232 



Memoir of the late Rev. William Stobbs, M.A. 



The Eev. William Stobbs, M. A., Minister of Gordon, Berwick- 

 shire, is another of our members whose sudden death on the 30th 

 April 1885, has made a gap in the ranks of the workers of the 

 Club. He was born 9th May 1827, at Lothian Bridge, in the 

 Parish of Newbattle. Some of his schoolmates recall his early- 

 ability as a raconteur, which ever lent a charm and an entrancing 

 individuality to his conversation with his intimates. His career 

 at Edinburgh University was creditable, if not distinguished, as 

 amongst other prizes, he took Honours in Mathematics, and a First 

 for a Poetical Translation of part of the Odyssey. He graduated 

 in 1849. Becoming a Licentiate of the church of Scotland about 

 1851, he was appointed Assistant to the Rev. Mr Moncrieff, 

 Pennicuick, and thereafter to the Rev. Mr Blaikie of Abbotshall. 

 Having been presented to the parish of Gordon, he was ordained 

 on the 16th August 1855. 



Of distinct ability and much shrewdnesss, of many christian 

 virtues and large sympathies, Mr Stobbs might have adorned a 

 still more important sphere of labour. But it does not surprise 

 us who enjoyed his friendship, nor those amongst whom his lot 

 was cast, that he was content to remain for thirty years amongst 

 his attached parishioners at Gordon, who had learned to prize 

 his devotion to duty and genial manner, his sterling honesty and 

 unaffected piety. He became a member of the Club 25th Sep- 

 tember 1873, and speedily was known for his thirst for knowledge, 

 wide reading, and his intense love of nature. His acquaintance 

 with Botany was good, and he had at his finger ends the flora 

 of the moss and woods of Gordon. But his specialty was arch- 

 aeology. His contributions were made in 1882, and are sufficiently 

 valuable to make numbers regret that he did not contribute more 

 frequently to the Proceedings, and yield to the repeated requests 

 of his friends, and publish extracts from the volumes of MSS., 

 which he has left behind. 



KB.— The Flint Axe, of p. 115 (1882), is now with his other 

 archaeological gatherings, in the possession of Lady John Scott 

 of Spottiswood. 



G. G. 



[Mr Stobbs was the discoverer of Linncea borealis and 

 epens in the fir woods near Gordon. J.H.] 



