y from
school, becoming a member of a touring theatrical company under the assumed
name of Barrington. At Limerick races he joined the manager of the company
in pocket-picking. The manager was detected and sentenced to
transportation, and Barrington fled to London, where he assumed clerical
dress and continued his pocket-picking. At Covent Garden theatre he robbed
the Russian prince Orlov of a snuff-box, said to be worth L30,000. He was
[v.03 p.0437] detected and arrested, but as Prince Orlov declined to
prosecute, was discharged, though subsequently he was sentenced to three
years' hard labour for pocket-picking at Drury Lane theatre. On his release
he was again caught at his old practices and sentenced to five years' hard
labour, but influence secured his release on the condition that he left
England. He accordingly went for a short time to Dublin, and then returned
to London, where he was once more detected pocket-picking, and, in 1790,
sentenced to seven years' transportation. On the voyage out to Botany Bay a
conspiracy was hatched by the convicts on board to seize the ship.
Barrington disclosed the plot to the captain, and the latter, on reaching
New South Wales, reported him favourably to the authorities, with the
result that in 1792 Barrington obtained a warrant of emancipation (the
first issued), becoming subsequently superintendent of convicts and later
high constable of Paramatta. In 1796 a theatre was opened at Sydney, the
principal actors being convicts, and Barrington wrote the prologue to the
first production. This prologue has obtained a wide publicity. It begins:--

"From distant climes, o'er widespread seas, we come,
Though not with much _eclat_ or beat of drum;
True patriots we, for, be it understood,
We left our country for our country's good."

Barrington died at a ripe old age at Paramatta, but the exact date is not
on record. He was the author of _A Voyage to Botany Bay_ (London, 1801);
_The History of New South Wales_ (London, 1802); _The History of New
Holland_ (London, 1808).

BARRINGTON, JOHN SHUTE, 1ST VISCOUNT (1678-1734), English lawyer and
theologian, was the son of Benjamin Shute, merchant, and was born at
Theobalds, in Hertfordshire, in 1678. He received part of his education at
the university of Utrecht; and, after returning to England in 1698, studied
law in the Inner Temple. In 1701 he published several pamphlets in favour
of the civil rights of Protestant dissenters, to whic