Alban Butler

Born in Northamptonshire in 1710, Alban Butler was an English Roman Catholic priest, educator, and hagiographer. He studied at the English College in Douai, France, where he later taught philosophy and theology after his ordination.

He is remembered above all for Lives of the Saints, a major multi-volume collection that brought together accounts of saints for each day of the year. The book became one of the best-known works of Catholic devotional biography in English and remained widely read long after his death.

Butler also served as a missionary priest and as a tutor and chaplain in Catholic households. He died at Saint-Omer in France in 1773, leaving behind a reputation for learning, diligence, and a steady, thoughtful approach to religious history.