Rev. Joseph Bickersteth Mayor (24 October 1828 – 29 November 1916) was an English professor, classical scholar, and

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...

clergyman.

Early life and education

Mayor was born in

Cape Colony The Cape Colony ( nl, Kaapkolonie), also known as the Cape of Good Hope, was a British Empire, British colony in present-day South Africa named after the Cape of Good Hope, which existed from 1795 to 1802, and again from 1806 to 1910, when i ...

''1911 England Census'' while his parents returned from

Ceylon Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

. He was the fourth son and eighth child of twelve born to Rev. Robert Mayor (1791–1846) and Charlotte Bickersteth (1792–1846). His mother came from the prominent Bickersteth family and was the sister of

Henry Bickersteth, 1st Baron Langdale Henry Bickersteth, 1st Baron Langdale, PC (18 June 1783 – 18 April 1851), a member of the prominent Bickersteth family, was an English physician, law reformer, and Master of the Rolls. Early life and education Langdale was born on 18 June 1 ...

and Rev. Edward Bickersteth. John E. B. Mayor was his elder brother. Mayor was educated at

Rugby School Rugby School is a public school (English independent boarding school for pupils aged 13–18) in Rugby, Warwickshire, England. Founded in 1567 as a free grammar school for local boys, it is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain. Up ...

and

St John's College, Cambridge St John's College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge founded by the House of Tudor, Tudor matriarch Lady Margaret Beaufort. In constitutional terms, the college is a charitable corpo ...

(

B.A. Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

, 1851;

M.A. A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...

, 1853).

Career

Mayor was ordained as a deacon in 1859 and as a priest the following year. He became a

Fellow A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...

of St. John's in 1852 and lectured until 1863, and served as a tutor from 1860. He became Headmaster of Kensington Proprietary School (1863–69) before returning to higher education at

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 ...

, where he was Professor of Classical Literature (1870–79) and of Moral Philosophy (1879–83). Mayor served as the first editor of the '' Classical Review'' (1887–94), and published and edited several volumes on the classics and philosophy, including ''Greek for Beginners'' ''Sketch of Ancient Philosophy'' and ''Chapters on English Metre''. He edited several works by

John Grote John Grote (5 May 1813, Beckenham – 21 August 1866, Trumpington, Cambridgeshire) was an English moral philosopher and Anglican clergyman. Life and career The son of a banker, John Grote was younger brother to the historian, philosopher and ...

(his wife's uncle), including ''Exploratio Philosophica'' (1865) and the posthumous ''An Examination of Utilitarian Philosophy'' (1870) and ''A Treatise on the Moral Ideals'' (1876). His theological works included ''The Epistle of St. James: Greek Text with Introductory Notes and Comments'' (1892), ''The Epistle of St. Jude'', and ''The Second Epistle of St. Peter''.

Personal life

He married Alexandrina Jessie Grote, daughter of Andrew Grote and niece of historian

George Grote George Grote (; 17 November 1794 – 18 June 1871) was an English political radical and classical historian. He is now best known for his major work, the voluminous ''History of Greece''. Early life George Grote was born at Clay Hill near Be ...

, philosopher

, and colonial administrator

Arthur Grote Arthur Grote (29 November 1814 – 4 December 1886) was an English colonial administrator. Life He was born on 29 November 1814 at Beckenham in Kent, England. He was the son of George Grote (1760–1830), a London banker, and Selina Peckwell (17 ...

. They had two sons, civil servant Robert John Grote Mayor (1869–1947) and Henry Bickersteth Mayor (1870–1948) and twin daughters, author

Flora MacDonald Mayor Flora Macdonald Mayor (20 October 1872, Kingston Hill, Surrey – 28 January 1932, Hampstead, London), was an English novelist and short story writer, who published under the name F. M. Mayor. Life and work Flora MacDonald Mayor was born on 20 O ...

(1872–1932) and Alice MacDonald Mayor (1872–1961).''1871 England Census''''1881 England Census''''London, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813–1917'' Teresa Mayor Rothschild (1915–1996), wife of the 3rd Baron Rothschild, was his granddaughter.

References

External links

Joseph Bickersteth Mayor's manuscripts
at

Cambridge University , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Mayor, Joseph Bickersteth 1828 births 1916 deaths People educated at Rugby School Alumni of St John's College, Cambridge Fellows of St John's College, Cambridge Classical scholars of the University of Cambridge English classical scholars English male writers Scholars of Latin literature Bickersteth family Academics of King's College London 19th-century English Anglican priests 20th-century English Anglican priests