Papers of Professor George Saintsbury

The Papers of Professor George Saintsbury include articles, introductions, addresses, lectures, obituaries, reviews, letters and postcards, and notes. The collection consists of holographs, typescripts, galley proofs, page proofs, and corrections. There is an autograph manuscript ofA last scrap book, and others of miscellaneous articles.

The literary critic and historian George Edward Bateman Saintsbury was born in Southampton on 23 October 1845. He was educated at King's College School, London, and at Merton College, Oxford. Saintsbury was a schoolmaster at Manchester Grammar School and at Elizabeth College, Guernsey, before becoming headmaster of Elgin Educational Institute in 1874. From 1876 until 1895 he was a journalist in London, during which time, 1883-1894, he was the Assistant Editor of theSaturday Review. In 1895 he became Professor of Rhetoric and English Literature at Edinburgh University. He held the Chair until 1915. His published works includeShort history of French literature(1882),Essays in English literature(1890),Short history of English literature(1898), the three volumeHistory of English prosody from the twelfth century to the present day(1906-1910), the two volumeHistory of the French novel(1917-1919), andA last scrap book(1924). Professor George Saintsbury died in Bath on 28 January 1933.

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An important finding aid is the alphabetical Index to Manuscripts held at Edinburgh University Library, Special Collections and Archives. Additions to the typed slips in sheaf binders were made until 1987.

The Index to Manuscripts shows, at other shelfmarks, references to autograph corrections to particular works by Saintsbury, holographs, letters, and registers of students. There is a chronological record of works by Saintsbury, and his birth certificate, at Gen. 784/8.