Samuel Lysons (1763 – June 1819) was an English antiquarian and engraver who, together with his elder brother Daniel Lysons (1762–1834), published several works on antiquarian topics. He was one of the first

archaeologist Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of Artifact (archaeology), artifacts, architecture, biofact (archaeology), biofacts or ecofacts, ...

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

mosaic A mosaic () is a pattern or image made of small regular or irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic, held in place by plaster/Mortar (masonry), mortar, and covering a surface. Mosaics are often used as floor and wall decoration, and ...

Origins

He was born at Rodmarton near

Cirencester Cirencester ( , ; see #Pronunciation, below for more variations) is a market town and civil parish in the Cotswold District of Gloucestershire, England. Cirencester lies on the River Churn, a tributary of the River Thames. It is the List of ...

, Gloucestershire, the younger son of the Reverend Samuel Lysons (1730–1804) by his wife Mary Peach of Minchinhampton. His elder brother was Daniel Lysons (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 in Somerset and was called to the Bar 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 ...

in 1798. Having chosen the Oxford Circuit, he practised law until December 1803. He served as director of the

Society of Antiquaries of London The Society of Antiquaries of London (SAL) is a learned society of historians and archaeologists in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1707, received its royal charter in 1751 and is a Charitable organization, registered charity. It is based ...

from 1798 to 1809. He was elected a Fellow of the

Royal Society The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, re ...

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. 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, then one of the principal storage sites for historic government documents and other archives until the opening in 1838 of the

Public Record Office The Public Record Office (abbreviated as PRO, pronounced as three letters and referred to as ''the'' PRO), Chancery Lane in the City of London, was the guardian of the national archives of the United Kingdom from 1838 until 2003, when it was m ...

Chancery Lane Chancery Lane is a one-way street that forms part of the City of London#Boundary, western boundary of the City of London. The east side of the street is entirely within the City,The National Archives, Kew). He wrote the descriptions for Cadell & Davies' version of '' Britannia Depicta''.

Death

Lysons died in June 1819, near Rodmarton,

, 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 18th-century English antiquarians 19th-century English 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 is a figure who, in the narratives of the Hebrew Bible, plays a key role in the transition from the biblical judges to the United Kingdom of Israel under Saul, and again in the monarchy's transition from Saul to David. He is venera ...