Alexander Gordon (9 June 1841 – 21 February 1931) was an English Unitarian minister and religious historian. A prolific contributor to the ''

Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') was published on 23 September ...

'', he wrote for it well over 700 articles dealing mainly with nonconformists.

Life

Gordon was born in Coventry, the son of John Gordon, a Unitarian minister. He was an undergraduate at the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh (, ; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a Public university, public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the City of Edinburgh Council, town council under th ...

from 1856 to 1859, then trained at Manchester New College in London, and studied under

Ignaz von Döllinger Johann Joseph Ignaz von Döllinger (; 28 February 179914 January 1890), also Doellinger in English, was a German theologian, Catholic priest and church historian who rejected the dogma of papal infallibility. Among his writings which proved c ...

in Munich. He was a minister at Aberdeen, at Hope Street Unitarian Chapel in Liverpool alongside Charles Wicksteed, and at the

Octagon Chapel, Norwich The Octagon Chapel is a Unitarianism, Unitarian Chapel located in Colegate in Norwich, Norfolk, England. The congregation is a member of the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches. History The chapel is a grade II* listed bu ...

, before settling in Belfast in 1877 at its First Presbyterian Church. He was Principal of the Unitarian Home Missionary College, Manchester, from 1890 to 1911. Gordon also contributed dozens of articles to the

Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition The ''Encyclopædia Britannica'' Eleventh Edition (1910–1911) is a 29-volume reference work, an edition of the ''Encyclopædia Britannica''. It was developed during the encyclopaedia's transition from a British to an American publication. So ...

(1911).

Notes

1841 births 1931 deaths Clergy from Coventry Alumni of the University of Edinburgh 19th-century English historians English Unitarian ministers Historians of Puritanism Irish non-subscribing Presbyterian ministers Alumni of Harris Manchester College, Oxford 20th-century English historians {{England-historian-stub