Charles Harold Herford, FBA (18 February 1853 – 25 April 1931) was an English literary scholar and critic. He is remembered principally for his biography and edition of the works of Ben Jonson in 11 volumes. This major scholarly project was published from 1925 onwards by Oxford University Press, and completed with Percy and Evelyn Simpson. It took half a century, being agreed on in 1902.

Life

He was born in Manchester, and matriculated at Trinity College, Cambridge in 1875, graduating B.A. in 1879, M.A. in 1883. He was Professor at University College of Wales, Aberystwyth from 1887 to 1901, and Professor of English Literature at Victoria University of Manchester from 1901 to 1921. His son Siegfried Herford, a successful mountain climber and aeronautical researcher, was killed in combat in World War I. C. H. Herford died in Oxford on 25 April 1931.

Works