Henry Harington

Henry Harington M.D. (1727–1816) was an English physician, musician and writer.

Life Born at Kelston, Somerset during September 1727, he was the son of Henry Harington of Kelston, and of Mary, daughter of Richard Backwell. On 17 December 1745 he matriculated at The Queen's College, Oxford, and graduated B.A. in 1749, M.A. in 1752. While at Oxford he joined a musical society set up by William Hayes, and restricted to competent sight-readers.

Dropping a plan of taking holy orders, Harington studied medicine, and in 1753 established himself as a physician at Wells, Somerset. He accumulated his degrees in medicine in 1762. Bath at that time had a substantial population of French exiles caused by the French Revolution, leading to tension, and his term as mayor 1793–4 saw Harington active against radicalism, and attempting to clean up Bath's streets. His efforts went further than the Home Office desired.

A private members’ club founded in 1874, named initially as The People’s Club and Institute Ltd., voted to change the name in around 1890 to reflect the history of the building and honour former resident Dr Henry Harington, Mayor of Bath (1793). This club still operates as The Harington Club, at Harington Place; a site which had once been 14th century stables used by Sir John Harington of Kelston during the Battle of Lansdown in 1643.

Harington died on 15 January 1816, in Bath, and was buried at Kelston, in the church chancel. A monument to him was placed in Bath Abbey.

Works Harington published:

He was also author of: A Treatise on the Use and Abuse of Musick; The Geometrical Analogy of the Doctrine of the Trinity consonant to Human Reason, 1806.

Family Harington married Martha Musgrave in 1752. They had two sons, Sir Edward Harington the writer, and Henry Harington the antiquarian, who died in 1791.