Lewis Carroll
by Monika Grbesa and Rose Yousiph

Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (to be later known as ‘Lewis Carroll’) was born on the 27th of January, 1832, in Daresbury, Cheshire (Smith, 2023), and he was the eldest of eleven children to Frances and Charles Dodgson. At an early age, Dodgson’s parents provided him lessons in reading and writing, scripture, classical languages and mathematics (Wakeling, 2014, p.6). His father’s teachings in mathematics enabled Dodgson to develop a high aptitude for the subject; he also showed promise in his writings of comedic poetry (Smith 2023). Dodgson began his formal education in 1844 at a grammar school in Yorkshire (Smith, 2023). During vacations, Dodgson would assist his father with teaching at local schools and continued to write poetry and stories, producing his first magazine in 1845 for his sibling’s education (Poetry Foundation, 2026). Upon completion of his tertiary studies in 1854, Dodgson accomplished the highest ever distinction in undergraduate mathematics, securing him a fellowship with an annual stipend and lifetime accommodation at Christ Church College, Oxford (Smith, 2023). During this time, Dodgson’s writing gained attention through his publication of comic verse in newspapers and magazines; he published his first work under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll, an anagram of the Latinised versions of his first and middle names (Smith, 2023). In 1856, while working as a mathematics lecturer and a Don at Christ Church College, Dodgson befriended Henry Liddell, the new Dean of the Oxford college, with whom he developed a close relationship (Christ Church, University of Oxford, 2025). On 4th July, 1862, Dodgson took Liddell’s three daughters for a boating trip on the River Thames, during which he invented a story which would later become his critically acclaimed Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (Smith, 2023). Liddell’s eldest child, Alice, who was nine years old, later persuaded Dodgson to develop and write down the story for her; she became a key inspiration for the novel's main character. It took him until February 1863 to finish the story, as he wrote it entirely in neatly printed letters, which were easier for Alice to read (British Library, n.d., para. 1). After several revisions, the novel was published on 26th November 1865, gaining major popularity from adults and children of all ages. After the death of his father, Dodgson came to Guildford in search of a suitable residence for his six unmarried sisters, for whom he was responsible as the man of the house (Guildford.org.uk, n.d., para. 5). Due to the significant profit from his first novel, he was able to purchase a house called ‘The Chestnuts’ in October of 1868. Even in his later years, Dodgson continued to travel between Christ Church and Guildford, spending subsequent Christmases with his sisters at the residence (Exploring Surrey’s Past, 2024). There, he finished his final work, Through the Looking Glass which was published in 1871, before passing away from a bronchial infection in 1898 (Smith, 2023).

Images: Lewis Carroll albumen print, 2 June 1857. NPG P7(26). © National Portrait Gallery, London. Creative Commons licenced. John Tenniel, Alice Holding the 'Drink me' bottle. Alicein wonderland.net.