![Henry Morley](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/85/Henry_Morley.jpg)
Henry Morley (15 September 1822 – 14 May 1894) was an English academic who was one of the earliest
professors of English literature in Great Britain. Morley wrote a popular book containing biographies of famous English writers.
Life
The son of
apothecary
''Apothecary'' () is a mostly archaic term for a medical professional who formulates and dispenses '' materia medica'' (medicine) to physicians, surgeons, and patients. The modern chemist (British English) or pharmacist (British and North Ameri ...
Henry Morley, the younger Morley was born in
Hatton Garden
Hatton Garden is a street and commercial zone in the Holborn district of the London Borough of Camden, abutting the narrow precinct of Saffron Hill which then abuts the City of London. It takes its name from Sir Christopher Hatton, a favourit ...
, London. He was educated at a
Moravian Church
The Moravian Church ( cs, Moravská církev), or the Moravian Brethren, formally the (Latin: "Unity of the Brethren"), is one of the oldest Protestantism, Protestant Christian denomination, denominations in Christianity, dating back to the Bohem ...
school in
Neuwied, Germany
Neuwied () is a town in the north of the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, capital of the Neuwied (district), District of Neuwied. Neuwied lies on the east bank of the Rhine, 12 km northwest of Koblenz, on the railway from Frankfurt am ...
at the age of ten, from 1833 to 1835, then he attended a preparatory school in Stockwell and entered
King's College London
King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public research university located in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of King George IV and the Duke of Wellington. In 1836, King's ...
in 1838 for medical studies.
[Fred Hunter]
Morley, Henry (1822–1894)
''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') was published on 23 September ...
'', 08 October 2009, retrieved 12 June 2022. Morley graduated in 1843 and became part of the
Worshipful Society of Apothecaries
The Worshipful Society of Apothecaries of London is one of the livery companies of the City of London. It is one of the largest livery companies (with over 1,600 members in 2012) and ranks 58th in their order of precedence.
The society is a m ...
, a professional organization, that same year.
Morley worked as a physician in partnership with another doctor in
Madeley, Shropshire
Madeley is a constituent town and civil parish in Telford and Wrekin in Shropshire, England. The parish had a population of 17,935 at the 2001 census.
Madeley is recorded in the Domesday Book, having been founded before the 8th century. Histo ...
, but it turned into a financial failure because of the dishonesty of his partner who was unlicensed.
In 1848, he established a school in
Manchester
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
and started writing in his spare time. Morley wrote some satirical articles that were published and gained the attention of
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian e ...
.
At Dickens' invitation, Morley moved to London in 1850 to become an editor of and a contributor to Dickens' publication, ''
Household Words
''Household Words'' was an English weekly magazine edited by Charles Dickens in the 1850s. It took its name from the line in Shakespeare's ''Henry V'': "Familiar in his mouth as household words."
History
During the planning stages, titles origi ...
''. When that publication dissolved, Morley worked for its successor, ''
All the Year Round''. From 1859 to 1864, Morley also edited and wrote for ''
The Examiner''.
From 1865 to 1889, Morley served as Professor of English Literature at
University College London
, mottoeng = Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward
, established =
, type = Public research university
, endowment = £143 million (2020)
, budget = ...
, his students including the Indian writer
Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore (; bn, রবীন্দ্রনাথ ঠাকুর; 7 May 1861 – 7 August 1941) was a Bengali polymath who worked as a poet, writer, playwright, composer, philosopher, social reformer and painter. He resh ...
. Noted for his knowledge of English literature, Morley was considered to be an engaging and warm teacher. He also delivered popular lectures on literature in different parts of Great Britain. He was awarded an honorary LLD degree by the University of Edinburgh in 1879.
Henry Morley was a strong supporter of degrees for women.
He supported in particular
Annie Leigh Browne
Annie Leigh Browne (14 March 1851 – 8 March 1936) was a United Kingdom educationist and suffragist. She co-founded College Hall, London, and funded and worked to get women elected to local government.
Life
Browne was born in Bridgwater in 185 ...
when she opened in 1882 a residence for women students at Byng Place, renamed
College Hall in 1886.
From 1882 to 1889, Morley was principal of
University Hall, a research library in
Bloomsbury, London.
