Abraham Rees facts for kids
Abraham Rees (born 1743 – died June 9, 1825) was an important Welsh minister. He was a Nonconformist, meaning he was a Protestant who did not follow the official Church of England. He is best known for creating a huge encyclopedia called Rees's Cyclopædia, which had 45 volumes!
Early Life and Education
Abraham Rees was born in Llanbrynmair, Montgomeryshire, Wales. His father, Lewis Rees, was also a minister. Abraham started studying to become a minister in 1759 at a special school called Coward's Academy in London.
He was a very bright student. In 1762, he became an assistant teacher at the academy, teaching math and science. Later, when the school moved to Hoxton, he became a main tutor. He taught there until 1785. After that, he taught Hebrew and math at the New College at Hackney from 1786 to 1796.
A Life as a Minister
Abraham Rees began his work as a minister in Clapham. He helped out at a church there. In 1768, he moved to the Presbyterian church at St Thomas's, Southwark. He became the main minister there in 1774.
In 1783, he became the minister at the Old Jewry congregation. He stayed there until he died. He was known for preaching both in the morning and afternoon, which was unusual for ministers in London at that time. A new church building was built for him in Jewin Street, opening in 1809.
Rees was also involved in many important groups. In 1774, he became a trustee for Dr. Daniel Williams's foundations. These foundations helped support education and ministers. In 1778, he became the secretary of the Presbyterian board. He held both these jobs until his death.
In 1775, he received a special degree called a Doctor of Divinity (DD) from the University of Edinburgh. This was a high honor for his religious studies. He also visited Wales every three years to check on students at Carmarthen Academy. In 1813, he was made an honorary member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Abraham Rees was known for his kind and thoughtful way of teaching. He was one of the last London ministers to wear a wig, which was a common style long ago.
Later Years
Abraham Rees passed away on June 9, 1825, in London. He was buried in Bunhill Fields, a famous burial ground for Nonconformists. Many ministers attended his funeral. He had outlived his wife and all his children, but he left behind several grandchildren.
His son, Nathaniel Penry Rees, died in 1802. His only daughter, Joanna Rees, married another minister named John Jones.
His Great Work: The Cyclopædia
Abraham Rees's most famous achievement was his huge encyclopedia. He first started by improving an older encyclopedia called Cyclopædia by Ephraim Chambers. Rees re-edited it in 1778, and then expanded it to four volumes by 1786.
Because of this hard work, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1786. This is a very important scientific group. He also became a member of the Linnean Society and the American Philosophical Society.
After this, he decided to create an even bigger and better encyclopedia. The first part of his new work, The Cyclopædia; or, Universal Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, and Literature, came out in 1802. It took him 18 years to finish! The entire work was completed in August 1820. It had 45 volumes, including six volumes filled with pictures and diagrams.
This encyclopedia covered many topics, including English history and famous people. Experts like Sir James Edward Smith wrote about plants, and Charles Burney wrote about music. This massive work is now commonly known as Rees's Cyclopædia.
Besides his encyclopedia, Rees also published several books of his sermons. He also helped create a collection of hymns and psalms in 1795, which was used by many liberal Nonconformist churches.
