Abstract

This study explores the life and works of Lewis Way, (1772-1840), erstwhile owner of Stansted House, Rowland’s Castle, West Sussex. Way was born in 1772, educated at Eton College and then Merton College, Oxford. His career started as a barrister in London with Chambers in Paper Buildings and he practised on the Western Circuit. In 1804 he was the beneficiary of a will, providing him with a monetary fortune and he was then able to realise his various ambitions; becoming a country gentleman and furthering his mission to convert the Jews to Christianity. In 1816 he was ordained deacon and priested a year later in the Church of England. His personal letters and the diary of his travelling companion are analysed. An important event in Way’s European tour was his audiences with the Czar of Russia and his attendance at the Congress of Aix-la-Chapelle in 1818. His last successful project was establishing an Anglican Church in Paris for the English community for which he is still remembered today. This study includes an analysis of Way’s writing endeavouring to uncover his motivations for his continuing mission to convert the Jews to Christianity. Way’s strong evangelicalism and millennialism is discussed in Chapter 6; it is posited that Way’s main motivation was to convert the Jews in order to allow Christ’s second coming.

Additional Notes

Supervisor: David Carpenter

Course: Master of Philosophy - MPhil

Date Deposited: 2017-05-09

URI/permalink: https://library.port.ac.uk/dissert/dis12872.html