| 1835.
| Dec. 4. Samuel Butler born at Langar Rectory,
Nottingham, son of the Rev. Thomas Butler, who was the son of Dr.
Samuel Butler, Headmaster of Shrewsbury School from 1798 to 1836,
and afterwards Bishop of Lichfield.
|
| 1843–4.
| Spent the winter in Rome and Naples with his family.
|
| 1846.
| Went to school at Allesley, near Coventry.
|
| 1848.
| Went to school at Shrewsbury under Dr. Kennedy.
|
|
| Went to Italy for the second time with his family.
|
|
| First heard the music of Handel.
|
| 1854.
| Entered at St. John’s College, Cambridge.
|
| 1858.
| Bracketed 12th in the first class of the Classical Tripos
and took his degree.
|
|
| Went to London and began to prepare for ordination, living
among the poor and doing parish work: this led to his doubting
the efficacy of infant baptism and hence to his declining to take
orders.
|
| 1859.
| Sailed for New Zealand and started sheep-farming in
Canterbury Province: while in the colony he wrote much for the
Press of Christchurch, N.Z.
|
| 1862.
| Dec. 20. “Darwin on The Origin of
Species. A Dialogue,” unsigned but written by Butler,
appeared in the Press and was followed by correspondence
to which Butler contributed.
|
| 1863.
| A First Year in Canterbury Settlement: made
out of his letters home to his family together with two articles
reprinted from the Eagle (the magazine of St. John’s
College, Cambridge): MS. lost.
|
| 1863.
| “Darwin among the Machines,” a letter signed
“Cellarius” written by Butler, appeared in the
Press.
|
| 1864.
| Sold out his sheep run and returned to England in company
with Charles Paine Pauli, whose acquaintance he had made in the
colony. He brought back enough to enable him to live
quietly, settled for good at 15 Clifford’s Inn, London, and
began life as a painter, studying at Cary’s,
Heatherley’s and the South Kensington Art Schools and
exhibiting pictures occasionally at the Royal Academy and other
exhibitions: while studying art he made the acquaintance of,
among others, Charles Gogin, William Ballard and Thomas William
Gale Butler.
|
|
| “Family Prayers”: a small painting by
Butler.
|
| 1865.
| “Lucubratio Ebria,” an article, containing
variations of the view in “Darwin among the
Machines,” sent by Butler from England, appeared in the
Press.
|
|
| The Evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus Christ as
contained in the Four Evangelists critically examined: a
pamphlet of VIII+48 pp. written in New Zealand: the conclusion
arrived at is that the evidence is insufficient to support the
belief that Christ died and rose from the dead: MS. lost,
probably used up in writing The Fair Haven.
|
| 1869–70.
| Was in Italy for four months, his health having broken
down in consequence of over-work.
|
| 1870 or 1871.
| First meeting with Miss Eliza Mary Ann Savage, from whom
he drew Alethea in The Way of All Flesh.
|
| 1872.
| Erewhon or Over the Range: a Work of Satire and
Imagination: MS. in the British Museum.
|
| 1873.
| Erewhon translated into Dutch.
|
|
| The Fair Haven: an ironical work, purporting to be
“in defence of the miraculous element in our Lord’s
ministry upon earth, both as against rationalistic impugners and
certain orthodox defenders,” written under the pseudonym of
John Pickard Owen with a memoir of the supposed author by his
brother William Bickersteth Owen. This book
reproduces—the substance of his pamphlet on the
resurrection: MS. at Christchurch, New Zealand.
|
| 1874.
| “Mr. Heatherley’s Holiday,” his most
important oil painting, exhibited at the Royal Academy
Exhibition, now in the National Gallery of British Art.
|
| 1876.
| Having invested his money in various companies that
failed, one of which had its works in Canada, and having spent
much time during the last few years in that country, trying
unsuccessfully to save part of his capital, he now returned to
London, and during the next ten years experienced serious
financial difficulties.
