St John’s College W.39

Henry Beverley, Notebooks. English, c. 1860

a) Newton’s Principia, Books I, II and III.  Foliated; only rectos employed.

b) Solid Geometry. Unpaginated; numerous blank pages throughout.

Henry Beverley was born on 19 May 1839 at Woodhouse (Leeds), Yorkshire, the son of William Beverley, a wool merchant, and his wife Elizabeth.  He was educated at Sedbergh School.  Admitted Pensioner to St John’s in 1858; matriculated Michaelmas 1858; Scholar 1859; the College’s Residence Book notes his BA at 14 June 1861 [ref. C28/14], although in published sources he is listed as BA 1862.  He entered the India Civil Service in 1860, coming sixteenth in the Final Examination.  In August 1861 he married Eliza Freer of Kingswinford, Staffordshire, and arrived in India at October’s end, where he served for the next 36 years in various capacities, including as Superintendent of the first census of Bengal in 1872 and the census of Calcutta in 1876, and Judge of the High Court, Calcutta, from May 1885 until his retirement in September 1897.  Among his publications are The Land Acquisition Acts and, as Registrar General of Bengal, The Registration Manual.  He died in 1915 at Nascot Lodge, Watford, Hertfordshire.     [Sources: Alum. Cantab.; Cambridge University Calendar; The Eagle; The Times; SJC Archives, doc. refs C3/6, C4/6, C15/9, C27/2, C28/14.]

Appear to be notes compiled for revision; examinations at 1860 and 1861 included Newton’s Principia I, II and III in the second year and Solid Geometry in the third year.  Frequent reference to Hymers [John Hymers, 1803-1887] is made in the ‘Solid Geometry’ notebook, as well as to several other works of geometry; a paper from 25 April 1855 is referred to on the penultimate page employed.

Manuscript extra information

Both autograph.  Commercial notebooks in cardboard covers.  Manuscript titles on front covers of each, and signature of H. Beverley and ‘St. John’s Coll.’ on flyleaf of (a); signature on front of (b).  Both n.d. [c. 1860]  Dimensions (each): 27.5 cm X 22 cm.