A dedicated lexicographer and philologist from Scotland, who becomes the third editor of the OED; he establishes a unique friendship with Minor through their shared intellectual pursuits.

An English philologist known for his unorthodox lifestyle and his role as the second editor of the OED; he played a pivotal part in connecting James Murray with the dictionary project.

An eminent English writer and lexicographer known for his influential work, A Dictionary of the English Language, which set the standard for future English dictionaries, including the OED.

An Irish cleric and philologist who helped lay the groundwork for the OED by proposing a novel collaborative approach, involving unpaid contributors to compile the dictionary.

The first editor of the OED, noted for being the grandson of poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge, whose tenure was cut short by his early death.

A worker at the Red Lion Brewery in London who was tragically killed, an event central to the life of William Chester Minor.