Samuel Butler (schoolmaster)
Encyclopedia
Samuel Butler FRS
(30 January 1774 – 4 December 1839) was an English
classical scholar and schoolmaster of Shrewsbury
, and Bishop of Lichfield
. His grandson was Samuel Butler (1835–1902), noted author of the novel "Erewhon".
He was born at Kenilworth
. He was educated at Rugby School
, and during 1791 was admitted to St John's College, Cambridge
. Butler's classical career was meritorious. He obtained three of Sir William Browne
's medals, for the Latin (1792) and Greek
(1793, 1794) odes, the medal for the Greek ode in 1792 being won by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
. In 1793 Butler was elected to the Craven scholarship, amongst the competitors being John Keate
, afterwards headmaster of Eton, and Coleridge. In 1796 he was fourth senior optime and senior chancellors classical medallist. In 1797 and 1798 he obtained the members prize for Latin essay. He acquired the degree of BA in 1796, MA in 1799, and DD
in 1811. During 1797 he was elected a fellow of St John's, and in 1798 became headmaster of Shrewsbury school
.
During 1802 he was appointed as clergyman of Kenilworth, during 1807 to a prebendal stall
in Lichfield Cathedral
, and during 1822 to the archdeaconry of Derby; all these appointments he had at the same time as his headmastership, but in 1836 he was promoted to the bishopric of Lichfield
(and Coventry
, which was separated from his diocese during the same year).
It is in association with Shrewsbury school that Butler is chiefly remembered. During his headmastership its reputation increased greatly, and in the standard of its scholarship was as great as any other public school in England. His edition of Aeschylus
, with the text and notes of Stanley
, was published during 1809–1816, and was somewhat severely criticized by the Edinburgh Review
, but Butler was prevented by his appointment to the episcopate from revising it. He also wrote a Sketch of Modern and Ancient Geography (1813, reprinted frequently) for use by schools, and published atlases of ancient and modern geography
. His large library included a fine collection of Aldine editions and Greek and Latin manuscripts. After his death the Aldines were sold by auction, the manuscripts purchased by the British Museum
. Bishop Butler is buried in the church yard of the Collegiate Church
of St Mary the Virgin Shrewsbury - the former parish church of Shrewsbury School.
Butler's life has been published by his grandson Samuel Butler
, author of Erewhon (Life and Letters of Dr Samuel Butler, 1896); see also Baker
's History of St John's College, Cambridge (ed. JEB Mayor
, 1869); Sandys
, Hist. Class. Schol. (ed. 1908), vol. iii. p. 398.
Butler collected some Greek manuscripts (e.g. Minuscule 202
).
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
(30 January 1774 – 4 December 1839) was an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
classical scholar and schoolmaster of Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury School
Shrewsbury School is a co-educational independent school for pupils aged 13 to 18, founded by Royal Charter in 1552. The present campus to which the school moved in 1882 is located on the banks of the River Severn in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England...
, and Bishop of Lichfield
Bishop of Lichfield
The Bishop of Lichfield is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Lichfield in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers 4,516 km² of the counties of Staffordshire, Shropshire, Warwickshire and West Midlands. The bishop's seat is located in the Cathedral Church of the Blessed...
. His grandson was Samuel Butler (1835–1902), noted author of the novel "Erewhon".
He was born at Kenilworth
Kenilworth
Kenilworth is a town in central Warwickshire, England. In 2001 the town had a population of 22,582 . It is situated south of Coventry, north of Warwick and northwest of London....
. He was educated at Rugby School
Rugby School
Rugby School is a co-educational day and boarding school located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, England. It is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain.-History:...
, and during 1791 was admitted to St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college's alumni include nine Nobel Prize winners, six Prime Ministers, three archbishops, at least two princes, and three Saints....
. Butler's classical career was meritorious. He obtained three of Sir William Browne
William Browne
William Browne was an English poet, born at Tavistock, Devon and educated at Exeter College, Oxford; subsequently he entered the Inner Temple....
's medals, for the Latin (1792) and Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
(1793, 1794) odes, the medal for the Greek ode in 1792 being won by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Samuel Taylor Coleridge was an English poet, Romantic, literary critic and philosopher who, with his friend William Wordsworth, was a founder of the Romantic Movement in England and a member of the Lake Poets. He is probably best known for his poems The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Kubla...
. In 1793 Butler was elected to the Craven scholarship, amongst the competitors being John Keate
John Keate
John Keate was an English schoolmaster, and headmaster of Eton College.He was born at Wells, Somerset, the son of Prebendary William Keate, D.D., rector of Laverton, Somerset, and brother of Robert Keate FRCS , Serjeant-Surgeon to King William IV and Queen Victoria.He was educated at Eton and...
