Samuel Lysons (1763 – June 1819) was an English

antiquarian An antiquarian or antiquary () is an fan (person), aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient artifact (archaeology), artifac ...

and engraver who, together with his elder brother

Daniel Lysons Daniel Lysons may refer to: *Daniel Lysons (antiquarian) (1762–1834), English antiquarian and topographer *Daniel Lysons (British Army officer) General Sir Daniel Lysons (1 August 1816 – 29 January 1898) was a British Army general who achieve ...

(1762–1834), published several works on

topics. He was one of the first

archaeologist Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...

s to investigate Roman sites in Britain, and specialised in the study of mosaics.

Origins

He was born at Rodmarton near Cirencester, Gloucestershire, the younger son of the Reverend Samuel Lysons (1730–1804) by his wife Mary Peach of Minchinhampton. His elder brother was

(1762–1834), his collaborator in much of his work.

Career

In November 1786, Lysons was elected a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries. He studied law at

Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...

in Somerset and was

called to the Bar The call to the bar is a legal term of art in most common law jurisdictions where persons must be qualified to be allowed to argue in court on behalf of another party and are then said to have been "called to the bar" or to have received "call to ...

at the Inner Temple in 1798. Having chosen the Oxford Circuit, he practised law until December 1803. He served as director of the Society of Antiquaries of London from 1798 to 1809. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1797 and later served as vice-president and treasurer (1810–1819) of the Society. Shortly before he died, he also served as antiquary professor in the

Royal Academy The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly in London. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its pur ...

. His portrait was painted by, among others, Academicians Sir Thomas Lawrence and George Dance the Younger. From 1803 until his death in 1819 he was

Keeper of the Records in the Tower of London This is a list of Keepers of the Records in the Tower of London. The position was medieval in origin, and ended in 1838 with the creation of the London Public Record Office. In the 16th century the distinction was made between Chancery Rolls fro ...

, then one of the principal storage sites for historic government documents and other archives until the opening in 1838 of the Public Record Office in Chancery Lane (now The National Archives, Kew). He wrote the descriptions for Cadell & Davies' version of ''

Britannia Depicta ''Britannia Depicta'' was an illustrated road atlas for Britain. It was printed in numerous editions over many decades from 1720 into the 19th century and updated with engravings by many artisans who worked from drawings of other artists. It feat ...

''.

Death

Lysons died in June 1819, near Rodmarton, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, his birthplace.

Works

Samuel Lysons' works included: *''Environs of London'', illustrated by Samuel Lysons, written by Daniel Lysons. * '' Magna Britannia, Being a Concise Topographical Account of the Several Counties of Great Britain'', written by both Samuel and Daniel, published in several volumes from 1806 to 1822 including: **Volume 6: ''Devon'', 1822 *''Reliquae Britannico-Romanae'' (1801–1817), in which 156 plates were engraved by Samuel. *''Views and Antiquities of the County of Gloucestershire'' (1791), relating to his native county, for which he produced plates. *''A Collection of Gloucestershire Antiquities'' (1803), for which he produced plates. *''An Account of the Remains of a Roman Villa Discovered at Woodchester in the County of Gloucestershire'' (1815), written by Samuel.Lysons Family Collection. James Marshall and Marie-Louise Osborn Collection, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University.
/ref> This included descriptions of his discovery of the Orpheus mosaic at Woodchester Roman Villa in 1793. *Several works on Roman mosaics, including papers in ''Archaeologia'', published by the Society of Antiquaries in London.

References

External links

* Lysons Family Collection. James Marshall and Marie-Louise Osborn Collection, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University. {{DEFAULTSORT:Lysons, Samuel 1763 births 1819 deaths People from Cirencester English antiquarians 18th-century antiquarians 19th-century antiquarians Historians of Devon English engravers Fellows of the Royal Society Members of the Inner Temple Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of London Historians of Gloucestershire

Samuel Samuel ''Šəmūʾēl'', Tiberian: ''Šămūʾēl''; ar, شموئيل or صموئيل '; el, Σαμουήλ ''Samouḗl''; la, Samūēl is a figure who, in the narratives of the Hebrew Bible, plays a key role in the transition from the bibl ...