James Leigh Strachan-Davidson
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James Leigh Strachan-Davidson (born Strachan; 22 October 1843 – 28 March 1916) was an English
classical scholar Classics or classical studies is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, classics traditionally refers to the study of Classical Greek and Roman literature and their related original languages, Ancient Greek and Latin. Classics ...
, academic administrator, translator, and author of books on Roman history. He was
Master Master or masters may refer to: Ranks or titles * Ascended master, a term used in the Theosophical religious tradition to refer to spiritually enlightened beings who in past incarnations were ordinary humans *Grandmaster (chess), National Master ...
of
Balliol College Balliol College () is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. One of Oxford's oldest colleges, it was founded around 1263 by John I de Balliol, a landowner from Barnard Castle in County Durham, who provided the f ...
,
Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
from 1907 until his death in 1916.


Early life

James Leigh Strachan was born in
Byfleet, Surrey Byfleet is a village in Surrey, England. It is located in the far east of the borough of Woking, around east of West Byfleet, from which it is separated by the M25 motorway and the Wey Navigation. The village is of medieval origin. Its win ...
, southern
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
, to James Strachan, a Scottish merchant, and Mary Anne Richardson. He was the eldest among three brothers and had a half-sister from his father's first marriage. His mother died while they were still children and his father remarried. In 1861, he and his father took the surname of Davidson when the family inherited a small estate in Ardgaith,
Perthshire Perthshire (locally: ; gd, Siorrachd Pheairt), officially the County of Perth, is a historic county and registration county in central Scotland. Geographically it extends from Strathmore in the east, to the Pass of Drumochter in the north, ...
.


Education and career

Strachan-Davidson was enrolled at Leamington College at the age of eleven as day-boy. Though not considered to be a robust boy, he played
cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...
well enough to be a part of the college team. In 1862, he enrolled as a Warner Exhibitioner in Balliol College, Oxford, where he studied the classics. He won the Jenkyns Exhibition in the college in 1864 and was appointed as 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 the college in 1866 after his finals. He graduated from Oxford with first-class honours in both ''
Classical Moderations Honour Moderations (or ''Mods'') are a set of examinations at the University of Oxford at the end of the first part of some degree courses (e.g., Greats or '' Literae Humaniores''). Honour Moderations candidates have a class awarded (hence the ' ...
'' (1864) and '' Literae Humaniores'' (1866). He actively participated in the
Oxford Union The Oxford Union Society, commonly referred to simply as the Oxford Union, is a debating society in the city of Oxford England, whose membership is drawn primarily from the University of Oxford. Founded in 1823, it is one of Britain's oldest ...
, held the posts of Secretary and Librarian, and was appointed as the President of the society in 1867. He was appointed as the Classical tutor at
Balliol College Balliol College () is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. One of Oxford's oldest colleges, it was founded around 1263 by John I de Balliol, a landowner from Barnard Castle in County Durham, who provided the f ...
in 1872 and mainly lectured in the field of Roman history. He became the Senior Dean of the college in 1875, who was also the president of the college's Common Room, and Acting Head in the Master's absence. He was elected to the chairmanship of the Board of Faculty of Arts in 1893. He received the honorary degree of
Doctor of Civil Law Doctor of Civil Law (DCL; la, Legis Civilis Doctor or Juris Civilis Doctor) is a degree offered by some universities, such as the University of Oxford, instead of the more common Doctor of Laws (LLD) degrees. At Oxford, the degree is a higher ...
(DCL) from the University of Oxford for his contributions to the study of Roman
criminal law Criminal law is the body of law that relates to crime. It prescribes conduct perceived as threatening, harmful, or otherwise endangering to the property, health, safety, and moral welfare of people inclusive of one's self. Most criminal law i ...
. Upon Edward Caird's resignation due to poor health, he was unanimously elected as the
Master Master or masters may refer to: Ranks or titles * Ascended master, a term used in the Theosophical religious tradition to refer to spiritually enlightened beings who in past incarnations were ordinary humans *Grandmaster (chess), National Master ...
of Balliol College, in 1907; a position he held until his death in 1916. In 1899, he was appointed by the Colonial Secretary
Joseph Chamberlain Joseph Chamberlain (8 July 1836 – 2 July 1914) was a British statesman who was first a radical Liberal, then a Liberal Unionist after opposing home rule for Ireland, and eventually served as a leading imperialist in coalition with the Cons ...
, to a committee considering the position of students holding UK scholarships granted by colonial governments.
Lord Cromer Earl of Cromer is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, held by members of the Baring family, of German descent. It was created for Evelyn Baring, 1st Viscount Cromer, long time British Consul-General in Egypt. He had already been cr ...
consulted him about teaching
Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...
to men appointed to the Egyptian and Sudanese civil service in 1903–04.


