Samuel Winter

Samuel Winter' D.D. (1603 – 1666) was an English clergyman and academic, who became Provost of Trinity College, Dublin.

The son of Christopher Winter of Oxfordshire, he was born at Temple Balsall in Warwickshire. He early received religious impressions from the preaching of Slader, a puritan divine for whom his father had obtained the neighbouring chapel of Knowle. His father sent him in 1617 to King Henry VIII's school, Coventry, where William Dugdale was his contemporary under James Cranford. He went on to Emmanuel College and Queens' College, Cambridge, his tutor being John Preston.

After graduating M.A., Winter placed himself under John Cotton, vicar of Boston, Lincolnshire, with a view to preparation for the ministry. Cotton found him a rich wife, and led him to the Independent position in religion. Recovering from illness, he became perpetual curate of Woodborough in Nottinghamshire, and developed his preaching. He obtained a lectureship at York, but after the outbreak of the First English Civil War, left it in 1642 for the vicarage of Cottingham in the East Riding of Yorkshire. Here he organised a church on the congregational model.

Winter went to Ireland as chaplain to the four parliamentary commissioners. He went about the country with them, preaching. By 3 September 1651 the commissioners appointed him provost of Trinity College, in succession to Anthony Martin who had died of the plague in 1650. On 18 November 1651 he performed the acts for B.D. On 3 June 1652 his appointment as provost was confirmed by Oliver Cromwell. The degree of D.D. was conferred upon him by special grace on 17 August 1654; Henry Jones being vice-chancellor.

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