Richard Butler (died 14 September 1612) was Archdeacon of Northampton from 9 July 1611 until his death. Butler was among the earliest

Arminians Arminianism is a movement of Protestantism initiated in the early 17th century, based on the theological ideas of the Dutch Reformed theologian Jacobus Arminius and his historic supporters known as Remonstrants. Dutch Arminianism was originally ...

, along with

John Buckeridge John Buckeridge (c. 1562 – 23 May 1631) was an English churchman and theologian. Biography John Buckeridge was born c. 1562 in Draycot Foliat, the son of William Buckeridge of Draycot Foliat and his wife Elizabeth Buckeridge (née Kibblew ...

(his predecessor), Benjamin Carier, and

Richard Neile Richard Neile (or Neale; 1562 – 31 October 1640) was an English churchman, bishop successively of six English dioceses, more than any other man, including the Archdiocese of York from 1631 until his death. Early life Neile was born in Wes ...

. Butler was educated at

St John's College, Cambridge St John's College, formally the College of St John the Evangelist in the University of Cambridge, is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge, founded by the House of Tudor, Tudor matriarch L ...

. Alumni Cantabrigienses: A Biographical List of All Known Students, Graduates and Holders of Office at the University of Cambridge, from the Earliest Times to 1900,

John Venn John Venn, Fellow of the Royal Society, FRS, Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London, FSA (4 August 1834 – 4 April 1923) was an English mathematician, logician and philosopher noted for introducing Venn diagrams, which are used in l ...

John Archibald Venn John Archibald Venn (10 November 1883 – 15 March 1958) was a British economist. He was President of Queens' College, Cambridge, from 1932 until his death, Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge University 1941–1943, university archivist, and a ...

Cambridge University Press Cambridge University Press was the university press of the University of Cambridge. Granted a letters patent by King Henry VIII in 1534, it was the oldest university press in the world. Cambridge University Press merged with Cambridge Assessme ...

> (10 volumes 1922 to 1953) Part II. 1752–1900 Vol. i. Abbas – Cutts, (1922) p273
/ref> He was ordained deacon and priest in 1588 at

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 ...

. He held incumbencies at

Spratton Spratton is a village and civil parish in the West Northamptonshire unitary authority area of Northamptonshire, England. Before changes in 2021 it was governed by Daventry District Council. At the time of the 2001 census, the parish's populat ...

(starting 1591) and Ashton-in-the-Wall (starting 1602). Butler attended the

Hampton Court Conference The Hampton Court Conference was a meeting in January 1604, convened at Hampton Court Palace, for discussion between King James I of England and representatives of the Church of England, including leading English Puritans. The conference resulted ...

of 1604, where he famously described Puritans as being Prostestants "frayed out of

heir Inheritance is the practice of receiving private property, titles, debts, entitlements, privileges, rights, and obligations upon the death of an individual. The rules of inheritance differ among societies and have changed over time. Offi ...

wits". He received his

Doctor of Divinity A Doctor of Divinity (DD or DDiv; ) is the holder of an advanced academic degree in divinity (academic discipline), divinity (i.e., Christian theology and Christian ministry, ministry or other theologies. The term is more common in the Englis ...

in 1608, on the same day as

William Laud William Laud (; 7 October 1573 – 10 January 1645) was a bishop in the Church of England. Appointed Archbishop of Canterbury by Charles I of England, Charles I in 1633, Laud was a key advocate of Caroline era#Religion, Charles I's religious re ...

. Butler assisted Neile in the examination of Edward Wightman, who was the last person to be

burned at the stake Death by burning is an list of execution methods, execution, murder, or suicide method involving combustion or exposure to extreme heat. It has a long history as a form of public capital punishment, and many societies have employed it as a puni ...

in England for

heresy Heresy is any belief or theory that is strongly at variance with established beliefs or customs, particularly the accepted beliefs or religious law of a religious organization. A heretic is a proponent of heresy. Heresy in Heresy in Christian ...

. Butler was one of the founding benefactors of

St John's College, Oxford St John's College is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford. Founded as a men's college in 1555, it has been coeducational since 1979.Communication from Michael Riordan, college archivist Its foun ...

, to which he bequeathed certain medieval manuscripts, including

Richard Rolle Richard Rolle ( – 30 September 1349) was an English hermit, mystic, and religious writer. He is also known as Richard Rolle of Hampole or de Hampole, since at the end of his life he lived near a Cistercian nunnery in Hampole, now in S ...

's ''Parce mihi''.

References

1500s births 1612 deaths 17th-century English Anglican priests Alumni of St John's College, Cambridge Archdeacons of Northampton 16th-century English Anglican priests {{Canterbury-archdeacon-16C-stub