Samuel Lysons facts for kids
Samuel Lysons (born in 1763, died in 1819) was an English expert who studied old things, known as an antiquarian. He was also an engraver, meaning he created pictures by carving them onto metal plates. Samuel worked with his older brother, Daniel Lysons, on many books about history. He was one of the first archaeologists to explore ancient Roman sites in Britain. He was especially interested in studying mosaics, which are pictures made from tiny colored pieces.
Early Life
Samuel Lysons was born in 1763 in a place called Rodmarton. This village is near Cirencester in Gloucestershire, England. He was the younger son of Reverend Samuel Lysons. His older brother, Daniel Lysons, often worked with him on his projects.
His Career and Discoveries
In November 1786, Samuel Lysons became a member of the Society of Antiquaries. This group focuses on studying history and old objects. He also studied law in Bath and became a lawyer in 1798. He worked as a lawyer until 1803.
Samuel was very active in important societies. He was a director of the Society of Antiquaries of London from 1798 to 1809. In 1797, he became a member of the Royal Society, which is a famous group for science. He later served as its vice-president and treasurer. Just before he passed away, he also taught about old things at the Royal Academy. Famous artists like Sir Thomas Lawrence painted his portrait.
From 1803 until he died in 1819, Samuel Lysons was the Keeper of the Records in the Tower of London. This was a very important job. The Tower of London was a main place where old government papers and historical documents were kept. He also wrote descriptions for a book called Britannia Depicta.
His Death
Samuel Lysons passed away in June 1819. He died near his birthplace of Rodmarton, close to Cirencester in Gloucestershire.
Important Works
Samuel Lysons created many important works about history and old places. Here are some of them:
- Environs of London: This book was written by his brother Daniel, but Samuel drew the pictures for it.
- Magna Britannia: This was a large project Samuel worked on with his brother Daniel. It was a detailed account of different counties in Great Britain. Several volumes were published between 1806 and 1822.
- Reliquae Britannico-Romanae (1801–1817): In this work, Samuel engraved 156 plates. These were detailed drawings of Roman remains in Britain.
- Views and Antiquities of the County of Gloucestershire (1791): This book focused on his home county, Gloucestershire. Samuel created the drawings for it.
- A Collection of Gloucestershire Antiquities (1803): Another book about old things found in Gloucestershire, also with drawings by Samuel.
- An Account of the Remains of a Roman Villa Discovered at Woodchester in the County of Gloucestershire (1815): Samuel wrote this book himself. It described his exciting discovery of the Orpheus mosaic at Woodchester Roman Villa in 1793. This mosaic is a large, beautiful floor made of tiny stones.
- He also wrote several papers about Roman mosaics for Archaeologia. This journal was published by the Society of Antiquaries in London.
