Henry Digby Beste

Born in Lincoln on October 21, 1768, he was the son of the Rev. Henry Beste, a prebendary of Lincoln Cathedral. He was educated at Oxford and later became known as a miscellaneous author rather than for a single profession.

A turning point in his life came when he entered the Roman Catholic Church. That experience shaped both his public identity and his writing, and he became known for religious as well as literary work.

He is especially associated with travel writing, including Four Years in France and Italy as it is; or, Narrative of an English Family's Residence for Three Years in That Country. Those books are remembered for their firsthand detail and for the way they capture everyday life, politics, and society through the eyes of an English visitor. He died at Brighton on May 28, 1836.