Sir Henry Savile was born on 30th November 1549 at Bradley Hall, Stainland, son of Henry Savile.
In 1561, he went to Merton College, Oxford, and became a scholar and benefactor, and tutor of mathematics, Greek and Latin to Queen Elizabeth I.
In 1595, he became Provost of Eton.
Around 1592, he married Margery or Margaret daughter of George Dacres of Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, and widow of George Gerrard of Dorney, Buckinghamshire. Margaret had 2 children by her first marriage:
Margaret and Henry had 2 children:
In February 1601, he was suspected of involvement in the Essex rebellion against Elizabeth I and was imprisoned for a short time.
He was knighted by James I in 1604.
At Oxford, he was a student of geometry and astronomy. In 1619, he founded the Savilian Chair of Geometry at Oxford because
geometry is almost totally unknown and abandoned in England
After giving the first lectures himself, he asked Henry Briggs to take the post.
In 1620, he founded the Savilian Chair of Astronomy at Oxford.
He was said to be the most learned man of the times, and published many translations from Latin and Greek.
After a disagreement between the University and local builders in 1608, he brought masons John Akroyd and John Bentley from Halifax to build the Fellows' Quadrangle at Merton College, and to finish his extensions to the Bodleian Library.
He published several books at his own expense, including translations of Tacitus [1581], studies of Roman warfare [1598], a history of England from Caesar to William the Conqueror [1596], and the works of St Chrysostom [1613].
It is said that his wife once remarked on his love of books
Sir Henry, I would that I were a book, and then you would a little more respect me
to which he replied
Madam, you ought to be an almanac, that I might change at the year's end
In 1611, he was commissioned by James I to work as a translator on the New Testament of the Authorised Version of the Bible, the King James Bible. His notes indicate that he had a thorough knowledge of several language, including Hebrew and its dialects.
He was steward of the Honour of Pontefract and a rival of Sir Richard Tempest in the Wakefield-Pontefract feud.
He died on 19th February 1622 at Eton College, and he was buried in the chapel there, next to his son Henry. He left £200 for his funeral though he was buried by torchlight to save expense
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