Transcript

Of

George Doe [Obituary]

Transactions of the Devonshire Association, 1891, Vol XXIII, pp. 104-105.

by

W. Harpley

Prepared by Michael Steer

The obituary was read at the Association’s July 1891 Tiverton meeting. A transcript of “Torrington Commons: Quiet Possession”, appearing in the First Report of the Committee on Peculiar Tenures of Land. Trans. Devon. Assoc., 1880, Vol XII, pp. 153-154, was delivered by Mr Doe at the Association’s July 1880, Totnes meeting, and can be accessed here. The article, from a copy of a rare and much sought-after journal can be downloaded from the Internet Archive. Google has sponsored the digitisation of books from several libraries. These books, on which copyright has expired, are available for free educational and research use, both as individual books and as full collections to aid researchers.

George Doe was born at Torrington, December 17th, 1821. He was educated at Blundell*s School, Tiverton, during the mastership of the late Archdeacon Saunders, being a contemporary of Dr. Temple. He was afterwards articled as a solicitor with Messrs. Carter and Chanter, of Barnstaple, and settled at Torrington, having succeeded to the practice of Mr. Hawkins, where for forty years he filled the office of Town Clerk of that borough; and at the time of his death he held most of the public offices in the town.

Mr. Doe's connexion with the Association commenced in 1867, when the first meeting at Barnstaple was held. In 1875 he was elected Local Secretary for the meeting at Torrington, and it was mainly owing to his untiring exertions and power of organization that the meeting of that year was so eminently successful. He contributed on that occasion a paper, entitled "The Examination of Two Barrows near Torrington."

Mr. Doe was also a member of several of the special committees; and he was Secretary of the Folk-lore Committee, whose reports were ably edited by him. He took a warm interest in the Association. He was rarely absent from the Annual Meetings, and his attendance at the meetings of the Council could be confidently relied upon. He was most active in introducing new members, scarcely a year passing without at least one or two new members being nominated by him.

Mr. Doe was of a most modest and retiring disposition. He gave his opinions with diffidence, carefully avoiding any expression which might wound or annoy, thus winning the esteem of all with whom he was brought in contact.

He died April 2nd, 1891, at the age of 69 years.