William Barrett (1733–1789) was an English surgeon and antiquary born in 1733 at Notton, Wiltshire. He qualified as a surgeon in 1755 and settled in Bristol to practice his profession. In 1775 he became a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries. His work as an antiquary found form in the publication 'The History and Antiquities of the City of Bristol', 1789. In researching the book Barrett made the acquaintance of the forger Thomas Chatterton, and many of Chatterton's fabrications were to make their way into Barrett's 'History'. As a result, Barrett's reputation was severely damaged.
