In 1871, Minor went to London for a change of pace to help his mental condition. Minor graduated in 1863 with a medical degree and a specialization in comparative anatomy. Minor gives Murray 1,000 slips and offers to take on the most elusive words by providing his address as Crowthorne. - James Murray: The more impossible, the greater the love. The movie rights for the book were bought by Mel Gibson's Icon Productions in 1998. Minor began sending money on a regular basis to her and her children. He died in 1920 in Hartford, Connecticut after being moved in 1919 to the Retreat for the Elderly Insane there. While incarcerated, Minor became an important contributor to the Oxford English Dictionary: he was one of the project's most effective volunteers, reading through his large personal library of antiquarian books and compiling quotations that illustrated the way particular words were used. He subsequently enrolled at Yale Medical School, supporting himself during his years as a medical student with part-time … Minor's life came to … How Dr William Chester Minor, an American surgeon convicted of murder in Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asyluman and how, for around 20 years, … A court found Minor not guilty on the grounds of insanity and sentenced him to the Asylum for the Criminally Insane. After the end of the American Civil War, Minor saw duty in New York City. He died in 1920 in Hartford, Connecticut, after being moved in 1919 to the Retreat for the Elderly Insane there.[15]. And in the telling, it is tempting to forget that the circumstances that placed William Chester Minor in the position in which he was able to contribute all his time and energy to the making of the OED began with his horrible and unforgivable commission of a murder. To the shock of widow Eliza Merrett … He subsequently enrolled at Yale Medical School, supporting himself during his years as a medical student with part-time employment as an instructor at the Russell Academy and as an assistant on the 1864 revision of Webster's Dictionary,[3] then in preparation at Yale under the supervision of Noah Porter. [2] At age 14, he was sent to the United States, where he lived with relatives in New Haven while attending Russell Military Academy. ... so the scriptwriters have Eliza and Minor fall in love in an unlikely subplot that wildly extrapolates from Winchester’s conjecture. Merrett had been on his way to work to support his family of six children, himself, and his pregnant wife, Eliza. Eliza returns to thank Minor. William Chester Minor, also known as W. C. Minor (June 22, 1834 – March 26, 1920), was an American army surgeon, psychiatric hospital patient and lexicographical researcher. [16] In August 2016, it was announced that Farhad Safinia was to direct an adaptation, called The Professor and the Madman, starring Mel Gibson as Murray and Sean Penn as Minor. [11] He became one of the project's most effective volunteers, reading through his large personal library of antiquarian books and compiling quotations that illustrated the way particular words were used. Almost no learning curve. Once they kiss, the former surgeon castrates himself and his illness starts taking over. Thomas and Sarah were the parents of two daughters: He settled in Lambeth, an area in south London that afforded him “easy access to easy women.”  Minor’s paranoia followed him across the pond. He was accepted by the Union Army as a surgeon and may have served at the Battle of the Wilderness in May 1864, which was notable for the terrible casualties suffered by both sides. In 1868 Minor was diagnosed as “delusional” and was considered a suicide and homicide risk. Minor felt truly sorry for his crime, and after almost ten years of institutionalization he asked permission to pay some restitution to Merrett’s widow, Eliza. In 1899 Murray paid compliment to Minor’s enormous contributions to the dictionary, stating, “we could easily illustrate the last four centuries from his quotations alone.”. Four characters centered around; the character of Professor James Murray, played by Mel Gibson and his wife Ada Murray, played by Jennifer Ehle and Dr. William Chester Minor, played by Sean Penn and the wife of the murdered Eliza Merrett, played by Natalie Dormer. [14] His health continued to worsen and, after Murray campaigned on his behalf, Minor was released in 1910 on the orders of the then Home Secretary, 35 year-old Winston Churchill. William Chester Minor opened his eyes and gazed sleepily at the figure of a man looming over the foot of his bed. William Chester Minor, also known as W. C. Minors (June 1834 – March 26, 1920) was an American army surgeon who, later, was one of the largest contributors of quotations to the Oxford English Dictionary. His parents were Congregational church missionaries from New England. Join 1000s of subscribers and receive the best Vintage News in your mailbox for FREE, Police arrest a 72-year-old “suburban grandfather” suspected of being the Golden State Killer, “I’m not dead yet”: some Buddhist monks followed self-mummification, Project Azorian: Howard Hughes’ secret mission, 1960s U.S. satellite that started transmitting again in 2013, The “Walk of Shame” in Game of Thrones historical inspiration, The only unsolved skyjacking case in U.S. history might have a break, Kurt Gödel became too paranoid to eat and died of starvation, “Little Ease”: One of the most feared torture devices in the Tower of London, The humble English girl who became Cora Pearl, Walt Disney softened the original Snow White story. William Chester Minor. Eliza’s role in the story, especially as she became a crucial figure in Minor’s life and potential redemption, required she have her own theme. The film ‘The Professor and the Madman’ starring Mel Gibson as Dr Murray and Sean Penn as Dr Minor, has the Eliza-Dr Minor relationship as a love affair, and Simon Winchester himself hints of this