Buckley, Theodore Alois William (name thus in Alumni Oxon.; Theodore William Alois Buckley in D.N.B.) I Buckley l,1825-1856, classical scholar, misc. writer, F.S.A. Self-taught from age twelve. Early began reading in British Museum; collected material for edition of Apuleius's De deo Socratis. Became protege of the Greek scholar George Burges, who brought him to attention of patrons of ancient literature. As a result, cost of publishing De deo Socratis, 1844, was defrayed by the Rt. Hon. Thomas Grenville, and Buckley received servitorship to Christ Church, Oxford. Was brilliant Latin student; also had musical ability. B.A. 1849; M.A. 1853. Became one of chaplains of Christ Church. Had recourse to opium (a habit formed in early life) and subsequently to alcohol, supposedly because of disease. Removed to London. Supported himself by writing for periodicals – Eliza Cook's Journal, Sharpe's, the Press, and others; and by working for the booksellers. Translated and edited numerous Greek and Roman classics for Bohn and other publishers; edited Canterbury Tales, Milton's Poetical Works, and other English classics; also various historical and ecclesiastical works. Translated Guizot's Life of Washington. Author of The Great Cities of the Ancient World and other serious works; also of such popular writings as The Boy's First Help to Reading, The Diverting ... Adventures of Mr. Sydenham Greenfinch. 

      Buckley and Dickens were acquainted. Buckley was mentioned by his friend Burges as a H.W. contributor (obit., Gent. Mag., March 1856). His contributions dealt mainly with matters of church and school, usually in story form; his "History of a Certain Grammar-School" [(lead) III, 457-61. Aug. 9, 1851] was a fictionized account of the Robert Whiston case, much in the news at the time (Collins, "Dickens and the Whiston Case," Dickensian, Winter 1962). Dickens found "The Babbleton Book Club" [VI, 129-33. Oct. 23, 1852] very weak – "A kind of imbecile thing that seems to want crutches" (to Wills, Oct. 7, 1852); in "St. Vorax's Singing Birds" [Buckley & W.H.W. VII , 454-56. July 9, 1853] he detected "a gleam of Puseyism ... that I don't like" (to Wills, July 10, 1853: MS Huntington Library). 
      Payment for nine of Buckley's contributions is marked "Advanced." 
                                                                                                                   D.N.B. 

Author: Anne Lohrli; © University of Toronto Press, 1971. 

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography