Paul Allardyce

Paul Allardyce was the pen name of George Paul Macdonell (1855–1895), a British barrister-at-law of Lincoln's Inn who also wrote professionally. He is remembered in particular for publishing under this pseudonym, which appears on editions of Stops; or, How to Punctuate.

That book, first published in the 1880s, was designed as a practical handbook for writers and students. Its lasting reputation comes from its straightforward, useful approach: instead of treating punctuation as a dry set of rules, it explains how marks on the page help make meaning clear.

Macdonell also contributed articles to the Dictionary of National Biography. Confirmed biographical details available online are fairly limited, so the surviving picture is of a Victorian legal professional and man of letters whose most familiar legacy is a readable guide to better writing.