The Papers of Oliffe Legh Richmond

Oliffe Legh Richmond (1881-1977) was educated at Eton and King's College, matriculating in 1900. He was elected a Fellow of the College in 1905 and a College Lecturer in 1909. During the First World War he served in the Artists' Rifles and as an Intelligence Officer at the War Office and the Italian Headquarters. In 1919 he was appointed Professor of Humanity (Latin) at Edinburgh University. His ingenious theories about the structure of Propertius' elegies and the system of 'Lettercraft', allegedly used by authors to conceal information in their writing, are now generally discredited.

The papers comprise correspondence, a few items relating to a performance of 'The Birds', lecture notes, and files relating to a student mission in South London and to 'Lettercraft'.

Except as noted, the papers were given in 1977 by David Piper.

Please cite as King's College Archive Centre, Cambridge, The Papers of Oliffe Legh Richmond, OLR

See NM/Housman/AE/4/1 for a book by Housman given to King's College by O L Richmond.