Samuel James MacMullan, professor of history and English literature at Queen’s College, Belfast (1892–1900), was born at Hillsborough, Co. Down, the son of a Royal Irish Constabulary inspector. He was educated at Cookstown Academy and the Royal Belfast Academical Institution. He attended Queen’s College, Belfast (1858–1861) and obtained the degrees of BA and MA from the Queen’s University in Ireland. He was appointed principal of Cookstown Academy (1862) and remained in the post for six years. He thereafter served as assistant librarian at Queen’s College, Belfast, and also as assistant registrar. He settled in London as headmaster of a private school at Blackheath, and subsequently ran a school of his own in the capital and was employed as a university extension lecturer in London and Belfast. In 1892 he was appointed to the above professorship at Queen’s, Belfast and was also elected a fellow of the Royal University of Ireland.