Cory, William Johnson (1823-1892)

English schoolteacher and poet. His collection of lyrics Ionica was first published anonymously 1858. He wrote skilful Latin and Greek verses, his best-known poem being ‘Heraclitus’, a paraphrase from the Greek poet Callimachus. He also wrote the ‘Eton Boating Song’ 1865.

He was born in Torrington, Devon. Educated at Eton and King's College, Cambridge, of which he became a fellow, he was an assistant master at Eton 1845-72. In 1872 he inherited an estate, assumed the name of Cory (his original name was Johnson), and settled in London.

Extracts from Letters and Journals was edited 1897.