| Notes |
- PRIVATE
- «b»Robert Best«/b» was born in 1822, in Newcastle on Tyne, Northumberland, England, at the time when this area was undergoing industrialization and had many cotton mills. His father was a master tailor and Robert had eight brothers and two sisters. Of these, so far, only two have been traced - this brothers Thomas and Andrew. The family lived in "Baily Gate, beneath the shadows of the old Norman Castle."
Robert attended the Wesleyan Orphan House in Northumberland Street, then the Royal Jubilee School. Then" he became an assistant in a clothier's shop and later in succession held three clerkships in attorney' offices. In the third of thes engagements he had the position of managing clerk. This lucrrative post the subsequently resigned in order to enroll himself among the ministers of Jesus Christ." As a young man he went to great lengths to read and obtain books.
For a time he attended the Sunday Scool a the Presbyterian Chapel, High Bridge Street, Newcastle, later joining his parents in attending the St James Independant Chapel, Blackett Street. Then he joined the Blackett Street Independent Church lead by Rev. J. Ornage.
The «b»1841 England Census«/b» records Robert, at fifteen, living with his parents and 13-year old brother, George, in the district of St Andrew, Newcastle upon Tyne. Robert's occupation is given as "«i»Cl«/i»" - clerk.
He joined the Tempernce movement before it became popular and took the total abstainer's pledge.
"He ... attended excellent classes at the Newcastle Mechanic's Institution, which in conjunction withehr generous assistance of the late joseph mather, Esq., of the Union Bank, and Superintendent of St James's School, prepared the candidate's way.
At the age of 19, in the year «b»1842«/b» ... he registered as a student in Homerton College, London." Here he spent 5 years unde the tutorship of Dr John Pye Smith. A fellow student, Rev R. Davey of Dover, described him at this time as "A very tall, pale and delicate looking youth..." Memoir...p 29 As a student his tutor took him to meetings of the Royal, and Geological Societies and encouraged Robert's interest in Geology. His education was particularly rich as he had contact with all the savants of his time, and continued his wide reading all his life.
Robert Best and Elizabeth Peachey married in «b»1848«/b» in Newington, Surrey, and their first child was born in 1849, in Kirkham, Lancashire. I assume that Robert and Elizabeth met during his student years in London.
Robert was ordained in Zion Chapel, Kirkham on 30 May «b»1848«/b». He was 25 years old.
On 14th April «b»1849«/b» Robert Best, who refused to pay the "Church Rites" tax of 9-1/2d to support the state church, was arrested and in penalty had eight mahogany chiars valued at $4 removed from his home.
In «b»1851 the England Census«/b» records Robert, his wife, Elizabeth, and both the sons, living in Kirkham where Robert was an "Independent minister Zion Chapel, Kirkham".
He was invited to Mawsdsley Street Chapel, Bolton and was installed as the new pastor on 18 August, «b»1852.«/b»
"The celebration of the Mawdsley Street Chapel Jubilee was warmly promoted by Mr Best in 1858. This embraced the collectionf funds for the extension of the School, the re-painting of the Chapel, and the purchase of an organ...." [Memoir p 64] "In 1867... he proceeded to lay before the firends the necessity anf practicability of rebuilding the Chapel at Mawdsley Street upon an enlarged scale... a bazaar was recomended, ...after twelve months zealous preparations, the labours, more especially on the part of the ladies were rewarded with a bazaar, which for elegance and costliness of the articles, had not at that time been seen in Bolton... a handsome receipt of 1,500 pounds. " They raised the old building and laid the foundation stone of the enlarged building on July 30, 1868 [Memoir p67]. During this time there was great inequality in civil life and religious with the Independants and other Nonconformists pushing for equality of religeous privileges, so remarked the mayor, a Wesleyan at the laying o
Robert and his wife Elizabeth Peachey appear to have had only 4 children, which was a relatively small family for that time. How Robert came to train as minister was not clear until the "Memoir of Rev Robert Best" came to hand, but the dirty industrial towns of this era were ripe for non-conformist ministers who brought a message of hope and comfort. [The ministers of the state church, the Church of England (Anglicans), were generally sons of the nobility or wealthy men, while the ministers of the non-conformists were men of the people. Later these Non-Conformists became Methodists, Presbyterians and Congregationist and in recent years, United church, as some of these groups joined together.]
The Mawdsley Street Chapel also ran a school and an infirmary and a Poor Protection Society. Robert was involved in the Temperance Movement which established coffee houses as an alternative meeting place to taverns. [Memoir p 59] He was instrumental in the establishment of the Lancashire Congregational Union, and involved in the Lancashire Independant College and the London Misisonary Society.
