Rev Sir James Marchant LLD (1867–1956) was a British

eugenicist Eugenics is a set of largely discredited beliefs and practices that aim to improve the genetics, genetic quality of a human population. Historically, eugenicists have attempted to alter the frequency of various human Phenotype, phenotypes by ...

, social reformer and author. He was leader of the

National Vigilance Association The National Vigilance Association (NVA) was a British society established in 1885. Its goal was to combat prostitution, particularly forced prostitution by children. It has been described as the main social purity organization in the United Kingdom ...

, concerned with social morality, and also the Director of the National Council of Public Morals. He epitomised the view of the priggish Victorian attitude to sex and morality.

Life

James Marchant was born in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

on 18 December 1867. Between 1889 and 1893, Marchant was a lecturer on Christian apologetics to the

Bishop of St Albans The Bishop of St Albans is the Ordinary (officer), Ordinary of the Church of England's Diocese of St Albans in the Province of Canterbury. The bishop is supported in his work by two suffragan bishops, the Bishop of Hertford and the Bishop o ...

and to the

Christian Evidence Society The Christian Evidence Society is a British Christian apologetics organisation that was founded in 1870. At its financial peak in 1883, it had slightly over 400 paying members, but that it had declined to below 300 by 1897. After 1900, its focus ...

. In 1895, Marchant became a minister of an independent Congregational church in

Plymouth Plymouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Devon, South West England. It is located on Devon's south coast between the rivers River Plym, Plym and River Tamar, Tamar, about southwest of Exeter and ...

. He went on to lead a Presbyterian church in north London before serving as an assistant minister to a Presbyterian church in

Clapham Clapham () is a district in south London, south west London, England, lying mostly within the London Borough of Lambeth, but with some areas (including Clapham Common) extending into the neighbouring London Borough of Wandsworth. History Ea ...

. In 1903, he became clerical secretary to Dr Barnardo's Homes. In 1913, he was appointed secretary of the National Birth-rate Commission. In 1917, he was elected a Fellow of the

Royal Society of Edinburgh The Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity that operates on a wholly independent and non-partisan basis and provides public benefit throughout Scotland. It was establis ...

. His proposers were Sir Thomas Clouston, Sir

Alexander Russell Simpson Sir Alexander Russell Simpson FRCPE FRSE LLD (20 April 1835 – 6 April 1916) was a Scottish physician and Professor of Midwifery at the University of Edinburgh. He invented the Obstetrical forceps, axis-traction forceps also known as the ob ...

John Arthur Thomson Sir John Arthur Thomson (8 July 1861 – 12 February 1933) was a British naturalist who authored several books and was an expert on soft corals. Life Thomson was born at Pilmuir east of East Saltoun, East Lothian, the second son of Isabella ...

and

John William Ballantyne John William Ballantyne FRSE FRCPE (4 June 1861 – 23 January 1923) was a Scottish physician and obstetrician. In his teaching of female doctors he was a pioneer in the advancement of female professional training in the field of medicine. He ...

. In 1921, Marchant was created a Knight Commander of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

by King

George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until Death and state funeral of George V, his death in 1936. George w ...

for his work on birth-rate and contraception. Marchant died at his home in

Sherborne Sherborne is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in north west Dorset, in South West England. It is sited on the River Yeo (South Somerset), River Yeo, on the edge of the Blackmore Vale, east of Yeovil. The parish include ...

on 20 May 1956.

Family

In 1895, he married Eleanor Jane Gordon.

Publications

*''Theories of the Resurrection of Christ'' (1896) *''Theories of the Person of Christ'' (1903) *''Social Hygienics: A New Crusade'' (1909) *''Aids to Purity'' (1909) *''A Plea for Regeneration'' (1912) *''The Cleansing of a City'' (1917) *''The Master Problem'' (1917) *''The Coming Renaissance'' (1923) *''British Preachers'' (1927) *''The Coming of Age of Christianity'' (1951) *''The Censorship of Low Orade Literature'' *''The Reunion of Christendom'' *''The Life of

Alfred Russel Wallace Alfred Russel Wallace (8 January 1823 – 7 November 1913) was an English naturalist, explorer, geographer, anthropologist, biologist and illustrator. He independently conceived the theory of evolution through natural selection; his 1858 pap ...

References

External links

* 1867 births 1956 deaths English non-fiction writers British eugenicists Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire {{England-reli-bio-stub