Alban Butler facts for kids

Alban Butler (born October 13, 1710 – died May 15, 1773) was an English Roman Catholic priest. He was also a hagiographer, which means he wrote about the lives of saints.

Alban Butler's Life Story

Alban Butler was born in 1710 in a place called Appletree, Aston le Walls, Northamptonshire, England. He was the second son of Simon Butler. His father passed away when Alban was young. He then went to a boarding school in Lancashire run by Dame Alice.

After that, he continued his Catholic education at the English College, Douai, in France. In 1735, Butler became a priest. At Douai, he taught philosophy and later theology. This is where he started working on his most important book, The Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs and Other Principal Saints. He also helped gather information for another book, Memoirs of Missionary Priests, which was about martyrs from the time of Queen Elizabeth I.

In 1745, Butler helped wounded English soldiers after a battle called the Battle of Fontenoy. His kindness was noticed by the Duke of Cumberland, who was King George II's younger son.

Around 1746, Butler traveled with James and Thomas Talbot as their teacher and guide. They were on a trip called the Grand Tour, which was a long journey around Europe. Both James and Thomas Talbot later became Catholic bishops.

Butler also worked as a missionary priest in Staffordshire, England, for some time. Later, he became the president of the English seminary at Saint Omer in France. He stayed there until he passed away.

In 1749, Butler returned to England. He became a chaplain to the Duke of Norfolk. Butler also went to Paris with the Duke's nephew, Edward Howard, to be his tutor. While in Paris, Butler finished his famous book, The Lives. As president of the seminary, Butler also helped bishops in other cities in France. He died in Saint-Omer in 1773 and was buried there.

Butler's Famous Book: The Lives of Saints

The Lives of the Saints was a very important book.

Butler's great book, The Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs, and Other Principal Saints, is often called "Butler's Lives". He spent thirty years studying and writing it. The first edition was published in London between 1756 and 1759.

This book is a popular and detailed collection of stories about saints. It shows how much hard work and research Butler put into it. It is considered one of the best collections of saints' lives in English. Butler's big book has been printed many times and translated into different languages.

The First Edition

The first edition of the book was printed in four large volumes. However, they were so thick that they were often bound into more books. There were actually six title pages in total. Each "volume" covered the lives of saints for three months of the church calendar. The first volume also had a special picture showing tools used for torture in Roman times. It also had a two-page explanation of how these tools were used.

Newer Editions

Since Father Butler first published his book, many people have updated and rewritten it. For example, Father Herbert Thurston, a Jesuit priest, edited and greatly rewrote the work. His updated 12-volume edition was published between 1926 and 1938.

See Also

In Spanish: Alban Butler para niños