BRIEF ILLNESS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 122, 26 May 1930, Page 7

BRIEF ILLNESS.

0 EX-PRIMATE PASSES. Death of Lord Davidson, Former ' Archbishop of Canterbury. DIED PEACEFULLY IN SLEEP. (United P.A.-Electric Telegrapn-Copyright) (Received 10.30 a.m.) LONDON, May 25. . The death has occurred of Archbishop Lord Davidson, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, after ,a short illness, at the age of 82.

The aged and frail Lady Davidson • watched unceasingly at the bedside of j her husband, who before his death ] raised his hand as though to salute her. * A faint smile played about his lips, but for the most part he lay quietly i with his eyes half open. He died peace- ' fully in his sleep. • **' 1 A little crowd of people waited all I day outside the house, the doors ,of j which remained closed. The Prime Minister, Mr. Ramsay MacDonald, in a tribute to the late Lord ( Davidson, said: "Wisely and cautiously, ! yet with liberal breadth and' depth of thought and sympathy, ho guided the Church and won. influence in the State. ; Many of us will miss a friend whom we reverenced and from whom we received a stimulating inspiration." A GREAT PRELATE. AFFECTIONATE TRIBUTES. (British Offlcial Wireless.) (Received 1 p.m.) RUGBY, May 25. After steadily losing strength for several days, Archbishop Lord Davidson died at Chelsea, London, on Saturday. Archbishop Davidson retired from the Primacy two years ago after holding that* office for 25 years, which was a longer period than that of any Primate since the Church Reformation, but ho continued, as hitherto to devote his wholo energies to the service of the Church and State. Many affectionate tributes to him were paid to-day in the pulpits and Press. Tlie "Sunday Observer" says: "He raised his office to a place in the national life it had hardly ever befor;: reached, by sheer force of character. He was a great prelate because he was a strong, sincere and simple man endowe-i with an unusual store of wisdom t and common sense." .. The "Sunday Times'" says: "His life was.one of noble service to religion and of ' continued statesmanship, and his character was. beloved and admired and of the finest worth." NEW ZEALAND MOURNS. LORD BLEDISLOE'S SYMPATHY. His Excellency Lord Bledisloe sent the following telegram to Lady Davidson in connection with .the death of Archbishop Lord Davidson, formerly Archbishop of Canterbury:—"Accept sincerest sympathy on death of my old friend and spiritual chief. Many thousands of all creeds in New Zealand will mourn the loss of a great Christian leader." Archbishop Lord Davidson, Randall Thomas Davidson, had been Archbishop of Canterbury and Primate of All England for 25 years when he retired on November 12, 1928, the date of his golden wedding anniversary. He was the first Primate to retire, and the first on whom a peerage—a barony—was conferred. Randall Thomas Davidson was born in Edinburgh in April, IS4B. He was educated at Harrow and Trinity College, Oxford, where lie studied theology. Entering the Church, he was appointed to a curacy,at Dartford, Kent, in 1874. There lie attracted the attention of Archbishop Tait, who, in 1877, made him his secretary. When Archbishop Tait died in 1882, Dr. Davidson acted as secretary to his successor, Archbishop Benson. In 1883 he became Dean of Windsor and domestic chaplain to Queen Victoria. He was appointed Bishop of Rochester in 1801, and transferred to the See of Winchester in 1895. At the time he was Clerk of the Closet to Queen Victoria. and subsequently to Edward VII. Jlis advice on State matters was constantly sought by the former and greatly valued. Finally, in 1903, he became Archbishop of Canterbury, returning to Lambeth Palace, where ho had spent the early days of his career, and whence in 1878 he had taken his wife, a daughter of Archbishop Tait, 1 whose life he wrote. During his long period as head of the English Church, the Archbishop acquired a reputation as a skilful, far-sighted and courtly ecclesiastical diplomatist. His diplomatic gifts found ample scope in dealing with doctrinal differences in the church, and during the education crisis. In the House of Lords, to which he belonged by virtue of his office, he wielded considerable influence, though he was not regarded as a very eloquent speaker. In 1920 he brought forward a. motion opposing Lord Mi' Ken Divorce Bill, which was only lost by one vote. >