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Robert Roberts (April 8, 1839 – September 23, 1898) is the man generally considered to have continued the work of organising and establishing the
Christadelphian The Christadelphians () or Christadelphianism are a restorationist and millenarian Christian group who hold a view of biblical unitarianism. There are approximately 50,000 Christadelphians in around 120 countries. The movement developed in the ...
movement founded by Dr. John Thomas. He was a prolific author and the editor of '' The Christadelphian'' magazine from 1864 to 1898.


Early life

Robert Roberts, born in Link Street,
Aberdeen, Scotland Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...
, was the son of a captain of a small coasting vessel. His grandmother on his father's side was of the Clan MacBeth. His mother was a strongly religious Calvinistic Baptist, schoolteacher, and daughter of a London merchant. Though his family were of lowly circumstances, he was raised in a well disciplined and strictly religious environment. Leaving school at the age of 11, he worked a short while as clerk in a rope factory, then serving in a grocers shop, and thirdly as a sort of apprentice to a lithographer. At 13 he became an apprentice to a druggist, also taking lessons in
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...
, and learning
Pitman's Shorthand Pitman shorthand is a system of shorthand for the English language developed by Englishman Sir Isaac Pitman (1813–1897), who first presented it in 1837. Like most systems of shorthand, it is a phonetic system; the symbols do not represent let ...
. His mother took him as a boy of 10 to hear John Thomas speak in
Aberdeen Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...
,
Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...
. He briefly became a member of his mother's church when aged 12. Shortly afterward he came across a copy of a magazine, belonging to his sister, entitled the ''Herald of the Kingdom and Age to Come'', by Thomas, who knew Roberts' mother. Robert Roberts then began his Bible studies in earnest. After reading Thomas’ book
Elpis Israel ''Elpis Israel - An Exposition of the Kingdom of God'' (commonly called ''Elpis Israel'' (English transliteration of Greek for "the hope of Israel", taken from Actsbr>28:20) is a theological book written by John Thomas, founder of the Christadelp ...
, with Bible in hand, he became convinced of its soundness, and ceased attending chapel with his family. He was baptised in 1853 aged 14 as part of the "Baptised Believers" (this was 11 years before the name 'Christadelphian' was coined by John Thomas; he was re-baptized in 1863 "on attaining to an understanding of the things concerning the name of Jesus, of which he was ignorant at his first immersion"). He developed a reading plan to facilitate his daily systematic reading of the Scriptures. A form of this plan was later published as The
Bible Companion The ''Bible Companion'' (or Bible Reading Planner) is a guide developed by the Christadelphians to aid reading the Bible. It was first produced by Robert Roberts when he was 14 years of age, in about 1853, and revised by him over a number of years ...
and continues to be used by many Christadelphians. He married Jane Norrie in
Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore o ...
on April 8, 1859. They had six children, only three of whom survived into adulthood.


Shorthand writer and reporter

When Robert Roberts was 17 he became shorthand writer for a modest paper, the '' Aberdeen Daily Telegraph'', after which he worked as a casual reporter, once being called on to assist in reporting the speeches delivered at an investigation into the merits of the
Suez Canal The Suez Canal ( arz, قَنَاةُ ٱلسُّوَيْسِ, ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia. The long canal is a popul ...
scheme, conducted by Aberdeen Town Council on the occasion of a visit by
Ferdinand de Lesseps Ferdinand Marie, Comte de Lesseps (; 19 November 1805 – 7 December 1894) was a French diplomat and later developer of the Suez Canal, which in 1869 joined the Mediterranean and Red Seas, substantially reducing sailing distances and times ...
. He left Aberdeen for Edinburgh to work as a reporter on '' The Caledonian Mercury''. Leaving Edinburgh 1858, he worked for '' The Examiner'' in
Huddersfield Huddersfield is a market town in the Kirklees district in West Yorkshire, England. It is the administrative centre and largest settlement in the Kirklees district. The town is in the foothills of the Pennines. The River Holme's confluence into ...
, then briefly for the same employer in Dewsbury. Then he accepted a travelling assignment as shorthand writer for the American
phrenologists Phrenology () is a pseudoscience which involves the measurement of bumps on the skull to predict mental traits.Wihe, J. V. (2002). "Science and Pseudoscience: A Primer in Critical Thinking." In ''Encyclopedia of Pseudoscience'', pp. 195–203. C ...
, Orson Squire Fowler and Samuel R. Wells, who were visiting Huddersfield as part of a lecturing tour (Roberts later described
phrenology Phrenology () is a pseudoscience which involves the measurement of bumps on the skull to predict mental traits.Wihe, J. V. (2002). "Science and Pseudoscience: A Primer in Critical Thinking." In ''Encyclopedia of Pseudoscience'', pp. 195–203. C ...
as of similarly high value to his religious beliefs). He returned to his job on the Huddersfield ''Examiner'' in July 1861. During his time at The Examiner he was also appointed as the Huddersfield correspondent for the ''
Leeds Mercury The ''Leeds Mercury'' was a newspaper published in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It was published from 1718 to 1755 and again from 1767. Initially it consisted of 12 pages and cost three halfpennies. In 1794 it had a circulation of about 3, ...
'', the ''
Halifax Courier Halifax () is a minster and market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale in West Yorkshire, England. It is the commercial, cultural and administrative centre of the borough, and the headquarters of Calderdale Council. In the 15th cen ...
'', and the ''
Manchester Examiner The ''Manchester Examiner'' was a newspaper based in Manchester, England, that was founded around 1845–1846. Initially intended as an organ to promote the idea of Manchester Liberalism, a decline in its later years led to a takeover by a group ...
''. In the winter of 1863–64, Roberts moved to Birmingham, but failed in his attempt to set up a general reporting and advertising agency there. In 1864 he became a reporter for the '' Birmingham Daily Post'', largely as a result of a testimonial from John Bright MP. In July 1865, he became a shorthand writer for the Birmingham Bankruptcy Court, working there until 1870, when a change in the Bankruptcy Act of 1869 brought an end to his appointment. Then, at the suggestion of Thomas, it was arranged that he should receive a salary for his editorship of '' The Christadelphian'' magazine, and so his career as a reporter came to an end.


