Transcript

of

Peter Fabyan Spark Amery [Obituary]

Trans. Devon. Assoc., vol. XXXIX, (1907), pp. 38-39.

by

J. Brooking-Rowe (Ed.)

Prepared by Michael Steer

The obituary was read at the Association’s July 1907 Axminster meeting. Mr Amery’s birth was registered in the September quarter, 1839, in the Newton Abbot district. His mother's name (Windeatt) is written as Windcatt. In 1863 Peter Fabian Amery, 'son of John Sparke Amery, Esq., of Druid House' was appointed portreeve of Ashburton.  [Western Times, 13 November 1863, p5 col5], and in 1869, P F S Amery gave a lecture on Combustion, illustrated with a large number of experiments. At the end of the talk he went to the top of St Lawrence Tower and burned a magnesium torch, which lit up large areas of the town beneath. [Western Times 22 January 1869 p8 col2].   A great deal of interesting information about the Spark and Amery families is presented on The Old Ashburton website. The obituary, from a copy of a rare and much sought-after journal can be downloaded from the Internet Archive. Google has sponsored the digitisation of books from several libraries. These books, on which copyright has expired, are available for free educational and research use, both as individual books and as full collections to aid researchers.

Peter Fabyan Spark Amery. So closely has Mr. Amery been identified with the work of the Association for many years that it is somewhat difficult to realize that his valued help and cheery companionship have come to an end. He was elected a member in 1869, and from that time he unflaggingly devoted himself to further the objects the Society had in view. On the death of Mr. Vivian, in 1893, he was appointed Treasurer, an office he filled to the day of his death. He contributed several papers, which were printed in the" Transactions /'and the curious collections made by him and his friends and others, and embodied in the Reports of the Folk-lore Committee, of which he was secretary, form a valuable contribution to county history. He did also much useful work in connection with other committees. He had always the interests of the Society at heart, and was always seeking opportunity for increasing its usefulness. In other directions his knowledge and literary and archaeological abilities did good service. As joint editor of "Devon Notes and Queries” and as the Secretary of the Teign Naturalists' Field Club, he did much to interest and instruct. Mr. Amery was born at Ashburton, 2 September, 1839. His early instruction was given him at the Ashburton Grammar School, and he afterwards went to a school at Constadt, Germany. It is unnecessary to refer in detail to the work of a very full and active life. With everything connected with his native town and neighbourhood, public or private, he completely associated himself. He filled all the public offices in Ashburton — bailiff, portreeve, foreman of the leet jury, director and chairman of the Building Society, member and chairman of the School Board, and governor of the Grammar School. He was a J.P. for the county, a county councillor, and a member of the Education Committee. In 1859 he joined the Ashburton Volunteer Corps, and having received the decoration for long service in 1899 retired as lieutenant-colonel, he having reached the age limit. Genial and amiable, careful not to give offence, courteous in word and deed to all, and much beloved by those who knew him best, Fabyan Amery passed away to the great and lasting regret of a large circle of friends and acquaintances. During the past twelve months he had had gout, and valvular disease of the heart had troubled him, but it was hoped he was recovering, and the week before his death he was preparing to attend the meetings of the Devonshire Association at Axminster and the British Association at Leicester. Toward the end of this week he again became ill, but was supposed to be progressing favourably when the end came unexpectedly on Friday, 26 July last. He was buried at Ashburton on the Tuesday after, and the funeral was a remarkable demonstration and very significant of the worth and esteem in which he was held.