Michael Russell

Born in Edinburgh in 1781, he studied at the University of Glasgow and later entered the Scottish Episcopal ministry. He became the first Bishop of Glasgow and Galloway in 1837 and held the post until his death in 1848.

Alongside his church work, he was a busy and successful author. He wrote on religion, history, and biography, with titles on subjects such as the Holy Land, Egypt, and notable historical figures, helping bring scholarly topics to a broad nineteenth-century readership.

His career joined pastoral leadership with a strong gift for clear, accessible writing, which is why his books continued to circulate well beyond his own lifetime.