Edward Plumptre

He was elected to a fellowship at Brasenose College, which he resigned three years afterwards, on his marriage with Harriet Theodosia, sister of Frederick Denison Maurice.

There his work mainly lay for twenty-one years, and he enlarged the scope of the institution by introducing evening classes.

Plumptre also took a leading part in promoting the higher education of women as a professor of Queen's College, Harley Street, where he held the office of principal during the last two years of his work there (1875–77).

He was an ideal dean, possessing a genuine talent for business, and being always ready to consider the suggestions of others; not only the cathedral and the Theological College, but the city of Wells, its hospital, its almshouse, and its workhouse, commanded his service.

He wrote much on the interpretation of scripture, endeavouring to combine and popularise, in no superficial fashion, the results attained by labourers in special sections of the subject.

1885), St. Paul in Asia (1877), a Popular Exposition of the Epistles to the Seven Churches (1877 and 1879), Movements in Religious Thought: Romanism, Protestantism, Agnosticism (1879), and Theology and Life (1884).

He had passed beyond the influence of Maurice, and, though his loyal admiration for his earlier teacher remained unchanged, he had rejected his conclusions.

He had a keen perception of literary excellence, unappeasable ambition, and unwearied industry; but his gifts were hardly sufficient to insure him a place among the poets.

He also translated with much success the plays of Sophocles (1865) and of Æschylus (1868), and thus gave readers ignorant of Greek some adequate conception of the masterpieces of Attic drama.