Russell, Lord John (1792-1878), served as prime minister of the United Kingdom from June 1846 to February 1852 and from October 1865 to June 1866. But he is most famous for his earlier leadership of the British reform movement.
John Russell was born in London on Aug. 18, 1792. He was the last of three sons born to John Russell, Sixth Duke of Bedford, and Georgiana Elizabeth Byng. Young John was educated at Westminster School and the University of Edinburgh. His family had been active in the Whig Party and was known for its support of civil rights. Russell entered Parliament in 1813 as representative for Tavistock in the House of Commons. In 1828, he made a motion that led to the repeal of the Test Acts and the Corporation Act. These acts had restricted political activities and enforced religious conformity with the Church of England. Russell also helped write and pass the Reform Act of 1832, which gave more middle-class men the right to vote. He became Earl Russell in 1861 and took his seat in the House of Lords.
Russell married Adelaide Lister in 1835, and the couple had two children. Adelaide died in 1838, and Russell later married Lady Frances Anna Maria Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound. They had four children. Russell died on May 28, 1878, at Richmond Park, Surrey. His grandson, Bertrand Russell, became a famous philosopher and mathematician.
