180 
JOURNAL OF THE PLYMOUTH INSTITUTION. 
good service, who constantly lectured, who filled the office of 
Secretary for some time, and who was President in four several 
years. He was born in this town in 1815 (Jan. 18th.) He went 
to Oxford in 1837, matriculated at Hertford College, took his 
bachelor's degree in 1840, and was ordained deacon in the same 
year by Bishop Phillpots. In 1841 he was appointed Master of 
the Plymouth Grammar School, in November was elected a Mem- 
ber of the Plymouth Institution, and the following month a Fellow 
of the Royal Astronomical Society. I find that he gave his first 
lecture 8th December, 1842, the subject being, "Ancient and 
Modern British Church Architecture." In February 1843 he read 
a paper on " Colonization," and from that time he was a frequent 
lecturer. The titles of his papers were : — " The Affinity of 
Languages," " The Formation of the Modern Languages of Europe," 
" The Recent Discovery of Ancient Writings engraved on Rocks 
near Aden, and in various parts of Hydramaut on the coast of 
Arabia," " Shakespeare as a Poet," ' 4 Byron and Wordsworth," 
" Shakespeare ethically considered," "Moral Philosophy — some 
Modern Systems," " Shakespeare," " Recent advances in Science," 
" The Philosophy of Socrates," " The Philosophy of Plato," " High 
Art," "Classical Education," "India," "Epic Poems and Dramas 
of the Hindoos," "The Society for Promoting Social Science," 
"The Social Science Congress of 1857," "Homer," "The Death of 
Socrates," " Cotton," " Woman as delineated in Ancient and 
Modern Literature." In 1844 Mr. Holmes was elected Vice- 
President, an office which he filled, as well as that of Librarian, 
several times. In 1854 he was President, and again in 1859, 
1873, and 1874. In 1855 he was Secretary, and at the time of his 
death was a Trustee of the property of the Institution. In his 
second year as President, he took his degree of Doctor of Divinity. 
He resigned the Mastership of the Grammar School in 1855. The 
list of his writings, mainly Critical and Theological, is a long one, 
and during the latter part of his life he was engaged in the trans- 
lation of several books of the early Christian Fathers. For some 
little time before his death failing health, and the distance of his 
residence from the Athenaeum, prevented his attending the lectures, 
but he took a warm interest in everything connected with the 
Institution, and was always zealous for its welfare. He died 9th 
October, 1878, and the then President, and many members, 
attended the funeral of one so much beloved and respected. 
