Alice Pleasance Liddell was born in 1852 into an academic household at Oxford. Her father, Henry George Liddell, served as Dean of Christ Church. Alice grew up in an environment shaped by learning, religion, and social order. She was the middle child, with two sisters, Lorina and Edith.
Meeting Lewis Carroll
Alice first met Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, known as Lewis Carroll, on April 25, 1856. Dodgson was photographing Christ Church Cathedral from the garden of the Dean’s residence. Alice and her sisters were introduced during this visit. This meeting marked the beginning of a close connection between Dodgson and the Liddell family.
Dodgson soon became a frequent visitor to the Liddell household. He spent time with the children, took them on walks, and organized outings. Alice and her sisters often posed for his photographs, which focused on childhood expression and posture.
A Story Told on the River
On July 4, 1862, Dodgson and the Reverend Robinson Duckworth took Alice, Lorina, and Edith boating on the River Isis. During a rest along the riverbank, the group stopped for tea under the shade. Alice asked Dodgson to tell them a story.
Dodgson later described how he sent his heroine down a rabbit hole without planning the plot. Alice listened closely and asked him to continue the tale. Her interest shaped the story’s direction as it unfolded.
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From Spoken Tale to Written Book
After the river outing, Alice urged Dodgson to write the story down. He began recording it in manuscript form, shaping it into a complete narrative. On November 26, 1864, he presented Alice with a handwritten and illustrated book titled Alice’s Adventures Under Ground.
The manuscript included drawings by Dodgson himself. It was created as a personal gift, not for publication. The book reflected Alice’s role as both listener and inspiration.
Publication and Public Recognition
In 1865, the story was published as Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. The book reached a wide audience and quickly gained attention. Alice Liddell became permanently linked to the fictional character who shared her name.
By the time Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There appeared, Alice was nearly twenty years old. Her childhood relationship with Dodgson had faded. The sequel marked a clear shift, reflecting distance and change as Alice moved into adulthood.
Marriage and Adult Life
In 1880, Alice married Reginald Hargreaves, an amateur cricket player. She became known as Mrs. Reginald Hargreaves and settled in Lyndhurst, England. Her life followed the pattern of a country household centered on family and social duties.
Alice had three sons. Two of them were killed during World War I. These losses shaped her later years and brought financial strain after her husband’s death.
The Manuscript Auction
In 1928, Alice decided to sell the original Under Ground manuscript to help pay taxes. Sotheby’s handled the auction and set a reserve price well below expectations. The manuscript sold for £15,400, nearly four times the estimate.
The buyer, Eldridge R. Johnson, later displayed the manuscript at Columbia University. The exhibition took place during the centennial of Lewis Carroll’s birth. Alice attended the event at age eighty.
Later Years and Final Rest
During her visit to the United States, Alice met Peter Llewelyn Davies, one of the children who inspired J. M. Barrie’s Peter Pan. After Johnson’s death, the manuscript was purchased by a group of American collectors. They presented it to the British people as a gesture of respect during World War II.
The manuscript now resides in the British Library. After Alice’s death in 1934, she was cremated at Golders Green Crematorium. Her ashes were buried at the churchyard of St Michael and All Angels in Lyndhurst.
A memorial plaque there lists her as Mrs. Reginald Hargreaves. Her personal mirror is displayed at the New Forest Heritage Centre in Lyndhurst, where it remains part of the region’s recorded history.
