Obituary.

tokened that of a man in the pride of life , and in possession of a remarkably robust constitution ,- —this sudden visitation will come forcibly to remind us " that in the midst of life we are in death ; " moreover , ifc was only on the Thursday evening preceding his death that the lamented brother , apparently then in excellent health and spirits , was present , and took a prominent part afc

the annual festival of the lodge Thistle and Eose ( his mother lodge ) , as reported in another page . On Friday morning , the 28 th nit ., he attended bis chambers as usual , and was engaged for three hours or so in taking a proof . About one o ' clock he stopped , complaining of headache and sickness ; and communicated with Bro . Sheriff Bellwho at once advised him to

, give up ' work [ for the day , and to go home and take medicine . Acting upon this advice , he got into a cab and was driven home ; but on arriving afc the house he was barely able to ascend the steps . Assisted by members of his family he managed , however , to make liis way upstairs to a bedroom ; and almost immediately after getting into bed he was seized with a severe shock

of apoplex }' , which completely prostrated him , the only signs of life being occasional movements of his limbs . Subsequently , however , paralysis of the whole system manifested itself , and he gradually sank , and expired about half-past three o ' clock on Sunday afternoon , the 1 st inst . Drs . Lyon aud Fleming wero in constant attendance from Friday , but from the first entertained

slight hopes ofthe sufferer ' s recovery . Bro . Strathern was born in the parish of Dunlop , Ayrshire , in April , 1816 , aud consequently had not quite completed his fifty-second year ; ho was a very old Master' Mason ; he was initiated in the Thistle and Rose Lodge , Glasgow , on the 12 th May , 1834 ( the lotlge meetings were at that time held at 29 , East Clyde-street , and the lodge number was 68 , instead of as at present 73 , on the roll of the Grand Lodgo of Scotland ) . The lodge Thistle and Rose has not only the honour

of being the mother lodge of our deceased brother , but the name of " Strathern " is particularly associated with it , as we find by the lodge records that the father of the deceased sheriff , Bro . Robert Strathern , filled , for two years the oflice of Treasurer to the lodge , and a brother ofthe deceased sheriff , Bro . Fairley Brisbane Strathern , was admitted to the privileges of Freemasonry in the the 1 th of

house of his father , Bro . Robert Strathern , on - February , 1835 . Bro . Sheriff Strathern never , however , held oflice in his mother lodge , which he appears to have left , and joined the Thistle Lodge , Glasgow ( now No . 87 , ancl of which Thomas Paton is the R . VVM . ) , of which he was affiliated as an honorary member on the 29 th November

, 1836 , upon the occasion of a deputation from the Thistle Lodge , going to Edinburgh and attending the centenary festival of the Grand Lodge of Scotland , at which we believe our deceased brother was present . In tho same month of November , 1836 , we find the father and brother of the deceased also affiliated in the lodge Thistle . The records of the lodge show that our deceased brother was

appointed Senior Warden of the Thistle Lodge on the 13 th of December , 1836 , and that he continued to be , for somo time thereafter , a very active and useful member ; we find his name frequently occurring as introducing and vouching tor candidates holding a respectable position in society who wore initiated or affiliated in the Thistle Lodge . The lamented deceased was also a Royal active in tho

Arch Mason , and took an part establishing Glasgow R . A . Chapter ( No . 50 ) . Passing over the earlier portion of the loyal career of our deceased brother , we find him first officiating as a sheriff-substitute at Airdrie , from 1857 to 1859 , and in the latter year he was removed to Glasgow , with the appointment of Junior Sheriff-Substitute , which he creditably filled up to the death last year ^ of Bro . Sir Archibald Alison , Bart ., when Bro . Strathern was promoted to the oositioii of Senior Sheriff-Substitute ,

previously held by Bro . Sheriff Bell , who now fills the oflice held by the late Sir Archibald Alison . Our deceased bother , in spite of his heavy official duties , found opportunities for the indulgence of the literary tastes for which he was eminent ; he was an ardent bibliographist , and possessed , we understand , a library , perhaps unequalled by any private library iu the

city , for rare editions and valuable works . Bro . Strathern also rendered good service to the Glasgow Archa 3 ological Society , of which he was a prominent member , manifesting as he did a keen relish for antiquarian research . Bro . Strathern was twice married , first to Miss Crawford , who died in 18-16 ; and second , in 1861 , to Miss

Miller , daughter of Mr . Robert Miller , of Belvidere . By his first wife he had five children , all of whom survive ; and by second wife four , one of whom , however , has died . We cannot perhaps more appropriately close this brief notice of the death of Bro . Alexander Strathern , than by quoting the words of Bro . Sheriff Bell when addressing his court the calamity that had just

upon ; befallen them . Bro . Bell said : "His kindly affability was unfailing , whilst his admirable common sense and extensive legal attainment were the best guarantees for the soundness of his decisions . He held with extreme credit to himself , and with complete satisfaction to the community , the second position in this court ; and ever since I have had the honour of holding the first , I have

received from him an amount of cordial support and . assistance which I can never forget , lie needs no praise from , me ; for he had most worthily gained for himself universal respect and esteem . There is no inhabitant o £ the city who will not mourn his removal from the midst of us , and who will not feel the deepest sympathy wifch those more nearly and dearly connected with him , whostood by his death-bed and saw tho inevitable blow . "

THE FUNERAL OP BRO . SHERIFF STRATHERN . The mortal remains of our lamented deceased brother were consigned on Saturday afternoon , the 7 th inst ., to their last resting-place in the Glasgow Necropolis . As was to have been anticipated , the funeral partook of a . public character . At tho residence of the deceased in Kew Terrace there assembled the Lord Provostseveral

, of tho magistrates and leading civic functionaries ; the Sheriff and Sheriff Clerk of the county , the Sheriff-Substitutes , and the principal officials connected , with their administration ; a deputation from the Faculty of Procurators , and a number of well known citizens who had enjoyed the late Sheriff ' s private friendship . A . religious service was conducted by Dr . Macduff ancl Dr . Jamieson

; after which the funeral procession was formed outside , and started for the place of interment shortly after two o ' clock . First went the hearse , preceded by six ushers , drawn by four horses , and escorted by a -posseof tho city police . Throe carriages followed , containing the relatives of fche deceased , and after these a body of sheriff officers on foot . Next came Sheriff Bell ' s carriage ,, followed b

y that of the Lord Provost , and about twenty other vehicles conveying the company above referred to . A detachment of county constables brought up the rear . The Masonic body who had mustered for the purpose of taking part in the funeral procession , assembled at . tho Burnbauk Drill Hall , Great Western-road . Bro . Robert Robb , Provincial Grand Mareschal , mounted , marshalled the procession in the following order ;— ° '

'ihe Provincial Grand Lodge of Glasgow represented by the following R . W . brethren , viz .: Bros . James Steel , Prov . G . J . W ., as acting Prov . G . M . ; James Wallace , Prov . G . J-D ., as acting Sub . Prov . G . M . ; the Rev . G . S . Bums , Prov . G . Chap . ; W . Smith , Prov . G . Sec . ; James Leith , Prov . G . Dir . of Cers . ; James Gillies , Prov . G . S . B . ; J . Balfour , Prov . G . I . G . ; and the following brethren as acting Prov . G . office-bearers , viz . : Bros . T . McRoberfc , R . W . M . 73 , as Prov . G . S . W . ; Thomas Paton , R . W . M . 87 ,.