Association with John Thomas

It was 1856 when Robert Roberts first wrote to John Thomas in America. In 1858 he tried, but failed, to raise funds for travelling expenses to invite Thomas to visit England again; receiving a reply concerning his efforts through the pages of ''The Herald of The Kingdom''. During the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
Thomas had to suspend publication of ''The Herald of The Kingdom'' magazine. Thus on October 8, 1861 Robert Roberts wrote to Thomas urging him to visit, which he did in 1862. Shorthand notes taken by Roberts during this visit formed the basis of Roberts' book ''Dr John Thomas: his life and work'' (published in 1873 - two years after Thomas' death). Some time after this visit, due in part to misunderstandings and misinformation, there was a short breach of friendly relations between the two men; this was resolved in October 1864. Subsequently, they enthusiastically supported each other's work. Roberts collected subscriptions and organised the distribution of John Thomas’ exposition of the
Book of Revelation The Book of Revelation is the final book of the New Testament (and consequently the final book of the Christian Bible). Its title is derived from the first word of the Koine Greek text: , meaning "unveiling" or "revelation". The Book o ...
, ''Eureka'' (3 vols. 1861, 1866, 1868), in England, and (in time) many of his other works. Roberts raised the money to fund what would be the last trip of Thomas to England in May 1869. Toward the end of this trip, March 1870, Thomas made Roberts custodian of all his affairs in the event of his death, which occurred sooner than anticipated in 1871. Roberts died in 1898, and was buried in
Green-Wood Cemetery Green-Wood Cemetery is a cemetery in the western portion of Brooklyn, New York City. The cemetery is located between South Slope/ Greenwood Heights, Park Slope, Windsor Terrace, Borough Park, Kensington, and Sunset Park, and lies several b ...
,
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, beside the grave of Thomas.


