Ebenezer Rhodes (1762–1839) was an English topographer, publisher, master cutler and artist. He became a prominent historian of Derbyshire.

Life

Born in Masborough near

Rotherham Rotherham ( ) is a market town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies at the confluence of the River Rother, South Yorkshire, River Rother, from which the town gets its name, and the River Don, Yorkshire, River Don. It is the largest settlement ...

, in 1762, Rhodes served a seven-year apprenticeship in the cutlery trade from 1777, despite a strong interest in reading and the theatre. He became a senior partner in David Champion, a firm making scissors, to which razors were added later. Rhodes was elected in 1808 head of Company of Cutlers in Hallamshire and became a master cutler. In August, the members gave their president a gold cup to acknowledge his public services in establishing the Institution. Rhodes started to become associated with debating societies, one being called The Society of the Friends of Literature, which met in a public house in Sheffield. Rhodes became a conspicuous speaker and

Jacobin The Society of the Friends of the Constitution (), renamed the Society of the Jacobins, Friends of Freedom and Equality () after 1792 and commonly known as the Jacobin Club () or simply the Jacobins (; ), was the most influential political cl ...

politician. The groups also included the Rev. John Pye Smith, a theological writer, and James Montgomery, a Christian poet and philanthropist. The groups were eventually suspected of

sedition Sedition is overt conduct, such as speech or organization, that tends toward rebellion against the established order. Sedition often includes subversion of a constitution and incitement of discontent toward, or insurrection against, establ ...

and proscribed.

Peak scenery

Rhodes made many excursions with James Montgomery, to Monsal Dale, Millers Dale and other parts of

Derbyshire Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It borders Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, and South Yorkshire to the north, Nottinghamshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south-east, Staffordshire to the south a ...

. He spent days sketching in Dovedale with his fellow artist Thomas Christopher Hofland. In 1818 Rhodes published the first part of a folio edition of his ''Peak Scenery, or the Derbyshire Tourist'', dedicated to the Duke of Devonshire and illustrated by F.L.Chantrey. This was followed by the first part of ''Yorkshire Scenery'', although other parts were never published. In 1837 Rhodes issued a small ''Derbyshire Tourist's Guide and Travelling Companion''. All his books involved him in financial loss, but his ''Peak Scenery'' remains a standard work. Apart from these ventures, he turned his attention to journalism, and for several years edited the ''Sheffield Independent''.

Bankruptcy

Meanwhile his business failed and he became a bankrupt. A fund was raised for his support, to which Montgomery subscribed £100, while Chantrey privately gave Rhodes £50 a year. Thereafter he still made a small income preparing steel plates for engravers by a novel process. He died a poor man, on 16 December 1839, at his home in Victoria Street, Sheffield.

Publications

*''Essay on the Manufacture, Choice and Management of a Razor'', by E Rhodes Cutler, Sheffield, 1809 *''Peak Scenery, or the Derbyshire Tourist'', dedicated to the Duke of Devonshire and illustrated by F.L.Chantrey, 1824 *''Yorkshire Scenery'', Part 1, London, 1826 *''Derbyshire Tourist's Guide and Travelling Companion'', 1837 *''The Poets of Yorkshire'' (Rhodes was included), by William Cartwright Newsam, 1845

Life

Peak scenery

Bankruptcy

Publications

References

Further reading