The Edwards library and museum have since been largely augmented, and are now maintained from her residuary estate. Most of her other books she left to Somerville Hall, Oxford. Only a few months before her death Mr. A. J. Balfour (through the good offices of Professor George John Romanes) conferred upon her a pension of 75l. on the civil list 'in consideration of her services to literature and archaeology.' From American universities she received three honorary degrees that of LL.D. from Columbia College, New York, on the occasion of its centenary celebration in 1887; that of LL.D. from Smith College, Northampton, Mass.; and that of Ph.D. from the College of the Sisters of Bethany, Topeka, Mass. Her portrait was painted in oils at Rome in 1872, and a marble bust, sculptured by Percival Ball in 1873 also at Rome, was bequeathed by her to the National Portrait Gallery, London. The best likeness of her is a photograph taken at New York, which has frequently been reproduced.
[Autobiographical notes and personal knowledge.]
EDWARDS, THOMAS CHARLES (1837–1900), divine, eldest son of Lewis Edwards, D.D. [q. v.], was born at Llanycil, Bala, Merionethshire, on 22 Sept. 1837. His mother was a granddaughter of Thomas Charles [q. v.], the organiser of Welsh calvinistic methodism. His early education was under his father at Bala, whence he proceeded to University College, London, and graduated M.A. Lond. in 1862, being
classed next to William Stanley Jevons [q. v.] On 21 Oct. 1862 he matriculated at St. Alban Hall, Oxford; in 1864 he obtained a scholarship at Lincoln College, and graduated B. A. 1866 with a first class in classics; M.A. 1872. In 1867 he was ordained to a charge in Liverpool, in connection with the presbyterian church of Wales. This he resigned in 1872, on being appointed the first principal of the University College of Wales at Aberystwyth (opened 9 Oct.) During his principalship the college buildings were burned, and by his energy restored. He succeeded also in obtaining from the treasury an endowment of 4,000l. a year for the college. In 1887 he received the diploma of D.D. from Edinburgh University. In 1891 he resigned his principalship at Aberystwyth in order to become principal of the Welsh calvinistic methodist theological college at Bala, founded by his father. His policy of opening the college to students of all denominations was not responded to by many outsiders, but the college flourished greatly under his management. In 1898 he was the first to receive the diploma of D.D. from the university of Wales (founded 1893). He died at Bala on 22 March 1900.
He published, besides single sermons: 1. 'A Commentary on the First Epistle to the Corinthians,' 1885, 8vo; 2nd edit, same year. 2. 'Commentary on Epistle to Hebrews,' in 'Expositor's Bible,' 1888, 8vo; 3rd edit. 1889, 8vo; also, 'Welsh Commentary on Hebrews,' 1890. 3. 'The God-Man,' 1895, 12mo (Davies Lecture). A sermon of his is in Jones's 'Welsh Pulpit,' 1885, 8vo. He published in Welsh a memoir of his father, 1887, 12mo.
[Times, 23 March 1900; Foster's Alumni Oxon. 171o-1886; Who's Who, 1900; Williams's Welsh Calvinistic Methodism, 1884, p. 208; List of Edin. Graduates, 1898.]
ELIAS, NEY (1844–1897), explorer and diplomatist, born at Widmore in Kent on 10 Feb. 1844, was the second son of Ney Elias (d. 1891) of Kensington. Educated in London, Paris, and Dresden, he became in 1865 a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and studied geography and surveying under the society's instructors. In 1866 he went to Shanghai in the employment of a mercantile house; and in 1868 volunteered to lead an expedition and examine the old and new courses of the Hoang-ho. His account of this journey was published in the 'Royal Geographical Society's Journal' in a paper which gave, Sir R. Murchison said, for the first time accurate information about the diversion of the Yellow River.
In July 1872, accompanied by one Chinese servant, Elias started on a more arduous journey across the Gobi desert, travelling nearly 2,500 miles from the great wall to the Russian frontier, and thence another 2,300 miles to Nijni Novgorod. The geographical results of the journey were summed up by Elias in a paper for the Royal Geographical Society; but he said little about its hardship. It was accomplished at a time when the Chinese provinces traversed were overrun by the Tungani rebels. For many weeks Elias travelled in constant apprehension of attack; he had scarcely any sleep; and when he reached the Siberian frontier, the Russian officers stared at him as if he had dropped from the sky. By no means a robust man, his indomitable will and silent courage carried him through all the perils of the way; while the accuracy of his observation and the scientific value of his record earned the highest approval of authorities like Sir Henry Rawlinson [q. v.] and Sir Henry Yule [q. v.] Elias received the
