GRESWELL, EDWARD (1797–1869), chronologist, son of the Rev. William Parr Greswell [q. v.], was born at Denton,near Manchester, on 3 Aug. 1797, and educated by his father and at the Manchester grammar school. He matriculated at Brasenose College, Oxford, on 5 April 1815, and was elected scholar of that college in the same year. Early in 1816 he obtained the `Lancashire' scholarship at Corpus Christi College, and graduated B.A. in 1819, M.A. in 1822, and B.D. in 1830. He was ordained deacon in 1825, and priest in 1826, and held the office of college tutor from 1822 to 1834. He was fellow of Corpus Christi College from 1823 until his death in 1869, Latin reader in 1824, junior dean 1825, Greek reader 1827, librarian 1830, and vice-president of his college from 1840 to 1869. He took part in the disputes at Oxford about 1836 in connection with Dr. Hampden's appointment to the regius professorship of divinity, and published a `Letter to his Grace the Duke of Wellington, Chancellor of the University,' on the subject (Oxford, 1837). Otherwise his life at the university was spent uneventfully in the performance of his academical duties and the systematic prosecution of his studies. He died on 29 June 1869.
His works include several of high value and usefulness, the 'Harmony of the Gospels' having long been used as a text-book. He published: 1. 'Dissertations upon the Principles and Arrangement of a Harmony of the Gospels,' Oxford, 1830, 8vo, 3 vols. 2. 'Harmonia Evangelica,' 1830, 1837, 1840; 5th edit. 1855. 3. 'Joannis Miltoni Fabulæ, Samson Agonistes et Comus Græcè,' 1832, 8vo. 4. Supplementary dissertations on the 'Harmonies,' 1834. 5. 'An Exposition of the Parables, and of other parts of the Gospels,' 1834-5, 6 vols. 8vo. 6. 'Prolegomena ad Harmoniam Evangelicam,' 1840. 7. 'Fasti Temporis Catholici and Origines Kalendariæ: History of the Primitive Calendar, Part 1,' 1852, 4 vols. 8vo. 8. `General Tables of the Fasti Catholici, or Fasti Temporis Perpetui, from B.C. 4004 to A.D. 2000,' 1852, 4to. 9. `Supplementary Tables and Introduction to the Tables of the Fasti Catholici,' 1852, 8vo. 10. `Origines Kalendariæ Italicæ,' 1854, 4 vols. 11. 'Origines Kalendariæ Hellenicæ, 6 vols. 1861, 8vo. 12. `The Three Witnesses and the Threefold Cord; being the testimony of the Natural Measures of Time, of the Primitive Civil Calendar, and of Antediluvian and Postdiluvian Tradition, on the Principal Questions of Fact in Sacred and Profane Antiquity,' 1862, 8vo. 13. `The Objections to the Historical Character of the Pentateuch in Part I of Dr. Colenso's "Pentateuch and Book of Joshua," considered and shewn to be unfounded,' London, 1863. 14. 'The Zulus and the Men of Science,' London, 1865. He also printed for private circulation a translation into Greek iambics of three hymns by Bishop Ken, 1831, and a hymn of praise in English.
[J. F. Smith's Register of Manchester School (Chetham Soc.), iii. 79; Foster's Alumni Oxonienses; Brit. Mus. Cat.]
GRESWELL, RICHARD (1800–1881), 're-founder of the National Society,' born at Denton, Lancashire, on 22 July 1800, the fourth son of the Rev. William Parr Greswell [q. v.], was educated first by his father, and afterwards at Worcester College, Oxford, on the foundation of which college he was placed on 1 June 1818. In 1822, having gained a 'double-first,' he was appointed assistant tutor of Worcester, and in the next year full tutor, an office he retained for thirty years. He became fellow in June 1824. He graduated B.A. in 1822, M.A. in 1825, and B.D. in 1836. As a tutor he was learned and skilful, and his lectures were considered models in their way. For many years he devoted the proceeds of his tutorship to public and charitable objects, his personal expenses being defrayed from a modest fortune brought by his wife, Joana Julia Armitriding, whom he married in 1836. In 1843 he opened a subscription on behalf of national education, with a donation of 1,000l., and ultimately raised 250,000l. for the funds of the National Society. He was largely instrumental in establishing the new museum at Oxford, and was one of the founders of the Ashmolean Society. From 1847 to 1865 he acted as chairman of Mr. Gladstone's election committee at Oxford. He was a great benefactor to his father's parish of Denton, and by his exertions a new church, called Christ Church, was built and provided with parsonage, schools, and endowment (1853). Many kindly and beneficent acts are related of Greswell, whose 'chief characteristics were great and varied learning, boundless benevolence, and a childlike simplicity' (Burgon, Lives, ii. 118). His only publications were a paper 'On Education and the Principles of Art,' 1843, and a 'Memorial on the Proposed Oxford University Lecture-rooms, Library, Museums, &c.,' 1853. He died at Oxford on 22 July 1881, aged exactly 81 years. His daughter, Joanna Julia Greswell, published at Oxford in 1873 a 'Grammatical Analysis of the Hebrew Psalter.'
[Burgon's Lives of Twelve Good Men, 1888, ii. 93; Crockford's Clerical Directory, 1881; Foster's Alumni Oxon. ii. 564; Booker's Denton (Chetham Soc.), 1855.]
