John Stuart Verschoyle

John Stuart Verschoyle
Born	1853 (1853) Saggart
Died	30 July 1915(1915-07-30) (aged 61–62) Taunton
Occupation	Clergyman

John Stuart Verschoyle (1853 – 30 July 1915) was an Irish clergyman, editor and journalist. He was assistant editor of The Fortnightly Review and authored the first biography of Cecil Rhodes.

Career

Verschoyle was born in Saggart.^[1] He graduated from Pembroke College, Cambridge in 1880 and was ordained in 1881. He was curate of Holy Trinity Church, Marylebone from 1881 to 1891, rector of Creeting St Peter from 1891 to 1893 and of Huish Champflower from 1893 to 1915.^[1]

Verschoyle met Frank Harris and worked as his advisor and confidant.^[2] He was the official assistant editor of the The Fortnightly Review from 1889 to 1891.^[2][3] Verschoyle was known for his biographies and memoirs.^[4] He wrote under the pseudonym "Imperialist" and was the first to author a full length biography of Cecil Rhodes in 1897.^[3][5] In 1900, under the pseudonym "Vindex" he authored Cecil Rhodes: His Political Life and Speeches, 1881-1900.^[6]

He took interest in the history of ancient civilizations.^[7]

Animal welfare

Verschoyle was a staunch opponent of vivisection and was an active member of the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection.^[8][9] He was editor of The Abolitionist.^[10][11]

Verschoyle campaigned to abolish private slaughterhouses and establish public abattoirs.^[12] He served on the committee of the London Model Abattoir Society.^[12][13] His article "Slaughter-House Reform" from the Humane Review was republished by the Humanitarian League as a pamphlet in 1901.^[14] In 1906, Verschoyle was a committee member of a presentation in honour of Walter Hadwen at Charing Cross, the headquarters of the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection.^[15]

Death

Verschoyle died at a nursing home in Taunton in July 1915.^[1][16]

Selected publications

• The History of Ancient Civilization. London: Chapman and Hall. 1889.
• Cecil Rhodes: A Biography and Appreciation by Imperialist with Personal Reminiscences by Dr Jameson. London: Chapman and Hall. 1897.
• Cecil Rhodes: His Political Life and Speeches, 1881-1900. London: Chapman and Hall. 1900.
• Slaughter-House Reform. London: Humanitarian League. 1901.

References

1. "Death of a Somerset Rector". North Wilts Guardian. August 6, 1915. p. 1.
2. Seiler, Robert M. (2023). The Collected Works of Walter Pater, Vol. IX: Correspondence. Oxford University Press. p. 226. ISBN 978-0192695307.
3. Houghton, Esther Rhoads (1968). "John Verschoyle and the "Fortnightly Review"". Victorian Periodicals Newsletter. 3 (1): 17–21. JSTOR 20084781.
4. "John Stuart Verschoyle Papers, 1884-1915". University of California. 2025. Archived from the original on October 7, 2025.
5. Maylam, Paul (2005). The Cult of Rhodes: Remembering an Imperialist in Africa. David Philip. p. 128. ISBN 978-0864866844.
6. Massie, Stephen Alexander (2016). "The Imperialism of Cecil John Rodes: Metropolitan Perceptions of a Colonial Reputation" (PDF). Oxford Brookes University. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 4, 2025.
7. "The History of Ancient Civilization". Nature. 40: 7–8. 1889. doi:10.1038/040007a0.
8. "The Annual Meeting of the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection". The British Mercury. July 3, 1899. p. 4.
9. "A Plea For Animals". The Daily News. July 14, 1905. p. 4.
10. "The Crusade Against Vivisection". The Sheffield Daily Telegraph. July 11, 1900. p. 6.
11. Hornsby, Asha (2020). "The Pen and the Scalpel: Literature and Vivisection, 1875-1912" (PDF). University College London.
12. "Slaughterhouse Reform". The Sheffield Daily Telegraph. December 1, 1903. p. 5.
13. "London Model Abattoir Society". The Surrey County Observer. May 12, 1883. p. 7.
14. "Slaughterhouse Reform". The Daily Chronicle. December 19, 1901. p. 7.
15. "British Union of Anti-Vivisectors: Presentation to Dr. Hadwen". The Citizen. August 18, 1906. p. 5.
16. "Notices". The Devon and Exeter Gazette. August 4, 1915. p. 4.