel, Human Toll, was published, and in 1917 Cobbers, an edited reprint of Bush Studies with two additional stories, appeared. During World War I, she lived in England.[3] Her son Robert Frater had been on the staff of the Sydney Sun, and Alec Hay Frater was an artist; both enlisted with the British Army.[4]
In February 1921, Baynton married her third husband Rowland Allanson-Winn, 5th Baron Headley; she was subsequently styled "Lady Headley". He was a convert to Islam, but she did not adopt his religion. In 1925, the couple separated and she returned to Melbourne where she lived in the suburb of Toorak. The split was reputedly due to her husband's refusal of the throne of Albania. Baynton died in Melbourne on 28 May 1929. She was survived by her third husband and her two sons and daughter by the first marriage. Her daughter Penny Frater married politician and journalist Henry Gullett; their son, that is, Baynton's grandson Jo Gullett also entered politics.[3] The Australian actress Penne Hackforth-Jones (1942-2013), her great-granddaughter, wrote a biography of Baynton, titled Barbara Baynton - Between Two Worlds (1989).[5]
^Immigrants who were offered free passage by entrepreneurs who were paid an amount (i.e.bounty) per person for the eligible immigrants they brought into the colony, usually in shiploads
^Baynton, Barbara (2012). Bush Studies. Text Publishing House: Melbourne. p. xii. ISBN978-1-92207-949-7
^ ab"Baynton, Barbara Jane (1857–1929)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. 1979.
^"Social Gossip". The Sun (Sydney). No. 627. New South Wales, Australia. 4 April 1915. p. 20. Retrieved 1 August 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Bringing to life dark tales from literary lady of the bush". The Age. 5 November 2007. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
Carter, Jennifer M. T. (2003) "'Getting to know you': Illusive writers" in National Library of Australia News, XIV(2): 11–14, November 2003
Miller, E. Morris & Frederick T. Macartney, Australian Literature, 1956, Angus and Robertson, Sydney, p. 55
Niall, Brenda. Friends and Rivals: Four Great Australian Writers: Barbara Baynton, Ethel Turner, Nettie Palmer, Henry Handel Richardson. Text Publishing, 2020. ISBN 9781922268594
Wilde, William H, Joy Hooton & Barry Andrews, (1986) The Oxford companion to Australian Literature, Melbourne, Oxford University Press, p. 79, ISBN0-19-554233-9
External linksedit
Wikisource has original works by or about: Barbara Baynton
Works by Barbara Baynton at LibriVox (public domain audiobooks)
January 01, 1970
barbara, baynton, barbara, janet, baynton, née, lawrence, june, 1857, 1929, australian, writer, known, primarily, short, stories, about, life, bush, published, collection, bush, studies, 1902, novel, human, toll, 1907, well, writing, bulletin, sydney, morning,. Barbara Janet Baynton nee Lawrence 4 June 1857 28 May 1929 was an Australian writer known primarily for her short stories about life in the bush She published the collection Bush Studies 1902 and the novel Human Toll 1907 as well as writing for The Bulletin and The Sydney Morning Herald She was a shrewd manager of her second husband s estate owning properties in Melbourne and London She acquired the title Lady Headley from her third marriage to Rowland Allanson Winn 5th Baron Headley but never wrote under that name Barbara BayntonBarbara Baynton c 1892BornBarbara Janet Lawrence 1857 06 04 4 June 1857Scone New South Wales AustraliaDied28 May 1929 1929 05 28 aged 71 Melbourne Victoria AustraliaOccupationWriterNationalityAustralianPeriod19th centurySpouseAlexander Frater m 1880 div 1890 wbr Thomas Baynton m 1890 died 1904 wbr Lord Headley m 1921 sep 1925 wbr ChildrenPenny FraterRobert FraterAlec Hay FraterRelativesPenne Hackforth Jones great granddaughter Jo Gullett grandson Henry Gullett son in law Contents 1 Early years 2 Personal life 3 Selected works 3 1 Novel 3 2 Collections 3 3 Major individual works 4 Notes 5 References 5 1 Bibliography 6 External linksEarly years editBaynton was born in 1857 at Scone New South Wales the daughter of Irish bounty immigrants a John Lawrence and Elizabeth Ewart However she claimed to have been born in 1862 to Penelope Ewart and Captain Robert Kilpatrick of the Bengal Light Cavalry 1 Personal life editThe fictional narrative of her birth gave her entree to polite circles as a governess and in 1880 she married Alexander Frater the son of her employers 1 They soon moved to the Coonamble district and had two sons and a daughter