OBITUARY. 427 
ring to the professional life of his father for this purpose, for 
which we are obliged to him. 
It could not have been, that one who had attained so great 
an age, and once held so prominent a position, should have 
- -passed away from among us thus briefly noticed, and his 
memory have been unhonoured by us. 
The late Mr. Stockley, born in 1776, was among the ear¬ 
liest pupils of the Royal Veterinary College, being one of the 
six students at the foundation of that institution. He was 
therefore contemporary with Mr. Bracy Clark, Mr. John 
Field, Mr. Richard Lawrence, and others, whose diplomas 
bear the same date—one only, Mr. E. Bond, having passed 
a few months before them. These have gone down to “ the 
peaceful grave that hushes all,” with the exception of the 
first-named, who is now, of course, the oldest member of the 
profession. 
The mind is thus carried back to the very beginning of 
the recognition of veterinary medicine as a science in this 
country. Has its progress been what its originators antici¬ 
pated ? is a question that will be differently answered. It 
seems a long time to look back upon, and many have been 
the changes that have taken place since then; 
“ Yet the present will be soon as surely gone, 
As that far past we almost think a dream.” 
Mr. Stockley was admitted fC a resident pupil in the Vete¬ 
rinary College,” on the recommendation of Lord Rivers, 
in January, 1792. Mr. St. Bel was then professor, and 
delivered his lectures at the temporary school, near St. 
Pancras Church. After his death. Professor Coleman was 
appointed in February, 1794; and as Mr. Stockley’s diploma 
bears the date 5th July, 1794, according to the register, he 
must have been a student under both professors. From 
April, 1794, to September, 1795, he acted at the College as 
assistant to Professor Coleman, who also, at a subsequent 
period, in the year 1800, “ offered to recommend him as one 
of the professors to a Veterinary College proposed to be 
established in Ireland” by the Royal Dublin Society. 
In 1795, at the suggestion of Lord Heathfield, he was 
sent to a regiment of cavalry, especially and experimentally 
to prove the utility of introducing veterinary surgeons into 
the army generally, and to justify the granting of public 
money in aid of the funds of the Veterinary Institution; the 
result of which was, that veterinary surgeons were subse¬ 
quently appointed to the army. 
The First Fencible Cavalry, to which he belonged, was dis- 