, afterwards headmaster of Eton, and Coleridge. In 1796 he was fourth senior optime and senior chancellors classical medallist. In 1797 and 1798 he obtained the members prize for Latin essay. He acquired the degree of BA in 1796, MA in 1799, and DD
Doctor of Divinity
Doctor of Divinity is an advanced academic degree in divinity. Historically, it identified one who had been licensed by a university to teach Christian theology or related religious subjects....
in 1811. During 1797 he was elected a fellow of St John's, and in 1798 became headmaster of Shrewsbury school
Shrewsbury School
Shrewsbury School is a co-educational independent school for pupils aged 13 to 18, founded by Royal Charter in 1552. The present campus to which the school moved in 1882 is located on the banks of the River Severn in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England...
.
During 1802 he was appointed as clergyman of Kenilworth, during 1807 to a prebendal stall
Prebendal stall
A prebendal stall is a seat, usually in the back row of the choir stalls, where a prebendary sits. It was a place of honour for dignitaries who were members of clergy on the staff of a cathedral or collegiate church....
in Lichfield Cathedral
Lichfield Cathedral
Lichfield Cathedral is situated in Lichfield, Staffordshire, England. It is the only medieval English cathedral with three spires. The Diocese of Lichfield covers all of Staffordshire, much of Shropshire and part of the Black Country and West Midlands...
, and during 1822 to the archdeaconry of Derby; all these appointments he had at the same time as his headmastership, but in 1836 he was promoted to the bishopric of Lichfield
Lichfield
Lichfield is a cathedral city, civil parish and district in Staffordshire, England. One of eight civil parishes with city status in England, Lichfield is situated roughly north of Birmingham...
(and Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
, which was separated from his diocese during the same year).
It is in association with Shrewsbury school that Butler is chiefly remembered. During his headmastership its reputation increased greatly, and in the standard of its scholarship was as great as any other public school in England. His edition of Aeschylus
Aeschylus
Aeschylus was the first of the three ancient Greek tragedians whose work has survived, the others being Sophocles and Euripides, and is often described as the father of tragedy. His name derives from the Greek word aiskhos , meaning "shame"...
, with the text and notes of Stanley
Thomas Stanley (author)
Sir Thomas Stanley was an English author and translator.-Life:He was born in Cumberlow, Hertfordshire, the son of Sir Thomas Stanley of Cumberlow, Hertfordshire and his wife, Mary Hammond. Mary was the cousin of Richard Lovelace, and Stanley was educated in company with the son of Edward Fairfax,...
, was published during 1809–1816, and was somewhat severely criticized by the Edinburgh Review
Edinburgh Review
The Edinburgh Review, founded in 1802, was one of the most influential British magazines of the 19th century. It ceased publication in 1929. The magazine took its Latin motto judex damnatur ubi nocens absolvitur from Publilius Syrus.In 1984, the Scottish cultural magazine New Edinburgh Review,...
, but Butler was prevented by his appointment to the episcopate from revising it. He also wrote a Sketch of Modern and Ancient Geography (1813, reprinted frequently) for use by schools, and published atlases of ancient and modern geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
. His large library included a fine collection of Aldine editions and Greek and Latin manuscripts. After his death the Aldines were sold by auction, the manuscripts purchased by the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
. Bishop Butler is buried in the church yard of the Collegiate Church
Collegiate church
In Christianity, a collegiate church is a church where the daily office of worship is maintained by a college of canons; a non-monastic, or "secular" community of clergy, organised as a self-governing corporate body, which may be presided over by a dean or provost...
of St Mary the Virgin Shrewsbury - the former parish church of Shrewsbury School.
Butler's life has been published by his grandson Samuel Butler
Samuel Butler (novelist)
Samuel Butler was an iconoclastic Victorian author who published a variety of works. Two of his most famous pieces are the Utopian satire Erewhon and a semi-autobiographical novel published posthumously, The Way of All Flesh...
, author of Erewhon (Life and Letters of Dr Samuel Butler, 1896); see also Baker
Thomas Baker (antiquarian)
Thomas Baker , English antiquarian, was the grandson of Colonel Baker of Crook, Durham, who won fame in the English Civil War by his defence of Newcastle upon Tyne against the Scots. Thomas was educated at the free school at Durham, and went on to St John's College, Cambridge, where he later...
's History of St John's College, Cambridge (ed. JEB Mayor
John Eyton Bickersteth Mayor
John Eyton Bickersteth Mayor was an English classical scholar.He was born at Baddegama, Sri Lanka , and returned to England to be educated at Shrewsbury School and St John's College, Cambridge....
, 1869); Sandys
John Edwin Sandys
Sir John Edwin Sandys FBA , was a classical scholar.He was born at Leicester on 19 May 1844, a son of the Reverend Timothy Sandys of the Church Missionary Society and Rebecca . Living at first in India, he returned to England at the age of eleven, and was educated at the Church Missionary Society...
, Hist. Class. Schol. (ed. 1908), vol. iii. p. 398.
Butler collected some Greek manuscripts (e.g. Minuscule 202
Minuscule 202
Minuscule 202 , ε 242 , is a Greek minuscule manuscript of the New Testament, on parchment. Paleographically it has been assigned to the 12th century. It has marginalia.- Description :...
).