of Letters to the inhabitants of Northumberland, he wrote: 'I have a greater zeal than ever, for such controversies as our good friends the late Dr. Price and Dr. Priestley have set the world an example of. By such means the world has been enlightened and I know it is more likely to promote knowledge and enlarge the mind.' Russell was not a political radical, however. Although he had subscribed to the formation of the Society for Constitutional Information, he did not remain a member. Emigration to America The family set sail from Falmouth in an American ship Mary on 14 August 1794, four months after Priestley. However, four days after weighing anchor, their ship was intercepted by the French frigate Proserpine, to which the Russells with other British citizens were forced to transfer. The Mary'''s captain Prebble, stayed with them to give what support he could. After being transferred to three different accommodation ships, they finally went ashore at Brest on 26 December, and a few days later travelled to Paris, where they stayed six months. The Russells eventually set sail for America aboard the Nancy on 3 July 1795, landing at New York on 19 August. The Russells settled at Philadelphia, renting a house at 319 High Street. It was here that Priestley stayed the following spring, whilst giving a series of lectures on the evidences of Christianity, at the Universalist chapel in Lombard Street. During this time an interested group of English expatriates met with Priestley, seeking his advice in planning the formation of a Unitarian society. They first acquired the use of a room at the University of Pennsylvania, and on 21 August 1796 formally organised themselves as The Society of Unitarian Christians in Philadelphia, the first Unitarian congregation in the New World. Russell was one of the twenty-one founder members, and for a while acted as their treasurer. Return to France A political breach between America and France in 1797 made life difficult for French émigrés in America, and for men such as Russell and Priestley who were thought to support the French. Russell decided to leave America in 1801, intending to spend a month in France before returning to England. He and Priestley had planned to establish a Unitarian church in Paris and promote the cause of Unitarianism throughout France. But, though Russell hoped to the last that his friend would join him, Priestley