However in 1887 Alexander Frater ran off with her niece Sarah Glover 2 and Barbara moved to Sydney and commenced divorce proceedings A decree absolute was granted 4 March 1890 On 5 March 1890 she married Dr Thomas Baynton a retired surgeon aged 70 years who had literary friends Beginning in December 1896 she began contributing short stories to the Bulletin Six of these were published in 1902 in London by Gerald Duckworth and Company Ltd under the title of Bush Studies because Mrs Baynton had been unable to find a publisher for them in Sydney Alfred Stephens a close friend reviewed the book in the Bulletin and stated So precise so complete with such insight into detail and such force of statement it ranks with the masterpieces of realism in any language Percival Serle however found that The building up of detail however is at times overdone and lacking humorous relief the stories tend to give a distorted view of life in the back blocks Baynton s husband died on 10 June 1904 and left his entire estate to her She invested in the stock market bought and sold antiques and collected black opals from Lightning Ridge 1 She also became chairman of the Law Book Company of Australasia In 1907 her only novel Human Toll was published and in 1917 Cobbers an edited reprint of Bush Studies with two additional stories appeared During World War I she lived in England 3 Her son Robert Frater had been on the staff of the Sydney Sun and Alec Hay Frater was an artist both enlisted with the British Army 4 In February 1921 Baynton married her third husband Rowland Allanson Winn 5th Baron Headley she was subsequently styled Lady Headley He was a convert to Islam but she did not adopt his religion In 1925 the couple separated and she returned to Melbourne where she lived in the suburb of Toorak The split was reputedly due to her husband s refusal of the throne of Albania Baynton died in Melbourne on 28 May 1929 She was survived by her third husband and her two sons and daughter by the first marriage Her daughter Penny Frater married politician and journalist Henry Gullett their son that is Baynton s grandson Jo Gullett also entered politics 3 The Australian actress Penne Hackforth Jones 1942 2013 her great granddaughter wrote a biography of Baynton titled Barbara Baynton Between Two Worlds 1989 5 Selected works editNovel edit Human Toll 1907 Collections edit Bush Studies 1902 Cobbers 1917 Major individual works edit The Chosen Vessel 1896 short story Fragments 1 Day Birth 1899 poem A Dreamer 1902 short story Billy Skywonkie 1902 short storyNotes edit Immigrants who were offered free passage by entrepreneurs who were paid an amount i e bounty per person for the eligible immigrants they brought into the colony usually in shiploadsReferences edit a b c Carter 2003 p 13 Baynton Barbara 2012 Bush Studies Text Publishing House Melbourne p xii ISBN 978 1 92207 949 7 a b Baynton Barbara Jane 1857 1929 Australian Dictionary of Biography National Centre of Biography Australian National University 1979 Social Gossip The Sun Sydney No 627 New South Wales Australia 4 April 1915 p 20 Retrieved 1 August 2022 via National Library of Australia Bringing to life dark tales from literary lady of the bush The Age 5 November 2007 Retrieved 19 July 2021 Bibliography edit Baynton Barbara Jane 1857 1929 Australian Dictionary of Biography Volume 7 MUP 1979 pp 222 223 Carter Jennifer M T 2003 Getting to know you Illusive writers in National Library of Australia News XIV 2 11 14 November 2003 Miller E Morris amp Frederick T Macartney Australian Literature 1956 Angus and Robertson Sydney p 55 Niall Brenda Friends and Rivals Four Great Australian Writers Barbara Baynton Ethel Turner Nettie Palmer Henry Handel Richardson Text Publishing 2020 ISBN 9781922268594 Serle Percival 1949 Baynton Barbara Dictionary of Australian Biography Sydney Angus amp Robertson Wilde William H Joy Hooton amp Barry Andrews 1986 The Oxford companion to Australian Literature Melbourne Oxford University Press p 79 ISBN 0 19 554233 9External links edit nbsp Wikisource has original works by or about Barbara Baynton Bayton Biography Barbara Baynton Liar or Truth teller AustLit Agent Lawson and Baynton different perspectives Works by Barbara Baynton at Project Gutenberg Australia Works by or about Barbara Baynton at Internet Archive Works by Barbara Baynton at LibriVox public domain audiobooks nbsp Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Barbara Baynton amp oldid 1205138976, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