|
|
| First meeting with Henry Festing Jones.
|
| 1877.
| Life and Habit: an Essay after a Completer View of
Evolution: dedicated to Charles Paine Pauli: although dated 1878
the book was published on Butler’s birthday, 4th December,
1877: MS. at the Schools, Shrewsbury.
|
| 1878.
| “A Psalm of Montreal” in the Spectator:
There are probably many MSS. of this poem in existence given by
Butler to friends: one, which he gave to H. F. Jones, is in the
Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge.
|
|
| A Portrait of Butler, painted in this year by himself, now
at St. John’s College, Cambridge.
|
| 1879.
| Evolution Old and New: A comparison of the theories
of Buffon, Dr. Erasmus Darwin and Lamarck with that of Charles
Darwin: MS. in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge.
|
|
| A Clergyman’s Doubts and God the Known and
God the Unknown appeared in the Examiner: MS.
lost.
|
|
| Erewhon translated into German.
|
| 1880.
| Unconscious Memory: A comparison between the theory
of Dr. Ewald Hering, Professor of Physiology in the University of
Prague, and the Philosophy of the Unconscious of Dr.
Edward von Hartmann, with translations from both these authors
and preliminary chapters bearing upon Life and Habit,
Evolution Old and New, and Charles Darwin’s Edition
of Dr. Krause’s Erasmus Darwin.
|
|
| A Portrait of Butler, painted in this year by himself, now
at the Schools, Shrewsbury. A third portrait of Butler,
painted by himself about this time, is at Christchurch, New
Zealand.
|
| 1881.
| A property at Shrewsbury, in which under his
grandfather’s will he had a reversionary interest
contingent on his surviving his father, was re-settled so as to
make his reversion absolute: he mortgaged this reversion and
bought small property near London: this temporarily alleviated
his financial embarrassment but added to his work, for he spent
much time in the management of the houses, learnt book-keeping by
double-entry and kept elaborate accounts.
|
|
| Alps and Sanctuaries of Piedmont and the Canton
Ticino illustrated by the author, Charles Gogin and Henry Festing
Jones: an account of his holiday travels with dissertations on
most of the subjects that interested him: MS. with H. F.
Jones.
|
| 1882.
| A new edition of Evolution Old and New, with a
short preface alluding to the recent death of Charles Darwin, an
appendix and an index.
|
| 1883.
| Began to compose music as nearly as he could in the style
of Handel.
|
| 1884.
| Selections from Previous Works with “A Psalm
of Montreal” and “Remarks on G. J. Romanes’
Mental Evolution in Animals.”
|
| 1885.
| Death of Miss Savage.
|
|
| Gavottes, Minuets, Fugues and other
short pieces for the piano by Samuel Butler and Henry Festing
Jones: MS. with H. F. Jones.
|
| 1886.
| Holbein’s La Danse: a note on a drawing in
the Museum at Basel.
|
|
| Stood, unsuccessfully, for the Professorship of Fine Arts
in the University of Cambridge.
|
|
| Dec. 29. Death of his father and end of his
financial embarrassments.
|
| 1887.
| Engaged Alfred Emery Cathie as clerk and general
attendant.
|
|
| Luck or Cunning as the main means of Organic
Modification? An attempt to throw additional light upon
Charles Darwin’s theory of Natural Selection.
|
|
| Was entertained at dinner by the Municipio of
Varallo-Sesia on the Sacro Monte.
|
| 1888.
| Took up photography.
|
| 1888.
| Ex Voto: an account of the Sacro Monte or New
Jerusalem at Varallo-Sesia, with some notice of
Tabachetti’s remaining work at Crea and illustrations from
photographs by the author: MS. at Varallo-Sesia.
|
|
| Narcissus: a Cantata in the Handelian form, words
and music by Samuel Butler and Henry Festing Jones: MS. of the
piano score in the British Museum. MS. of the orchestral
score with H. F. Jones.
