Robert William Chapman (5 October 1881 in Eskbank, Scotland – 20 April 1960 in Oxford), usually known in print as R. W. Chapman, was a British scholar, book collector and editor of the works of Samuel Johnson and Jane Austen.[1]
Chapman was the youngest of six children born to an Anglican clergyman, who died when he was three years old. He was educated at the High School of Dundee, St Andrews University and Oriel College, Oxford, where he graduated with a First in classics and humanities. He worked as assistant to the secretary of the Clarendon Press. In 1913 he married Katherine Marion Metcalfe, an English tutor at Somerville College. Chapman did military service in Salonika during World War I, managing to study the works of Johnson there and continue to write for the Times Literary Supplement.[1]
After the war Chapman would remain in Oxford until his death. In 1920 he succeeded Charles Cannan as secretary of the Clarendon Press. He played a part in producing the Oxford English Dictionary, combining editorial and administrative responsibilities at the press.[1]
Although Chapman is generally credited as the scholar who established Austen’s canonical status in the twentieth century, his wife played a key role in igniting his interest in book collecting as well as Jane Austen’s works. He himself cited her antiquarian interests as the inspiration of his book collecting career, and her editions of Pride and Prejudice and Northanger Abbey both preceded Chapman’s own. Her contribution to his work is self-evident in her ubiquitous handwriting in the Chapman archives. However, Chapman’s own negligence in acknowledging his wife’s contribution to his Jane Austen edition caused her work to go uncredited until later scholars such as David Gilson, Kathryn Sutherland, and Janine Barchas proved otherwise.[2]
In 1923 Chapman produced an edition of five novels of Jane Austen; further Austen miscellanea were published separately in the 1920s and 1930s before being collected together as a sixth volume, Minor Works, of The Novels of Jane Austen. He also edited (1932) Austen's correspondence, though this involved him in some controversy with Austen's critics.[1]
After retirement from the Clarendon Press in 1943, Chapman worked on "what many consider his greatest accomplishment": a three-volume edition (1952) of Samuel Johnson's letters.[1]
In 1948, Chapman rejected the authenticity of the Rice portrait of Jane Austen based on costume evidence.[3]
Worksedit
The Portrait of a Scholar and Other Essays Written in Macedonia 1916-1918, London: Humphrey Milford, Oxford University Press, 1920
(ed.) Selections from Boswell's Life of Samuel Johnson, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1922
(ed.) The Novels of Jane Austen: The Text Based on Collation of the Early Editions, 5 vols, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1923; revised, 1933
(ed.) Johnson's Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland and Boswell's Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides with Samuel Johnson, LL.D, London: Oxford University Press, 1924; in Oxford Standard Authors, 1930, much reprinted.
(ed.) Boswell's Note Book, 1776-1777: Recording Particulars of Johnson's Early Life, communicated by him and others in those years, London: Humphrey Milford "The Oxford Miscellany," 1925 [n.b., Preface signed "R.W.C."]
(ed.) Samuel Johnson, Selected Letters, [ed. R.W. Chapman]. Oxford: Oxford University Press "World’s Classics" no. 282, 1925
(ed.) Papers Written by Dr. Johnson and Dr. Dodd, 1777 (1926)
(ed.) Samuel Johnson, The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abissinia: A Tale, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1927
(ed.) Johnson and Boswell Revised by themselves and Others (1928)
Johnson, Boswell and Mrs. Piozzi: a Suppressed Passage Restored (1929)
(ed.) Jane Austen's Letters to Her Sister Cassandra and Others, 2 vols, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1932; revised, 1952
Names, Designations and Appellations, SPE Tract no. 47, Oxford: Clarendon Press and the Society for Pure English, 1936
Adjectives from Proper Names (1939)
Johnsonian Bibliography: A Supplement to Courtney, Chapman with the collaboration of Allen T. Hazen, Oxford Bibliographical Society, v. 5, 1940
(ed.) The Letters of Samuel Johnson: With Mrs Thrale's Genuine Letters to Him, 3 vols, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1952
(ed.) Boswell's Life of Johnson, intro. by C.B. Tinker. Oxford: Oxford University Press "Oxford Standard Authors," 1953
Johnsonian and Other Essays and Reviews, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1953
(ed.) Selections from Samuel Johnson, 1709-1784, London: Oxford University Press, 1955; reprinted in "The World's Classics," no. 586, 1962
(rev. and enlarged) Annals of English literature, 1475-1950; the principal publications of each year, together with an alphabetical index of authors with their works, by J. C. Ghosh & E. G. Withycombe, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1961
Referencesedit
^ abcdeNaiman, Sandra (1999), "R. W. Chapman", in Baker, William; Womack, Kenneth (eds.), Twentieth-Century British Book Collectors and Bibliographers, First Series, Dictionary of Literary Biography, vol. 201, Detroit: Gale Research, pp. 40–48, ISBN0-7876-3072-1
^Harman, Claire (2009) Jane's Fame New York, NY: Henry Holt. pp.154-155 ISBN978-0-8050-8258-6. See also Janine Barchas, “The Lost Books of Austen Studies,” English-Language Plenary, Canadian Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies, Vancouver. 17 October 2015.
