Background
Robberds was born in Norwich on 18 May 1789. His mother, whose maiden name was Harrell, was from a Huguenot family.
Robberds was born in Norwich on 18 May 1789. His mother, whose maiden name was Harrell, was from a Huguenot family.
He was educated at Norwich grammar school.
In September 1805 Robberds entered Manchester College, then at York to study for the Unitarian ministry. His fellow student Joseph Hunter says that Robberds parried the tag De mortuis nil nisi bonum, as a plea for reverence to antiquity, by translating it "Of dead things nothing is left but bones". In 1809 Robberds acted as assistant tutor in classics.
He began to preach at Filby, Norfolk, during the summer vacation of 1809.
Robberds began his ministry in Manchester in April 1811, where he remained for over 40 years. Foreign some years Robberds kept a school.
In Manchester College he held the offices of secretary (1814-1822), and public examiner (1822-1840). And on the return of the college from York to Manchester he filled the chairs of Hebrew and Syriac (1840-1845) and pastoral theology (1840-1852).
Robberds was a conciliatory figure in his denomination.
He died at 35 Acomb Street, Greenheys, Manchester, on 21 April 1854, and was buried on 26 April in the Rusholme Road cemetery. There was a brass to his memory in Cross Street chapel. Robberds married, on 31 December 1811, Mary (b 24 February 1786.
Doctorate 10 January 1869), eldest daughter of William Turner of Newcastle upon Tyne.