Samuel Roffey Maitland (1792–1866) was an English historian and miscellaneous writer on religious topics. He was qualified as an Anglican priest, and worked also as a librarian, barrister and editor.

Early life

Maitland was born in London at King's Road (now Theobald's Road), Bedford Row, on 7 January 1792. His father, who was of Scottish extraction, was Alexander Maitland, a London merchant; his mother was Caroline Busby, a descendant of

Richard Busby Richard Busby (; 22 September 1606 – 6 April 1695) was an English Anglican priest who served as head master of Westminster School for more than fifty-five years. Among the more illustrious of his pupils were Christopher Wren, Robert Hooke, Ro ...

. She brought her husband an estate in

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( , ; abbreviated Glos.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Herefordshire to the north-west, Worcestershire to the north, Warwickshire to the north-east, Oxfordshire ...

. Alexander Maitland was a

presbyterian Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...

attached to congregationalists in London, and it was only gradually that Samuel Maitland moved towards the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the State religion#State churches, established List of Christian denominations, Christian church in England and the Crown Dependencies. It is the mother church of the Anglicanism, Anglican Christian tradition, ...

. Samuel Maitland left school in 1807, and was then placed under the tuition of the Rev. Launcelot Sharpe, one of the masters in Merchant Taylors' School; and on 7 October 1809 Maitland was admitted to

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 ...

, and about the same time he entered at the

Inner Temple The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as the Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court and is a professional association for barristers and judges. To be called to the Bar and practice as a barrister in England and Wa ...

with the intention of going to the bar. Next year he migrated to

Trinity College Trinity College may refer to: Australia * Trinity Anglican College, an Anglican coeducational primary and secondary school in , New South Wales * Trinity Catholic College, Auburn, a coeducational school in the inner-western suburbs of Sydney, New ...

where his friend

William Hodge Mill William Hodge Mill (1792–1853) was an English churchman and orientalist, the first principal of Bishop’s College, Calcutta and later Regius Professor of Hebrew at Cambridge. Life He was son of John Mill, a native of Dundee, by his wife Mar ...

was. He left Cambridge in 1811, without a degree, unwilling to sign the Thirty-nine Articles. In 1812 Maxwell Garthshorne died, leaving Maitland's father and uncle his executors. His estate included a large library behind him, and Maitland undertook to catalogue it, on condition of receiving the duplicates as his reward. From 1811 to 1815 he was living with his father, reading omnivorously, while preparing for the bar. When he applied to be called, he found there were difficulties, as he had not kept his terms at Cambridge. So on 10 October 1815, he returned to the university, entering again St John's. He kept three more terms, and at this time made the acquaintance of Samuel Lee, who had recently been made professor of Arabic. During the first half of 1816, Maitland occupied chambers in the Temple, and studied. On 19 November 1816, he married. He had been called to the bar in Easter term, 1816, but his literary tastes had got an increasing hold of him.

In holy orders

About 1817, Maitland left London and settled at

Taunton Taunton () is the county town of Somerset, England. It is a market town and has a Minster (church), minster church. Its population in 2011 was 64,621. Its thousand-year history includes a 10th-century priory, monastic foundation, owned by the ...

, and during the next three or four years his religious views shifted. On 27 June 1821 he was admitted to

deacon A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian denominations, such as the Cathol ...

's orders at

Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of the county of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. It lies by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. The population of the Norwich ...

by Bishop Henry Bathurst, and licensed to the curacy of St. Edmund in the city; the rector of the parish, the Rev. Charles David Brereton, was non-resident. Maitland did not stay long at Norwich, and was admitted to priest's orders by

Henry Ryder Henry Dudley Ryder (21 July 1777 – 31 March 1836) was a prominent English evangelical Anglican bishop in the early years of the nineteenth century, most notably as Bishop of Lichfield. He was the first evangelical to be raised to the Ang ...

Bishop of Gloucester The Bishop of Gloucester is the Ordinary (officer), ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Gloucester, England, Diocese of Gloucester in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese covers the Gloucestershire, County of Gloucestershire and part ...

. His father had recently retired to

Gloucester Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city, non-metropolitan district and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West England, South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean ...