Preaching

Even in his early days Roberts endeavoured to organise preaching events wherever he went. His first serious attempt was in 1860, when he delivered a course of 8 public lectures in Senior's School Room, East Parade,
Huddersfield Huddersfield is a market town in the Kirklees district in West Yorkshire, England. It is the administrative centre and largest settlement in the Kirklees district. The town is in the foothills of the Pennines. The River Holme's confluence into ...
. The Huddersfield meeting then took on Spring Street Academy, (a former Campbellite meeting place) for Sunday meetings including public lectures. Some Sunday afternoons he would also give out-of-door addresses, either in St. George's Square or the Market Place, Huddersfield. It was at Spring Street, in the winter of 1861, that Robert Roberts delivered a series of twelve Lectures on successive Sunday afternoons, systematically setting out Christadelphian beliefs. In 1864 after moving to Birmingham, he organised a lecture at
Birmingham Town Hall Birmingham Town Hall is a concert hall and venue for popular assemblies opened in 1834 and situated in Victoria Square, Birmingham, England. It is a Grade I listed building. The hall underwent a major renovation between 2002 and 2007. It no ...
, in reply to an Irvingite preacher who had spoken there previously. Between 1,500 and 1,800 people attended. Eventually in 1866 he leased the Athenaeum Chambers, 71 Temple Row, Birmingham, staying there until December 1871 when the meeting moved to the Temperance hall, 8 Temple Street, Birmingham. Although based in Birmingham, he travelled widely around the country, preaching and supporting the growing Christadelphian movement. Roberts used all the means at his disposal to preach what he believed to be the truth, and in 1877 he sent a copies of his pamphlet ''Prophecy and the Eastern Question'' to all the members of the
House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by appointment, heredity or official function. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminst ...
and the
House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...
, receiving the following reply from
Gladstone William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British statesman and Liberal politician. In a career lasting over 60 years, he served for 12 years as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, spread over four non-cons ...
: ''“DUNSTER, January 24th, 1877. Sir, Allow me to thank you for your tract, which I shall read with great interest; for I have been struck with the apparent ground for belief that the state of the East may be treated of in that field where you have been labouring Your faithful servant, W.E.Gladstone.”'' In 1895 he embarked (through pressure of circumstances) upon a voyage to Australia. He travelled via the Suez canal, touching at
Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's admin ...
and
Colombo Colombo ( ; si, කොළඹ, translit=Koḷam̆ba, ; ta, கொழும்பு, translit=Koḻumpu, ) is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. According to the Brookings Institution, Colombo m ...
to
Adelaide Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...
. He visited many towns and cities, in Australia and
New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island country ...
, preaching everywhere he went. He then travelled back via the Fiji Islands, the
Honolulu Honolulu (; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an Unincorporated area, unincorporated county seat of the Consolidated city-county, consolidated City and County of H ...
(then still known as the Sandwich Islands),
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world ...
and
America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territor ...
arriving back in Birmingham in 1896. In 1897 he returned to Australia with his family, they settled in Coburg, a northern suburb of
Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a metr ...
, in “Orient House”. In 1897-1898 he went on a short preaching tour in Australia, before embarking on a yet another preaching tour to New Zealand with his wife. He was in the midst of yet more travelling and preaching when he died of heart failure in
San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17t ...
in September 1898 aged 59. He was succeeded as editor of The Christadelphian Magazine by Charles Curwen Walker.


Writer and editor

Robert Roberts, as early as 1858, attempted to start a manuscript magazine – just a single copy sent from friend to friend through the post. It did not get beyond the 4th or 5th number. In 1862 John Thomas, having suspended publication of the ''Herald of the Kingdom'', advised Roberts to start a magazine. It is at this point that Robert's re-baptism (mentioned above) occurred, midway between the first edition of 12 lectures (1861), and preceding in July 1864 commencement of the publication of ''The Ambassador of the Coming Age''. Thomas, out of concern that someone else might start a publication and call it ''The Christadelphian'', urged Robert Roberts to change the name of his magazine to '' The Christadelphian'', which he did in 1869. His editorship of the magazine continued with some assistance until his death in 1898. Roberts collected for the
Rosh Pinna Rosh Pina or Rosh Pinna ( he, רֹאשׁ פִּנָּה, lit. ''Cornerstone'') is a Local council (Israel), local council in the Korazim Plateau in the Upper Galilee on the eastern slopes of Mount Kna'an in the Northern District (Israel), North ...
settlement in Israel in 1886 and later, but lost significant funds in the failure of the American Electric Sugar Refining Company in 1888. Roberts wrote and published numerous articles, pamphlets and books. A series of 12 lectures, given in Huddersfield in 1861, formed the basis of his first book. Each lecture was published sequentially at fortnightly intervals, in penny numbers. The second edition (February 1862), entitled ''Twelve Lectures'', was stitched together in one volume. Expanded to 18 lectures, the book was republished by Robert Roberts in 1884, as '' Christendom Astray From the Bible''. From its first publication as 12 lectures, ''Christendom Astray'' was acknowledged by
Christadelphians The Christadelphians () or Christadelphianism are a restorationist and millenarian Christian group who hold a view of biblical unitarianism. There are approximately 50,000 Christadelphians in around 120 countries. The movement developed in the ...
as a standard work putting forth their beliefs; it has now been in print for almost 146 years in several editions. In 1867, from the manuscript of R.C. Bingley of Chicago, he published ''The Declaration'', a standard work used for many years. He was involved in many public religious debates (a feature of the age in which he lived) with those of differing opinions, often publishing the substance of the debate in book or pamphlet form; * ''Was Jesus of Nazareth The Messiah?'' 1871. Transcript of debate with Louis Stern of the Anti-Jewish Conversionist Society, Birmingham. This debate marks the beginnings of mutually respectful relations with Birmingham's Jewish community, which continued in the 1880s when Roberts called on the Christadelphian community to support Laurence Oliphant's appeal for funds for the
Rosh Pinna Rosh Pina or Rosh Pinna ( he, רֹאשׁ פִּנָּה, lit. ''Cornerstone'') is a Local council (Israel), local council in the Korazim Plateau in the Upper Galilee on the eastern slopes of Mount Kna'an in the Northern District (Israel), North ...
settlement at Al-Ja'una in Galilee. * In 1872 Roberts published the book ''Man Mortal'' as a reply to the book “Life and Immortality” (1871) b
Frederick William Grant
of the
Plymouth Brethren The Plymouth Brethren or Assemblies of Brethren are a low church and non-conformist Christian movement whose history can be traced back to Dublin, Ireland, in the mid to late 1820s, where they originated from Anglicanism. The group emphasizes ...
. * ''The Bradlaugh Debate'', a public debate held in 1876 with
Charles Bradlaugh Charles Bradlaugh (; 26 September 1833 – 30 January 1891) was an English political activist and atheist. He founded the National Secular Society in 1866, 15 years after George Holyoake had coined the term "secularism" in 1851. In 1880, Brad ...
entitled “Is The Bible Divine?”. * ''Anglo-Israelism Refuted'', based on a three night debate with the advocate of
British Israelism British Israelism (also called Anglo-Israelism) is the British nationalist, pseudoarchaeological, pseudohistorical and pseudoreligious belief that the people of Great Britain are "genetically, racially, and linguistically the direct descenda ...
, Edward Hine, held on April 21–23, 1879 at
Exeter Hall Exeter Hall was a large public meeting place on the north side of the Strand in central London, opposite where the Savoy Hotel now stands. From 1831 until 1907 Exeter Hall was the venue for many great gatherings by promoters of human bettermen ...
, London, with
Lord William Lennox Lord William Pitt Lennox (20 September 1799 – 18 February 1881) was a British Army officer and writer. Biography Lennox, fourth son of Charles Lennox, 4th Duke of Richmond, and the former Lady Charlotte Gordon, was born at Winestead Hall, Yorks ...
presiding. Roberts was also involved in debates within the Christadelphian movement, which in some cases resulted in divisions. For example, 1865 marked separation from George Dowie of Edinburgh who was teaching the doctrine of the existence of a supernatural devil. Roberts' brother-in-law, William Norrie, initially sided with Dowie, but Dowie's group did not long survive his death. As an "Arranging Brother" of Birmingham Temperance Hall Ecclesia he was directly involved in the compilation of the Birmingham Statement of Faith (1877), and by letter from overseas agreed with minor amendation to the ''BASF'' ( Birmingham Amended Statement of Faith) in 1898.


