Frederick Henry Marvell Blaydes (29 September 1818 – 7 September 1908) was an English cleric and

classical scholar Classics, also classical studies or Ancient Greek and Roman studies, is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, ''classics'' traditionally refers to the study of Ancient Greek literature, Ancient Greek and Roman literature and ...

Life

He born at Hampton Court Green on 29 September 1818, was third son of Hugh Blaydes (1777–1829) of High Paull, Yorkshire, and of Ranby Hall, Nottinghamshire, J.P. and high sheriff for the latter county; his mother was Delia Maria, second daughter of Colonel Richard Wood of Hollin Hall, Yorkshire. James Blaides of Hull, who married on 25 March 1615 Anne, sister of the poet Andrew Marvell, was a direct ancestor. After his father's death in 1829, Blaydes was sent to a private school at

Boulogne Boulogne-sur-Mer (; ; ; or ''Bononia''), often called just Boulogne (, ), is a coastal city in Hauts-de-France, Northern France. It is a Subprefectures in France, sub-prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Pas-de-Calais. Boul ...

, and then, on 14 September 1831, to

St Peter's School, York St Peter's School is a mixed-sex education, co-educational Private schools in the United Kingdom, private boarding and day school (also referred to as a Public school (United Kingdom), public school), in the English City of York, with extensive ...

, where he became a free scholar in June 1832 and gained an exhibition before matriculating at Oxford, 20 October 1836, as a commoner of Christ Church.

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 ...

, about five months his junior, was already a gentleman commoner there, and

Thomas Gaisford Thomas Gaisford (22 December 1779 – 2 June 1855) was an English classical scholar and clergyman. He served as Dean of Christ Church from 1831 until his death. Early life Gaisford was born at Iford Manor, Wiltshire, the son of John Gaisford ...

was dean. In 1838, Blaydes was elected Hertford scholar and was a student of Christ Church, and in Easter term 1840 was placed in the second class in ''literae humaniores'' along with

George Webbe Dasent Sir George Webbe Dasent, D. C. L. (1817–1896) was a British lawyer, translator of folk tales and contributor to ''The Times''. Life Dasent was born 22 May 1817 at St. Vincent, British West Indies, the son of the attorney general, John Roche D ...

and

James Anthony Froude James Anthony Froude ( ; 23 April 1818 – 20 October 1894) was an English historian, novelist, biographer, and editor of ''Fraser's Magazine''. From his upbringing amidst the Anglo-Catholic Oxford Movement, Froude intended to become a clergym ...

. He graduated B.A. in 1840, proceeding M.A. in 1843. After a long tour through France and Italy in 1840-1, finally spending a week in

Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

, he returned to Oxford in August 1841, and issued an edition of

Aristophanes Aristophanes (; ; ) was an Ancient Greece, Ancient Greek Ancient Greek comedy, comic playwright from Classical Athens, Athens. He wrote in total forty plays, of which eleven survive virtually complete today. The majority of his surviving play ...

' ''

Birds Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class (biology), class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the Oviparity, laying of Eggshell, hard-shelled eggs, a high Metabolism, metabolic rate, a fou ...

'' (1842), with short Latin notes. He was ordained deacon in 1842 and priest in 1843, he accepted the college living of

Harringworth Harringworth is a village and civil parish in North Northamptonshire, England. It is located close to the border with Rutland, on the southern bank of the River Welland, and around north of Corby. At the 2001 census, the population of the pa ...

Northamptonshire Northamptonshire ( ; abbreviated Northants.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It is bordered by Leicestershire, Rutland and Lincolnshire to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshi ...

. Harringworth was Blaydes' home for forty-three years (1843–1886). A staunch 'Protestant,' he joined on 10 December 1850 the deputation from his university which, headed by the Chancellor, the

Duke of Wellington Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they ar ...