, and on 22 May 1823 Maitland became

perpetual curate Perpetual curate was a class of resident parish priest or incumbent curate within the United Church of England and Ireland (name of the combined Anglican churches of England and Ireland from 1800 to 1871). The term is found in common use mainly ...

of the recently built Christ Church, at Gloucester. Maitland stayed at Gloucester until the end of 1827, and then set off on a journey to the continent. He had been interested in the

conversion of the Jews Conversion of the Jews may refer to the: * Conversions of Jews to Christianity * Conversion of the Jews (future event) See also *"The Conversion of the Jews", 1958 short story by Phillip Roth, included in the collection '' Goodbye, Columbus'' ...

for some time, and he wished to see Jewish society in Germany and Poland. He started in April 1828, travelling through France, Germany and Prussia as far as

Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...

. He sent home a series of thirty-six letters and studied German and Polish. In 1838 Archbishop

William Howley William Howley (12 February 1766 – 11 February 1848) was a clergyman in the Church of England. He served as Archbishop of Canterbury from 1828 to 1848. Early life, education, and interests Howley was born in 1766 at Ropley, Hampshire, wher ...

appointed Maitland librarian and keeper of the manuscripts at

Lambeth Palace Lambeth Palace is the official London residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury. It is situated in north Lambeth, London, on the south bank of the River Thames, south-east of the Palace of Westminster, which houses Parliament of the United King ...

. The stipend attaching to the office was nominal; no preferment followed though the archbishop also conferred the degree of D.D. In 1848 Archbishop John Sumner succeeded, and Maitland returned to Gloucester an unbeneficed clergyman. Part of Maitland's library appears to have been sold in London on 21 April 1842 (and three following days), by Mr Fletcher ('A catalogue of the very select and elegant library, printed and manuscript, of a private gentleman'), the anonymous catalogue identified with Maitland by A. N. L. Munby. A copy is held at Cambridge University Library (shelfmark Munby.c.155(28)).

Later life

Maitland was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 1839, and when

Hugh James Rose Hugh James Rose (9 June 1795 – 22 December 1838) was an English Anglican priest and theologian who served as the second Principal of King's College, London. Life Rose was born at Little Horsted in Sussex on 9 June 1795 and educated at Uckfie ...

died in this same year, Maitland became editor of the ''

British Magazine British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

'', and carried it on till 1849, when it was discontinued. The magazine after Rose's death became more and more literary and historical in its tone. Maitland had incurred the dislike of the

Evangelical Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that emphasizes evangelism, or the preaching and spreading of th ...

party by attacks on their leaders, and merciless criticism of Joseph Milner,

John Foxe John Foxe (1516/1517 – 18 April 1587) was an English clergyman, theologian, and historian, notable for his martyrology '' Foxe's Book of Martyrs'', telling of Christian martyrs throughout Western history, but particularly the sufferings of En ...

, and others. He had also become an object of suspicion to the

Tractarians The Oxford Movement was a theological movement of high-church members of the Church of England which began in the 1830s and eventually developed into Anglo-Catholicism. The movement, whose original devotees were mostly associated with the Un ...

, by his ''Letter to a Friend on Tract No. 89'', which he issued in 1841 (republished in ''Eight Essays'', 1852). After his return to Gloucester, and until his death, Maitland lived in retirement. He was an active supporter of

William Thoms William John Thoms (16 November 1803 – 15 August 1885) was a British writer credited with coining the term "folklore" in 1846. Thoms' investigation of folklore and myth led to a later career of debunking longevity myths, and he was a pioneer ...

, when ''

Notes and Queries ''Notes and Queries'', also styled ''Notes & Queries'', is a long-running quarterly scholarly journal that publishes short articles related to " English language and literature, lexicography, history, and scholarly antiquarianism".From the inner ...

'' was first started, and a frequent contributor to the earlier volumes, sometimes under the signature of "Rufus". He was a man of many accomplishments: musician; a draughtsman; he kept a small printing press in his house, and tried his hand at bookbinding. Charles Hardwick, John Goulter Dowling,

James Craigie Robertson James Craigie Robertson (1813 – 9 July 1882) was a Scottish Anglican churchman, canon of Canterbury Cathedral, and author of a ''History of the Christian Church''. Life Robertson was born at Aberdeen, where his father was a merchant; his mothe ...

