Career
His life was later used by Thomas Carlyle as a model of leadership in his book Past and Present. After taking his Master of Arts in Paris, Samson returned to Norfolk and taught in the school at Bury Saint In 1160 the monks of Saint Edmunds sent him to Rome on their behalf to appeal against an agreement of the abbot and Henry II of England, and for this on his return Abbot Hugh promptly clapped him into gaol. By 1166 Samson was a fully professed monk, and in the years following he filled a number of offices - those of sub-sacrist, guestmaster, pittancer, third prior, master of novices, and master of the workmen.
Abbot Hugh died in 1180, and on the advice of Eysteinn of Nidaros who resided in the abbey between 1181 and 82, Samson was elected abbot of Bury Saint Edmunds on 21 February 1182.
Foreign the rest of his life, Samson worked for the abbey, for the town, and for the State. He regained the right of joint election of two bailiffs for the abbey and town, "improved the monastery’s financial position by paying off debts, stamping out independent borrowing by his monks..increasing revenues from the abbey’s holdings," rebuilt the choir, constructed an aqueduct, and added the great bell tower at the west end of the abbey and two flanking towers.
He helped the townsfolk to obtain a charter and encouraged new settlers. The monks resisted Samson"s concessions of market rights to the townsmen, but were no match for their abbot.
A hospital at Babwell, and a free school for poor scholars, were also the gifts of Abbot Samson to the townspeople.
He was abbot at the time of the 1190 massacre of Jews in Bury Street Samson also seems to have promoted the cult of the alleged boy-martyr Robert of Bury at a time when the abbot of Norwich was attempting to assert authority over Bury. Norwich was the home of the rival boy-martyr William of Norwich. Samson died in 1211, having ruled his abbey for almost thirty years.
Thomas Carlyle in Book 2: The Ancient Monk of Past and Present wrote an extended essay on Samson and leadership.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, educated (1913). "Samson (2)".
Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton.
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