Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Russell, John Fuller
RUSSELL, JOHN FULLER (1814–1884), theological writer, born in 1814, was son of Thomas Russell (1781?–1846) [q. v.], and brother of Arthur Tozer Russell [q. v.] He was admitted a pensioner of Peterhouse, Cambridge, on 4 June 1832. In 1836, while an undergraduate there, he entered into a correspondence with Pusey, and was one of the first sympathisers with the ‘Oxford movement’ at Cambridge. He became a regular correspondent of Pusey, and in 1837 visited him at Christ Church. He was ordained deacon in 1838, and appointed to the curacy of St. Peter's, Walworth, Surrey. In 1839 he graduated LL.B., and in the same year he was admitted into priest's orders. He held the perpetual curacy of St. James, Enfield, from 1841 to 1854, and in 1856 he was presented to the rectory of Greenhithe, Kent. He died on 6 April 1884 at his house in Ormonde Terrace, Regent's Park, London.
He was a member of the council of the Society of Antiquaries, of the central committee of the Royal Archæological Institute, and of the committee of the Ecclesiological Society.
Among his works, which relate chiefly to the doctrine and discipline of the church of England, are: 1. ‘Letter to the Right Hon. H. Goulburn on the Morals and Religion of the University of Cambridge,’ Cambridge, 1833, 8vo. 2. ‘The Exclusive Power of an episcopally ordained Clergy to administer the Sacraments,’ 1834. 3. ‘The Judgment of the Anglican Church (posterior to the Reformation) on the Sufficiency of Holy Scripture, and the Authority of the Holy Catholic Church in Matters of Faith,’ London, 1838, 8vo. 4. ‘Strict Observance of the Rubric recommended,’ 1839. 5. ‘Anglican Ordinations valid; a Refutation of certain Statements in … “The Validity of Anglican Ordinations examined,” by Peter Richard Kenrick, V.G.,’ London, 1846, 8vo. 6. ‘The Life of Dr. Samuel Johnson,’ London, 1847, 12mo. 7. ‘The Ancient Knight, or Chapters on Chivalry,’ London, 1849, 12mo. 8. ‘Oral and Written Evidence in regard to the post-Reformation symbolical Use of Lights in the Church of England,’ in the second report of the Ritual Commission, London, 1867, fol. He was co-editor with Dean Hook of the ‘Voice of the Church’ (2 vols. 1840), and with Dr. Irons of ‘Tracts of the Anglican Fathers’ (1841). He was also editor of ‘Hierurgia Anglicana, or Documents and Extracts illustrative of the Church of England after the Reformation’ (1848).
[Crockford's Clerical Directory, 1876 and 1884; Liddon's Life of Pusey, i. 400–8, ii. 141–5; Stephens's Life and Letters of W. F. Hook, ii. 20–23; Graduati Cantabr. 1873; Notes and Queries, 6th ser. ix. 300; Proc. Soc. Antiquaries, 2nd ser. x. 280, 281; Simms's Bibl. Staffordiensis, p. 384; Times, 10 April 1884.]