Philip Lyttelton Gell (1852–1926) was a British editor for

Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the publishing house of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world. Its first book was printed in Oxford in 1478, with the Press officially granted the legal right to print books ...

between 1884 and 1896 and President of the British South Africa Company between 1920–1923. Lyttelton Gell was a friend of Alfred Lord Milner, and corresponded frequently with

Henry Birchenough Sir John Henry Birchenough, 1st Baronet, (7 March 1853 – 12 May 1937) was an English businessman and public servant. Early life and education Birchenough was born in Macclesfield, Cheshire, the second son of John Birchenough, a silk manufa ...

and other board members of the

British South Africa Company The British South Africa Company (BSAC or BSACo) was chartered in 1889 following the amalgamation of Cecil Rhodes' Central Search Association and the London-based Exploring Company Ltd, which had originally competed to capitalize on the expecte ...

. The Derbyshire record office contains correspondence relating to Gell's involvement with the BSAC as Director (1899–1917, 1923–1925), Chairman (1917–1920) and President (1920–1923). He was Chairman of Toynbee Hall, Whitechapel, from 1884 to 1896. Through his mother, he was the grandson of Admiral

John Franklin Sir John Franklin (16 April 1786 – 11 June 1847) was a British Royal Navy officer, explorer and colonial administrator. After serving in the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812, he led two expeditions into the Northern Canada, Canadia ...

. He supported the co-operative movement and the

Liberal Unionist Party The Liberal Unionist Party was a British political party that was formed in 1886 by a faction that broke away from the Liberal Party. Led by Lord Hartington (later the Duke of Devonshire) and Joseph Chamberlain, the party established a political ...

, and was a literary executor of Benjamin Jowett (1817–1893), Master of Balliol College. The part of Philip Lyttelton Gell was played by Laurence Fox in the 2019 film The Professor and the Madman, with

Mel Gibson Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson (born January 3, 1956) is an American actor and filmmaker. The recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Mel Gibson, multiple accolades, he is known for directing historical films as well for his act ...

in the role of Dictionary Murray.

References

British South Africa Company Oxford University Press people British editors 1926 deaths 1852 births {{UK-business-bio-1850s-stub