Political views

Over the course of his many debates as part of the Oxford Union, he spoke in favour of the
Confederate States The Confederate States of America (CSA), commonly referred to as the Confederate States or the Confederacy was an unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United States that existed from February 8, 1861, to May 9, 1865. The Confeder ...
in the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
, Bismarck's policies, and the end of Turkish rule in Europe. He also consistently supported
women's suffrage Women's suffrage is the right of women to vote in elections. Beginning in the start of the 18th century, some people sought to change voting laws to allow women to vote. Liberal political parties would go on to grant women the right to vot ...
, and advocated that "international morality demanded that England relinquish India." He also spoke against Lord Palmerston's policy of non-intervention in the
Schleswig-Holstein question Schleswig-Holstein (; da, Slesvig-Holsten; nds, Sleswig-Holsteen; frr, Slaswik-Holstiinj) is the northernmost of the 16 states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Schl ...
. He was firmly liberal on the matter of education and University reform and espoused the importance of character and attainments over party adherence for University representatives. He was consulted extensively by the Civil Service Commissioners during the reformation of the entrance examination of the
Indian Civil Service The Indian Civil Service (ICS), officially known as the Imperial Civil Service, was the higher civil service of the British Empire in India during British rule in the period between 1858 and 1947. Its members ruled over more than 300 million ...
. He believed that the mental and moral discipline, wide view and grasp of fundamentals granted by the study of ''Literae Humaniores'' was crucial to the Service and drew up a memorandum to that effect, for its Royal Commission in June 1913.


Personal life

Strachan-Davidson was devoted to his work at Balliol College and never married. He believed that the college should be as "wife and children" to a fellow of the college. He was a friend of the English author Paul Ferdinand Willert and was godfather to his daughter, Dorothy. He was also close to his family doctor Robert Slack whose daughter Mary was his godchild. He had another goddaughter, Margaret Bowlby, daughter of Henry Bowlby of
Lancing College Lancing College is a public school (English independent day and boarding school for pupils aged 13–18) in southern England, UK. The school is located in West Sussex, east of Worthing near the village of Lancing, on the south coast of England. ...
. His closest friend was his contemporary, the English classical scholar
Evelyn Abbott Evelyn Abbott (; 10 March 1843 – 3 September 1901) was an English classical scholar, born at Epperstone, Nottinghamshire. He was educated at Balliol College, Oxford, where he excelled both academically and in sports, winning the Gaisford Prize ...
, with whom he spent most of his vacations.


Death and legacy

Strachan-Davidson died on 28 March 1916 due to
cerebral hemorrhage Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), also known as cerebral bleed, intraparenchymal bleed, and hemorrhagic stroke, or haemorrhagic stroke, is a sudden bleeding into the tissues of the brain, into its ventricles, or into both. It is one kind of bleed ...
caused by
atherosclerosis Atherosclerosis is a pattern of the disease arteriosclerosis in which the wall of the artery develops abnormalities, called lesions. These lesions may lead to narrowing due to the buildup of atheroma, atheromatous plaque. At onset there are usu ...
and was buried in
Holywell Cemetery Holywell Cemetery is next to St Cross Church in Oxford, England. The cemetery is behind the church in St Cross Road, south of Holywell Manor on Manor Road and north of Longwall Street, in the parish of Holywell. History In the mid 19th centu ...
in Oxford. A bronze tablet was placed in Balliol Chapel in his commemoration. He had acquired around 1500 to 1600 Greek and Roman coins during his many visits to Egypt, Italy, and Sicily. They mainly dated to the Macedonian, Ptolemaic, and Imperial Roman periods. This collection was
bequeathed A bequest is property given by will. Historically, the term ''bequest'' was used for personal property given by will and ''deviser'' for real property. Today, the two words are used interchangeably. The word ''bequeath'' is a verb form for the ...
to Balliol College upon his death, and then given to
Ashmolean Museum The Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology () on Beaumont Street, Oxford, England, is Britain's first public museum. Its first building was erected in 1678–1683 to house the cabinet of curiosities that Elias Ashmole gave to the University of ...
as per his wishes.


Selected works


Books

* ''Selections from Polybius'' (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1888) * ''Cicero and the Fall of the Roman Republic'' (New York: Putnam, 1894) * '' Appian's Civil Wars, Book I'' (Oxford: Clarendon, 1902) * ''Problems of the Roman Criminal Law'', 2 vols. (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1912)


Articles

* "The Growth of Plebeian Privilege at Rome", ''
The English Historical Review ''The English Historical Review'' is a bimonthly peer-reviewed academic journal that was established in 1886 and published by Oxford University Press (formerly Longman). It publishes articles on all aspects of history – British, European, and wo ...
'', Vol. 1, No. 2 (1886) * "The Decrees of the Roman Plebs", ''The English Historical Review'', Vol. 5, No. 19 (1890) * "Mommsen's Roman Criminal Law", ''The English Historical Review'', Vol. 16, No. 62 (1901) * "Ancient Imperialism – II. Roman Republic", ''
The Classical Review ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
'', Vol. 24, No. 4 (1910)


References


Sources

* * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Strachan-Davidson, James Leigh 1843 births 1916 deaths English classical scholars English translators Alumni of Balliol College, Oxford Masters of Balliol College, Oxford English male non-fiction writers 19th-century British translators 19th-century English male writers Presidents of the Oxford Union