Robert Taylor (Radical) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Robert Taylor
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| Born | 18 August 1784 |
| Died | September 1844 (aged 60) Tours, France
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| Occupation | Freethinker, radical |
Reverend Robert Taylor (born August 18, 1784 – died September 1844) was an interesting figure from the early 1800s. He started as a clergyman (a church leader) but later became a freethinker. This meant he questioned traditional religious beliefs.
His public talks, which he called an "Infidel home missionary tour," even influenced Charles Darwin. Darwin remembered Taylor as "the Devil's Chaplain." This was a warning about the dangers of disagreeing with the official Church of England.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Robert Taylor was born in Edmonton, London, on August 18, 1784. He was the sixth son of John and Elizabeth Taylor. His father, who sold iron goods, passed away when Robert was young. His uncle, Edward Farmer Taylor, then became his guardian.
Robert went to school in Edmonton. Later, he trained to be a doctor. He studied at famous hospitals in London, like Guy's and St Thomas' hospitals. In 1807, he became a member of the College of Surgeons.
However, Robert decided to change his path. He felt called to study for the church instead.
From Clergyman to Freethinker
Taylor spent three years at St John's College, Cambridge, to become a clergyman. At that time, the University of Cambridge was closely linked to the official Church of England. Most students there were preparing for jobs in the Anglican church.
After becoming a clergyman, Taylor worked for five years. But then, he started to question traditional Christian beliefs. He moved away from them and became a strong critic of the church.
Taylor created a group called the Christian Evidence Society. He gave talks in London pubs, often wearing fancy church clothes. In these talks, he criticized the Anglican church and its practices. He called their beliefs a "Pagan creed."
Back then, it was a crime to speak against the official religion. This was called blasphemy. Because of his talks, Taylor was sent to prison for a year. While in his cell, he wrote a book called The Diegesis. In this book, he argued that Christianity was based on older myths and stories, especially those about the sun.
He also believed in the Christ myth theory. This idea suggests that the person Jesus Christ, as described in the Bible, might not have been a real historical person. Instead, he might have been a mythical figure.
The "Infidel" Tour
After being released from prison, Taylor teamed up with another radical thinker named Richard Carlile. Together, they started an "infidel home missionary tour." They traveled around, sharing their ideas.
On May 21, 1829, they arrived in Cambridge. They walked around the university colleges. That evening, they went to Holy Trinity Church. They listened to a sermon, which they later criticized as being bad for people's morals.
The next day, they rented a room in Rose Crescent for two weeks. They called it their "Infidel Head-Quarters." They sent a printed challenge to the university leaders. This challenge invited them to debate the Christian religion. Taylor and Carlile claimed that Jesus Christ never existed. They also said that Christianity was not good for people and came from ancient pagan religions.
Taylor, dressed in his university cap and gown, walked around the university. He handed out papers and looked for other freethinkers.
The university officials, called proctors, soon found out about them. They questioned the landlord and took away his license to rent rooms. This meant the landlord lost half his income.
Taylor and Carlile responded by putting a public notice on the door of the University Library. They criticized the university for punishing the innocent landlord. Many students, including Charles Darwin, heard about this situation.
A group of students even planned to take action against Taylor and Carlile. When the two heard about this, they apologized to the landlord. They also urged the university to give him back his license. Then, they quietly left town. They felt they had found about "fifty... young collegians" who were secretly freethinkers.
Their tour also took them to Lancashire. In Bolton, they met Eliza Sharples. She later helped spread their message by giving performances in London.
"The Devil's Chaplain"
In July 1830, there was public unrest in England. At this time, Carlile gave Taylor a place to speak at the Blackfriars Rotunda. This was a building on the south side of the River Thames where people who believed in republican ideas and atheists gathered.
Several times a week, Taylor would dress in church robes. He would put on dramatic shows, giving powerful speeches to working-class people. He became known as "The Devil's Chaplain." Thousands of copies of his speeches were shared.
In April 1831, Taylor was again accused of blasphemy for two sermons he gave. He was sentenced to two years in Horsemonger Lane Gaol (a prison). From prison, he wrote letters protesting his treatment. He even feared that the "Christians have determined to kill me."
By January 1832, the "Rotunda" building was being used again. From prison, Taylor wrote that "the spirit of the Rotunda lives." On February 9, Eliza Sharples began performing there as "Isis," the "Lady of the Rotunda." She gave dramatic talks that strongly criticized Christianity and the church. She said she would take good ideas from different thinkers. People soon claimed that Taylor and Carlile helped her write her talks. Her exciting performances first attracted a lot of attention, but interest later faded. Her talks ended in April.
Later Life and Legacy
In 1833, Taylor married an older woman who had money. However, another woman, Georgiana Richards, sued him. She was the housekeeper at the Blackfriars Rotunda and claimed he had broken a promise to marry her. To avoid paying her money, he moved to France. He then worked as a surgeon in Tours.
Darwin Remembers Taylor
Charles Darwin remembered Robert Taylor as someone to avoid. In 1857, as Darwin was working on his famous theory of evolution, he wrote about "What a book a Devil's Chaplain might write on the clumsy, wasteful, blundering low & horridly cruel works of Nature!" Some historians believe this was a reference to Taylor's nickname. However, the term "the Devil's Chaplain" is much older. It goes back to Geoffrey Chaucer, a famous writer from the 1300s.
Later, in March 1860, when people were reacting to Darwin's theory, he described his friend Thomas Huxley as his "good and kind agent for the propagation of the Gospel – i.e. the devil's gospel."
See also
- Rotunda radicals
