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[transcription of Obituary Notice in the Year Book of the Congregational Union of England & Wales for 1846, page 177, from a copy in Dr Williams's Library, London]
December 10th. 1846. died, at his residence, Penton-row, Walworth, in the sixty-fifth year of his age, the Rev. THOMAS RUSSELL, M.A.
The Rev. Thomas Clout was born at Marden, Kent, and received his education for the ministry at Hoxton Academy, which he left, in 1803, for Tunbridge, in his native county. In 1806, he received a call from the Congregational in Pell-street, Ratcliffe-highway. They had assembled in Nightingale-lane, East Smithfield, for more than a century; but their ancient meeting-house having been pulled down, with many neighbouring dwellings, to give a site for the London Docks, they erected, in 1805, a small chapel, capable of seating about three hundred and fifty persons, in Pell-street, and Mr Clout was ordained their pastor, September 5th, 1806. As the ministerial success of Mr Clout was not considerable, he early devoted himself to the laborious and useful duties of an editor, and it is on this fact that his reputation with posterity will mainly rest. In 1823, he commenced the arduous task of editing the works of Dr John Owen, which he for the first time collected and published, in twenty-one volumes octavo, and which were completed in about three years. In 1823, he obtained the king's royal license and authority to change his patronymic for that of Russell.
He was also engaged as an editor of a portion of the works of Richard Baxter; and on him devolved the melancholy duty of revising the last two sheets of the Memoir of the Life and Times of Richard Baxter, that were left uncorrected by their lamented author, the Rev. Wm. Orme.
In 1831, it was proposed to republish the writings of the most eminent English and Scottish Reformers, under the editorship of Mr Russell. Three octavo volumes, containing the writings of WIlliam Tyndale and John Frith, appeared; but the undertaking was abandoned on grounds which are distinctly specified in the advertisement to the first volume.
Mr Russell published a selection of hymns, supplementary to Dr Watts's, which passed through many editions, and would have obtained extensive use in our denomination, but for the frequent and great alterations which he thought is necessary to make in successive impressions.
On the failure of the church at Pell-street, Mr Russell became minister of the dissenting congregation assembling at Baker-street, Enfield, and which office he retained until his death.
Mr Russell enjoyed the confidence and respect of many. He was appointed to the responsible duties of a trustee to the charitable property of William Coward, Esq., which gave him an important share in the government of Coward College, and also to that of Dr Daniel Williams, and the library at Red Cross-street. He was also secretary to the Society for the Relief of Aged Ministers, &c. His last days were embittered by private losses; but he professed a calm submission to the will of God, and died in the hope of his mercy.
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(The Rejoice & Sing Enchiridion:edited by David Goodall; last amended 14/1/04)