Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Haynes, Hopton
HAYNES, HOPTON (1672?–1749), theological writer, was born about 1672. He entered the service of the mint as weigher and teller in 1696 or early in 1697, and was promoted to be assay-master in 1723. In April 1737, having been above forty years in the mint, Haynes was allowed to appoint a deputy; he retired on full pension, 8 Feb. 1749, retaining the auditorship of the tally office in the exchequer.
Haynes's entrance into the mint was nearly synchronous with Sir Isaac Newton's appointment as warden (19 March 1696), and it is not improbable that he was a protégé of Newton, with whom he was very intimate till Newton's death (20 March 1727). He translated into Latin (after 1708) Newton's two letters on the textual criticism of 1 John v. 7, 8, and 1 Tim. iii. 16. Through him Whiston, in 1712, communicated with Newton on the subject of baptism. Richard Baron [q. v.] describes Haynes as ‘the most zealous unitarian’ he ever knew. He attended the services of the established church, sitting down at certain parts ‘to show his dislike,’ till Samuel Say (d. 1743), presbyterian minister at Princes Street, Westminster, told him his practice was inconsistent, and he never again attended any place of worship. He died at Queen Square, Westminster, on 19 Nov. 1749, aged 77 (Gent. Mag.; Lindsey, on the authority of a funeral ring, gives the date 18 Nov.) He was twice married, and had several children by his first wife, of whom Samuel Haynes, D.D. [q. v.], was the eldest. His second wife was Mary Jocelyn (d. 22 Sept. 1750, aged 65), a member of Say's congregation. His portrait, by Highmore, is in Dr. Williams's Library, Gordon Square, London, W.C.; it has been engraved by Nugent.
He published: 1. ‘A Brief Enquiry relative to the Right of His Majesty's Royal Chapel … within the Tower,’ &c., 1728, fol. 2. ‘Causa Dei contra Novatores; or the Religion of the Bible and … the Pulpit compared. In a Letter to the Revd. Mr. Wilson,’ &c., 1747, 8vo (anon.; at p. 60 is the signature ‘A. B.’). Posthumous was 3. ‘The Scripture Account of … God; and … Christ,’ &c., 1750, 8vo (edited by John Blackburn, presbyterian minister of King John's Court, Bermondsey, afterwards of Newbury, Berkshire, died January 1762); 2nd edition 1790, 8vo (edited by Theophilus Lindsey [q. v.]); 3rd edition, 1797, 8vo; 4th edition, Hackney, 1815, 8vo, with memoir by Robert Aspland [q. v.] According to Nichols, he also wrote a tract, ‘The Ten Commandments better than the Apostles' Creed.’
[Gent. Mag. 1750, pp. 93, 524; Westein's N. T. Græce, prolegomena, 1751, p. 185; Whiston's Memoirs, 1753, p. 178; Gordon's Cordial for Low Spirits (Baron), 1763, i. xviii; Monthly Repository, 1810 p. 325, 1816 p. 336; Nichols's Lit. Anecd. 1812, ii. 150 sq.; Wallace's Antitrin. Biog. 1850, iii. 435 sq., 455 sq.; Money's Hist. Newbury Presbyterians, in Newbury Weekly News, 29 March 1888.]