Robert Arthington
| Robert Arthington | |
|---|---|
| Born |
20 May 1823 Leeds, England |
| Died | 7 October 1900 (aged 77) Teignmouth, Devon |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Investment |
| Known for | Christian evangelism |
Robert Arthington (20 May 1823 – 7 October 1900) was a British investor, philanthropist and premillennialist. He was the son of a wealthy brewery owner from whom he inherited his fortune. He was brought up in a prosperous family of Quakers, but converted to Protestantism. Although he was an excellent student at Cambridge University, he did not earn any degree. He devoted his life and wealth to Christian evangelism. He committed himself to a life of tramp and a recluse, minimising his entire expenditure on his own welfare. This was due to his strong premillennialism that when the Gospel of Jesus is spread to the entire world, then the Second Coming of Christ would happen. He was the benefactor to the success of Baptist Missionary Society and London Missionary Society, thereby becoming the principal factor in the spread of Protestantism, modernisation and formal education in the remotest parts of the world.
Robert Arthington was born on 20 May 1823 in Hunslet Lane, Leeds. He was the only son among four children of Robert and Maria Arthington. His father was a successful brewery owner. Both his parents were committed members of the Society of Friends and were the leading figures in Leeds. He studied at Cambridge University with excellent academic record. Following his mother and two of his sisters, he left the Society of Friends and joined the South Parade Baptist Church in 1848. Robert Sr. closed his business in 1846 to live a life of temperance, though he refused to sell it. Both the parents died in 1864 leaving an inheritance of £200,000 to Robert Jr.
Robert Arthington never started his own business in spite of his huge fortune. Instead, he invested his wealth, mostly in British and American railways, which catapulted him to greater wealth. He used his riches to the strengthening of missionary works. He contributed massively to Baptist Missionary Society (BMS) of London, and also to London Missionary Society (LMS). It was only because of his philanthropic deeds that many remote parts of the world received Christianity.
...
Wikipedia