William James Craig

William James Craig (6 November 1843 – 23 December 1906) was an editor of Shakespeare's plays who produced the first Oxford Shakespeare for the Oxford University Press.

Early life Craig was born in Macosquin, County Londonderry, Ireland, where his father was an Anglican minister, on 6 November 1843 and he was educated at Portora School, Enniskillen. In 1861 he was admitted to Trinity College, Dublin, graduating BA in 1865 and being awarded his MA in 1870. He remained at Trinity for four further years, as a lecturer in literature and history. From 1877 until 1879 he held the position of Professor of English at University College, Aberystwyth. In 1883 he published his first edition of Shakespeare: the New Shakspere Society's Cymbeline, collated from editions of the First Folio. The complete Oxford Shakespeare followed in December 1891. Although marketed as a "portable" edition, from the fine india paper upon which it was printed, the particular feature of this edition was its "Index of Characters" and a glossary.

Craig died in London on 12 December 1906. He had never married.