Robert Mackenzie Beverley
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Robert Mackenzie Beverley (1798-1868) was an author, magistrate, and controversialist. He was born in the town of Beverley in Yorkshire, attended Richmond School, and matriculated at Trinity College, University of Cambridge in 1816. He received the degree of LL.B. in 1821, after which he lived at Beverley, in due course becoming a Justice of the Peace and Deputy Lieutenant.[1]
Beverley was born into a Quaker family, but in 1836-1837, in the Beaconite Controversy, he was one of the figures who followed Isaac Crewdson in resigning from the Society of Friends. He was among a number who then joined the Plymouth Brethren. As the Quakers did not practise baptism, he was baptised by the Brethren at Oxford in October 1838; Henry Bellenden Bulteel performed the service.[2]
Beverley wrote books, satires and poems on mostly religious themes, but some on politics, both ecclesiastical[3][4] and temporal,[5] as well. He made at least one foray into biology with an essay in which he attacked the nascent Darwinian theory.[6] He also wrote some epic poetry but achieved no lasting acclaim.[7][8] He is mentioned in some other writings of the day; largely in response to his attacks (e.g., in Anacalypsis by Godfrey Higgins).[9]
In 1833, he published A letter to H.R.H. the Duke of Gloucester—the Duke of Gloucester was the chancellor of Cambridge at the time—regarding what he believed to be the corrupt state of the university. Much of its content was immoderate to a degree that provoked retaliation[10][11] and disapproving (including a rebuff from The Times).[1]
Beverley wrote on a range of other subjects that were often of a controversial nature. He died in Scarborough on 3 November 1868.
