Samuel Butler

Who was Samuel Butler?

Samuel Butler FRS was an English classical scholar and schoolmaster of Shrewsbury, and Bishop of Lichfield. His grandson was Samuel Butler, noted author of the novel Erewhon.

He was born at Kenilworth. He was educated at Rugby School, and in 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 and Greek 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. In 1797 he was elected a fellow of St John's, and in 1798 became headmaster of Shrewsbury school.

In 1802 he was appointed as clergyman of Kenilworth, in 1807 to a prebendal stall in Lichfield Cathedral, and in 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.