Obituary.

only has his name become " a household word" amongst Alasons , but his pen was ever ready to defend the cause we all so dearly love , and his abilities of such a high order as to render that defence respected by our most bitter opponents . A long life devoted to literature and antiquarian research especially fitted him for the high position he obtained in the Craft , and his writings' have become the text-book of English Alasonry . Our venerable brother was initiated in St . Peter's Lodge ,

Peterborough , in the year 1801 . AA ' e have little of his Alasonic career until the year 1811 , when he was the means of having the warrant of the St . James's Lodge , Louth , transferred to Grimsby , where he resided , and for a few years gave life and activity to this dormant warrant in that town . As it bore the name of the patron saint of the parish church in Louth on its transferit was changed to the Apollo . Few of its members

, now remain , but in Louth an esteemed member of the Lindsay Lodge , Bro . Blakeloch , was initiated in the Apollo in the year 1818 , and retains lively recollections of the late doctor ' s Zealand activity in its working , and also his affection for the " gentle Craft " at that time , which , like a " first love , " has held possession ofhis heart till it ceased to beat . He was appointed P . G . Steward in 1814 P . G . Chap , in 1816 and D . P . G . M . of Lincolnshire in 1833 .

, , During the time the Right Hon . C . T . D'Eyncourt was P . G . M . some unfortunate circumstances arose which caused dissension in the Craft , and led to Dr . Oliver ' s resignation . His zeal , however , in no way cooled , and Alasonic literature was enriched by his labours until Alay last , when he took his farewell of the

Grand Lodge of Lincolnshire by delivering a lecture on the advantages of Freemasonry over other secret societies , and a warmly-uttered address , which was listened to by those present ¦ with evident emotion , as the words fell from the faltering lips of the kind old man who had then outlived the limit of human existence . Through the activity of the Prov . G . Sec . of Lincolnshire , Bro . Lucas , of Louth , this address and lecture have been publishedand the proceeds devoted to the Fund of

Benevo-, lence of Lincolnshire , founded by Bro . Lucas , in the welfare of which Bro . Oliver took a warm interest , almost one of his last acts being to write a cheque for one pound as his annual subscription towards that fund , and forward it to Bro . C AL Nesbitt P . G . Treas . Our esteemed brother . was taken ill about a fortnight before lie died , which melancholy event took place on Sunday evening ,

the 3 rd inst ., at Lincoln . The intelligence was telegraphed to Bro . Smyth , D . Prov . G . AI ., and a dispensation at once granted for the interment to take place with Alasonic honours . Accordingly on Thursday , the 7 th inst ., a lodge was summoned by the W . M . of the AVitham Lodge , of which the deceased was a member , and invitations having been sent by the Prov . G . Sec . to the other lodges in the province to attend , about ninety of the brethren met at the County Assembly Rooms , Lincoln , and

formed a procession , which joined the funeral cortege at the house where the body of our deceased brother lay , and accompanied his remains to their last resting-place , in St . Swithiu's ¦ cemetery , in the following order : —•

Two Tylers . Visiting Brethren . Witham Lodge . Band . Brethren out of Office . The Deacons . The Secretary with Roll . The Treasurer .

The Senior and Junior AVardens . The P . Grand Officers . The Holy Writings . The Grand Pursuivant . Steward with *| The Worshipful Master . ( Steward with wand . 3 ( . wand . The Officiating Clergyman . THE BODY .

Mourners . Two Stewards . Tyler . At the conclusion of the burial service the AA ' . AI . of the "Witham Lodge delivered an oration , and those significant tokens of Alasonic love were rendered which consigned to the grave all that remained to us of Bro . George Oliver . The Rev . Geo . Oliver , Vicar of Scopwick and Rector of South Hykeham , died at his residence , Eastgate , Lincoln , on the 3 rd instant , in his 85 th year , having enjoyed almost uninterrupted good health up to a few days before his death , and having been

Obituary.

