James Beaven

James Beaven
1st Dean of the King's College Faculty of Arts
In office
1844–1853
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byRobert Ramsay Wright
Personal details
Born(1801-07-09)9 July 1801
Died8 November 1875(1875-11-08) (aged 74)

James Beaven (9 July 1801 – 8 November 1875) was a Church of England clergyman and author,[1] educated and employed in England until accepting an appointment as professor of divinity at King's College, Toronto, in 1843.[1]

Beaven served as the first dean of the King's College Faculty of Arts (which later became the University of Toronto Faculty of Arts and Science) from 1844 to 1850.[2]

Beaven was an accomplished classical scholar and wrote a number of books. Three of these were scholarly sermons. His subjects also included the writings of Cicero and the life and writings of St Irenaeus. A well known book documented a diocesan tour in 1845 by Bishop John Strachan. His Elements of Natural Theology is sometimes regarded as the first philosophical work written in English in Canada.[1]

Beaven and his wife had seven children; one son, Robert, became premier of British Columbia from 1882 to 1883.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Millman, T.R. (1972). "Beaven, James". In Hayne, David (ed.). Dictionary of Canadian Biography. Vol. X (1871–1880) (online ed.). University of Toronto Press.
  2. ^ Brown, Robert Craig (2013). Arts and Science at Toronto: A History, 1827-1990. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. p. 257.