Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Jelf, William Edward
JELF, WILLIAM EDWARD (1811–1875), divine and classical scholar, born 3 April 1811, was fifth son of Sir James Jelf, knt., of Gloucester, and brother of Richard William Jelf [q. v.] He was educated at Eton; matriculated from Christ Church, Oxford, in July 1829; was elected a student in the same year; gained a first class in classics at the Easter examination, 1833, with an unusually brilliant list of competitors; graduated B.A. in 1833, M.A. in 1836, and B.D. in 1844, and was ordained in 1834. From 1836 to 1849 he was tutor of Christ Church, and for a time was senior censor. He was master of the schools, 1839; classical examiner, 1840, 1841, 1855, and 1856; proctor of the university, 1843; select preacher, 1855; and classical moderator, 1862, 1863. Although he discharged his duties conscientiously, faults of temper and manner rendered him as proctor and senior censor unpopular with undergraduates. In 1857 he delivered the Bampton lectures on ‘The Christian Faith comprehensive and definite,’ and he was one of the Whitehall preachers from 1846 to 1848. He left Oxford in 1849 to become vicar of Carleton, near Skipton, in Yorkshire (a college living). Here he remained till 1854, when he moved to Caerdeon, near Barmouth, in North Wales. He held no church preferment there, but officiated in a church built on his own property, which was eventually consecrated and endowed as a district church in 1875. He devoted much of his time to controversial attacks on ritualism, confession, and the mariolatry of the Roman church. The last few months of his life he passed at Hastings, where he died 18 Oct. 1875. He married in 1849 Maria, youngest daughter of the Rev. John H. Petit, who still survives him, and had six children.
Jelf's most important literary work was his Greek grammar, first published in 1842–1845, 2 vols. 8vo, Oxford, with the title, ‘A Grammar of the Greek Language, chiefly from the German of Raphael Kühner.’ It was at once recognised as a substantial improvement on existing Greek grammars in the English language, and has passed through at least five editions. In the later editions Jelf's own part of the work became so extensive that he thought himself justified in omitting Kühner's name from the title-page. He also published a letter to the Rev. Frederick Temple (now bishop of London) on the ‘Essays and Reviews,’ which appeared in 1860, and left behind him the materials for a commentary on the first Epistle of St. John, which was published with the Greek text in 1877, under the editorship of W. Webster.
[Annual Register, 1875; Guardian, 27 Oct. and 3 Nov. 1875; Oxford Ten-Year Book; Foster's Alumni Oxon.; information furnished by the family; personal knowledge and recollections.]