William E. A. Axon | |
|---|---|
 Axon in 1901 | |
| Born | William Edward Armytage Axon (1846-01-13)13 January 1846 Chorlton-on-Medlock,Manchester, England |
| Died | 27 December 1913(1913-12-27) (aged 67) Manchester, England |
| Occupation(s) | Librarian, antiquary, journalist |
| Employer | Manchester Guardian |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 4 |
William Edward Armytage AxonFRSL (13 January 1846 – 27 December 1913) was an English librarian,antiquary and journalist for theManchester Guardian. He contributed to theDictionary of National Biography under his initials W. E. A. A. He was also a notablevegetarianism activist.
Axon was born inChorlton-on-Medlock, Manchester, on 13 January 1846. He was the illegitimate child of Edward Armytage, a clothing manufacturer, and Lydia Whitehead, a 15 year old servant girl in his household. He was later adopted by the Axon family and took on their surname. His adoptive family faced financial struggles, and his fragile health kept him from attending regular school. Instead, he gained literacy skills from his adoptive sisters and a Baptist Sunday school inHulme. From a young age, he displayed a remarkable ability to absorb knowledge, an extraordinary memory, and a deep love of books and learning.[1]
Axon was best known as an antiquary and a bibliographer, but his interests were extremely varied. As honorary secretary of the Manchester and Salford Sunday Society he took a prominent part in the agitation for the opening of theManchester libraries on Sunday. Axon had begun life as a boy in the Manchester Reference Library, and was early drawn to literary pursuits. Later he wrote much on the folklore and historical associations of Lancashire and Cheshire, and theantiquaries of these counties made him their president. Besides this, as a member of the English Dialect Society Axon wrote many tales and sketches illustrating the dialect and customs of the county in which he lived.
Axon was also the author ofCobden as a Citizen in 1907. He published his study ofAnna Jane Vardill's poem that was a sequel to Coleridge's poemChristabel in 1908. It was claimed that she had not written it but based on new evidence he was able to assure theRoyal Society of Literature that the poem had been written by her.[2]
Axon for 30 years was on the literary staff of theManchester Guardian, and for his general literary work was distinguished by theUniversity of Manchester, which conferred on him the honorary degree ofMaster of Arts in 1913. He was aFellow of the Royal Society of Literature, an honoraryLL.D. ofWilberforce University, and contributed articles to theEncyclopædia Britannica,Dictionary of National Biography,American Encyclopædia, andNotes and Queries.[3]
Axon was an ardentvegetarian and member of the Anti-Tobacco League.[3] He has been described as a "leading figure of the vegetarian movement."[4] He served as vice-president and honorary secretary of theVegetarian Society,[5] as well as treasurer.[6] He served as president from 1911 to 1913.[note 1]
Axon contributed articles on thehistory of vegetarianism to John Harvey Kellogg'sGood Health journal. He was editor of theVegetarian Messenger.[7] He wrote thepreface for the 1884 edition of Percy Bysshe Shelley'sA Vindication of Natural Diet.[8] He also authoredShelley's Vegetarianism, in 1891. HistorianIna Zweiniger-Bargielowska has noted that "Axon abhorred cruelty to animals and the degrading work of the 'slaughterman, reeking with blood and striking to death with remorseless blows a creature that shares with him the gift of life".[9]
Axon served on the provisional committee of theHumanitarian League.[10] In 1912, the League's Manchester branch was formed with support from Axon.[11]
Axon married Jane Woods in 1866; they had three children. After her death in 1899, he married Setta Lueft; they had one child.[1] Axon's second wife died in 1910.[1]
Axon was a teetotaller and a member of theBible Christian Church.[12]
Axon was elected to membership of theManchester Literary and Philosophical Society on 3 November 1874[13]
Axon died at home on 27 December 1913 and was buried at St Paul's Church inKersal, Manchester.[1]
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This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain: "Obituary: Dr. William Edward Armytage Axon",The Times (1913)
| Professional and academic associations | ||
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| Preceded by Ernest Frederick Letts | President of theLancashire and Cheshire Antiquarian Society 1903–04 | Succeeded by Henry Taylor |
