THE LATE DEAN OF CARLISLE.

Marlborough Express, Volume XVII, Issue 297, 20 December 1882, Page 2

THE LATE DEAN OF CARLISLE.

The Very Rev. Francis Close, formerly Dean of Carlisle, whose death is announcedl m our oablegrams, at the ripe age oNtf, was the youngest son of the Rev. Henry Jacksou Close, some time rector of Bentworfch, near Alton, m Hampshire. His early education was conducted by the Rev. Dr. Cherry, then head master of Merchant Taylor's School, a ? d w af teward3 by the Rev. John Scott, ot Hull, eldest son of the well-known commentator on the Scriptures. In October, 1816, he entered as a oommouer v- . , hu ' s Co Uege, Cambridge, of which he became scholar, graduated a. A., m 1820, and was ordained to the curacy of ohurch Lawford. near Rugby, 7®?B he removed m 1522 to the curacy ot Willesden and Kingsbury, Middlesex. In the Spring of 1824 ho went to Uieltenham, and became curate to the

llav. Obarlea Jervis, the incumbent, lv 1820, Mr Jervis died, and Mr Close was presented to the incumbency; From that date until 1856, Mr Close devoted himself entirely to his parochial duties at Cheltenham, Hin public advocacy of the present system of GoVerriinenfc education, chiefly arising out of hia laborious efforts to establish the Training College for Schoolmasters and Mistresses at Cheltenham, received the acknowledgments of successive Governments. During iMr Close's incumbency, the population o£ dlieltflallim Increased from 3^ooo -to -40,000, and he erected, or caused to be erected, no fewer than five district churches with schools, and contributed largely to the establishment of Cheltenham College. At Oheltennam he was an unflinching opponent of both horse-racing aiid of theatrical amusements. In 1856 be exchanged the onerous duties of a parish priest for the comparative tranquillity of the deanery of Carlisle, to which he was recommended by Lord Palraerston on the elevation of Dr Tait to the see of London. Since his elevation to the deanery, he has promoted the building of a dispensary and several schools and churches m Carlisle. The church of St John the Evangelist is one of the purest specimens of early English architecture m the North of England. It has been bnilt by funds entirely raised by the Dean, who is the author of many pamphlets and sermons,, one of which, on the Choral Service, obtained a wide circulation. Of late years he has maintained a strong opposition to; the use of alcohol and tobaoco. - ;By his efforts a new parish church for St, Mary's, of great beauty, has been built, and the ancient portion of the nave of the Cathedral, of noble Saxon architecture, has been restored. The Cumberland Infirmary, receiving one hundred patients, has been almost rebuilt at a cost of £12,000 ; to raising money for. 'this objep.t^the Dean has' devoted himself.: .