Samuel Henry Butcher was born in
Dublin to
Samuel Butcher,
Bishop of Meath and Mary Leahy. He was educated at
Marlborough College in Wiltshire and then received a place at
Trinity College, Cambridge, attending between 1869 and 1873 where he was Senior Classic and Chancellor's medalist. Elected fellow of Trinity in 1874, he left the college on his marriage, in 1876, to the daughter of
Archbishop Trench. From 1876 to 1882 he was a fellow of
University College, Oxford, and tutored there. From 1882 to 1903 he was Professor of Greek at the
University of Edinburgh succeeding Prof
John Stuart Blackie. During this period he lived at 27 Palmerston Place in Edinburgh's West End. He was succeeded at the University of Edinburgh by Prof
Alexander William Mair. He was one of the two Members of Parliament for
Cambridge University, between 1906 and his death, representing the
Conservative Party. He was President of the
British Academy, 1909–1910. He died in
London on 29 December 1910, and his body was returned to Scotland and interred at the
Dean Cemetery in Edinburgh with his wife, Rose Julia Butcher (1840-1902). His grave has a pale granite Celtic cross and is located near the northern path of the north section in the original cemetery. ==Family==