Murray and further assistants

The Murray family 1915

The first fascicle, 1884

Benjamin Jowett, Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University

(‘My name is Benjamin Jowett; there is no knowledge but I know it’)

Poem celebrating completion of ‘C’

Wherever the English language is spread,And the Union Jack flies free,

The news will be gratefully, proudly read,That you’ve conquered your A, B, C,

But I fear it will comeAs a shock to some

That the sad result will beThat you’re taking to dabble and dawdle and doze,

To dolour and dumps, and – worse than those –To danger and drink,

And – shocking to think –To words that begin with a D.

James Murray in front of his OED

Dictionary making 1860-1928

• English Etymological Dictionary (W. Skeat)

• English Dialect Dictionary (J. Wright)

• Oxford English Dictionary (J. Murray)

etc. etc.

Joseph ‘Dialect’ Wright

Three dictionary men

Joseph Wright James Murray Walter Skeat

Murray’s 2nd in command: Henry Bradley