Voyage to Australia and New Zealand

To quote his own words, "through stress of circumstances" Roberts undertook, at the expense of his friends there, a voyage to "visit the Colonies..., for the more complete restoration of health." Throughout his voyage in 1895–6, Roberts kept a (subsequently published) diary of his experiences and observations, in which he made sure to "put all in" and "resist the feeling that things are unimportant for record".Roberts, R.: Preface, 'Diary of a Voyage to Australia, New Zealand and Other Lands', Birmingham, 1896, republished Christadelphian Scripture Study Service, 1994.


Bibliography


Books

* '' Christendom Astray From the Bible'' (1884) * ''Dr Thomas: His Life and Works'' (1873) * ''The Law of Moses'' * ''My Days and My Ways'' * ''Nazareth Revisited'' (1890) * ''Seasons of Comfort'' (1879)
''Thirteen Lectures on the Apocalypse''
(1880) * ''To the Elect of God in Times of Trouble'' * ''The Truth about God and the Bible'' * ''The Visible Hand of God'' * ''The Ways of Providence'' (1881) * ''The Trial'' (1882) * ''Diary of a Voyage to Australia, New Zealand, and Other Lands'' (1896)


Booklets

* ''The Blood of Christ'' (1895) * ''The Christadelphian Instructor'' (1891) * ''The Commandments of Christ'' * ''The Ecclesial Guide'' (1883) * ''The Good Confession'' (1869) * ''The Parables of Christ'' * ''The Sect Everywhere Spoken Against'' (reprint of a lecture) * ''The Slain Lamb'' (1873) * ''Was Jesus of Nazareth The Messiah?'' (The Stern debate; 1871) * ''Everlasting Punishment not 'Eternal Torments (1871)


Magazines

* '' The Christadelphian''


References


Bibliography

* Roberts, Robert, ''My Days and My Ways An Autobiography'' (Birmingham: The Christadelphian, 1894) * Walker, Charles C., ''Robert Roberts His Ways and His Days'' (Birmingham: The Christadelphian) * Collyer, Islip, ''Robert Roberts A Study of Life and Character,'' (Birmingham: The Christadelphian, 1917, Hyderabad, India 2003 176 pages) * Thomas, John ed. ''The Herald of the Kingdom'' (America:1858) * ''The Christadelphian'' Magazines 1864-1940


External links


Works by Robert Roberts and other Christadelphian writers

PDF Downloads of Robert Roberts works
{{DEFAULTSORT:Roberts, Robert 1839 births 1898 deaths Burials at Green-Wood Cemetery British Christian theologians British biblical scholars Christadelphians Scottish Christians