author
Henry Digby Beste
1768–1836
An English writer and aristocratic convert to Catholicism, he is often remembered as an early voice pointing toward the religious revival that later shaped the Oxford Movement. His books mix travel, controversy, and personal conviction, giving them the energy of a life changed by belief.
1 Audiobook
About the author
Born in Lincoln on October 21, 1768, Henry Digby Beste was educated at Oxford and first followed a legal path before turning to writing. He later took the surname Beste and became known as a miscellaneous author with strong religious interests.
A major turning point in his life was his conversion to Roman Catholicism. That decision shaped much of his work and reputation, and later writers have described him as a precursor to the Oxford Movement because of the influence his religious ideas had on nineteenth-century English thought.
Beste wrote on several subjects, including religion, politics, and travel. Among his best-known works is Italy as It Is, a book drawn from his experiences abroad. He died at Brighton on May 28, 1836.