Porteus, Bishop Beilby

Identity Statement

Reference code(s)	: GB 0096 MS 820
Held at	: Senate House Library, University of London   Click here to find out how to view this collection at http://www.senatehouselibrary.ac.uk/our-collections ›
Full title	: Porteus, Bishop Beilby
Date(s)	: n.d., c1788
Level of description	: Collection (fonds)
Extent	: Single sheet
Name of creator(s)	: Porteus | Beilby | 1731-1808 | Bishop of London
Detailed catalogue	: Click here to view repository detailed catalogue

Context

Administrative/Biographical history:

Beilby Porteus was born in York in 1731; his parents were Virginian colonists who had moved back to England. He graduated from Cambridge University in 1752 and tutored until 1757 when he was ordained. In 1759 he won the Seatonian Prize for his poem 'Death: a poetical essay'. By 1762 Porteus had been appointed domestic chaplain to Thomas Secker, Archbishop of Canterbury; in 1769 he became Chaplain to King George III, and was created Bishop of Chester in 1776. When Porteus was appointed Bishop of London in 1787, the British overseas colonies came under his jurisdiction. He had already shown a keen interest in the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, and now organised missions to India and the West Indies. He also took part in House of Lords debates which opposed the slave trade, and was foremost amongst those trying to pass Sir William Dolben's Slave Carrying Bill in 1788. Porteus also published volumes of sermons and tracts on political and spiritual topics. He died in 1808.

Content

Scope and content/abstract:

Unaddressed fragment of a letter written by Beilby Porteus, Bishop of London, which possibly refers to the parliamentary debates on the slave trade in 1788. An extract reads 'There will undoubtedly in so very complex a business in which so many interests are involved, be a great diversity of opinion on this [illegible] other Points. But they are now submitted to the wisdom of Parliament, and most of them will I hope this Evening be settled to your entire satisfaction'.

Access & Use

Language/scripts of material:
English

System of arrangement:

Single item.

Conditions governing access:

Access to this collection is unrestricted for the purpose of private study and personal research within the supervised environment and restrictions of the Library's Palaeography Room. Uncatalogued material may not be seen. Please contact the University Archivist for details.

Conditions governing reproduction:

Copies may be made, subject to the condition of the original. Copying must be undertaken by the Palaeography Room staff, who will need a minimum of 24 hours to process requests.

Finding aids:

Collection level description.

Archival Information

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

Found with MS804.

Allied Materials

Related material:

Senate House Library holds the library of Beilby Porteus, including books and pamphlets on ecclesiastical affairs, slavery, the French Revolution, travel and topography, mostly published between 1750 and 1809.

Further material relating to Porteus may be found at Lambeth Palace Library, London; Bedfordshire and Luton Archives and Record Service; the National Library of Scotland; and the Huntington Library, California.

Publication note:

Description Notes

Archivist's note:
Compiled by Sarah Aitchison as part of the RSLP AIM25 Project.

Rules or conventions:
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Date(s) of descriptions:
Jan 2002