Henry Richards Luard Henry Richards Luard (25 August 1825 – 1 May 1891) was a British medieval historian and antiquary. Biography Luard was born on 25 August 1825 in London, the son of Henry Luard. His uncle was Lt.-Col. John Luard, and his cousins included Lt.-Gen ...

, and

John Eyton Bickersteth Mayor John Eyton Bickersteth Mayor (28 January 1825 – 1 December 1910) was an English classical scholar, writer and vegetarianism activist. Biography Early life and education Mayor was born at Baddegama, British Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) the son ...

were among the historians he influenced. Maitland died at Gloucester on 19 January 1866, in his seventy-fifth year.

Works

In 1817 Maitland published his first pamphlet, ''A Dissertation on the Primary Objects of Idolatrous Worship'', unfashionably against

Jacob Bryant Jacob Bryant (1715–1804) was an English scholar and mythographer, who has been described as "the outstanding figure among the mythagogues who flourished in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries." Life Bryant was born at Plymouth ...

's writings. During his absence abroad he published ''A Letter to the Rev. Charles Simeon'', in which he advocated the establishment of an institution which might serve as a place of refuge for Jewish converts. In 1826 Maitland put forth a pamphlet which he called ''An Enquiry into the Grounds on which the Prophetic Period of Daniel and St. John has been supposed to consist of 1260 Years''. This work argued against the

Irvingite The Catholic Apostolic Church (CAC), also known as the Irvingian Church or Irvingite Church, is a denomination in the Restorationist branch of Christianity. It originated in Scotland around 1831 and later spread to Germany and the United Stat ...

reading of the theory of

Joachim of Fiore Joachim of Fiore, also known as Joachim of Flora (; ; 1135 – 30 March 1202), was an Italian Christian theologian, Catholic abbot, and the founder of the monastic order of San Giovanni in Fiore. According to theologian Bernard McGinn, "Joach ...

. The pamphlet attracted a controversy which continued for some years. One of the side issues in the controversy turned on the question of the Catholic orthodoxy, or alleged

Protestantism Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

, of the

Albigenses Catharism ( ; from the , "the pure ones") was a Christian quasi-dualist and pseudo-Gnostic movement which thrived in Southern Europe, particularly in northern Italy and southern France, between the 12th and 14th centuries. Denounced as a her ...

and the

Waldenses The Waldensians, also known as Waldenses (), Vallenses, Valdesi, or Vaudois, are adherents of a church tradition that began as an ascetic movement within Western Christianity before the Reformation. Originally known as the Poor of Lyon in the l ...

; Joseph Milner, in his ''Church History'', had claimed them as among the "Heavenly Witnesses" during the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

. Maitland in 1832 published, in a volume of 546 pages, his most elaborate work entitled ''Facts and Documents illustrative of the History, Doctrine, and Rites of the ancient Albigenses and Waldenses''. Maitland allowed himself to speak with something like contempt of Milner's ''Church History'', and was attacked in print. In 1835 Maitland began to contribute to the ''British Magazine'', of which

