Robert Hibbert
Encyclopedia
Robert Hibbert was the founder of the Hibbert Trust
.
; hence he spoke of himself as a Creole
. His mother died early. Between 1784 and 1788, he was a pupil of Gilbert Wakefield
at Nottingham. At a later period (1800–01), when Wakefield was imprisoned in Dorchester for writing a political pamphlet, Hibbert, though not wealthy then, sent him £1,000. He entered Emmanuel College, Cambridge
, in 1788, and graduated B.A. in 1791. At Cambridge he formed a lifelong friendship with William Frend
.
In 1791, Hibbert went to Kingston, Jamaica
, as partner in a mercantile house founded by his father's eldest brother, Thomas Hibbert. (See also George Hibbert
, one of the principals of the West India Dock Company which instigated the construction of the West India Docks
on London
's Isle of Dogs
.) Returning to England about 1803, he bought the estate of East Hide (now called Hyde
), near Luton, Bedfordshire. In Jamaica, he acquired considerable property and he was not convinced by the arguments of Frend that his ownership of slaves was immoral. Besides plans for their material benefit, he sent out as a missionary to the negroes on his estates, in October 1817, Thomas Cooper (died 25 October 1880, aged 88). Cooper, a Unitarian minister recommended by Frend, remained on the island until 1821, endeavouring, with little success, to improve their moral and religious condition. A somewhat acrimonious controversy followed the publication of Cooper's report.
After 1825, Hibbert's Jamaica property declined in value and in about 1836 he sold it at considerable loss. He had previously (1833) sold his Bedfordshire estate and moved to London. He died at Welbeck Street, London, on 23 September 1849, and was buried in Kensal Green cemetery. While in Jamaica, he married Elizabeth Jane, daughter of John Nembhard, M.D., who died on 15 February 1853.
In the original scheme the trust was called 'the Anti-trinitarian Fund', and its object was, by a provision of divinity scholarships, to encourage learning and culture among unorthodox Christians. The breadth of the actual trust is largely due to the counsels of Hibbert's solicitor, Edwin Wilkins Field
, but, in opposition to Field, Hibbert 'determined on insisting that all recipients should be hetero-dox', his intention being 'to elevate the position and the public influence of the unitarian ministry'.
In addition to scholarships and fellowships, the number and conditions of which are settled by the trustees from year to year, the trust, from the revision of 1878 until 1887, maintained an annual Hibbert Lecture, the first series being delivered by Professor Max Muller
in 1878; between 1902 and 1968 it issued The Hibbert Journal
, a quarterly magazine.
Hibbert Trust
The Hibbert Trust was founded by Robert Hibbert and originally designated the Anti-Trinitarian Fund. It came into operation in 1853, awarded scholarships and fellowships, supports the Hibbert Lectures, and maintained a chair of ecclesiastical history at Manchester College....
.
Biography
The third and posthumous son of John Hibbert (1732–1769), a Jamaica merchant, and Janet, daughter of Samuel Gordon, he was born in JamaicaJamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
; hence he spoke of himself as a Creole
Creole peoples
The term Creole and its cognates in other languages — such as crioulo, criollo, créole, kriolu, criol, kreyol, kreol, kriulo, kriol, krio, etc. — have been applied to people in different countries and epochs, with rather different meanings...
. His mother died early. Between 1784 and 1788, he was a pupil of Gilbert Wakefield
Gilbert Wakefield
Gilbert Wakefield was an English scholar and controversialist.Gilbert Wakefield was the third son of the Rev. George Wakefield, then rector of St Nicholas' Church, Nottingham but afterwards at Kingston-upon-Thames. He was educated at Jesus College, Cambridge, where he graduated B.A. as second...
at Nottingham. At a later period (1800–01), when Wakefield was imprisoned in Dorchester for writing a political pamphlet, Hibbert, though not wealthy then, sent him £1,000. He entered Emmanuel College, Cambridge
Emmanuel College, Cambridge
Emmanuel College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.The college was founded in 1584 by Sir Walter Mildmay on the site of a Dominican friary...
, in 1788, and graduated B.A. in 1791. At Cambridge he formed a lifelong friendship with William Frend
William Frend (social reformer)
William Frend was an English clergyman , social reformer and writer. After a high-profile university trial in Cambridge deprived of his residency rights as fellow of his college, he became a leading figure in London radical circles.-Early life:Son of a Canterbury trader, he was born on 22 November...
.
In 1791, Hibbert went to Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...
