John Russell, Viscount Amberley

John Russell, Viscount Amberley (10 December 1842 – 9 January 1876) was a British politician and writer. He was the eldest son of John Russell, who twice served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and he was the father of the philosopher Bertrand Russell. Amberley is known for his unorthodox views on religion and for his active support of birth control and women's suffrage, which contributed to the end of his short career as Liberal Member of Parliament.

Childhood and education

John Russell was born on 10 December 1842 at Chesham Place, London, the first son of Lord John Russell, himself the son of the 6th Duke of Bedford. His mother was Lord Russell's second wife, Lady Frances, daughter of the 2nd Earl of Minto. He later attended the University of Edinburgh and Trinity College, Cambridge.

Views and politics Rejecting the divinity of Christ in the early 1860s,

Personal life

In November 1860, the black-haired and short statured

He met Katharine Stanley in early 1864. Lord and Lady Russell disliked her parents, the politician Lord Stanley of Alderley and the women's education campaigner Lady Stanley of Alderley. The couple was thus prohibited from seeing each other for six months, but married immediately after the separation on 8 November 1864 at Alderley, Cheshire. In sharp contrast to her serious and shy husband, Lady Amberley was remarkably vivacious, and their brief marriage was very happy.

Amberley had two sons and twin daughters, one of whom was stillborn. The eldest child, Frank, was born nine months after their marriage. Rachel Lucretia and her stillborn sister were born prematurely on 2 March 1868, at St. Martin, London, shortly after the couple's return from a tour of North America; the surviving daughter was named after Lucretia Mott, the social reformer whom the couple had met in Boston. In 1870, Lord and Lady Amberley bought Ravenscroft, a country home near Chepstow in Monmouthshire, where he was a magistrate, and spent their time enjoying nature and domestic life.

Through Mill, Lord Amberley met Douglas Spalding, a lawyer by profession and amateur biologist whom he employed as a tutor for his sons. Amberley encouraged him to continue his research on imprinting at his home, although his guests were terrified to see chickens roaming around the drawing-room and library. Concerned for his health, Lord and Lady Amberley decided to spend the winter in Rome and took Spalding and Frank with them. When they returned to England, in May 1874, Frank was diagnosed with diphtheria, but was nursed back to health by Lady Amberley and her sister Maude. Rachel contracted the disease on their return to Ravenscroft, and was soon followed by Lady Amberley. On 27 June, Lord Amberley informed his mother-in-law that his wife's life was in danger. Deeply depressed, he left their surviving children in the care of Spalding and the servants, and decided to finish An Analysis of Religious Belief in honour of his wife. but Lord and Lady Russell successfully contested the stipulation and assumed full guardianship. Both of Amberley's sons eventually succeeded to the earldom.