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Archaeologia Cantiana -  Vol. 58  1945  page 92

Obituaries: Andrew George Little, M.A., D.Litt., F.B.A., 1863-1945 continued

   His life was the uneventful one of a scholar who knew exactly what he could do, and how best he could do it. He was the son of the Rev. Thomas Little, rector of Princes Risborough. Educated at Clifton and Balliol College, Oxford, he took a First in Modern History in 1886. During the next two years he was abroad studying palæography at Dresden and Göttingen. Returning to England he worked on his first book, The Grey Friars in Oxford, which he published in 1892. In the following year he married Alice Jane, daughter of William Hart of Fingrith Hall, Blackmore, Essex.
   His academic life began with a lectureship at University College, Cardiff, where he later became Professor of History, but in 1901 he was obliged to resign from the chair owing to his wife's ill health. Shortly afterwards he settled at Sevenoaks, which remained his home until the end of his life. His next appointment was the inspiration of the late Professor Tout, who about 1902 was busy building up at Manchester that school of history which was to play so creative a part in modern English historical studies. Tout saw in Little the ideal teacher of palæography for his post-graduate students, and from 1902 until 1928 Little was engaged upon some of the most interesting and fruitful teaching work of his career.
   Little's interest in Franciscan studies began to be apparent in his earliest papers, and it deepened with the passing of the years. His desire to share his enthusiasm 

with others led him, in 1902, to form the British Society of Franciscan studies, and it was through this association that he did much of his own work, and extended his influence over other scholars. In 1907, the Society became one for the publication of original studies and documents connected with Franciscan history. The last of the Society's publications was issued in 1937. Through all those years Little acted as Chairman of the Committee and general editor of publications, and after the death of his friend Paul Sabatier in 1928 he succeeded him as President. Of the publications which appeared during those years there was hardly one which did not contain something from his pen, either by way of an original contribution, or of collaboration, or editing. His output of scholarly papers, editions of texts, studies, and documents, was notable. Many of them were written by a specialist for specialists, but there were some which reached a wider public. It is unnecessary to list them all, for when the work of the British Society of Franciscan Studies was completed in 1937, some of Little's colleagues, admirers, and friends (and who could meet him and not wish to one!) celebrated the event by presenting him with an address and a bibliography of his writings1, while in 1943 he himself made a collection of those of his scattered
   An Address presented to Andrew George Little, with a bibliography of his writings. Oxford Univ. Press. Privately printed, 1938.

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