LATE BISHOP OF SHREWSBURY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 241, 4 July 1908, Page 12

LATE BISHOP OF SHREWSBURY.

Tho Right Rev. Dr. Allent, Roman Catholic Bishop of Shrewsbury, died oil May 13, after a painful illness, in his 64th year. Born at Stockport, the lato Bishop recoived his ■ early • eduoation at St. Mary's College, Oscott. Here ho won the first scholarship of the English College, Rome, whither accordingly ho went to complete, his studies for the priesthood. Ho was ordained priest at St. Alban's, Liscard, on December 4, 1870. and from 1871 to 18S0 acted as secre-: tary to Bishop Brown, of Shrewsbury, and served in the Cathedral churoh at Shrewsbury: 1 ' His secretarial duties brought .him into close. contact with the affairs of the diooeso, and on September 24, 1882, his abilities and devoted service receivod deserved recognition by his being appointed as Canon' Theologian. From 1875 to 1897 he held the office of. administrator of the Cathedral church of the diocese. Nor (says tho English "Tablet"J was tho osteem in which ho.was held limited to his own peoplo. By : his kindliness of heart, affability of manner, and philnntlrropio zeal, he won, tho rcspect of peoplo of all creeds in the town. For eighteen yoars he hold 'a seat on the . Board of Guardians, ajid for ■ sixteen years acted as ono' of the most prominent and most able mombors of tho local school boards. "With ■ such a record behind him all eyes naturally turned to him, on tho death of Bishop Carrol on January 14, 1897, as' the most likely successor of that able and gonial prelate. Rome ratified these general expectations, and on Juno 16, 1897, Canon Allen'was consecrated by Cardinal Yatighan, assisted by tho Bishop' of Birmingham and tho .Vicar-Apos-tolic of Wales, as fourth Bishop of Shrewsbury.; Ho was a man of commanding presence, and a strenuous worker, and tho yearjs of his episcopate have been marked by stoady progress in the dicceso. A scholar of no m,eun attainment, tho study of Syriac,. was ono of his favourite pursuits. Indeed, ho was particularly devoted all his life to the study of Egyptology, and his own collection of works on that science was ono of- tho finest private Egyptological libraries in ..the country. He was also a gifted Italian scholar, and spoke that language with great, fluency and elegance. .