was then editor. Between him and Maitland, a friendship had grown, and at Rose's suggestion the articles collected in two volumes, as ''The Dark Ages: a Series of Essays intended to illustrate the State of Religion and Literature in the ninth, tenth, eleventh, and twelfth Centuries'' (1844), and ''Essays on Subjects connected with the Reformation in England'' (1849). Maitland's other works include: * ''A Dissertation on the Primary Objects of Idolatrous Worship'', 1817. * ''An Enquiry into the Grounds on which the Prophetic Period of Daniel and St. John has been supposed to consist of 1,260 Years'', 1826; 2nd edit., pp. 72, 1837. * ''Saint Bernard's Holy War Translated'' (by Maitland, with title-page etched by the translator), 1827. * ''A Letter to the Rev. Charles Simeon'' (Warsaw), 21 July 1828; 2nd edit. 1828. * ''A Second Enquiry'', pp. 175, 1829. * ''The 1,260 Days, in Reply to a Review in the "Morning Watch", No. 3, p. 509'', 1830. * ''An Attempt to elucidate the Prophecies concerning Antichrist'', 1830; 2nd edit. 1853. * ''A Letter to the Rev. W. Digby, A.M., occasioned by his Treatise on the 1,260 Days'' (Gloucester, 25 Oct.), 1831. * ''Eruvin, or Miscellaneous Essays on Subjects connected with the Nature, History, and Destiny of Man'', 1831; 2nd edit. 1850. * ''The Voluntary System''. Forty-two Letters reprinted from the ''Gloucestershire Chronicle'', 1834; 2nd edit. 1837. * ''The 1,260 Days, in Reply to the Strictures of William Cuninghame, Esq.'', 1834. Against William Cuninghame of Lainshaw. * ''The Translation of Bishops'', pp. 24, 1834. * ''A Letter to the Rev. Hugh James Rose, B.D., Chaplain to his Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury, with Strictures on Milner's "Church History"'', pp. 53, 1834. * ''A second Letter to the same, containing Notes on Milner's "History of the Church in the Fourth Century"'', pp. 87, 1835. * ''A Letter to the Rev. John King, M.A., Incumbent of Christ Church, Hull'', occasioned by his pamphlet, ''Maitland not entitled to censure Milner'', pp. 91, 1835. * ''Remarks on that part of Rev. J. King's pamphlet ... which relates to the Waldenses'', pp. 80, 1836. * ''A Review of Fox the Martyrologist's "History of the Waldenses"'', 1837. * ''Six Letters on Fox's "Acts and Monuments", reprinted from the "British Magazine", with Notes and Additions'', 1837. * ''Remarks on the Constitution of the Committee of the Gloucester and Bristol Diocesan Church Building Association'', 1837. * ''A Letter to the Rev. W. H. Mill, D.D., containing some Strictures on Mr. Faber's recent work, entitled "The Ancient Waldenses and Albigenses"'', 1839. * ''A Letter to a Friend on the "Tract for the Times No. 89"''; reprinted in ''Eight Essays'', 1841. * ''Notes on the Contributions of the Rev. George Townsend to the new edit. of Fox's "Martyrology"'', 3 pts. 1841–2. * ''An Index of such English Books printed before the year MDC as are now in the Archiepiscopal Library at Lambeth'', pp. xii, 120, 1845. * ''Remarks on the first vol. of Strype's "Life of Archbishop Cranmer", reprinted from the ''British Magazine'', vols. i. and ii. 1848. * ''Ecclesiastical History Society. A Statement'', reprinted from ''British Magazine'', 1849. * ''Essays on Subjects connected with the Reformation in England'', reprinted, with additions from ''British Magazine'', 1849. * ''Illustrations and Enquiries relating to Mesmerism'', pt. i. pp. 82, 1849. * ''A Plan for a Church History Society'', pp. 16 (Gloucester, 15 October 1850), 1850. * ''Eight Essays on various Subjects'', pp. 254, 1852. * ''Convocation. Remarks on the Charge recently delivered by the Right Rev. Lord Bishop of Oxford'' ilberforce pp. 35, 1855. * ''Superstition and Science: an Essay'', 1855. * ''False Worship: an Essay'', 1856. * ''Chatterton: an Essay'', 1857. * ''Notes on Strype'' (Gloucester), 1858. * ''A Supplication for Toleration addressed to King James I by some of the late silenced Ministers, now reprinted with the King's notes by Rev. S. R. M.'', 1859. Written for sale at a bazaar was ''The Owl: a Didactic Poem. Carefully reprinted from the original edition by Thomas Savill, dwelling in St. Martin's Lane, Westminster'', 1842, 16 pp.

Family

Maitland survived his wife Selina, daughter of Christopher Stephenson, vicar of Olney, and his son, John Gorham Maitland. His grandson was

Frederic William Maitland Frederic William Maitland (28 May 1850 – ) was an English historian and jurist who is regarded as the modern father of English legal history. From 1884 until his death in 1906, he was reader in English law, then Downing Professor of the Laws ...

(1850–1906), the historian of English Law. who was greatly influenced by his grandfather.Schuyler, Robert L "The Historical Spirit Incarnate: Frederic William Maitland" American Historical Association 1951

References

;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Maitland, Samuel Roffey 1792 births 1866 deaths English people of Scottish descent Alumni of St John's College, Cambridge 19th-century English Anglican priests English Anglicans 19th-century English historians English editors Fellows of the Royal Society