, presented an address to

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...

against the 'papal aggression'. But Blaydes' interest and ample leisure were mainly absorbed by classical study. In 1845, he published an edition of a second play of Aristophanes ''

The Acharnians ''The Acharnians'' or ''Acharnians'' (Ancient Greek: ''Akharneîs''; Attic: ) is the third play — and the earliest of the eleven surviving plays — by the Athenian playwright Aristophanes. It was produced in 425 BC on behalf of the young dram ...

''. In 1859, he published in the ''Bibliotheca classica'' three plays of

Sophocles Sophocles ( 497/496 – winter 406/405 BC)Sommerstein (2002), p. 41. was an ancient Greek tragedian known as one of three from whom at least two plays have survived in full. His first plays were written later than, or contemporary with, those ...

. The reception of the book was not altogether favourable, and a difference with the publishers led him to issue separately the four remaining plays with Williams & Norgate. He reckoned that he gave more than twenty years to Sophocles, and, with intervals, more than fifty to Aristophanes. Blaydes resigned his benefice in 1884, and from 1886 lived at

Brighton Brighton ( ) is a seaside resort in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England, south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age Britain, Bronze Age, R ...

. In 1907, he moved to

Southsea Southsea is a seaside resort and a geographic area of Portsmouth, Portsea Island in the ceremonial county of Hampshire, England. Southsea is located 1.8 miles (2.8 km) to the south of Portsmouth's inner city-centre. Southsea began as a f ...

, where he died, retaining his vigour till near the end, on 7 September 1908; he was buried in

Brighton Cemetery Brighton General Cemetery is located in the Melbourne suburb of Caulfield South, Victoria, but takes its name from Brighton, Victoria. History The Cemetery pre-dates the Caulfield Roads Board – the first official recognition of the suburb of ...

Family

Blaydes married first, in 1843, Fanny Maria Page-Turner, one of the co-heiresses of Sir Edward George Thomas Page-Turner, of Ambrosden, Oxfordshire, and Battlesden, Bedfordshire; she was killed in a carriage accident, 21 August 1884, leaving three sons and four daughters. Blaydes' second wife was Emma Nichols.

Works

His works include: *

: ** ''Comedies and Fragments'', with critical notes and commentary (1880-1893) ** ''Clouds'', ''Knights'', ''Frogs, Wasps'' (1873-1878) ** ''Opera Omnia'', with critical notes (1886) *

: ** ''Oedipus Coloneus'' ** ''Oedipus Tyrannus'' ** ''Antigone'' (in the ''Bibliotheca Classica'', 1859) ** ''

Philoctetes Philoctetes ( ''Philoktētēs''; , ), or Philocthetes, according to Greek mythology, was the son of Poeas, king of Meliboea (Magnesia), Meliboea in Thessaly, and Demonassa or Methone (Greek myth), Methone. He was a Greek hero, famed as an archer ...

'' (1870) ** ''Trachiniae'' (1871) ** ''Electra'' (1873) ** ''Ajax'' (1875) ** ''Antigone'' (1905) *

Aeschylus Aeschylus (, ; ; /524 – /455 BC) was an ancient Greece, ancient Greek Greek tragedy, tragedian often described as the father of tragedy. Academic knowledge of the genre begins with his work, and understanding of earlier Greek tragedy is large ...

: ** ''Agamemnon'' (1898) ** ''Choephori'' (1899) ** '' Eumenides'' (1900) * ''Adversaria Critica In Comicorum Graecorum Fragmenta'' (1890) * ''Tragicorum Graec. Frag.'' (1894) * ''In Aeschylum'' (1895) * ''Varios Poetas Graecos et Latinos'' (1898) * ''In Aristophanem'' (1899) * ''In Sophoclem'' (1899) * ''In Euripidem'' (1901) * ''In Herodotum'' (1901) * ''Analecta Comica Graeca'' (1905) * ''Analecta Tragica Graeca'' (1906)

References

Attribution:

Life

Family

Works

References

Further reading