J. Allanson (James Allanson) Picton

Born in Liverpool on 8 August 1832, James Allanson Picton first worked in his father's architectural practice before turning to the ministry. He studied in Manchester and earned an MA from the University of London, then served as a Congregational minister in Manchester, Leicester, and Hackney.

Picton became known for plain-speaking sermons, popular lectures for working-class audiences, and a willingness to address politics, history, and religion together. He later moved into public life, serving on the London School Board and then as a Liberal Member of Parliament for Leicester in the 1880s and 1890s.

As an author, he wrote widely on religion and public affairs. He is especially associated with Pantheism: Its Story and Significance (1905), a book shaped by his interest in Spinoza and by the Christian pantheist ideas he promoted. He died in Penmaenmawr, Wales, on 4 February 1910.