Martin Lawson
It seems shocking to record, but as soon as James Taylor Jnr took over the leadership of the Exclusive Brethren in 1960, the death rate started to rise.
One of the first casualties of this era was Martin Lawson, “a handsome, sensitive young man” who was a racing driver and a free-spirited young man. He objected to what he saw as rigidity and rules and as he was not a member of the Exclusive Brethren, he saw no need to comply with them.
In the manner that cults like to exert control and apply pressure, the targets became his parents. We leave the story of the result of this pressure to the media of the time and author Norman Adams. As the story of Martin Lawson demonstrates, Exclusive Brethren cruelty is not a recent phenomenon.
