Sir Frederick Augusta Barnard KCH FRS FSA (1 September 1743 – 27 January 1830) was principal librarian to George III during much of the British King's reign.

Barnard developed the library collection systematically, seeking guidance from noted intellectuals including writer and lexicographer Dr. Samuel Johnson.

His mother was Elizabeth Smith, who had married John Barnard at Berwick Street Chapel, St James, Westminster, in 1740/1.

[4] When Barnard died (1830), The Gentleman's Magazine stated 'He was presumed to be a natural son of Frederick, Prince of Wales', a statement repeated in the same magazine in 1834,[5] repeated in Edward Edwards, Lives of the founders of the British Museum (1870), page 468, and several subsequent reference works,[6] and perpetuated by a descendant, the herald James Arnold Frere, in his The British Monarchy at home (1963), pages 42, 45 and 139.

Messrs Nicol, the booksellers, were his usual agents, though he retrieved from the Continent some priceless incunabula through Horn of Ratisbon, a notorious plunderer of the German convents.

[11]This collection, which came to be known as the King's Library, held numerous volumes on classical, English and Italian literature, European history and religion, and had examples of early printing, including a copy of the Gutenberg Bible, and William Caxton's first edition of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.

A policy was eventually instituted of making the library's resources freely available to scholars, but initially George regarded the collection as his personal property and only grudgingly allowed access to Joseph Priestley and the American revolutionary John Adams, though Samuel Johnson was always welcomed.

Barnard lived for most of his working life in a Grace and favour apartment in St James's Palace and died there 27 January 1830, aged 87.

[15] Barnard's will of 2 July 1827 mentions a house at Twickenham and named his wife as principal beneficiary, and also made provision for his grandson.