Alan R. Ruston

An interesting book that reprints a number of pieces that Ruston published over a period of some fifty years. There’s a good introductory section that sketches in the political-religious landscape post Act of Uniformity. Each piece focuses on a particular Unitarian and they’re arranged pretty much chronologically so the book builds up to being something approaching a social history told from the point of view of this strange religion.

What I particularly enjoyed was the intersection show more between the obscure and the famous. Take Reverend Price, a figure so obscure his own mother twice took home the wrong child from school. Turns out he’s the guy who did the mathematics insurance companies use when working out life expectancy. Or Solly. I’d never heard of him but had seen his work. He’s the guy who set up the Working Men’s clubs you see all over the north of England. Apparently he was into the Temperance movement. So that worked out well then. show less

Presbyterian Church; Unitarians; Genealogical Research