The son of the cricketer and soldier Christopher Barnes, he was born in Ireland at Newbridge and was educated in England at Marlborough College.
[1] From Marlborough he pursued a career in the British Army, graduating from the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich as a second lieutenant in February 1889.
[6] The following year he was promoted to major,[7] before retiring from active service in September 1909.
[8] Barnes played first-class cricket in 1907, making a single appearance against Derbyshire at Lord's.
[9] After retiring from the military, Barnes became a director of the Ipswich based printing firm Norman Adlard & Co. Ltd,[10] in addition to holding a directorship of Dindings Rubber Estates in 1927.