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R W Chapman redirects here For the professor of Engineering at Adelaide University see Robert William Chapman engineer Robert William Chapman 5 October 1881 in Eskbank Scotland 20 April 1960 in Oxford usually known in print as R W Chapman was a British scholar book collector and editor of the works of Samuel Johnson and Jane Austen 1 Contents 1 Life 2 Works 3 References 4 External linksLife editChapman was the youngest of six children born to an Anglican clergyman who died when he was three years old He was educated at the High School of Dundee St Andrews University and Oriel College Oxford where he graduated with a First in classics and humanities He worked as assistant to the secretary of the Clarendon Press In 1913 he married Katherine Marion Metcalfe an English tutor at Somerville College Chapman did military service in Salonika during World War I managing to study the works of Johnson there and continue to write for the Times Literary Supplement 1 After the war Chapman would remain in Oxford until his death In 1920 he succeeded Charles Cannan as secretary of the Clarendon Press He played a part in producing the Oxford English Dictionary combining editorial and administrative responsibilities at the press 1 Although Chapman is generally credited as the scholar who established Austen s canonical status in the twentieth century his wife played a key role in igniting his interest in book collecting as well as Jane Austen s works He himself cited her antiquarian interests as the inspiration of his book collecting career and her editions of Pride and Prejudice and Northanger Abbey both preceded Chapman s own Her contribution to his work is self evident in her ubiquitous handwriting in the Chapman archives However Chapman s own negligence in acknowledging his wife s contribution to his Jane Austen edition caused her work to go uncredited until later scholars such as David Gilson Kathryn Sutherland and Janine Barchas proved otherwise 2 In 1923 Chapman produced an edition of five novels of Jane Austen further Austen miscellanea were published separately in the 1920s and 1930s before being collected together as a sixth volume Minor Works of The Novels of Jane Austen He also edited 1932 Austen s correspondence though this involved him in some controversy with Austen s critics 1 After retirement from the Clarendon Press in 1943 Chapman worked on what many consider his greatest accomplishment a three volume edition 1952 of Samuel Johnson s letters 1 In 1948 Chapman rejected the authenticity of the Rice portrait of Jane Austen based on costume evidence 3 Works editThe Portrait of a Scholar and Other Essays Written in Macedonia 1916 1918 London Humphrey Milford Oxford University Press 1920 ed Selections from Boswell s Life of Samuel Johnson Oxford Clarendon Press 1922 ed The Novels of Jane Austen The Text Based on Collation of the Early Editions 5 vols Oxford Clarendon Press 1923 revised 1933 ed Johnson s Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland and Boswell s Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides with Samuel Johnson LL D London Oxford University Press 1924 in Oxford Standard Authors 1930 much reprinted ed Boswell s Note Book 1776 1777 Recording Particulars of Johnson s Early Life communicated by him and others in those years London Humphrey Milford The Oxford Miscellany 1925 n b Preface signed R W C ed Samuel Johnson Selected Letters ed R W Chapman Oxford Oxford University Press World s Classics no 282 1925 ed Papers Written by Dr Johnson and Dr Dodd 1777 1926 ed Samuel Johnson The History of Rasselas Prince of Abissinia A Tale Oxford Clarendon Press 1927 ed Johnson and Boswell Revised by themselves and Others 1928 Johnson Boswell and Mrs Piozzi a Suppressed Passage Restored 1929 ed Jane Austen s Letters to Her Sister Cassandra and Others 2 vols Oxford Clarendon Press 1932 revised 1952 Names Designations and Appellations SPE Tract no 47 Oxford Clarendon Press and the Society for Pure English 1936 Adjectives from Proper Names 1939 Johnsonian Bibliography A Supplement to Courtney Chapman with the collaboration of Allen T Hazen Oxford Bibliographical Society v 5 1940 ed The Letters of Samuel Johnson With Mrs Thrale s Genuine Letters to Him 3 vols Oxford Clarendon Press 1952 ed Boswell s Life of Johnson intro by C B Tinker Oxford Oxford University Press Oxford Standard Authors 1953 Johnsonian and Other Essays and Reviews Oxford Clarendon Press 1953 ed Selections from Samuel Johnson 1709 1784 London Oxford University Press 1955 reprinted in The World s Classics no 586 1962 rev and enlarged Annals of English literature 1475 1950 the principal publications of each year together with an alphabetical index of authors with their works by J C Ghosh amp E G Withycombe Oxford Clarendon Press 1961References edit a b c d e Naiman Sandra 1999 R W Chapman in Baker William Womack Kenneth eds Twentieth Century British Book Collectors and Bibliographers First Series Dictionary of Literary Biography vol 201 Detroit Gale Research pp 40 48 ISBN 0 7876 3072 1 Harman Claire 2009 Jane s Fame New York NY Henry Holt pp 154 155 ISBN 978 0 8050 8258 6 See also Janine Barchas The Lost Books of Austen Studies English Language Plenary Canadian Society for Eighteenth Century Studies Vancouver 17 October 2015 Art Daily NewsExternal links editWorks by or about Robert William Chapman at Internet Archive Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Robert William Chapman scholar amp oldid 1152192611, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
