John Morley was born in Blackburn in 1838; his father was a moderately successful doctor and his mother a member of a family of small-scale ship owners. Largely forgotten now, he was, at the height of his success, considered one of the greatest essayists of his generation. He showed early promise, and in 1856 won an open scholarship to Lincoln College, Oxford. There he became quickly involved in the intellectual life of Oxford, his brilliance and vivacity winning him many admirers. Amongst the friendships he made was one with James Cotter Morison, a positivist, who introduced him to the work of Carlyle and Emerson. Morley's life can often seem like one in which he sought out masters to follow, only to move onto another when he found …
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Citation: Nixon, Mark. "John Morley, first Viscount Morley of Blackburn". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 30 June 2002 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=4910, accessed 25 November 2024.]
