Ernest grew up in an area now knownas Bronx Park, New York, near the Bronx River, Woodlawn, Westchester and Long Island Sound. He dabbled with being a lawyer, but leaned more to his interests of nature. He graduated from high school as valedictorian. In 1887, he entered the College of the City of New York. In athletics, he excelled in walking and running, winning the mile race four years, and the cross country for three years. He captained the lacrosse team. After college he continued these activities, winning fifth in a 25 mile marathon, and third in a two mile steeple chase. On leaving college, about 1891, Ernest worked first as a reported for the New York Times, then several years with his father, John, and his inventions. But he always leaned more to the naturalist and roamed the countyside, much around Stamford, Connecticut. With the outbreak of the Spanish-American war, Ernest was one of the first of the Connecticut National Guard to volunteer for active service. He was stricken with typhoid fever, a disease that killed more American soldiers than did enemy bullets, and saw no combat. By 1900, Ernest began lecturing on nature subjects and writing articles for sale to papers and magazines. Henceforth, he made his living from his lectures and writing. He authored five books; "Wild Bird Guests", "Jimmie", "Polaris", "The Sprite" and "Animal Heroes", all five biographical and all concerning animals and birds. After his marriage in 1901, he resided for about three years in Stoneham, Massachusetts and most of the remainder of his life near the Blue Mountain Forest Reservation, in Sullivan County, New Hampshire. He travelled throughout the United States on lecture tours. He made one trip to Europe, North Africa and the Middle East right after World War I to evaluate the role of animals in the war effort. Ernest pioneered in the preservation of the American Bison, legislation against the commercialization of wildlife products such as feathers, the formation of bird sanctuaries and defended man's use of animals in medical experimentation. In his work he had personal contact with the naturalist John Burroughs, President Theodore Roosevelt and General John Pershing. Ernest Harold Baynes died January 21, 1925 in New Hampshire. There is a bronze plaque on the side of Croydon Mountain, New Hampshire, which states; "Here were scattered the ashes of Ernest Harold Baynes, lover of animals and men, and loved of them. May 1, 1868, January 21, 1925." The above information comes from the book "Ernest Harold Baynes, Naturalist and Crusader" by Raymond Gorges, 1928.
Ernest was born at
Calcutta, India, on 1 May 1868. He was the son of
John Baynes and
Helen Augusta Nowill. He married
Louise Bert O'Connell on 24 April 1901. Ernest died on 21 January 1925 at
New Hampshire at age 56. He was cremation in January 1925 at
New Hampshire; Ernest's ashes were scattered on Croydon Mountain in New Hampshire.