The Lady: Alice and Me

Hugh St Clair tells the real-life story of his greatgrandmother Alice Liddell, who was the inspiration for Alice in Wonderland
"My great-grandmother was Alice in Wonderland. When I tell people, they look rather bemused, but it’s true – Alice Liddell, the inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s enigmatic book, beloved by children and adults alike, was my great-grandmother. Indeed, that chance meeting that Carroll had in the quad at Christ Church College, Oxford with the Liddell children in 1856 has certainly benefited our family – my children were privately educated on money from the sale of ‘Alice’ memorabilia.
Since the book’s publication in 1865, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland has been translated into hundreds of languages and has never been out of print. There have also been countless adaptations in other media, especially theatre and film. The latest, directed by Tim Burton, starts with a young woman who, fearful of the imminent proposal of an eligible (but ridiculous) suitor, escapes into a fantasy world with the mysterious White Rabbit.
Alice was born in 1852, the fourth child of eight surviving children – five girls and three boys. Her father, Henry Liddell, was a distinguished academic, head of Westminster School, then Dean of Christ Church College, Oxford. When the family moved from Westminster to Oxford they got to know the Rev Charles Dodgson (Carroll’s real name) – a shy and stuttering mathematics don, more relaxed in the company of children than adults. An eccentric man, he had an amazing collection of mechanical toys in his rooms and loved dressing up in children’s fancy dress outfits. It was while he was out photographing Christ Church Cathedral that he came across the young Liddell children playing in the Deanery garden. He soon struck up a friendship with the family, becoming a fixture in their lives. He was particularly drawn to Alice...."
Continues at The Lady Magazine
To see a collection of images of ALICE past and present, visit the very smart blog of M.A. Peel or "Emma Peel"