Pitts Theology Library
Archives and Manuscripts Department
| Descriptive Summary | |
| Creator: | Roberts, William Hayward (circa 1730-1791). |
| Title: | William Hayward Roberts sermons, circa 1771 to 1790 |
| Call Number: | Manuscript Collection No. 276 |
| Extent: | .2 cubic feet (1 bound volume) |
| Abstract: | One bound volume of handwritten sermons from the mid-eighteenth century poet and Church of England clergyman, William H. Roberts. |
| Language: | Materials entirely in English. |
| Administrative Information | |
| Restrictions on Access | Unrestricted access. |
| Terms Governing Use and Reproduction | All requests subject to limitations noted in departmental policies on reproduction. |
| Citation | [after identification of item(s)], William Hayward Roberts sermons, MSS 276, Archives and Manuscript Department, Pitts Theology Library, Emory University. |
| Processing | Processed by Anne Marie McLean, August 2015. |
Biographical Note
William Hayward Roberts was born in Gloucester to Richard Roberts of Abergavenny and his wife, Eleanor, and baptized on 12 August 1734 at the church of St Nicholas. In 1744 he was admitted to Eton College as king's scholar. Nine years later in 1753, he entered King's College, Cambridge, became a fellow there in 1756, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1757. He received his MA in 1760 and returned to Eton College as an assistant until he was granted a fellowship in 1771. Roberts became provost at Eton on December 12, 1781. He also served as rector of Whiston, Northamptonshire, Everdon, and Farnham Royal, Buckinghamshire in the years following. Additionally, Roberts was one of the king's chaplains from 1772 until his death. He published numerous poems and essays during his career, while at the same time preaching under the authority of the Church of England. Roberts died on December 5, 1791 at Eton, and was buried in the chapel. Three years after his death, Roberts' son published his father's Corrections of Various Passages in the English Version of the New Testament, which proposed revisions to the King James Version of the text.
Bibliography: Burrow, Colin. "Roberts, William Hayward (bap. 1734, d. 1791)." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, edited by H. C. G. Matthew and Brian Harrison. Oxford: OUP, 2004. Online ed., edited by Lawrence Goldman, January 2008. http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/23780.
Scope and Content Note
This is a bound volume of twenty-two handwritten sermons. There a bookplate inside the front cover that reads "William Roberts, A.M. Fellow of Eton College," accompanied by a crest. The sermons enclosed are based on various Old Testament scriptures, and generally follow the formula of a quoted passage and subsequent commentary. The same passage is used for several sermons in some cases, but not all. A page following sermon twenty-two reads "22- Objects considered as against the Truth of the Gospel," followed by an index documenting sermon numbers, scriptural citations, and page numbers.
Contents
| Sermon | Biblical Text | Page Range | ||
| Sermons 1-4 | Psalm 147 19:20 | Pages 1-37 | ||
| Sermons 5-6 | Deuteronomy 32:9 | Pages 38-66 | ||
| Sermon 7 | Genesis 12:7 | Pages 66-82 | ||
| Sermon 8 | Deuteronomy 7:23 | Pages 83-97 | ||
| Sermon 9 | Exodus 15:17 | Pages 97-109 | ||
| Sermon 10 | Exodus 19:5 | Pages 97-122 | ||
| Sermon 11 | Deuteronomy 6:24 | Pages 122-133 | ||
| Sermons 12-13 | Exodus 18:20 | Pages 133-155 | ||
| Sermons 14-15 | Deuteronomy 20:24 | Pages 156-177 | ||
| Sermons 16-17 | Amos 3:2 | Pages 177-193 | ||
| Sermon 18 | Deuteronomy 12:11 | Pages 193-206 | ||
| Sermons 19-20 | Proverbs 6:23 | Pages 207-241 | ||
| Sermon 21 | Exodus 31:13 | Pages 241-256 | ||
| Sermon 22 | Acts 13:32 | Pages 257-203 |
Last Modified: August 10, 2015 (bcw)