What author does G K Chesterton's essay A Great Man in Tremendous Trifles refer to?

Chesterton was deliberately allusive, but obviously expected his readers to get it. Thus the only thing that obscures this great man's identity is time. I imagine that access to the critical edition of Chesterton's articles in the Daily Mail (ISBN 978-1848932135) would easily clear the matter up, but without it, I am forced to speculate. Given the clues (published author, had a white beard, lived near Dorking, died before 1909), my best guess is

George Meredith.