Anthony Oliver John Cockshut (1927 – 5 November 2021), published as A. O. J. Cockshut, was a British academic and writer. He wrote extensively about nineteenth-century English literature and also published books about the history of religious thought. Born in 1927, Cockshut attended

Winchester College Winchester College is an English Public school (United Kingdom), public school (a long-established fee-charging boarding school for pupils aged 13–18) with some provision for day school, day attendees, in Winchester, Hampshire, England. It wa ...

, where he played cricket. He then studied at the

University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...

, where he was awarded an MA and where he was

A. C. Bradley Andrew Cecil Bradley, (26 March 1851 – 2 September 1935) was an English literary scholar, best remembered for his work on Shakespeare. Life Bradley was born at Park Hill, Clapham, then in Surrey but now part of London. His father was the pr ...

Fellow at

Balliol College Balliol College () is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. Founded in 1263 by nobleman John I de Balliol, it has a claim to be the oldest college in Oxford and the English-speaking world. With a governing body of a master and ar ...

from 1950 to 1954. He met his wife, author

Gillian Avery Gillian Elise Avery (30 September 1926 – 31 January 2016) was a British children's novelist, and a historian of childhood education and children's literature. She won the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize in 1972 for ''A Likely Lad.'' It w ...

, in 1951 when they were both in Oxford. They married in 1952 at the Church of SS Gregory and Augustine in North Oxford. Two years later, they moved to Manchester, where Cockshut taught at

Manchester Grammar School The Manchester Grammar School (MGS) is a highly Selective school, selective Private_schools_in_the_United_Kingdom, private day school for boys aged 7-18 in Manchester, England, which was founded in 1515 by Hugh Oldham (then Bishop of Exeter). ...

. Their daughter was born in 1957. From 1965 to 1994, Cockshut was All Souls G. M. Young Lecturer in English Literature at Oxford University (a position not associated with a fellowship at

All Souls College All Souls College (official name: The College of All Souls of the Faithful Departed, of Oxford) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Unique to All Souls, all of its members automatically become fellows (i.e., full me ...

). He was also a fellow of

Hertford College Hertford College ( ), previously known as Magdalen Hall, is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. It is located on Catte Street in the centre of Oxford, directly opposite the main gate to the Bodleian Library. The colle ...

. Following his retirement as G. M. Young Lecturer, he remained an emeritus fellow of Hertford College. Until 2015, he and his wife continued to live at the same Oxford address where he had lived since 1970. His wife,

, died on 31 January 2016. Cockshut died on 5 November 2021.

Selected publications

Cockshut published extensively on 19th century English literature and also edited editions of 19th century authors. He also wrote on religious thought. *''Anthony Trollope: A Critical Study'' (1955) *''Anglican Attitudes: A Study of Victorian Religious Controversies'' (1959) *''The Unbelievers: English Agnostic Thought, 1840–1890'' (1964) *''Religious Controversies of the Nineteenth Century'' (1966) *''The Achievement of Walter Scott'' (1969) *''Truth to Life: The Art of Biography in the Nineteenth Century'' (1974) *''Man and Woman: A Study of Love and the Novel 1740–1940'' (1977) *''The Novel to 1900'' (editor, 1980) *''The Art of Autobiography in 19th and 20th century England'' (1984) *''Life's Handicap'' by

Rudyard Kipling Joseph Rudyard Kipling ( ; 30 December 1865 – 18 January 1936)''The Times'', (London) 18 January 1936, p. 12. was an English journalist, novelist, poet, and short-story writer. He was born in British Raj, British India, which inspired much ...

(editor, 1987) *'' Miss Mackenzie'' by

Anthony Trollope Anthony Trollope ( ; 24 April 1815 – 6 December 1882) was an English novelist and civil servant of the Victorian era. Among the best-known of his 47 novels are two series of six novels each collectively known as the ''Chronicles of Barsetshire ...

(editor, 1988) *''Memoirs of My Life and Writings'' by

Edward Gibbon Edward Gibbon (; 8 May 173716 January 1794) was an English essayist, historian, and politician. His most important work, ''The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'', published in six volumes between 1776 and 1789, is known for ...

(editor, with

Stephen Constantine Stephen Constantine (born 16 October 1962) is an English professional football coach and former player who is the manager of the Pakistan national football team. Early and personal life Constantine was born on 16 October 1962 in London. He is ...

, 1994) *''Father and Son: A Study of Two Temperaments'' by

Edmund Gosse Sir Edmund William Gosse (; 21 September 184916 May 1928) was an English poet, author and critic. He was strictly brought up in a small Protestant sect, the Plymouth Brethren, but broke away sharply from that faith. His account of his childhood ...

(editor, 1994) *''Praeterita'' by

John Ruskin John Ruskin (8 February 1819 20 January 1900) was an English polymath a writer, lecturer, art historian, art critic, draughtsman and philanthropist of the Victorian era. He wrote on subjects as varied as art, architecture, Critique of politic ...

(editor, 1994)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cockshut, A. O. J. 20th-century English writers People educated at Winchester College 1927 births 2021 deaths Fellows of Balliol College, Oxford Fellows of Hertford College, Oxford British academics of English literature Alumni of the University of Oxford Teachers at Manchester Grammar School