of Dr. Williams's charities, and was active in opposing the alteration of the Toleration Act. In 1812 he was a member of the committee of the Protestant Society for the Protection of Religious Liberty, being one of a deputation, in that capacity, which had an interview with Perceval 11 May, only two hours before he was shot. In 1813 Aspland set up the Hackney Academy at Durham House for training unitarian ministers; he was helping also, by letters of expostulation, by sermons delivered and printed, in the agitation for an act to relieve from certain penalties persons who impugn the doctrine of the Holy Trinity. The act received the royal assent 21 July. In 1814 Aspland brought out ‘British Pulpit Eloquence,’ and some sermons of his own. In 1815 he established the ‘Christian Reformer, or New Evangelical Miscellany,’ a work the editorship of which he never relinquished. In the July of 1817 he formed the Non-con Club at his own house, Talfourd, Southwood Smith, W. J. Fox, and Walter Wilson being among the members; and on 18 December of the same year he was at Hone's side in the court of King's Bench, Guildhall, finding authorities and furnishing hints for his six hours' speech of defence, and he had previously been to Hone in prison, providing him with books from Dr. Williams's library, so that the defence might be prepared.
In 1818 Aspland was compelled by ill-health to relinquish his unitarian academy and the secretaryship of the Unitarian Fund. On his recovery in 1819, he brought about the formation of the Association for protecting the Civil Rights of Unitarians; and that being the year of the conviction of R. Carlile for publishing Paine's ‘Age of Reason,’ Aspland was engaged in some controversy on the subject in the columns of the ‘Times.’ In 1821 he became trustee of the Presbyterian Fund, drawing up likewise the ‘Christians' petition to parliament against the prosecution of unbelievers,’ and being active in sending it all over the country for signature, till it was presented to parliament, 1 July 1823, by Joseph Hume. In 1825 Aspland worked at the fusion of the three societies, the Unitarian Association, the Unitarian Fund, and the Unitarian Book Society, into one body, the British and Foreign Unitarian Association. In 1826 he broke off his connection with the ‘Monthly Repository’ after an unremunerative editorship of twenty-one years; and in 1827 he edited the ‘Test Act Reporter’ till, on the bill for the repeal of the Corporation and Test Acts passing, 9 May 1828, the publication was no longer needed. Aspland also presented and read an address to the throne on 28 July 1830, and another on the accession of Victoria in 1837.
He was also secretary to the British and Foreign Unitarian Association from 1835 to 1841, and retained the acting editorship of the ‘Christian Reformer’ till 1844. His health beginning to fail in 1843, he was provided with an associate in his pastorate. On 4 Feb. 1844 he preached for the last time, and after being confined to his house for many months, he died 30 Dec. 1845, aged 63. Aspland published many Sermons, a Catechism, Prayers, Tracts for the People, and other works, a complete list of which is given in his ‘Memoirs’ (pp. 607–611).
[Memoirs of the Life, Works, and Correspondence of the Rev. Robert Aspland of Hackney, by R. Brook Aspland, M.A.; Christian Reformer, 1846, ii. 103–108.]
ASPLAND, ROBERT BROOK (1805–1869), unitarian divine, son of Robert Aspland [see Aspland, Robert], was born at Newport, Isle of Wight, 19 Jan. 1805. He was placed first with Mr. Potticary of Blackheath (where Disraeli was his schoolfellow), next with Mr. Evans of Tavistock, then at Glasgow University, where he graduated as M.A. in 1822, and lastly at Manchester College, York, finishing his studies in 1826. Crook's Lane, Chester, was his first chapel, whither he went in August 1826. He left in 1833 to be co-pastor with Dr. Lant Carpenter at Lewin's Mead chapel, Bristol, where, on 21 October of that year, he married Jane Hibbert, and established a boarding-school. In 1836 he moved to Dukinfield; in 1858 to Hackney. He took up the editorship of the 'Christian Reformer' on his father's death, 1845 (keeping it till the publication ceased in 1863). In 1846 he was made one of the secretaries of Manchester College (holding the post till 1857). In 1850 he collected from the 'Christian Reformer' memoirs of his father's life. Some smaller publications also came from his pen. 'A Brief Memoir of the Rev. Paul Cardale,' extracted from the 'Christian Reformer,' 1852; some Sermons, and 'Paul Best, the Unitarian Confessor,' 1853; and 'Mr. Richard Frankland and Dr. Henry Sampson,' reprinted in pamphlet form, 1862. Brook Aspland became secretary to the British and Foreign Unitarian Association in 1859; he was helped by a colleague in 1867, and having fallen into a precarious state of health, he died suddenly 21 June 1869, aged 65.
[In Memoriam, Notices of the Life of the late Rev. R. B. Aspland, M.A. (Dr. Williams's Library); the Inquirer, 3 July 1869.]
