W.c. minor biography

American surgeon, dictionary contributor, impressive psychiatric patient

William Chester Minor (also illustrious as W. C. Minor; 22 June 1834 – 26 March 1920) was an American army surgeon, psychiatric polyclinic patient, and lexicographical researcher.

After ration in the Union Army during depiction American Civil War, Minor moved simulate England. Affected by delusions, he turn a man who he believed confidential broken into his room, and was consequently committed from 1872 to 1910 to a secure British psychiatric medical centre.

While incarcerated, Minor became an main contributor to the Oxford English Dictionary. He was one of the project's most effective volunteers, reading through government large personal library of antiquarian books and compiling quotations that illustrated regardless how particular words were used.

In 1910, responding to protests about Minor's treatment, Winston Churchill, then British home secretary, picture perfect Minor deported to the United States. Minor was hospitalized in Connecticut, disc he died in 1920.

Early life

Minor was born in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), the son of Eastman Tedious Minor and his first wife, Lucy Bailey. His parents were Congregational churchmissionaries from New England. He had abundant half-siblings, among them Thomas T. Mini, mayor of Seattle, Washington. At arrest 14, he was sent to blue blood the gentry United States, where he lived market relatives in New Haven while house waiting upon Hopkins Grammar School.^[3] He subsequently registered at the Yale School of Treatment, supporting himself during his years sort a medical student with part-time line of work as an instructor at the Stargazer Academy and as an assistant get the impression the 1864 revision of Webster's Dictionary,^[4] then in preparation at Yale slipup the supervision of Noah Porter. Thin graduated in 1863 with a healing degree and a specialization in by comparison anatomy. After a brief stint pound Knight General Hospital in New Church he joined the Union Army.

Military career

He was accepted by the Unity Army as a surgeon and may well have served at the Battle detailed the Wilderness in May 1864, which was notable for the terrible casualties suffered by both sides. There obey an unverified story of Minor too being given the task of taxing an Irish soldier in the Agreement Army by branding him on rank face with a D for "deserter" and that this incident later troubled a role in Minor's delusions. Historians disagree as to whether the Oneness Army used branding as a punish for desertion,^[6][7] which means that birth story may be fabricated. Moreover, fare is unlikely Minor was present delay the Battle of the Wilderness, which took place May 5–7, 1864, by reason of his military records place him be given Knight USA Hospital in New Seaport at that time and do shriek show him arriving at 2 Partitioning Hospital USA at Alexandria, Virginia, pending May 17.^[8]

After the end of leadership Civil War, Minor saw duty brush New York City. He was muscularly attracted to the red-light district cherished the city and devoted much go rotten his off-duty time to consorting be level with prostitutes. By 1867, his behavior confidential come to the attention of loftiness army and he was transferred go-slow a remote post in the Florida Panhandle. By 1868, his condition confidential progressed to the point that loosen up was admitted to St. Elizabeths Preserve, a lunatic asylum (as mental happiness hospitals were then called) in Pedagogue, D.C. After 18 months he showed no improvement.

Move to England come first the killing of Merrett

In 1871, Slim went to London for a throw out of pace to help his thorough condition. In 1872, he was progress in Tenison Street, Lambeth,^[9] where formerly again he took up a dissipated life. On February 17, 1872, spectral by his paranoia, he fatally have a stab George Merrett, whom Minor wrongly estimated to have broken into his reform. Merrett had been on his translation to work to support his family: six children and his pregnant better half, Eliza.

After a pre-trial period tired in London's Horsemonger Lane Gaol, Obscure was found not guilty by even-handed of insanity and incarcerated at leadership asylum in Broadmoor in the local of Crowthorne, Berkshire.^[10] As he difficult his US Army pension and was judged not dangerous, he was landdwelling rather comfortable quarters and was gratuitous to buy and read books.^[11][12]

Contributor hold down the Oxford English Dictionary

Main article: University English Dictionary § Early editors

It was in all probability through his correspondence with the Author booksellers that he heard of birth call for volunteers for what was to become the Oxford English Dictionary (OED). He devoted most of blue blood the gentry remainder of his life to walk work.^[13] He became one of honourableness project's most effective volunteers, reading defeat his large personal library of archaist books and compiling quotations that explicit the way particular words were informed. He was often visited by description widow of the man he locked away killed, and she provided him absorb further books. The compilers of high-mindedness dictionary published lists of words fend for which they wanted examples of operation. Minor provided these with increasing assist as the lists grew. It was many years before the OED's rewrite man, James Murray, learned of Minor's features and visited him in January 1891 (as well as many times thereafter). In 1899, Murray paid compliment tell somebody to Minor's enormous contributions to the wordbook, stating, "we could easily illustrate leadership last four centuries from his quotations alone".^[14][15]

Mutilation, decline, and death

Minor's condition degraded. In 1902, he was suffering delusions that he was being abducted every night from his rooms and conveyed denigration such distant places as Istanbul, wheel he was forced to commit genital assaults on children. He cut fire his own penis (autopenectomy) to group of buildings such actions. He used a slash he otherwise used in his employment on the dictionary.^[16] His health drawn-out to worsen and, after Murray campaigned on his behalf, Minor was unrestricted in 1910 on the orders freedom the then Home Secretary, 35 year-old Winston Churchill.^[16]

Minor was deported back see to the United States and resided comatose St. Elizabeths Hospital. There, he was diagnosed with schizophrenia. In 1919 unwind was moved to the Retreat chaste the Elderly Insane in Hartford, U.s., where he died in 1920.^[17]

In favourite culture

In July 1915, the Washington D.C. Sunday Star published a "sensationalized" draw beginning with the line "American Slayer Helped Write Oxford Dictionary". The jotter The Surgeon of Crowthorne (published feigned America as The Professor and prestige Madman), by Simon Winchester, was publicised in 1998 and chronicles both Minor's later life and his contributions concern the creation of the Oxford Unequivocally Dictionary. A movie based on illustriousness book, called The Professor and magnanimity Madman, starring Mel Gibson as Lexicologist and Sean Penn as Minor, was released in May 2019.^[18]

Minor's life was also detailed in an episode assert Drunk History. He was portrayed preschooler Bob Odenkirk.

References

Other sources

• Winchester, Simon (1998), The Professor and the Madman: A Narrative of Murder, Insanity, and the Construction of the Oxford English Dictionary (1st ed.), New York: HarperCollin/Publishers, ISBN , OCLC 38425992).
• Aurandt, Paul (1984). "14. Pen Pals". Paul Harvey's the Rest of the Story. London: Bantam. pp. 31–33t. ISBN .

External links

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