Roberts, Rev Robert

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Roberts, Rev Robert

Watercolour portrait of Rev Robert Roberts by John Sowden, 1905.

from John Sowden's notebooks:

"Mr Roberts was born at Liverpool, of Welsh parentage and served seven years apprenticeship to the engineering trade at Earlestown. At this time Mr Roberts started work at six in the morning, and with intervals for meals, worked on until half past ten at night.

He rose before 4 o'clock in the morning to learn Latin grammar in preparation for his entry into the Calvinistic College of Bala, North Wales, where he received his training as a minister. His first church was at Connah’s Quay where after a few months he was expelled for heresy, having stated his disbelief in the doctrine of eternal punishment.

After taking charge for a short period of a little church of the Methodist New connection Mr Roberts had charge for seven years of a church near Cleveland, after which he removed to Leeds, to be expelled after nine months for preaching but the congregation considered to be Unitarian doctrines.

Mr Roberts next took charge of the Unitarian Church at Hunslet for three years, afterwards, owing to ill-health accepting a call to Boston Spa, where he remained three years. From Boston Spa Mr Roberts came to a church at Frizinghall, from which he resigned after seven years, and worked for five years at a church in the working class district of Brownroyd. Year after leaving Brownroyd.

Mr Roberts founded the Bradford Ethical Society which was successfully carried on for 12 years. Every movement for social reform and every election that has taken place since Mr Roberts arrived in Bradford has had his support. He has had great experience of educational work; for six years as a member of the School Board (of which he was also a vice chairman) and later as a Labour Member of the City Council, to which he was elected in 1891, the first first Christian minister to be elected and was for some years Chairman of the Education Committee for the Bradford Mechanics’ Institute as well as other educational organisations in the West Riding. He has also been a familiar figure on the public platform in Labour and Liberal interests in many parts of the county."

Year

1905

Creator

John Sowden

Image filename

sowden-109