Person    | Male  Born 4/4/1828  Died 6/8/1889

William Ralston Shedden-Ralston

Categories: Law, Museums / Libraries

Countries: Russia

William Ralston Shedden-Ralston

Born York Terrace, Regent’s Park. His strange name seems to be the result of his father's near-illegitimacy and subsequent extensive litigation. Librarian, folklorist and Russian scholar. He graduated as a lawyer but never practiced. He joined the department of printed books at the British Museum in 1853. Self- taught in Russian he translated and promoted the works of Turgenev. He succumbed to depression in later life and spoke of committing suicide. He was found at his home, 11 North Crescent . . . Dead with a rubberised sheet over his head and a bottle of chloroform in his hand, but the coroner returned a verdict of misadventure.

Credit for this entry to: Alan Patient of www.plaquesoflondon.co.uk

This section lists the memorials created by the subject on this page:
William Ralston Shedden-Ralston

Creations i

Rossetti fountain

Unveiled by William Holman Hunt. There must have been a committee to erect th...

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Other Subjects

125 deaths on Tower Hill

125 deaths on Tower Hill

Wikipedia lists only 36 (in 2011).  Most of the victims that we have researched are recorded as having been beheaded but A London Inheritance, quoting John Stow (c. 1598), refers to "a large scaffo...

Group, Execution, Law

1 memorial
Edgar Fay

Edgar Fay

Judge. Son of Sir Sam Fay.  He conducted inquiries into the collapse of the Crown Agents and the Munich air crash. The Telegraph have a photo.

Person, Law

1 memorial
Lord Denman

Lord Denman

Thomas Denman was born on 23 February 1779 in London, the eldest son of Dr Thomas Denman (1733-1815) and Elizabeth Denman née Brodie (1746-1833). His life is described in his Wikipedia page which ...

Person, Law

1 memorial
Old Watch House - E17

Old Watch House - E17

Before an effective police force was established each local council or vestry organised their own watchmen. The watch house was where they would hold prisoners before they appeared in court. Like t...

Building, Law, Property

1 memorial
Hackney parish watch house

Hackney parish watch house

A watch house was an early form of police station and prison. Criminals were held here temporarily.

Place, Law

1 memorial