confined to his bed little better than one day . The late Dr Oliver was descended from an ancient Scottish family of that name , which is still resident at Oliver Castle . He -nas the eldest son of the Rev . Samuel Oliver , Rector of Lambley , Notts , and was born on the Sth of November , 1782 . He started in life in 1803 as the second master of the Grammar School at Grimsby . He was ordained a deacon in 1813 , and priest the following year , and in the spring of 1815 Bishop Tomline

collated him to the living of Clee . In 1 S 31 Bishop Kaye gave him the living of Scopwick , which he held till his death . He graduated as Doctor of Divinity in 1836 , being at that time Rector of AA olverhampton and a Predendary in the Collegiate Church there , both of which were presented to him by the Hon . Lewis Hobart , Dean of Windsor . In 1846 the Chancellor of England conferred on him the Rectory of South Hykeham ,

which vacated the incumbency of AVolverhampton . He was the author of numerous theological , antiquarian , and Alasonic works , many of which have gone through three or four editions in this country , and have been re-published in France , Germany , the United States of America , and in the East Indies . Having led a very active life in the discharge of his professional duties and literary pursuits , at the age of 72 his voice began to fail , and he was obliged to confide the charge of his parishes to curatesand

, he passed the remainder of his life in dignified retirement , honoured and beloved . The following are some of Bro . Oliver's voluminous writings : — History and Antiquities of the Collegiate Church of Beverley , History and Antiquities of the Collegiate Church of Wolverhampton , History of the Conventual Church cf Grimsby ,

Monumental Antiquities of Grimsby , History of the Guild of Holy Trinity , Sleaford , Six Pastoral Addresses to the Inhabitants of Grimsby , Farewell Address to the same , Three Addresses to the Inhabitants of Wolverhampton , Hints on Educational Societies , Essay on Education , Six Letters on tbe Liturgy , a Letter on Church Principles , Letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury on Doctrine , Eighteen Sermons preached at AVolverhampton , the Alonasteries on the eastern side of the AVithamLetter to the

, late Sir E . F . -Bromhead ou Drnidical Remains near Lincoln , Guide to the Druidieal Temple at Nottingham , British Antiquities in Nottingham and Vicinity , Remains of Ancient Britons between Lincoln and Sleaford , Scopwickians , & c . The first work was published in 1811 , and his last in 1866 . His "Ye Byrde of Gryme" ( Grimsby in the olden time ) had this dedicatioh : "At the age of eihty-four years the following pages are

g inscribed as a souvenir of friendship , and a kindly farewell to the inhabitants of Grimsby and Lee , by their former parish minister , with sole charge for a period of seventeen years , aud now their obedient servant and well wisher , Geo . Oliver . , Eastgate , Lincoln , January , 1866 . " And he concluded the work in these words : "And thus I bid farewell to the inhabitants of Grimsby , in the hope that when this little book is read they will think

kindly of me after the years of . my pilgrimage are ended . " He was of a kind and genial disposition , charitable in the highest sense of the word , " thinking no evil , " courteous , affable , selfdenying and beneficent , humble , unassuming and unaffected , ever ready to oblige , easy of approach , amiable , yet firm in the right . A long memoir of Bro . Dr . Oliver as a Freemason we must reserve till we have some space at our command .

Reviews.

REVIEWS .

The Devon and Cornwall Masonic Calendar . By Bro . AVlELlAlI JAMES HUGHAN . This work , which has been produced with great care by Bro . AA'illiam James Hughan , of Truro , has just made its appearance , being the third annual issue , and contains a large amount of information .- not only to those living in the counties to which it is peculiarl licablebut to the Craft in general . The

y app , preface goes into an elaborate description of the additions and improvements which have been effected in it since last year , and other improvements are promised concurrently with the extended support that the work may receive . The preface is in itself a very interesting document , as it succinctly details the progress which has been made in Alasonic institutions in the province , and it cannot fail to be highly gratifying to those who

have taken part in bringing about such satisfactory results . AVe cannot do better than by letting Bro . Hughan speak for himself , and he does so on the whole in a manner which shows that , so far as the counties of Devon and Cornwall are concerned ,