Dictionary of National Biography, 1901 supplement/Beal, Samuel

by Robert Kennaway Douglas

BEAL, SAMUEL (1825–1889), Chinese scholar, born at Devonport on 27 Nov. 1825, was son of William Beal (d. 1872), a Wesleyan minister. He was educated at the Devonport classical school, and matriculated as a sizar at Trinity College, Cambridge, on 13 Nov. 1843. He graduated B.A. in 1847, and was ordained deacon in 1851 and priest in the following year. After serving as curate at Brooke in Norfolk and Sopley in Hampshire, he applied for the office of naval chaplain, and was appointed to H.M.S. Sybille in that capacity (8 Dec. 1852). Fortunately for students the Sybille was sent to the China station, and, taking advantage of the opportunity thus offered him, he devoted his spare time to the study of the Chinese language. So proficient did he become in the colloquial as well as the literary dialect that during the war of 1858-8 he acted as naval interpreter. But his main object in studying the language was to qualify himself for the task of elucidating the dark phases of Chinese Buddhism. In this undertaking he was one of the pioneers, and happily left many of the results of his labours. On his return to England he was appointed chaplain to the marine artillery, and later to the Pembroke and Devonport dockyards in succession. He was at Devonport from 1873. In 1877 he was appointed rector of Falstone in Northumberland. Three years later he was transferred to Wark in the same county, and ultimately (1888) to Greens Norton in Northamptonshire. In all these changes of scene he remained constant to his Chinese studies, and some of his best work was done in the country rectories which he occupied. In 1877 he was appointed professor of Chinese at University College, London, and in 1885 the degree of D.C.L. (Durham) was conferred upon him in recognition of the value of his researches into Chinese Buddhism. He died at Greens Norton on 20 Aug. 1889. Among his principal works were:

1. 'The Travels of Fah-hian and Sung-yun; translated from the Chinese,' 1869.
2. 'A Catena of Buddhist Scriptures from the Chinese,' 1871.
3. 'The Romantic Legend of Sakya Buddha, from the Chinese,' 1875.
4. 'Texts from the Buddhist Canon,' 1878.
5. 'A Life of Buddha by Asvaghosha Bodhisattra; translated from the Chinese,' 1879.
6. 'An Abstract of four Lectures on Buddhist Literature in China,' 1882.

[Boase's Collectanea Cornubiensia; personal knowledge; information kindly given by Dr. Aldis Wright.]

R. K. D.