Arthur Hugh Montagu Butler (23 November 1873 – 28 May 1943) was an English librarian who was librarian at the

House of Lords Library The House of Lords Library is the library and information resource of the House of Lords, the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It provides Members of the House and their staff with books, Parliamentary material and reference ...

from 1914–22.

Early life and education

Butler was born in

Harrow, Middlesex Harrow () is a large town in Greater London, England, and serves as the principal settlement of the London Borough of Harrow. Lying about north-west of Charing Cross and south of Watford, the entire town including its localities had a popul ...

, the second son of academic

Henry Montagu Butler Henry Montagu Butler (2 July 1833 – 14 January 1918) was an English academic and clergyman, who served as headmaster of Harrow School (1860–85), Dean of Gloucester (1885–86) and List of Masters of Trinity College, Cambridge, Master of Tr ...

and his first wife, Georgina Elliot, granddaughter of diplomat Hugh Elliot. His father was headmaster of

Harrow School (The Faithful Dispensation of the Gifts of God) , established = (Royal Charter) , closed = , type = Public schoolIndependent schoolBoarding school , religion = Church of E ...

(1860–85),

Dean of Gloucester The Dean of Gloucester is the head (''primus inter pares'': first among equals) and chair of the chapter of canons - the ruling body of Gloucester Cathedral - and senior priest of the Diocese of Gloucester. The dean and chapter are based at Glouc ...

(1885–86) and

Master Master or masters may refer to: Ranks or titles * Ascended master, a term used in the Theosophical religious tradition to refer to spiritually enlightened beings who in past incarnations were ordinary humans *Grandmaster (chess), National Master ...

Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by Henry VIII, King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any college at either Cambridge ...

(1886–1918). His elder brother was Edward Montagu Butler, who played first-class cricket. After their mother's death, his father remarried

Agnata Frances Ramsay Agnata Frances Butler (née Ramsay; 1867–1931) was a British classical scholar. She was among the first generation of women to take the Classical Tripos examinations at the University of Cambridge, and was the only person to be placed in the ...

. Sir

James Ramsay Montagu Butler Sir James Ramsay Montagu Butler, (20 July 1889 – 1 March 1975) was a British politician and academic. He was a member of parliament for Cambridge University from 1922 to 1923. He was Regius Professor of Modern History at the University of Ca ...

and Sir

Nevile Butler Sir Nevile Montagu Butler (1893–1973) was a British diplomat. Butler was born in 1893 to Henry Montagu Butler and Agnata Frances Ramsay. He was educated at Harrow School and Trinity College, Cambridge. In 1923 he married Oonah Rose McNeile. ...

were his younger half-brothers. Headmaster George Butler was his grandfather, Rev. Canon George Butler his uncle, and

Josephine Butler Josephine Elizabeth Butler (' Grey; 13 April 1828 – 30 December 1906) was an English feminist and social reformer in the Victorian era. She campaigned for women's suffrage, the right of women to better education, the end of coverture ...

his aunt. Butler was educated at Harrow, where he played for the Cricket XI. He and William Francis George Wyndham won the public school

rackets Racket may refer to: * Racket (crime), a systematised element of organized crime ** Protection racket, a scheme whereby a group provides protection to businesses or other groups through violence outside the sanction of the law * Racket (sports equ ...

championship in 1890.

Career

Butler served as a clerk in the

House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the Bicameralism, upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by Life peer, appointment, Hereditary peer, heredity or Lords Spiritual, official function. Like the ...

from 1895–97, and was assistant librarian under

Sandford Arthur Strong Sandford Arthur Strong (10 April 1863 – 18 January 1904) was an English orientalist, art historian and librarian. Life Born in Kensington in 1863, he was the second son of Thomas Banks Strong of the War Office, and his wife, Anna Lawson; hi ...

(1897–1904) and Sir

Edmund Gosse Sir Edmund William Gosse (; 21 September 184916 May 1928) was an English poet, author and critic. He was strictly brought up in a small Protestant sect, the Plymouth Brethren, but broke away sharply from that faith. His account of his childhoo ...

(1904–1914). He succeeded Gosse as librarian in 1914. In addition to his work at the library, Butler also acted as Secretary of Commissions to Lords Chancellors

Robert Reid, 1st Earl Loreburn Robert Threshie Reid, 1st Earl Loreburn, (3 April 1846 – 30 November 1923) was a British lawyer, judge and radical Liberal politician. He served as Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain between 1905 and 1912. Background and education Born in ...

and

Richard Haldane, 1st Viscount Haldane Richard Burdon Haldane, 1st Viscount Haldane, (; 30 July 1856 – 19 August 1928) was a British lawyer and philosopher and an influential Liberal and later Labour politician. He was Secretary of State for War between 1905 and 1912 during wh ...

, as well as Secretary to the Statute Law Revision Committee, 1902–22. Butler oversaw the library alone during the First World War, when his assistant librarian,

Charles Travis Clay Sir Charles Travis Clay (30 July 1885 – 31 January 1978) was an English librarian and antiquarian who was the librarian of the House of Lords Library from 1922 to 1956. Early life and education Clay was born at Rastrick House in Rastrick, near ...

, was serving overseas. After the war, Butler and Clay started the process of creating a new

card catalogue A library catalog (or library catalogue in British English) is a register of all bibliographic items found in a library or group of libraries, such as a network of libraries at several locations. A catalog for a group of libraries is also c ...

for the library's law books as a replacement

Victorian era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardia ...

catalogue. On 18 January 1922, Butler booked a room for himself under a false name at the

Midland Grand Hotel Midland may refer to: Places Australia * Midland, Western Australia Canada * Midland, Albert County, New Brunswick * Midland, Kings County, New Brunswick * Midland, Newfoundland and Labrador * Midland, Ontario India * Midland Ward, Kohima, Naga ...

, St. Pancras. He was found in the bathroom shortly afterwards suffering from a severe wound to the throat in an apparent suicide attempt. He was transferred to

University College Hospital University College Hospital (UCH) is a teaching hospital in the Fitzrovia area of the London Borough of Camden, England. The hospital, which was founded as the North London Hospital in 1834, is closely associated with University College London ...

, where he underwent surgery and recovered. He resigned his position on health grounds that year and was succeeded by Clay as librarian.

Personal life

In 1900, Butler married Margaret Edith, second daughter of Francis Law Latham,

Advocate-General of Bombay The Advocate-General of Bombay was charged with advising the Government of the British administered Bombay Presidency on legal matters. The Presidency existed from 1668 to 1947. Prior to 1858, when it was administered by the East India Company, th ...

, 1884–1893. There had one son and two daughters. He died in 1943 in London.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Butler, Arthur Hugh Montagu 1873 births 1943 deaths People from Harrow, London People educated at Harrow School English librarians Arthur Hugh