towards the end of the book when he describes the self- mutilation of Dr Minor as a regret for his sexual feeling or activity with Eliza. - Dr. William Chester Minor: The impossible. There are two important women in this book, Eliza Merrett was the wife of the man Dr.William Chester Minor killed at the beginning of the book, Ada Murray was the wife of James Murray. After a brief stint at Knight General Hospital in New Haven he joined the Union Army. Media related to William Chester Minor at Wikimedia Commons, American surgeon, dictionary contributor, and psychiatric patient, Move to England and conviction for murder. Broadmoor Hospital is a high-security psychiatric hospital at Crowthorne in Berkshire, England. He was deported back to the United States and resided at St. Elizabeths Hospital where he was diagnosed with dementia praecox. Easily create colorful mind maps to print or share with others. Dr. William Chester Minor (Penn) chases a man on a cobblestone street, pulls out his revolver and shoots him dead in front of his wife and six children. He was often visited by the widow of the man he had killed, and she provided him with further books. Sarah (born May 21, 1840, in Pennsylvania; died June 11, 1931, in Seattle) was the daughter of William Montgomery and Eliza Moorhead. Moreover, it is unlikely Minor was present at the Battle of the Wilderness, which took place May 5–7, 1864, since his military records place him at Knight USA Hospital in New Haven at that time and do not show him arriving at 2 Division Hospital USA at Alexandria, Virginia, until May 17.[7]. During an episode in London, Minor killed an innocent stranger, George Merrett. After a pre-trial period spent in London's Horsemonger Lane Gaol, Minor was found not guilty by reason of insanity and incarcerated at the asylum in Broadmoor in the village of Crowthorne, Berkshire. He subsequently attended Yale Medical School, graduating with a degree and a specialization in comparative anatomy in 1863. Haunted by his paranoia, he fatally shot a man named George Merrett, whom Minor wrongly believed to have broken into his room, on February 17, 1872. The compilers of the dictionary published lists of words for which they wanted examples of usage. It was probably through his correspondence with the London booksellers that he heard the call for volunteers from what was to become the Oxford English Dictionary (OED). He was willingly admitted to the Government Hospital for the Insane in Washington, D.C. (known as St. Elizabeth’s Hospital) and officially retired from the U.S. Army. Minor's tale is told in Simon Winchester's 1998 book The Surgeon of Crowthorne She agreed to accept some money from her husband’s killer, and she visited Minor at Broadmoor. The correspondence between Minor and Murray continues. Minor has a pension from his time in the U.S. Army. [12][13], Minor's condition deteriorated and in 1902, due to delusions that he was being abducted nightly from his rooms and conveyed to places as far away as Istanbul and forced to commit sexual assaults on children, he cut off his own penis (autopenectomy) using a knife he had employed in his work on the dictionary. He was portrayed by Bob Odenkirk. He had numerous half-siblings, among them Thomas T. Minor, mayor of Seattle, Washington. Minor would acquire books, so many over time that one room was converted to a library. As he had his US Army pension and was not judged dangerous, he was given rather comfortable quarters and was able to buy and read books. The Eliza Theme is relatively understated, a series of elegant intervals placed delicately in the mix by a solo harp and small woodwind … Minor’s condition deteriorated and in 1902, due to delusions that he was being abducted nightly from his rooms and taken to places as far away as Istanbul and forced to commit sexual assaults on children, he cut off his own penis (autopeotomy) using a knife he had employed in his work on the dictionary. Affected by paranoid delusions, he was committed to a London psychiatric hospital from 1872 to 1910 after he shot a man whom he believed to have broken into his room. Source by Andrew Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0. It is the best known of the three high-security psychiatric hospitals in England, the other two being Ashworth and Rampton. Dr. William Chester Minor arrived in Crowthorne, Berkshire on 17th April 1872, passing through the forbidding gates of Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum to begin an incarceration that lasted 38 troubled years. Asylum for Criminal Lunatics, Broadmoor, Printed in London News 1867. That’s most acutely felt whenever Minor is visited by Eliza Merrett (Natalie Dormer), the widow of his victim, whom he financially supports as an act of … Synopsis. The violent collision of these three lives and the unforeseeable, intertwining consequences of what happened in Belvedere Road on that frosty morning in mid-February 1872 are the substance of Mark Bunyan’s dramatic musical theatre creation Defining Dr Minor . Minor was born in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), the son of Eastman Strong Minor and his first wife, Lucy Bailey. Haunted by his paranoia, he fatally shot a man named George Merrett, who Minor believed had broken into his room, on February 17, 1872. In July 1915, the Washington D.C. Sunday Star published a “sensationalized” story beginning with the line “American Murderer Helped Write Oxford Dictionary.”