Henry Septimus Sutton

Henry Septimus Sutton (1825–1901) was an English journalist and temperance activist, known as a religious poet.

Born at Nottingham on 10 February 1825, he was seventh child in a family of seven sons and three daughters of Richard Sutton (1789-1856) of Nottingham, bookseller, printer and proprietor of the Nottingham Review, by his wife Sarah, daughter of Thomas Salt, farmer, of Stanton by Dale, Derbyshire. His sister, as Eliza S. Oldham, was known as an author.

Sutton was educated at a private school in Nottingham and at Leicester grammar school. A vegetarian and total abstainer, he developed a strong vein of mysticism with an active interest in social and religious problems. He became an expert shorthand writer. For a short period he took a position as a journalist in Colchester. In 1849, on Ralph Waldo Emerson's recommendation, Alexander Ireland found Sutton employment as a journalist in Manchester, and in 1853 he became chief of the Manchester Examiner and Times reporting staff.

Sutton joined the United Kingdom Alliance on its foundation at Manchester in 1853, and was editor of its weekly journal, the Alliance News, from its start in 1854 until 1898, contributing leading articles till his death. He was also editor from 1859 to 1869 of Meliora, a quarterly journal devoted to social and temperance reform. In 1857 he joined the Peter Street Society of Swedenborgians. He took part in Swedenborgian church and Sunday school work, and was popular as a lay preacher.

Sutton died at 18 Yarburgh Street, Moss Side, Manchester, on 2 May 1901, and was buried at Worsley.

Among Sutton's early literary friends were his fellow townsman, Philip James Bailey, and Coventry Patmore. He became close to Patmore from about 1844, and they kept up a long corresponce on literary and religious subjects. In Manchester he met George MacDonald, and they too became lifelong friends. When Ralph Waldo Emerson visited Manchester in 1847 he invited Sutton from Nottingham to meet him, and a permanent friendship was begun. Emerson visited Sutton at Nottingham next year; they met again in Manchester in 1872. Another correspondent was William Allingham.

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