Robert was deeply involved in civic matters. A local paper said, "No gentleman... in the course of the past 35 years was a more pominent frequenter of meetings which affected the town's enduring welfare... the Mechanics' Institute enjoyed his steady patronage...the drink traffic he vigorously condemned.. early enrolled in the British Temperance Leaague Lodge on Dec 30, 1882....England's relation to India was a favourite subject of Mr Best's inquiry.. he tried to temper the bitterness which aggravated the differences between masters and workmen... for the help he afforded in the gloomy days of the Lancashire Cotton Famine, he will be gratefully remembered.. he conscientiously resisted the inequalities and intolerance which a State Church had created..a strong dessenter... he was counted amongst the worthies of Bolton... a founder and secretary to the Bolton Nonconformist Association in 1881... an avowed Liberal.. and to the chief Reform measures of the past 40 years he gave unflinching support.. for ma
A Lancashire Minister's Continental Holiday, and what it cost; being a tour through France, Switzerland, and North Italy to Venice. Reprinted from "The Bolton Chronicle," revised and enlarged.
Robert BEST Minister.
London : J. Sangster & Co., 1865.
&
Over the Alps to Rome [Memoir p 98]
thirteen letters .."A minister's Tour in the United states"
...Visited the south of Ireland in 1853 for the promotion of the Protestant Evangelical faith"... supported Revivalist Mr Finney [an American] who visited Bolton in 1860...To the interests of the Lancashire College he devoted himself...for more than 20 years....elected Chairman of Lancashire Congregational Union in 1885 [memoir p 101]... the position of Chairman brought him increasing engagements in every part of the county...Obituary written by the Editor of the Bolton Congragational Magazine... last sermon in 10 July 1887... 30 July "congestion of the brain" appeared... several lapses into unconsousness... at 5 minutes to 9 on Wednesday 3rd August 'entered peacefully into rest' [memoir p 109] ..Bolton Weekly Guardian published a lengthy obituary on 6 August 1887.[Memoir p 109]
Both Robert's daughters married ministers of religion, and both were also non-conformists. «b»Rebecca «/b»married the young Scot, «b»John Lundie«/b» and went to Africa to be a missionary; daughter «b»Mary Forsaith«/b» Best married a local lad, possibly a student of Robert's as he is recorded as being a theological student in Little Bolton in the Census before he married Mary. They later moved to Halliwall where James was the Congregational minister. Of Robert's sons: «b»Frances William Best «/b»died young, at the age of 18. The other, «b»George Best«/b» moved to the United States of America and appears to have been a bookkeeper.
Times were tough and the congregation could not have been wealthy, yet Robert managed to educate his children well. Both boys attended the Siloates School in Alverthorpe, Yorkshire. This school had been set up to educate the children of non-conformist ministers and today is run as a Private Co-ed School. His daughters were sent to school in Devon, to Marlborough House Ladies Boarding School in Exeter. Here Rebecca became a "governess" - one presumes they had a teacher-training course following school, as did the Huguenot College in the Cape where Rebecca sent her own daughter, Lizzie Lundie. Rebecca's sister Mary attended the same school.
Possibly Robert's income was supplemented by taking in boarders as, in 1861, they had a young engineer living with them called Oliver Blenkhorn (18)
The «b»1861 England Census«/b» shows only Robert, Elizabeth and the two girls at home in Bolton as the boys are both at boarding school in Yorkshire during this numeration. However in addition to the border Oliver Blenkhorn (18) the family also includes Elizabeth's widowed father, James Peachey (81). Robert is listed as the "Independent minister of Mawdsley St Chapel, Bolton".
By the «b»1871 England Census«/b» the family consists of Robert Best (48), Elizabeth Best (52) and son George Best (20); Frank having died in 1867, and the girls at boarding school.
On Good Friday «b»1877«/b» the people met in the Schoolroom to commemorate the 25th year of Mr Best's pastorate to mark the extinction of the debt on the new Chapel and Schools and also to bid temporary farewell to the pastor and his wife on the eve of a tour through the United States..150 pounds were presented. Of this sojourn in America, Mr Best supplied a series of well-informed and lucidly written letter to the local press. The pleasure of the trip was intensified by the parents being enabled to visit their only surviving son, Mr Geoge Best and his wife at their home in Batavia, Illinois... a further change occurred in the month of August, 1877 by the marriage of Mr Best's eldest daughter, Rebecca to the Rev. J. Lundie, M.A. Missionary of the United Presbyterian Church to Kaffraria. In the October following they sailed fron London to South Africa... [Memoir p72]
The family's home address is supplied in the «b»1881 England Census«/b»: 37 Manchester Rd, Bolton.
Robert is described simply as "Independent Minister". Only Mary Best (27) is living with her parents as Rebecca left with her new husband, John Lundie, for South Africa in «b»1877«/b». George had emigrated«b» «/b»to the United States of America in «b»1874«/b», according to the «u»1910 United States Federal Census«/u».
The arrival of the Lundie family was eagerly anticipated in Bolton in May of «b»1886«/b» . Robert had been ill but "with the restoration of health a journey was made on the Continent - he so much loved - for the last time, accompanied by his daughter (Mrs Lundie) and sons-in-law, the Rev John Lundie M.A. and the Rev James Johnston..." [Memoir. p 76]
In 1888 James Johnston, Robert's son-n-law, published a memoir of his father-in-law called, "Memoir of the Rev. Robert Best". [Copy in Best file]
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1823 - 1887 (64 years)
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