Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 23.djvu/226

Grey status quo in Bengal, but Assam was shortly afterwards constituted a separate chief commissionership. Although Grey's particular recommendation for strengthening his government was not adopted, his minute probably disposed for ever of the proposal to re-establish the system under which Bengal had been administered previously to 1854.

During his government of Bengal Grey opposed the proposal to impose local taxation in the form of a land cess, as a means of providing primary education. But he did not object to the imposition of local taxation for roads and other works of material utility. His objections to the educational tax were based partly upon the terms of the permanent settlement of Bengal, and partly upon the impolicy and injustice, in his opinion, of requiring the landholders to defray the cost of elementary schools for all classes of the rural population. Grey's views did not commend themselves to the government of Lord Mayo or to the secretary of state, but were supported by several members of the council of India.

Grey retired from the government of Bengal in February 1871, a year before he had completed the usual term of office, amid general expressions of keen regret throughout Bengal, and efforts were made to induce him to withdraw his resignation. In other parts of India, too, it was felt that when Grey left the country India had lost her best public servant.

Grey remained in England without employment until March 1874, when he somewhat reluctantly accepted the government of Jamaica. He spent three comparatively uneventful years in that post. During the latter part of the time his health was much broken, and he carried with him to England in March 1877 the seeds of the malady, of which he died at Torquay on 15 May 1878.

Grey was twice married, first in 1845 to Margaret, daughter of Welby Jackson, esq., of the Bengal civil service, who died in 1862; and secondly in 1865 to Georgina, daughter of Trevor Chicheley Plowden, esq., of the same service, who survived him. He left five sons and four daughters.

[India Office and Colonial Office Records; family papers; personal recollections.] 

GREY, ZACHARY (1688–1766), antiquary, born at Burniston, Yorkshire, 6 May 1688, was of a Yorkshire family, and a descendant, probably grandson of a younger son, of George Grey of Sudwiche, Durham, by Frances, daughter of Thomas Robinson of Rokeby, Yorkshire (, Lit. Anecd. viii. 414). Earl Grey was descended from this marriage, and Grey was also related to Mrs. Montagu (born Robinson). He had one brother, George, a 'chamber counsellor at Newcastle.' He was admitted a pensioner at Jesus College, Cambridge, 18 April 1704; but migrated to Trinity Hall, where he was elected a scholar 6 Jan. 1706-7. He graduated LL.B. 1709 and LL.D. 1720; but was never a fellow of his college. He became rector of Houghton Conquest, Bedfordshire, 4 April 1725 (, Hist. of Durham); and was vicar of St. Giles and St. Peter's, Cambridge. He passed his winters at Cambridge, and lived during the rest of the year at Ampthill, the nearest market town to Houghton Conquest, at which place he appears now to have officiated (, Illustrations, iv. 322). Cole praises his sweet and communicative disposition ; and his epitaph at Houghton Conquest assigns to him the usual Christian virtues. He had a very large correspondence with learned men. He died at Ampthill 25 Nov. 1766. He was twice married, first to Miss Tooley; secondly, in 1720, to Susanna, a relation of Dean Moss, by whom he had a son (died 1726) and two daughters, married to the Rev. William Cole of Ely and to the Rev. M. Lepipre, rector of Aspley Guise, Bedfordshire. His widow died 13 Feb. 1774. Many of his papers were bought in 1778 by John Nichols.

Grey was a man of much reading, and as a strong churchman became known in many controversies with the dissenters. The works assigned to him, which, with the exception of Hudibras and those against Neal, are anonymous, are: 1. ` A Vindication of the Church of England,' by a presbyter of the church of England (in answer to James Peirce [q. v.]), 1720. 2. 'Presbyterian Prejudice displayed,' 1722. 3. ` A Pair of Clean Shoes for a Dirty Baronet; or an answer to Sir Richard Cox' [q. v.], 1722. 4. 'The Knight of Dumbleton Foiled at his own Weapon … by a Gentleman and no Knight,' 1723. 5. 'A Century of Presbyterian Preachers,' 1723 (collection from sermons preached before parliament in the civil wars). 6. 'A Letter of Thanks to Mr. Benjamin Bennet' [q. v.] (author of a ` Memorial of the Reformation '), 1723. 7. 'A Caveat against Mr. Benjamin Bennet, a mere pretender to History and Criticism, by a Lover of History,' 1724. 8. 'A Defence of our Antient and Modern Historians against the frivolous cants of a Late Pretender to Critical History, &c.,' John Oldmixon [q.v.], who replied in a ` Review of Dr. Zachary Grey's Defence, &c.,' and was answered by Grey in 9. ` An Appendix by way of answer …' 1725. 10. 'A Looking-glass for 