William Stewart Ross (20 March 1844 – 30 November 1906) was a Scottish writer and publisher. He was a noted secularist thinker, and used the

pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name ( orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individu ...

"Saladin". Between 1888 and 1906 he was the editor of the ''Agnostic Journal'', successor to the ''

Secular Review ''Secular Review'' (1876–1907) was a freethought/secularist weekly publication in nineteenth and early twentieth-century Britain that appeared under a variety of names. It represented a "relatively moderate style of Secularism," more open to old ...

''.

William Stewart Ross ( nom de plume as SALADIN )

Life and career

He was born in Kirkbean,

Kirkcudbrightshire Kirkcudbrightshire ( ), or the County of Kirkcudbright or the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright is one of the historic counties of Scotland, covering an area in the south-west of the country. Until 1975, Kirkcudbrightshire was an administrative count ...

, into a

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their n ...

family. At the age of 20, he began studying at

Glasgow University , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

, with the intention of entering the Church. However, he became more interested in literature, particularly the works of

Robert Burns Robert Burns (25 January 175921 July 1796), also known familiarly as Rabbie Burns, was a Scottish poet and lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide. He is the best known of the poets who hav ...

and

Thomas Carlyle Thomas Carlyle (4 December 17955 February 1881) was a Scottish essayist, historian and philosopher. A leading writer of the Victorian era, he exerted a profound influence on 19th-century art, literature and philosophy. Born in Ecclefechan, ...

, and moved to London where he managed the Thomas Laurie bookshop. In London in 1872, Ross established his own publishing company, W. Stewart & Co., and for some years primarily issued educational works and magazines.

Joseph McCabe Joseph Martin McCabe (12 November 1867 – 10 January 1955) was an English writer and speaker on freethought, after having been a Roman Catholic priest earlier in his life. He was "one of the great mouthpieces of freethought in England". Becomin ...

, ''A Biographical Dictionary of Modern Rationalists'' (London: Watts & Co., 1920), p. 684. But Ross also became a leading advocate of

freethought Freethought (sometimes spelled free thought) is an epistemological viewpoint which holds that beliefs should not be formed on the basis of authority, tradition, revelation, or dogma, and that beliefs should instead be reached by other methods ...

agnosticism Agnosticism is the view or belief that the existence of God, of the divine or the supernatural is unknown or unknowable. (page 56 in 1967 edition) Another definition provided is the view that "human reason is incapable of providing sufficien ...

rationalism In philosophy, rationalism is the epistemological view that "regards reason as the chief source and test of knowledge" or "any view appealing to reason as a source of knowledge or justification".Lacey, A.R. (1996), ''A Dictionary of Philosophy' ...

and

secularism Secularism is the principle of seeking to conduct human affairs based on secular, naturalistic considerations. Secularism is most commonly defined as the separation of religion from civil affairs and the state, and may be broadened to a si ...

, and served as president of the Lambeth Radical Association. In 1880 he chaired a lecture by

Charles Bradlaugh Charles Bradlaugh (; 26 September 1833 – 30 January 1891) was an English political activist and atheist. He founded the National Secular Society in 1866, 15 years after George Holyoake had coined the term "secularism" in 1851. In 1880, Bradl ...

, with whom he disagreed over the issue of

birth control Birth control, also known as contraception, anticonception, and fertility control, is the use of methods or devices to prevent unwanted pregnancy. Birth control has been used since ancient times, but effective and safe methods of birth contr ...

, and soon became associated with the branch of secular thought led by Charles Watts and his son

C. A. Watts Charles Albert Watts (27 May 1858 – 15 May 1946) was an English secularist editor and publisher. He founded the journal ''Watts's Literary Guide'', which later became the ''New Humanist'' magazine, and the Rationalist Press Association. ...

. In 1882 he served as co-editor with the elder Watts on the ''

'', and two years later Ross became its sole editor and proprietor, penning many essays on secularism using the pseudonym "Saladin". In December 1888, Ross changed the name of ''Secular Review'' to the ''Agnostic Journal and Secular Review'', and shortly thereafter changed the name one final time to the ''Agnostic Journal and Eclectic Review''. The last issue was published in June 1907, a few months after Ross's death.Laurel Brake and Marysa Demoor, eds., ''Dictionary of Nineteenth-Century Journalism in Great Britain and Ireland'' (Academia Press, 2009), p. 566. Ross wrote a number of books, including ''The Flagellants'' (1884), ''God and his Book'' (1887), ''Roses and Rue'' (1891), and ''Woman: Her Glory and Her Shame'' (in two volumes, 1894). He also penned several volumes of poetry, winning a gold medal for the best poem memorializing Robert Burns at the unveiling of a statue in 1879, and another for a poem describing a visit to the graveside of the revered Scottish poet. Freedom From Religion Foundation: William Stewart Ross
Accessed 31 October 2012
Accessed 31 October 2012 One of his poems, ''Caractacus the Briton'', published in 1881, is noted for its refrain, "

Caractacus Caratacus ( Brythonic ''*Caratācos'', Middle Welsh ''Caratawc''; Welsh ''Caradog''; Breton ''Karadeg''; Greek ''Καράτακος''; variants Latin ''Caractacus'', Greek ''Καρτάκης'') was a 1st-century AD British chieftain of the ...

the Briton, the bravest of the brave!". In later years he was confined to bed with sclerosis, but continued to write and edit. He died in London at the age of 62 and was buried in

Brookwood Cemetery Brookwood Cemetery, also known as the London Necropolis, is a burial ground in Brookwood, Surrey, England. It is the largest cemetery in the United Kingdom and one of the largest in Europe. The cemetery is listed a Grade I site in the Regi ...

Surrey Surrey () is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant ur ...

, England.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ross, William Stewart 1844 births 1906 deaths Scottish humanists Freethought writers Burials at Brookwood Cemetery