Richard Harris Barham

Richard Harris Barham (1788–1845) was an English cleric and humorist, celebrated for the comic verse and prose tales collected as *The Ingoldsby Legends*. Ordained in the Church of England, he served as a minor canon of St Paul’s Cathedral and later became rector of St Augustine and St Faith, Watling Street, in the City of London. Barham wrote under the pen name “Thomas Ingoldsby,” publishing many pieces first in *Bentley’s Miscellany* before they appeared in book form. His work blends antiquarian lore, parody, and supernatural motifs with brisk, conversational wit, securing his lasting place in Victorian popular literature.