|
|
| In this and the two following years contributed some
articles to the Universal Review, most of which were
republished after his death as Essays on Life, Art,
and Science (1904).
|
| 1890.
| Began to study counterpoint with William Smith Rockstro
and continued to do so until Rockstro’s death in 1895.
|
| 1892.
| The Humour of Homer. A Lecture delivered at
the Working Men’s College, Great Ormond Street, London,
January 30, 1892, reprinted with preface and additional matter
from the Eagle.
|
|
| Went to Sicily, the first of many visits, to collect
evidence in support of his theory identifying the Scheria and
Ithaca of the Odyssey with Trapani and the neighbouring
Mount Eryx.
|
| 1893.
| “L’Origine Siciliana dell’
Odissea.” Extracted from the Rassegna della
Letteratura Siciliana.
|
|
| “On the Trapanese Origin of the Odyssey”
(Translation).
|
| 1894.
| Ex Voto translated into Italian by Cavaliere Angelo
Rizzetti.
|
|
| “Ancora sull’ origine dell’
Odissea.” Extracted from the Rassegna della
Letteratura Siciliana.
|
| 1895.
| Went to Greece and the Troad to make up his mind about the
topography of the Iliad.
|
| 1896.
| The Life and Letters of Dr. Samuel Butler (his
grandfather) in so far as they illustrate the scholastic,
religious and social life of England from 1790–1840: MS. at
the Shrewsbury Town Library or Museum.
|
|
| His portrait painted by Charles Gogin, now in the National
Portrait Gallery.
|
| 1897.
| The Authoress of the Odyssey, where and when she
wrote, who she was, the use she made of the Iliad and how
the poem grew under her hands: MS. at Trapani.
|
| 1897.
| Death of Charles Paine Pauli.
|
| 1898.
| The Iliad rendered into English prose: MS. at St.
John’s College, Cambridge.
|
| 1899.
| Shakespeare’s Sonnets reconsidered and in
part rearranged, with introductory chapters, notes and a reprint
of the original 1609 edition: MS. with R. A. Streatfeild.
|
| 1900.
| The Odyssey rendered into English prose: MS. at
Aci-Reale, Sicily.
|
| 1901.
| Erewhon Revisited twenty years later both by the
Original Discoverer of the Country and by his Son: this was a
return not only to Erewhon but also to the subject of the
pamphlet on the resurrection. MS. in the British
Museum.
|
| 1902.
| June, 18. Death of Samuel Butler.
|
| 1902.
| “Samuel Butler,” an article by Richard
Alexander Streatfeild in the Monthly Review
(September).
|
|
| “Samuel Butler,” an obituary notice by Henry
Festing Jones in the Eagle (December).
|
| 1903.
| Samuel Butler Records and Memorials, a collection
of obituary notices with a note by R. A. Streatfeild, his
literary executor, printed for private circulation: with
reproduction of a photograph of Butler taken at Varallo in
1889.
|
|
| The Way of All Flesh, a novel, written between 1872
and 1885, published by R. A. Streatfeild: MS. with Mr. R. A.
Streatfeild.
|
| 1904.
| Seven Sonnets and A Psalm of Montreal printed for
private circulation.
|
|
| Essays on Life, Art and Science, being
reprints of his Universal Review articles, together with
two lectures.
|
|
| Ulysses, an Oratorio: Words and music by Samuel
Butler and Henry Festing Jones: MS. of the piano score in the
British Museum, MS. of the orchestral score with H. F. Jones.
|
|
| “The Author of Erewhon,” an article by Desmond
MacCarthy in the Independent Review (September).
|
| 1904.
| Diary of a Journey through North Italy to Sicily
(in the spring of 1903, undertaken for the purpose of leaving the
MSS. of three books by Samuel Butler at Varallo-Sesia, Aci-Reale
and Trapani) by Henry Festing Jones, with reproduction of
Gogin’s portrait of Butler. Printed for private
circulation.
