I was in the British library today, leafing through a book Memorial of the Rev. Henry Renton (Kelso: J and J. H. Rutherford, 1877), and came across the following account of my distant ancestor Agnes Duncan (I've described her previously here):

'She rejoiced in the repeal of the Test and corporation Acts, heartily concurred in Roman Catholic Emancipation, took a lively interest in the agitation for Political Reform, entered with great zest into the Voluntary controversy, was one of the first Temperance Reformers in Edinburgh and a zealous advocate of Total Abstinence; was an active worker for the abolition of slavery, warmly supported the abolition of the Corn Laws and was an efficient member of the Peace Society.'

Agnes' son Henry Renton carried on both his mother's Liberal politics and her fierce Christianity. He was born 1802, graduated 1823, ordained in the Presbyterian church in 1830 and died in 1877. His Kelso church is described as having been a Liberal bastion. As a young man, Henry studied Logic at Glasgow University under Professor Jardine and Greek under Sir Daniel Sandford. For one lecture, Sandford translated Aristophanes into vernacular English, including the profanities. Henry Renton protested and (his biographer records gleefully) Sandford never attempted such loose behaviour again!

If I compare this side of my family to my grandparents, what really strikes me is that on both sides my distant ancestors were Liberals: up-and-coming members of the Nonconformist bourgeoisie. By 1920 however all my relatives (with the superb exception of Dona Torr) had swung Tory: a sign perhaps of the way in which the rise of Labor polarised and split the previous Liberal coalition, chiefly along class lines.

If anyone has any other comments I'd be very grateful.