Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Bird, Samuel
BIRD, SAMUEL (fl. 1600), divine, was a native of Essex, and matriculated as a pensioner of Queens’ College, Cambridge, in June 1566. He proceeded B.A. 1569-70, and commenced M.A. 1573. In November 1573 he was elected a fellow of Corpus Christi College, being admitted 30 April 1574. He vacated his fellowship in or belore 1576. He must also have been fellow of Benet College, as his earliest title-page shows: ‘A friendlie Communication or dialogue between Paule and Demos, wherein is disputed how we are to vse the pleasures of this life. By Samuel Byrd, M,A,, and fellow not long since of Benet Colledge,’ 1580.
It is further known that Bird was minister of St. Peter's, Ipswich, which was at the time a perpetual curacy, very poorly endowed. Unfortunately the church-books at present extant date back only to 1667, whilst a list of the incumbents from the year 1604 commences with his successor. His perpetual curacy he must have filled for a quarter of a century-say 1580 to 1604. He vacated the living in 1604. It must have been by cession or resignation, as in 1604 he was admitted a student at the Bodleian Library, Oxford, and on 8 May 1605 was incorporated M.A. in that university. Nothing is known of him at a later date.
In Bacon’s MSS. belonging to the corporation of Ipswich, which date 16 July 1595 (38 Elizabeth), is the following entry:-
‘Exhibition of a poore scholler. Petition for exhibition for hir. Bird’s sonne at Cambridge. It's ordered the gift of Mr. Barney shall he considered and what money is laid out, and thereuppon order shall farther be madef Then, on 14 Aug, (same year): ‘It was ordered by the Great Court that 4 li. shall be given yearly to Samuel Bird, sonne of Mr. Bird, minister of St. Peter's, at Cambridge, to his maintenance in learning till 20 li. be laid out.'
Besides ‘A Friendlie Communication, published in 1580, Bird issued 'The Principles of the True Christian Peligion briefly selected out of many good books. By S. B. 1590; ‘The Lectvres of Samvel Bird of Ipswidge vpon the 8 and 9 chapters of the Second Epistle to the Corinthians,’ 1598; ‘The Lectvres of Samvel Bird of Ipswidge vpon the 11 chapter of the Epistle: unto the Hebrewes, and upon the 38 Psalme,' 1598 (an edition of 1594 is also recorded). The ‘Hebrewes’ is dedicated to M. Edward Bacon of Shrubland Hall. Finally Bird published ‘Lectvres . . . on the Seventh Chapter of the 2nd Epistle to the Corinthians,' 1598.
[Cooper's Athenæ Cantabrigienses, ii. 429-30; Cole MSS. (B. Museum), B. 128; Hunter's MS. Chorus Vatum in Brit. Mus.; Herbert’s Ames, 1011, 1357, 1426; Lowmdes (Bohn); Masters's History of C. C. C. C. (Lamb), 326; Woods Fasti, ed. Bliss, i. 307; communications from Rev. Alexander Jeffrey, Ipswich.]