, as partner in a mercantile house founded by his father's eldest brother, Thomas Hibbert. (See also George Hibbert
George Hibbert
George Hibbert was an eminent English merchant, politician, slave- and ship-owner, amateur botanist and book collector. With Robert Milligan, he was also one of the principals of the West India Dock Company which instigated the construction of the West India Docks on London's Isle of Dogs in 1800...
, one of the principals of the West India Dock Company which instigated the construction of the West India Docks
West India Docks
The West India Docks are a series of three docks on the Isle of Dogs in London, the first of which opened in 1802. The docks closed to commercial traffic in 1980 and the Canary Wharf development was built on the site.-History:...
on London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
's Isle of Dogs
Isle of Dogs
The Isle of Dogs is a former island in the East End of London that is bounded on three sides by one of the largest meanders in the River Thames.-Etymology:...
.) Returning to England about 1803, he bought the estate of East Hide (now called Hyde
Hyde, Bedfordshire
Hyde is a civil parish in the county of Bedfordshire. It lies just south-east of Luton.Most of the land to the west of the River Lea is occupied by the Luton Hoo estate, which includes West Hyde...
), near Luton, Bedfordshire. In Jamaica, he acquired considerable property and he was not convinced by the arguments of Frend that his ownership of slaves was immoral. Besides plans for their material benefit, he sent out as a missionary to the negroes on his estates, in October 1817, Thomas Cooper (died 25 October 1880, aged 88). Cooper, a Unitarian minister recommended by Frend, remained on the island until 1821, endeavouring, with little success, to improve their moral and religious condition. A somewhat acrimonious controversy followed the publication of Cooper's report.
After 1825, Hibbert's Jamaica property declined in value and in about 1836 he sold it at considerable loss. He had previously (1833) sold his Bedfordshire estate and moved to London. He died at Welbeck Street, London, on 23 September 1849, and was buried in Kensal Green cemetery. While in Jamaica, he married Elizabeth Jane, daughter of John Nembhard, M.D., who died on 15 February 1853.
Hibbert Trust
On 19 July 1847, Hibbert executed a deed conveying to trustees $50,000 in 6% Ohio stock, and £8,000 in railway shares. The trustees, on the death of his widow, were to apply the income 'in such manner as they shall from time to time deem most conducive to the spread of Christianity in its most simple and intelligible form, and to the unfettered exercise of the right of private judgment in matters of religion'. The trustees were always to be laymen. Appended was a scheme for the administration of the trust, which the trustees were empowered to revise, and were directed to revise at least once in every twenty-five years.In the original scheme the trust was called 'the Anti-trinitarian Fund', and its object was, by a provision of divinity scholarships, to encourage learning and culture among unorthodox Christians. The breadth of the actual trust is largely due to the counsels of Hibbert's solicitor, Edwin Wilkins Field
Edwin Wilkins Field
Edwin Wilkins Field was an English lawyer and painter who committed much of his life to law reform.-Life:Edwin was the eldest son of William Field and was born at Leam, near Warwick. He was educated at his father's school, and on 19 March 1821 was articled to the firm of Taylor & Roscoe,...
, but, in opposition to Field, Hibbert 'determined on insisting that all recipients should be hetero-dox', his intention being 'to elevate the position and the public influence of the unitarian ministry'.
In addition to scholarships and fellowships, the number and conditions of which are settled by the trustees from year to year, the trust, from the revision of 1878 until 1887, maintained an annual Hibbert Lecture, the first series being delivered by Professor Max Muller
Max Müller
Friedrich Max Müller , more regularly known as Max Müller, was a German philologist and Orientalist, one of the founders of the western academic field of Indian studies and the discipline of comparative religion...
in 1878; between 1902 and 1968 it issued The Hibbert Journal
The Hibbert Journal
The Hibbert Journal was a large, quarterly magazine in sorftback book format, issued since 1902 by the Hibbert Trust, best described by its subtitle; "A Quarterly Review of Religion, Theology and Philosophy"....
, a quarterly magazine.
Works
- Facts Verified upon Oath, in contradiction of the Report of the Rev. T. Cooper, &c., 1824, 8vo.
- A political paper, "Why am I a Liberal?" (about 1831) signed 'John Smith', reprinted in Murch's Memoir
- A newspaper address "To the Chartists of England", 1840, advocating the abolition of the Corn LawsCorn LawsThe Corn Laws were trade barriers designed to protect cereal producers in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland against competition from less expensive foreign imports between 1815 and 1846. The barriers were introduced by the Importation Act 1815 and repealed by the Importation Act 1846...
and the adoption of the ballot.