Samuel Henry Butcher DCL LLD
(; 16 April 1850 – 29 December 1910) was an
Anglo-Irish
Anglo-Irish people () denotes an ethnic, social and religious grouping who are mostly the descendants and successors of the English Protestant Ascendancy in Ireland. They mostly belong to the Anglican Church of Ireland, which was the establis ...
classical scholar
Classics or classical studies is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, classics traditionally refers to the study of Classical Greek and Roman literature and their related original languages, Ancient Greek and Latin. Classics ...
and politician.
Life
Samuel Henry Butcher was born in
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
to
Samuel Butcher,
Bishop of Meath
The Bishop of Meath is an episcopal title which takes its name after the ancient Kingdom of Meath. In the Roman Catholic Church it remains as a separate title, but in the Church of Ireland it has been united with another bishopric.
History
Unt ...
and Mary Leahy.
He was educated at
Marlborough College
Marlborough College is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school (English Independent school (United Kingdom), independent boarding school) for pupils aged 13 to 18 in Marlborough, Wiltshire, England. Founded in 1843 for the sons of Church ...
in Wiltshire
and then received a place at
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 ...
, attending between 1869 and 1873 where he was Senior Classic and Chancellor's medalist. Elected fellow of Trinity in 1874, he left the college on his marriage, in 1876, to the daughter of
Archbishop Trench. From 1876 to 1882 he was a fellow of
University College, Oxford
University College (in full The College of the Great Hall of the University of Oxford, colloquially referred to as "Univ") is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. It has a claim to being the oldest college of the univer ...
, and tutored there.
From 1882 to 1903 he was Professor of Greek at the
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...
succeeding Prof
John Stuart Blackie
John Stuart Blackie FRSE (28 July 1809 – 2 March 1895) was a Scottish scholar and man of letters.
Biography
He was born in Glasgow, on Charlotte Street, the son of Kelso-born banker Alexander Blackie (d.1846) and Helen Stodart. He was ...
. During this period he lived at 27 Palmerston Place in Edinburgh's West End. He was succeeded at the University of Edinburgh by Prof
Alexander William Mair
Alexander William Mair (9 June 1875–13 November 1928) was a 20th century Scottish scholar who was Professor of Greek at the University of Edinburgh. He was an authority on the works of the Greek poet Hesiod.
Life
He was born in Edinburgh o ...
.
He was one of the two Members of Parliament for
Cambridge University
, mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts.
Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge.
, established =
, other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...
, between 1906 and his death, representing the
Unionist Party.
He was President of the
British Academy
The British Academy is the United Kingdom's national academy for the humanities and the social sciences.
It was established in 1902 and received its royal charter in the same year. It is now a fellowship of more than 1,000 leading scholars span ...
, 1909–1910.
He died in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
on 29 December 1910, and his body was returned to Scotland and interred at the
Dean Cemetery
The Dean Cemetery is a historically important Victorian cemetery north of the Dean Village, west of Edinburgh city centre, in Scotland. It lies between Queensferry Road and the Water of Leith, bounded on its east side by Dean Path and on ...
in Edinburgh
with his wife, Rose Julia Butcher (1840-1902). His grave has a pale granite Celtic cross and is located near the northern path of the north section in the original cemetery.
Family
John Butcher, 1st Baron Danesfort
John George Butcher, 1st Baron Danesfort, KC (15 November 1853 – 30 June 1935), known as Sir John Butcher, Bt, between 1918 and 1924, was a British barrister and Conservative Party politician.
Background and education
Butcher was the second ...
was his younger brother.
He married Rose Julia Trench (1840-1902) in 1876. They had no children.
Publications
His many publications included, in collaboration with
Andrew Lang
Andrew Lang (31 March 1844 – 20 July 1912) was a Scottish poet, novelist, literary critic, and contributor to the field of anthropology. He is best known as a collector of folk and fairy tales. The Andrew Lang lectures at the University ...
, a prose translation of
Homer
Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...
's ''
Odyssey
The ''Odyssey'' (; grc, Ὀδύσσεια, Odýsseia, ) is one of two major Ancient Greek literature, ancient Greek Epic poetry, epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by moder ...
'' which appeared in 1879 and the OCT edition of
Demosthenes
Demosthenes (; el, Δημοσθένης, translit=Dēmosthénēs; ; 384 – 12 October 322 BC) was a Greek statesman and orator in ancient Athens. His orations constitute a significant expression of contemporary Athenian intellectual prow ...
, ''Orationes,'' vol. I (Or. 1–19, Oxford, 1903), II.i (Or. 20–26, Oxford, 1907).
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Butcher, Samuel Henry
1850 births
1910 deaths
Politicians from Dublin (city)
Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge
Academics of the University of Edinburgh
Burials at the Dean Cemetery
Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
Scholars of Greek language
English classical scholars
Irish classical scholars
Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for the University of Cambridge
UK MPs 1906–1910
UK MPs 1910
UK MPs 1910–1918
Fellows of the British Academy
Irish people of English descent
People educated at Marlborough College
Liberal Unionist Party MPs for English constituencies
Irish translators
English translators
Presidents of the British Academy
Classical scholars of the University of Cambridge
Classical scholars of the University of Oxford
Classical scholars of the University of Edinburgh
20th-century British translators
19th-century British translators
Translators of Homer
Writers from Dublin (city)