Christopher Rawdon: the lost philanthropist

by David Harrison

Christopher Rawdon, unlike many of his contempories has been somewhat neglected by historians. Christopher, who came from an established Yorkshire industrial family, was an early nineteenth century Liverpool based merchant and banker who aided local education, supported the Anti-Corn Law League, and left a trust which enabled the building of a library, recreational area and a fund for his fellow Unitarians. His career, both in business and as a philanthropist, adds to the picture of the social development of Liverpool during a period of rapid industrial growth, and this new book by historian Dr David Harrison provides an insight into one of the lost names of nineteenth century philanthropy.

92 pages, Paperback

Published September 9, 2016

Reviews

[Nena Lamas · Rating 5 out of 5]

With ties to Theosophy and other interesting facts, the life of this lost philanthropist is worth digging into.

[Magic Reviewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This short biography on nineteenth century industrialist and philanthropist Christopher Rawdon is break from Harrison's Masonic works. There is indeed little Masonry in the book, apart from a discussion of a member of the Rawdon family tree who was a Provincial Grand Master in the nineteenth century. The book also relates in a way to Harrison's books on the The York Grand Lodge and The Liverpool Masonic Rebellion and the Wigan Grand Lodge, as Rawdon moved from Yorkshire to Liverpool, and the story reveals the relationship between the two industrial areas during the industrial period and the socio-economic landscape that is a constant backdrop to the Liverpool Masonic Rebellion and York Grand Lodge books.

The book examines the family history of the Rawdons, and the Unitarianism of Christopher and his brother James, which seems to have inspired their philanthropic interests, such as supporting local education and leaving a fund that helped to found the Rawdon Library in Anfield, Liverpool. The book explores why Rawdon was forgotten, and the book acts as a re-evaluation of Rawdon's life, discussing his career and legacy. The book is a must for anyone interested in social history during the nineteenth century.

[Paul Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was a Rawdon Library near where I lived in Liverpool. I bought this book to find out the person who paid for the library. Mainly interesting for people from Liverpool.