Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Linwood, William
LINWOOD, WILLIAM (1817–1878), classical scholar, born in 1817, was the only son of William Linwood of Birmingham. He was educated at Birmingham grammar school under Dr. Cooke and Dr. Jeune (Academy, 5 Oct. 1878, p. 337), and at Christ Church, Oxford, where he matriculated 10 Dec. 1835, and graduated B.A. 22 May 1839, M.A. 26 May 1842 (Cat. Oxf. Grad.) He was student of his college from 1837 to 1851. In 1836 he gained the Hertford, Ireland, and Craven scholarships, and in 1839 obtained a first-class in classics and the Boden Sanskrit scholarship. He took orders, and was for some time assistant-master at Shrewsbury School. In 1850–1 he was public examiner at Oxford. He died on 7 Sept. 1878. Linwood is described as using ancient Greek like a vernacular tongue, and as being able to compose any number of Euripidean verses impromptu. His scholarship hardly found full scope in his publications, which are more or less intended for elementary students. The best known are his ‘Lexicon to Æschylus,’ ‘a clearly arranged and serviceable work, containing some emendations of his own very modestly proposed,’ and his edition of Sophocles, which was long used in English schools. Blaydes and Paley (in Sophocles, in ‘Bibliotheca Class.’ i. p. xxxiv; ii. p. vi) speak of the notes to Linwood's ‘Sophocles’ as being hurriedly compiled. Linwood published: 1. ‘A Lexicon to Æschylus,’ London, 1843, 8vo; 2nd ed. 1847, 8vo. 2. ‘Suggestions for the Improvement of Greek and Latin Prose Composition,’ Oxford, 1845, 8vo. 3. ‘Remarks on the Present State of Classical Scholarship … in the University of Oxford,’ 1845, 8vo. 4. ‘Anthologia Oxoniensis, decerpsit G. L.,’ London, 1846, 8vo. 5. ‘Sophoclis Tragœdiæ’ (with Latin notes), 1846, 8vo; 1852, 8vo; 4th ed. 1877, 8vo. 6. ‘A Treatise on Greek Tragic Metres, with the choric parts of Sophocles metrically arranged,’ London, 1855, 8vo. 7. ‘Remarks and Emendations on some Passages in Thucydides,’ 2 pts., London, 1860, 8vo (2nd issue). 8. ‘Observata quædam in nonnulla Novi Testamenti loca,’ London [1865], 8vo. 9. ‘De Conjecturæ ope in Novi Testamenti emendatione admittenda,’ London, 1867, 8vo. 10. ‘Remarks on Conjectural Emendation [of the] New Testament,’ London, 1873, 8vo. 11. ‘The Theban Trilogy of Sophocles’ (with notes), 1878, 8vo. 12. Various sermons.
[Academy, 28 Sept. 1878, p. 315; Athenæum, 21 Sept. 1878, p. 371; Foster's Alumni Oxon.; Martin's Handbook of Contemp. Biog.; Brit. Mus. Cat.]