|
| 1907.
| Nov. Between this date and May, 1910, some Extracts
from The Note-Books of Samuel Butler appeared in the
New Quarterly Review under the editorship of Desmond
MacCarthy.
|
| 1908.
| July 16. The first Erewhon dinner at Pagani’s
Restaurant, Great Portland Street; 32 persons present: the day
was fixed by Professor Marcus Hartog.
|
|
| Second Edition of The Way of All Flesh.
|
| 1909.
| God the Known and God the Unknown republished in
book form from the Examiner (1879) by A. C. Fifield, with
prefatory note by R. A. Streatfeild.
|
|
| July 15. The second Erewhon dinner at
Pagani’s; 53 present: the day was fixed by Mr. George
Bernard Shaw.
|
| 1910.
| Feb. 10. Samuel Butler Author of Erewhon, a
Paper read before the British Association of Homœopathy at
43 Russell Square, W.C., by Henry Festing Jones. Some of
Butler’s music was performed by Miss Grainger Kerr, Mr. R.
A. Streatfeild, Mr. J. A. Fuller Maitland and Mr. H. J. T. Wood,
the Secretary of the Association.
|
| June.
| Unconscious Memory, a new edition entirely reset
with a note by R. A. Streatfeild and an introduction by Professor
Marcus Hartog, M.A., D.Sc., F.L.S., F.R. H.S., Professor of
Zoology in University College, Cork.
|
|
| July 14. The third Erewhon dinner at Pagani’s
Restaurant; 58 present: the day was fixed by the Right Honourable
Augustine Birrell, K.C., M.P.
|
|
| Nov. 16. Samuel Butler Author of
Erewhon. A paper read before the Historical Society of
St. John’s College, Cambridge, in the Combination-room of
the college, by Henry Festing Jones. The Master (Mr. R. F.
Scott), who was also Vice-Chancellor of the University, was in
the chair and a Vote of Thanks was proposed by Professor Bateson,
F.R.S.
|
| 1910.
| Nov. 28. Life and Habit, a new edition with a
preface by R. A. Streatfeild and author’s addenda, being
three pages containing passages which Butler had cut out of the
original book or had intended to insert in a future edition.
|
| 1911.
| May 25. The jubilee number of the Press, New
Zealand, contained an account of Butler’s connection with
the newspaper and reprinted “Darwin among the
Machines” and “Lucubratio Ebria.”
|
|
| July 15. The fourth Erewhon dinner at Pagani’s
Restaurant; 75 present: the day was fixed by Sir William Phipson
Beale, Bart., K.C., M.P.
|
|
| Nov. Charles Darwin and Samuel Butler: A
Step towards Reconciliation, by Henry Festing Jones. A
pamphlet giving the substance of a correspondence between Mr.
Francis Darwin and the author and reproducing letters by Charles
Darwin about the quarrel between himself and Butler referred to
in Chapter IV of Unconscious Memory.
|
|
| Evolution Old and New, a reprint of the second
edition (1882) with prefatory note by R. A. Streatfeild.
|
| 1912.
| June 1. Letter from Henry Festing Jones in the
Press, Christchurch, New Zealand, about Butler’s
Dialogue, which had appeared originally in the Press
December 20, 1862, and could not be found.
|
|
| June 8. “Darwin on the Origin of
Species. A Dialogue “discovered in consequence of the
foregoing letter and reprinted in the Press.
|
|
| June 15. The Press reprinted some of the
correspondence, etc. which followed on the original appearance of
the Dialogue.
|
|
| Some of Butler’s water-colour drawings having been
given to the British Museum, two were included in an exhibition
held there during the summer.
|
|
| July 12. The Fifth Erewhon Dinner at Pagani’s
Restaurant; 90 present; the day was fixed by Mr. Edmund Gosse,
C.B., LL.D.
|