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Wilfrid Voynich is perhaps best remembered for
his association with the strange - and still incomprehensible -
document that now bears his name. However his life, even from the
limited information readily available, is far more curious than
might be expected.
Early years
He was born Michał Habdank-Wojnicz, into a
Polish-Lithuanian noble family in what was then the Russian empire.
He studied at Krakow University, acquiring several degrees - to the
level of doctorate - and a knowledge of many European languages,
being able to write to publication level in a number of them. He
became a revolutionary nationalist, using the name Wilfryd.
Following an attempt to free some fellow conspirators from a Warsaw
prison, he was arrested and was sent, in 1886, to Siberia from which
he escaped in 1890, taking six months to leave Russian territory,
ending up in London. His career so far bears some parallels to other
revolutionaries and activists in the Russian empire.
In 1893 he married, a fellow revolutionary,
Ethel Lilian Boole (daughter of the mathematician, and the feminist
Mary Everest, who was a niece of the eponymous Sir George Everest).
Their continued revolutionary activities drew the attention of
William Melville (later to form the body which would develop into
MI5). The couple anglicised their surname to Voynich, and Michal
became Wilfred. After a revolutionary associate, Stepniak (who had
also worked with the Italian revolutionary Errico Malatesta), died
in a railway level-crossing accident in West London, the Voynichs
changed direction.
Ethel Lilian became a successful novelist, and
translator, probably best known for 'The Gadfly' seemingly in part
based on her relationship with Sidney Reilly. Wilfrid became an
antiquarian book dealer: apparently selecting this career on the
recommendation of an acquaintance at the British Library, whom he
had asked for guidance. The choice proved successful, with bookshops
in London (1898) and New York (1914), and many travels in Europe and
the US to make acquisitions, of incunabula and later works. He
became a noted medieval scholar and wrote bibliographical works in
many languages, including 'books of which his was the only known
printed example' and 'books not in the possession of the British
Library'.
It proved a successful decision - Wilfrid prospered, wrote
bibliographical and other works in approaching twenty languages, and
became a noted medieval scholar. In 1916 he was involved in the
return of a book, which he had acquired in good faith, being one of
the volumes appropriated from Peterborough Cathedral Library several
years earlier by John Edward Tinkler, another noted book dealer.
Tinkler, who had dubious associates and pursuits of long standing,
had been sentenced in connection with the thefts in 1912. Generously
Voynich returned the book, despite its cost.
Code-breaking
A regular visitor to Italy, in 1912 Voynich
visited the Villa Mondragone, at the request of the Jesuits - who
wished to sell some of their books in order to raise funds. Among
the books he acquired was a peculiar volume, of some age and
obviously written in code, and which was to provide him with a more
than contemporary notability.
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