[1] The book The Surgeon of Crowthorne (published in America as The Professor and the Madman), by Simon Winchester, was published in 1998 and chronicles both Minor's later life and his contributions to the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary. Minor married Sarah Montgomery on August 20, 1872, in Oregon. He was often visited by the widow of the man he had killed, and she provided him with further books. When he learns that Eliza, the widow of his victim, cannot read, he establishes a friendship with … His health continued to worsen, and after Murray campaigned on his behalf, Minor was released in 1910 on the orders of Home Secretary Winston Churchill. But the point of this note is not to simply establish a (sad) romantic angle between the two. The fates of William Chester Minor and George and Eliza Merrett, however, are well documented. There is an unverified story of Minor also being given the task of punishing an Irish soldier in the Union Army by branding him on the face with a D for "deserter"[4] and that this incident later played a role in Minor's delusions. Source by Dan (mrpolyonymous on Flickr), CC BY 2.0. William Chester Minor, also known as W. C. Minor (June 1834 – March 26, 1920) was an American army surgeon and one of the largest contributors of quotations to the Oxford English Dictionary.He was held in a lunatic asylum at the time. A representative performance at the highest level. He was the primary editor of the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) from 1879 until his death. He had numerous half-siblings, among them Thomas T. Minor, mayor of Seattle, Washington. He devoted most of the remainder of his life to that work. Minor was born on the island of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), the son of Congregationalist Church missionaries from New England. [9][10], It was probably through his correspondence with the London booksellers that he heard of the call for volunteers for what was to become the Oxford English Dictionary (OED). Merrett had been on his way to work to support his family of six children, himself, and his pregnant wife, Eliza. Interestingly, while at the the asylum Minor was frequently visited by the widow of his victim Mrs. Eliza Merrett. William Chester Minor. Haunted by his paranoia, he fatally shot a man named George Merrett, who Minor believed had broken into his room, on February 17, 1872. Professor James Murray begins work compiling words for the first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary in the mid 19th century, and receives over 10,000 entries from a patient at Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum, Dr. William Minor. Each month, William would send money to Eliza and her seven children out of pity and guilt for his crime. My heart is so sick. In 1871, Minor was released, and he visited friends and family before boarding a ship to London, hoping that a change of scenery would cure him. By 1868, his condition had progressed to the point that he was admitted to St. Elizabeths Hospital, a lunatic asylum (as mental hospitals were then called) in Washington, D.C. After 18 months he showed no improvement. Four characters centered around; the character of Professor James Murray, played by Mel Gibson and his wife Ada Murray, played by Jennifer Ehle and Dr. William Chester Minor, played by Sean Penn and the wife of the murdered Eliza … In 1872 he was living in Tenison Street, Lambeth,[8] where once again he took up a dissolute life. A representative performance at the highest level. By 1867, his behavior had come to the attention of the army and he was transferred to a remote post in the Florida Panhandle. He was tried in 1872, found not guilty because of … After serving in the Union Army during the American Civil War, he moved to England. Minor provided these, with increasing ease as the lists grew. Minor was born on the island of Sri Lanka, the son of Congregationalist Church missionaries from New England. About seven years into his confinement, he became genuinely remorseful for killing George Merrett, and formally apologized to his widow, Eliza. He devoted most of the remainder of his life to that work. In return, she brought him library books despite the fact “she was barely literate” (Winchester, 127). William feels as though he has taken Eliza away from George once again, in his death. Early life Minor … St. Elizabeths Hospital opened in 1855 as the first Federally operated psychiatric hospital in the U.S. Housing over 8,000 patients at its peak in the 1950s, the hospital at one point had a fully functioning medical-surgical unit, a school of nursing, and accredited internships and psychiatric residencies. He was held in a lunatic asylum at the time. Murray arrives in Broadmoor undeclared, bringing a fascic minor… He was held in a lunatic asylum for murder at the time. He gives much of his money to support the family of the man he murdered, saving them from penury. Wikipedia/ Public Domain. He was hospitalized and treated in Connecticut, where he died in 1920. Seven of the twenty volumes of the printed version of the second edition of the OED. The book The Surgeon of Crowthorne (published in America as The Professor and the Madman) by Simon Winchester, was … William C. Minor, Acting Assistant Surgeon, USA, Hospital Muster Roll, 2 & 3 Divisions U.S.A General Hospital and Returns, Veterans Records, National Archives, Washington, D.C. Oxford English Dictionary § Early editors, "The Strange Case of the Madman With a Quotation for Every Word", "Mel Gibson, Sean Penn to Star in 'Professor and the Madman' (Exclusive)", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=William_Chester_Minor&oldid=1012852250, United States Army Medical Corps officers, Contributors to the Oxford English Dictionary, History of mental health in the United Kingdom, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using infobox military person with embed, Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the ODNB, Wikipedia articles with PLWABN identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SELIBR identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SUDOC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 18 March 2021, at 17:48. Married Sarah Montgomery on August 20, 1872, in Oregon before the OED duty in New Haven joined. 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