Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 43.djvu/443

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Pasley
437
Pasley

philus Dillingham (1612-1678) [q. v.], who succeeded Ralph Cudworth in 1664. Paske also resigned the York prebend in favour of Dillingham in 1661. On 24 June 1661 he attended in the lower house of convocation (Kennett, Register, p. 480), but in December, probably from illness, he subscribed by proxy. He died before September 1662.

Paske, whose name is sometimes spelt Passhe, Pashe, or Pasque, is spoken of as eminent in learning, judgment, and piety, of such modesty as to refuse a bishopric, and to have unwillingly accepted his other preferments. Lloyd says he would rather 'gain his neighbours by spending all his tythe in Hospitality than lose one by laying it all in his purse.' His ability was great as a teacher. Three bishops, four privy councillors, two judges, and three doctors of physic, all old pupils, visited him in one day (Lloyd, Memoires, p. 504). His wife Anne apparently held property at Hadham, where she was living, with four children, at the time of her husband's ejectment.

Thomas Paske of Hadham, apparently a grandson, was admitted to Clare Hall on 1 July 1692, was fellow and LL.D. of Clare, and represented the university of Cambridge in parliament from 1713 until his death in 1720.

[Carter's Hist.of the Univ. of Cambr., pp 53, 56, 57, 59, 412; Barwick's Queraela Cantabr. 1647, p. 7, [34]; Fuller's Hist. of the Univ. Cambr. ed. Prickett and Wright, p. 85; Walker's Sufferings, pt. ii. p. 14; Clutterbuck's Hist. of Hertfordshire, ii. 402; Cussans's Hist. of Hertfordshire, i. 183; Kennett's Register, pp. 204, 222. 584, 615, 754, 769, 777, 792, 793; Le Neve's Fasti, i. 52, ii. 324, 422, iii. 220, 606, 671; Newcourt's Repert. Eccles. i. 63; Cal. State Papers Dom. 1027-8 p. 304, 1661-2 pp. 325, 394, 473, indexed as Dr. Isaac Paske. Information from the master of Clare College, and from the University Registrar of Cambridge.]

C. F. S.

PASLEY, CHARLES (1824–1890), major-general royal engineers, eldest son of General Sir Charles William Pasley [q. v.] was born at Brompton barracks, Chatham, Kent, on 14 Nov. 1824. He was educated at the King's grammar school, Rochester, Kent. He entered the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich in February 1840, and obtained a commission as second lieutenant in the royal engineers on 20 Dec. 1843. He went through the usual course of professional instruction at the military school at Chatham, of which his father was the head, and proved himself so good a surveyor and mathematician that for some months he temporarily held the appointment of instructor in surveying and astronomy.

After serving at several home stations he was promoted first lieutenant on 1 April 1846, and in June was sent to Canada. He was employed on the ordinary military duties of his corps until 1848, when he was appointed to assist in the survey of the extensive and scattered ordnance lands on the Rideau canal. The outdoor survey was done in the winter to enable the surveyors to chain over the frozen lakes, and to avoid the malaria and mosquitoes of the swamps.

In 1849 he was sent to the Bermuda islands, and while there was mainly employed in superintending, on behalf of the colonial government, the work of deepening the channel into St. George's Harbour. In November 1850 he returned to England on account of ill-health. In February 1851 he was selected to join the staff of the Great Exhibition of that year.

In 1853 Pasley was appointed colonial engineer of the colony of Victoria, his brother-in-law, Lieutenant (now Sir) H. W. Tyler, royal engineers, who had been given the appointment, having been prevented by a series of contretemps from taking it up. Pasley arrived at Melbourne in September 1853, and found himself at the head of a large office, to the duties of which were subsequently added those of colonial architect and of a central road board.

Pasley was promoted captain on 17 Feb. 1854. On 16 Oct. 1854 he was nominated to a seat in the legislative council of the colony. In December 1854 very serious disturbances took place at the goldfields of Ballarat, and Pasley placed his services at the disposal of the officer commanding the military forces which it was necessary to employ to suppress the insurrection. Some fighting took place, and two officers and thirteen men were wounded and two men killed, while the rebels had about forty killed and many wounded. Pasley acted as aide-de-camp to the officer commanding, Capt. J. W. Thomas. His valuable assistance was acknowledged in despatches printed and laid before the legislative council.

In November 1855 Victoria became a self-governing colony. A new constitution was proclaimed, with a responsible ministry, in which Pasley took office as commissioner of public works. The department of public works, at that time of rapid development, was most important, and Pasley administered it with skill and patience. He saw the inestimable value to the colony of good communication, and pressed forward the construction of high-roads and railways. In 1856