George Butler (5 July 1774 – 30 April 1853) was an English

schoolmaster A schoolmaster, or simply master, is a male school teacher. The usage first occurred in England in the Late Middle Ages and early modern period. At that time, most schools were one-room or two-room schools and had only one or two such teacher ...

and

divine Divinity (from Latin ) refers to the quality, presence, or nature of that which is divine—a term that, before the rise of monotheism, evoked a broad and dynamic field of sacred power. In the ancient world, divinity was not limited to a singl ...

, Headmaster of

Harrow School Harrow School () is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school (English boarding school for boys) in Harrow on the Hill, Greater London, England. The school was founded in 1572 by John Lyon (school founder), John Lyon, a local landowner an ...

from 1805 to 1829 and Dean of Peterborough from 1842 to his death in 1853.

Biography

The son of Weeden Butler (1742–1823), George Butler was educated at the Chelsea school where his father taught and proceeded to

Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge Sidney Sussex College (historically known as "Sussex College" and today referred to informally as "Sidney") is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge in England. The College was founded in 1 ...

, where he graduated

senior wrangler The Senior Wrangler is the top mathematics undergraduate at the University of Cambridge in England, a position which has been described as "the greatest intellectual achievement attainable in Britain". Specifically, it is the person who achiev ...

in 1794 ( M.A. 1797; B.D. 1804; D.D. (''litterae regiae'') 1805). He became a fellow of Sidney Sussex, first as

mathematical Mathematics is a field of study that discovers and organizes methods, Mathematical theory, theories and theorems that are developed and Mathematical proof, proved for the needs of empirical sciences and mathematics itself. There are many ar ...

lecturer, and afterwards as classical tutor. He was elected a public examiner of the

university A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...

in 1804, and in the following year was one of the select preachers. As headmaster of

(1805–1829) his all-round knowledge, his tact and his skill as a

track and field Track and field (or athletics in British English) is a sport that includes Competition#Sports, athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name used in North America is derived from where the sport takes place, a ru ...

athlete rendered his administration successful and popular. On his retirement he settled down at

Gayton, Northamptonshire Gayton is a rural village and civil parish in West Northamptonshire, England, south-west of Northampton town centre. The village is situated on a hill close to the larger villages of Bugbrooke, Milton Malsor and Blisworth, with a linked Rights ...

, a

living Living or The Living may refer to: Common meanings *Life, a condition that distinguishes organisms from inorganic objects and dead organisms ** Living species, one that is not extinct *Personal life, the course of an individual human's life * ...

which had been presented to him by his college in 1814. In 1836 he became

chancellor Chancellor () is a title of various official positions in the governments of many countries. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the (lattice work screens) of a basilica (court hall), which separa ...

of the diocese of Peterborough, and in 1842 was appointed dean of

Peterborough Peterborough ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in the City of Peterborough district in the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Cambridgeshire, England. The city is north of London, on the River Nene. A ...

. His few publications include some notes of Harrow, entitled ''Harrow, a Selection of Lists of the School between 1770 and 1828'' (Peterborough, 1849).

Personal life

Butler and his wife Sarah Maria Gray had four sons and at least three daughters: * The Rev. Dr.

George Butler George Butler may refer to: Arts and entertainment * George Butler (filmmaker) (1944–2021), American filmmaker * George Butler (record producer) (1931–2008), American record producer * George Bernard Butler (1838–1907), American painter * Geo ...

(1819–1890), principal of

Liverpool College Liverpool College is a coeducational day and boarding school in Mossley Hill, Liverpool, England. It was one of the thirteen founding members of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference, Headmasters' Conference. History Liverpool Coll ...

(1866–1882) and canon of

Winchester Winchester (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs N ...

, whose wife,

Josephine Butler Josephine Elizabeth Butler (; 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 in B ...

, was a noted campaigner for the welfare of prostitutes * Spencer Perceval Butler (1828–1915), lawyer and administrator, father of Sir Cyril Kendall Butler, Sir Spencer Harcourt Butler, Sir Montagu Sherard Dawes Butler and Sir George Geoffrey Gilbert Butler, and grandfather of the

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

politician Richard Austen Butler * The Rev.

Arthur Gray Butler Arthur Gray Butler (1831–1909) was an English academic and cleric, the first headmaster of Haileybury College. Life Born at the rectory, Gayton, Northamptonshire, on 19 August 1831, he was the third son of George Butler, Dean of Peterboroug ...

(1831–1909), Headmaster of

Haileybury College Haileybury is a co-educational public school (fee-charging boarding and day school for 11- to 18-year-olds) located in Hertford Heath, Hertfordshire. It is a member of the Rugby Group and enrols pupils at the 11+, 13+ and 16+ stages of edu ...

and Dean of

Oriel College, Oxford Oriel College () is Colleges of the University of Oxford, a constituent college of the University of Oxford in Oxford, England. Located in Oriel Square, the college has the distinction of being the oldest royal foundation in Oxford (a title for ...

. * The Rev. Dr. Henry Montagu Butler (1833–1918), Headmaster of Harrow School,

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 Glouce ...

and

Master of Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College, a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, is headed by a master who oversees the general operation of the college. The role is officially appointed by the monarch at the recommendation of the college, and involves p ...

. * Louisa Jane Butler (1822-1897), who in 1853 married the statistician, sociologist, anthropologist and eugenicist

Francis Galton Sir Francis Galton (; 16 February 1822 – 17 January 1911) was an English polymath and the originator of eugenics during the Victorian era; his ideas later became the basis of behavioural genetics. Galton produced over 340 papers and b ...

* Emily Butler (born in or about 1829) * Gertrude Maria Butler (born in or about 1835)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Butler, George 1774 births 1853 deaths Deans of Peterborough Head Masters of Harrow School Alumni of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge Fellows of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge Fellows of the Royal Society Senior Wranglers George People from Gayton, Northamptonshire