Russell, son of Marcus Carew Russell, by Fanny Potts, was born at Ballydavid House, Littleton, County Tipperary, Ireland, in 1821, and was educated at Midleton School, County Cork, and at Trinity College, Dublin.
He was ordained by Bishop Charles James Blomfield in 1847, and as a missionary in connection with the Church Missionary Society went to China in that year in company with Robert Henry Cobbold, afterwards archdeacon of Ningbo.
He was appointed the first missionary bishop of North China in November 1872, and on 15 December was consecrated in Westminster Abbey.
in 1852 he married Mary Ann, daughter of Charles William Leisk.
You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.This Chinese religion-related biographical article is a stub.