James Orchard Halliwell (1820-1889) was a biographer of Shakespeare, book collector, antiquarian, and prodigal scholar who completed this important reference work in 1846 at the age of twenty-six. It sold steadily from its first appearance and reached a tenth edition by 1881. In spite of his intelligence and industry, Halliwell's life was dogged with controversy on both personal and professional fronts. His marriage to the daughter of Sir Thomas Phillips did not meet with Phillips' approval, and the young couple was disinherited and placed in financial straits. He was later investigated for book theft from the library of Trinity College, Cambridge, regarding several volumes later sold to the British Museum, but no charges were ever filed and Halliwell was able to clear his name. Later disputes arose over Halliwell's views concerning the authenticity of various Shakespeare editions. His quarrel with the authorities at Stratford-on-Avon led to his decision not to bequeath his important personal Shakespeare collection to their library; instead, it was sold to a buyer in the United States upon Halliwell's death. [DNB]