900 THE chairman's address. 



and disturbed to a minimal extent by the general unrest abi'oad, 

 at last our serenity was rudely ruffled, and our hearts stirred 

 by an event almost as unexpected as it was sad. And although 

 the circumstances from their recent occurrence are still fresh in 

 your memories, it especially befits the occasion of our annual 

 gathering that I should again remind you of our loss and our 

 obligations, and offer on behalf of the Society a humble tribute to 

 the memory of our departed friend. 



William John Stephens was born on July 16, 1829, at Levens, 

 in Westmoreland, where his father was the vicar. He was 

 educated first at the Haversham Grammar School, an ancient 

 foundation which has turned out many distinguished scholars, 

 and subsequently at Marlborough College, where he was one of 

 the 200 pupils with which that institution opened. In due 

 course he became captain of Marlborough, and gained the Latin 

 Verse and English Vei'se prizes, the Plater prize, the Drawing 

 prize, and the College exhibition. Before leaving Marlborough 

 he won a Tabardenship at Queen's College, Oxford, and matricu- 

 lated in that University. He took his B.A. in 1852, with 

 first-class honours in classics, and third-class honours in mathe- 

 matics and physics. Soon after he was elected fellow and 

 appointed tutor of Queen's. Among his pupils during this 

 period were Dr. Percival, formerly of Clifton, now headmaster 

 of Rugby ; and Dr. Thornton, Bishop of Ballarat. While at 

 Oxford he read widely and deeply in the ancient classics, the love 

 of which never afterwards deserted him. Here also he laid the 

 foundation of that varied learning which eminently distinguished 

 him. At Oxford, too, in his early manhood, he first took up the 

 study of geology, and threw himself into that science with great 

 zeal. To geology he soon added botany, in both of which he took 

 keen interest. 



In 1856, at the instigation of Sir Charles Nicholson, he applied 

 for tlie headmastership of the Sydney Grammar School, which 

 had just been founded ; and be was elected to that position on 

 the recommendation of Dr. Jowett. After ten years' work at 



