James Beaven (9 July 1801 – 8 November 1875) was a
Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britai ...
clergyman and author, educated and employed in England until accepting an appointment as professor of divinity at
King's College,
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...
, in 1843.
Beaven was an accomplished classical scholar and wrote a number of books. Three of these were scholarly sermons. His subjects also included the writings of
Cicero
Marcus Tullius Cicero ( ; ; 3 January 106 BC – 7 December 43 BC) was a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher, and academic skeptic, who tried to uphold optimate principles during the political crises that led to the esta ...
and the life and writings of
St Irenaeus. A well known book documented a diocesan tour in 1845 by Bishop
John Strachan
John Strachan (; 12 April 1778 – 1 November 1867) was a notable figure in Upper Canada and the first Anglican Bishop of Toronto. He is best known as a political bishop who held many government positions and promoted education from common sc ...
. His ''Elements of Natural Theology'' is sometimes regarded as the first philosophical work written in English in Canada.
Beaven and his wife had seven children; one son,
Robert
The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...
, became premier of
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
from 1882 to 1883.
External links
Biography at the ''Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online''Biography at the ''Canadian Encyclopedia''Papers of James Beaven's daughter, Catherine Beaven are held by the University of Toronto Archives and Record Management Services.
1801 births
1875 deaths
19th-century English Anglican priests
19th-century Canadian Anglican priests
Canadian Anglican theologians
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