Morley's biography was written in 1898 by Henry Shaen Solly, his son-in-law and former student.
[Deborah Colville]
UCL Bloomsbury Project
13 April 2011, Bloomsbury Project - University College London.
Morley died on 14 May 1894 in
Carisbrooke
Carisbrooke is a village on the south western outskirts of Newport, Isle of Wight and is best known as the site of Carisbrooke Castle. It also has a medieval parish church. St Mary's Church (overlooking Carisbrooke High Street with views to the ...
on the
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight ( ) is a county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the largest and second-most populous island of England. Referred to as 'The Island' by residents, the Isle of ...
and is buried at Carisbrooke Cemetery.
Works
Morley was the editor of two book series. ''Morley's Universal Library'',
Morley's Universal Library (George Routledge) - Book Series List
publishinghistory.com. Retrieved 24 June 2018. drawing on the concept of a universal library
A universal library is a library with universal collections. This may be expressed in terms of it containing all existing information, useful information, all books, all works (regardless of format) or even all possible works. This ideal, althoug ...
, was published from 1883 by George Routledge
George Routledge (23 September 1812 – 13 December 1888) was a British book publisher and the founder of the publishing house Routledge.
Early life
He was born in Brampton, Cumberland on 23 September 1812.
Career
Routledge gained his early e ...
. ''Cassell's National Library
''Cassell's National Library'' was a weekly series issued by Cassell & Company of London, comprising English literature edited by Henry Morley. From 1886 to 1889 it issued 209 weekly volumes. These were sold for 3d. in paper covers and 6d. cloth-bo ...
'' was published from 1886, totalling 209 weekly editions.
Morley was the author of biographies on Bernard Palissy
Bernard Palissy (c. 1510c. 1589) was a French Huguenot potter, hydraulics engineer and craftsman, famous for having struggled for sixteen years to imitate Chinese porcelain. He is best known for his so-called "rusticware", typically highly decora ...
, Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa
Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa von Nettesheim (; ; 14 September 1486 – 18 February 1535) was a German polymath, physician, legal scholar, soldier, theologian, and occult writer. Agrippa's ''Three Books of Occult Philosophy'' published in 1533 drew ...
, Gerolamo Cardano
Gerolamo Cardano (; also Girolamo or Geronimo; french: link=no, Jérôme Cardan; la, Hieronymus Cardanus; 24 September 1501– 21 September 1576) was an Italian polymath, whose interests and proficiencies ranged through those of mathematician, ...
and Clément Marot
Clément Marot (23 November 1496 – 12 September 1544) was a French Renaissance poet.
Biography
Youth
Marot was born at Cahors, the capital of the province of Quercy, some time during the winter of 1496–1497. His father, Jean Marot (c.&n ...
. He also wrote introductions to two books written by John Locke
John Locke (; 29 August 1632 – 28 October 1704) was an English philosopher and physician, widely regarded as one of the most influential of Age of Enlightenment, Enlightenment thinkers and commonly known as the "father of liberalism ...
—the 1884 edition of "Two Treatises of Government
''Two Treatises of Government'' (or ''Two Treatises of Government: In the Former, The False Principles, and Foundation of Sir Robert Filmer, and His Followers, Are Detected and Overthrown. The Latter Is an Essay Concerning The True Original, ...
" and the 1889 edition of "A Letter Concerning Toleration
''A Letter Concerning Toleration'' by John Locke was originally published in 1689. Its initial publication was in Latin, and it was immediately translated into other languages. Locke's work appeared amidst a fear that Catholicism might be taking ...
".
Morley's principal work, however, was ''English Writers'' (10 volumes 1864-94), coming down to William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
. His ''First Sketch of English Literature''—the study for the larger work—had reached at his death a circulation of 34,000 copies.
References
External links
*
*
*
'The Life of Henry Morley'
by Henry Shaen Solly
* Gairdner, James (1894). " Morley, Henry". In ''Dictionary of National Biography''. 39. London. pp. 78-79
Grave marker at Carisbrooke Cemetery
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Morley, Henry
1822 births
1894 deaths
Alumni of King's College London
Academics of King's College London
Academics of University College London