John Rylands indifferent to public interests. He was politically liberal in his enterprises. When the Manchester Ship Canal was mooted, and there seemed a doubt as to the ways and means for the enterprise, he took up £50,000 worth of shares, increasing his contribution when the project appeared again in danger. Rylands was a Congregationalist, with leanings to the Baptist form of faith. He was of an ecumenical spirit and hoped that sectarian differences would tend to decrease: a number of Union Chapels (including one in Stretford and two in Manchester) were supported by him. His charities were numerous but unobtrusive. Among
Rylands v Fletcher been concerned that the reasonable use test, which appears in nuisance, is not applicable to cases brought under "Rylands". The first requirement under "Rylands" is that the defendant "for his own purposes brings onto land and collects and keeps there". In "Rylands", this was the keeping of water in a reservoir; other cases in England and Wales have illustrated what sort of material is considered. In "British Celanese v AH Hunt", the accumulation was of metal foil strips. "For his own purpose" is not understood to be "for his benefit", although that was what Blackburn was referring to at the