thumb|Henry Liddell, in an 1858 portrait by [[George Richmond (painter)|George Richmond ]]

Henry George Liddell (; 6 February 1811– 18 January 1898) was dean (1855–1891) of Christ Church, Oxford, Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University (1870–1874), headmaster (1846–1855) of Westminster School (where a house is now named after him), author of A History of Rome (1855), and co-author (with Robert Scott) of the monumental work A Greek–English Lexicon, known as "Liddell and Scott", which is still widely used by students of Greek. Lewis Carroll wrote Alice's Adventures in Wonderland for Henry Liddell's daughter Alice.

Life

Liddell received his education at Charterhouse and Christ Church, Oxford. He gained a double first degree in 1833, then became a college tutor, and was ordained in 1838.

thumb|180px|left|Henry Liddell, in an 1891 portrait by [[Hubert von Herkomer|Sir Hubert von Herkomer]]

Liddell was Headmaster of Westminster School from 1846 to 1855. Meanwhile, his life work, the great lexicon (based on the German work of Franz Passow), which he and Robert Scott began as early as 1834, had made good progress, and the first edition of Liddell and Scott's Lexicon appeared in 1843. It immediately became the standard Greek–English dictionary, with the 8th edition published in 1897.

The Victorian journalist, George W. E. Russell (1853–1919), conveys something of Liddell's image:

Works

Henry George Liddell was the author of

  • , and numerous editions of the same, including abridgments for student use, written with Robert Scott.
  • , excerpted from the Roman history.
  • , excerpted from the Roman history and revised.

Family

His father was Henry Liddell, Rector of Easington (1787–1872), the younger son of Sir Henry Liddell, 5th Baronet (1749–1791) and the former Elizabeth Steele. His father's elder brother, Sir Thomas Liddell, 6th Baronet (1775–1855), was raised to the Peerage as Baron Ravensworth in 1821.

His mother was the former Charlotte Lyon (1785–1871), a daughter of Thomas Lyon (1741–1796) (who was the youngest son of the 8th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne) and the former Mary Wren (died 1811).

thumb|180px|Three of Liddell's children (l to r) Lorina, Edith and Alice, photographed by [[Julia Margaret Cameron in 1872. The central figure is Charles Hay Cameron as King Lear.]]

On 2 July 1846, Henry married Lorina Reeve (3 March 1826 – 25 June 1910). They were parents of ten children:

  • Edward Henry Liddell – also known as Harry (6 September 1847 – 14 June 1911).
  • Lorina Charlotte 'Ina' Liddell (11 May 1849 – 29 October 1930); married William Baillie Skene in 1874.
  • James Arthur Charles Liddell (28 December 1850 – 27 November 1853).
  • Alice Pleasance Liddell (4 May 1852 – 16 November 1934), who was the inspiration for the children's book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. She married Reginald Gervis Hargreaves, a former student from Christ Church and an English cricketer, had three sons with two being killed in World War I.
  • Edith Mary Liddell (Spring, 1854 – 26 June 1876).
  • Rhoda Caroline Anne Liddell (1859 – 19 May 1949); she was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1920 for her orthopaedic work at Netley Red Cross Hospital.
  • Albert Edward Arthur Liddell (1863 – 28 May 1863); he died in infancy.
  • Violet Constance Liddell (10 March 1864 – 9 December 1927); like her sister appointed MBE in 1920 for orthopaedic work at Netley.

Notes

References

  • Two portraits, National Portrait Gallery