Alexander Gill the Elder facts for kids

Alexander Gill the Elder (born 1565 – died 1635) was an important English scholar and teacher. He is also known as Alexander Gil. He was the headmaster of St Paul's School in London. One of his most famous students was the poet John Milton. Alexander Gill also worked on making English spelling easier to understand.

Life of Alexander Gill

Alexander Gill was born in Lincolnshire, England, on February 7, 1565. He went to Corpus Christi College, Oxford, a famous university. He earned his first degree in 1586 and a master's degree in 1589.

Becoming a Headmaster

In 1608, Alexander Gill became the headmaster of St. Paul's School. This was a very important job. He taught many students there, including the future famous poet, John Milton. Milton was a student at St. Paul's from 1620 to 1625.

His Family

Alexander Gill had two sons, George and Alexander, and a daughter named Annah. His son George later became a priest.

His son, Alexander Gill the Younger, also became a well-known scholar. However, Alexander the Younger once got into trouble with the king's powerful court. He had expressed support for someone who was not liked by King Charles I. Because of this, he faced a very harsh punishment. Luckily, his father, Alexander Gill the Elder, stepped in and spoke to important people. He managed to get his son's punishment reduced.

Alexander Gill the Elder passed away on November 17, 1635, in London. He was buried in Mercers' Chapel.

Alexander Gill's Works

Alexander Gill was interested in how the English language worked. He wrote books about grammar and spelling.

English Grammar Book

One of his main works was a book called Logonomia Anglica. It was published in 1619. This book was an English grammar, but it was written in Latin! In his book, Gill suggested ways to make English spelling more phonetic. This means he wanted words to be spelled more like they sound.

Ideas for Spelling Changes

Some of his ideas for changing English spelling included:

• Bringing back old Anglo-Saxon letters like "eð" (ð) and "þorn" (þ) for the two "th" sounds.
• Using a special letter "eŋ" (ŋ) for the "ng" sound.

Religious Writings

Alexander Gill also wrote two books about religion:

• A Treatise concerning the Trinitie of Persons in Unitie of the Deitie (1601). This book discussed the idea of the Trinity in Christianity.
• Sacred Philosophie of the Holy Scripture (1635). This was a commentary, or explanation, of the Apostles' Creed, which is a statement of Christian beliefs.