Sir David Russell

This biography is an account of the life and work of Sir David Russell (1872-1956). It shows this famous Fife-born papermaker to be a cultured humanist and a pioneer of New Age thinking. As a young man, he became a partner in his father's firm of Tullis Russell, but always his love of books and great ideas made him seek broader connections. A trip to Sweden for treatment at the Kellgren Institute was instrumental in triggering a lifelong commitment to alternative medicine, and in 1912 Sir David became president of Leven Lodge of the Theosophical Society. Shortly after, he met Wellesley Tudor Pole. The complementary qualities in the friendship between Sir David and Tudor Pole led these men to embark on a great "quest" of archaeological discovery in the Eastern Mediterranean. Tudor Pole was a psychic and visionary of international repute - he told Sir David that he knew of the existence of important relics in Turkey and Greece. Sir David gave encouragement and financial backing to this esoteric project. Between them, they found the site of the House of Justinian, and several great and beautiful art treasures were returned to the world. Spirituality was a living concept to Sir David Russell, and this biography tells of how he was in fact the instigator of the Iona Retreat, playing a major role in the restoration of the monastic ruins on the island. But his sensitivity to others was not confined to his private relationships: he was also a philanthropic businessman who took seriously the wider needs of his employees. He encouraged them to develop their personal interests, to further their education and look after their health. When he died in 1956, the Tullis Russell mills in Markinch employed 1000 people in a community-based plant which resembled more a village than a factory. The Russell Trust, established during his lifetime, has continued to finance excavations and scholarships throughout Scotland and the world.