During a recent dive into history, I had the uncanny experience of crossing paths with the remarkable Dr. William Chester Minor. At first glance, Dr. Minor seemed like a man of great stature - a skilled surgeon, a war veteran, and an avid bibliophile. But there was more to him than what met the eye - he was also a libertine, a schizophrenic, and, most infamously… a murderer. And yet, from within the walls of a mental asylum, he became one of the most vital contributors to the Oxford English Dictionary. This is the story of my encounter with one of Victorian Era’s most brilliant and troubled minds, and why, despite his crimes, we all owe him a strange debt of gratitude for shaping the very words that we use today.

Minor studied medicine at Yale and became a surgeon in the Union Army during the Civil War. He treated soldiers wounded in brutal battles, earning the rank of Captain. But the horrors of war took their toll, with whispers of an incident where he allegedly ordered a deserter’s face branded. Haunted by what he’d witnessed, Minor sought solace in reckless indulgence, frequenting brothels. His mental state deteriorated, and the Army sent him to an asylum in Washington, D.C., where his demons continued to torment him.

Hoping that a change of place might quiet his demons, Minor moved to London. But the city’s fog and shadows brought no peace. One foggy February night in 1872, paranoia took hold - convinced that an intruder had broken into his room, he grabbed a pistol and fired. The man he shot, George Merrett, was no intruder - just a laborer on his way to work. The courts found Minor not guilty by reason of insanity. Instead of prison, he was sent to Broadmoor Asylum.

As I dug deeper into Minor’s life, I discovered that his 38 years at Broadmoor Asylum were far from ordinary. Despite the confines of his imprisonment, Minor lived relatively comfortably, thanks to his military pension. He had a spacious two-room suite, a personal library, writing materials, and the luxury of uninterrupted correspondence with scholars around the world.

One of the most remarkable connections he forged was with Eliza Merrett. She was the widow of the man Minor had killed. What began as an attempt by Minor to send money to support her seven children blossomed into a unique relationship. Eliza would visit him regularly, bringing books with her at Minor’s request. It is said that it was in one of these books that Minor discovered a newspaper ad calling for volunteers to help with the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary (OED). This was when I encountered Dr. James Murray, the visionary behind the OED and the man who had placed the ad.

Sir Murray, a self-educated knight, had a clear vision of compiling the vast and varied English language into one definitive work. Minor, with his deep love of literature and meticulous mind, became captivated by the idea. He spent his days poring over books - eventually, inventing his own unique method for indexing words, their definitions and their citations. His obsession grew, and soon, Minor became the largest single contributor to the OED, providing thousands of quotations that shaped the dictionary we know today.

💡 A fascinating tidbit…
Minor was the first to define the terms - ‘aneurism’ and ‘frenzy’, drawing on his own medical knowledge and experiences as a surgeon during the Civil War.

After years of receiving invaluable contributions from Minor, Murray finally visited him at Broadmoor. He was struck not only by the depth of his mental anguish but also by the brilliance that still shone through despite it all. The two struck up a warm and friendly connection, and their correspondence continued even after Minor left the asylum and returned to the U.S. Minor passed away in 1920 at the age of 71.

Getting to know Dr. William Chester Minor has been a journey of admiration, shock, awe, and gratitude. It’s not every day we reflect on who defined the words we use, the perseverance behind it, and the unyielding focus of a man who, despite battling mental illness, helped shape the Oxford English Dictionary. Witnessing such dedication in the face of adversity is truly inspiring. Minor’s story lingers long after you hear it, reminding us of the boundless power of the human mind. With this in mind, I look to the future with renewed wonder, eager to uncover the hidden lives and untold stories that have quietly shaped our world.