Transcript

of

John Carroll Hele  [Obituary]

Trans. Devon. Assoc., 1887, Vol XIX, p.44.

by

Rev. W. Harpley

Prepared by Michael Steer

A History of Newton-Abbot and Newton-Bushel, by the Rev D. M. Stirling, printed at Newton Abbot in 1830, describes the suburb of Highweek as “advantageously situated on fine ascending ground at the foot of the beautiful eminence of Knowles, (p. 65; such was the home for many years of esteemed naturalist John Carroll Hele whose obituary was read at the Association’s July 1887 Plympton meeting. 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.

John Carroll Hele, of Horkstow, Lincolnshire, was for many years a resident at Knowles, near Newton Abbot. He was an ardent naturalist, and had made a large and valuable ornithological collection, which he threw open for the inspection of the members when the Association met at Newton Abbot in 1884, having himself become a member the year previously. He died, aged 53, on May 27th, 1887, whilst on a visit to his wife's friends at Norwich, Ontario, Canada West, whither he had gone in the forlorn hope that the journey might bring him some alleviation of the disease which caused his death.