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St. Andrews Beacon, April 29, 1897Death of Dr. S. T. Gove
Dr. Samuel Tilley Gove, the oldest practising physician in the province, and one of the oldest residents of St. Andrews, breathed his last on Thursday morning last. Though the deceased gentleman had been in poor health for a year or more, he had of late been about the streets, and there were general remarks about his improved condition. But this improvement was not of long duration, for about a fortnight ago he was compelled to take to his room. He greadually grew worse, and about 11 o'clock on Thursday mornign quietly fell asleep.
Dr. S. T. Gove was a son of the late Jeremiah Gove, of Gagetown, and the only brother of Collector Gove, of the St. Andrews Customs House. Born at Gagetown, Queen's Co., in the year 1813, he removed to Saint John with his father and family four years later. His preliminary education he obtained at the Madras school, St. John. After finishing his education, and taking a course at Guy's Hospital, he entered the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons, London, when Sir Astley Cooper presided over that famed institution. He obtained his medical degree from that college in 1833, and from that date to within a few months ago was in active practice. He first practised in Gagetown, afterwards at Sussex and St. George, and about the year 1839 came to St. Andrews, where he has since remained.
During the 58 years he resided here, he held many positions of public trust, and discharged them all faithfully and creditably. He took a leading part in the movemen to unite St. Andrews with Quebec by rail, and was the last surviving director in Class A block of the St. Andrews and Quebec Railway company. During the existence of the Charlote County Bank at St. Andrews he was one of the leading directors. On one occasion he told the writer that he was entrusted with a large sum of money to take to Saint John to liquidate engagements at the Bank of New Brunswick, when the late Tomas E. Milledge, of St. John, was a presiding director. He rode all the way fo Saint John by horse, accompanied by a guard. During the time of the Irish famine, when typhus fever was carrying off scores of immigrants at St. Andrews, he performed a herculean work amongst the sick.
He was the first physician to prescribe milk in cases of fever, and the correctness of his judgment in this matter was amply proven by the ready manner with which the medical profession followed his lead. He had charge of the quarantine station in St. Andrews at the period referred to. He was also surgeon of the troops during the Fenian Raid. When Confederation was entered into, he made an inspection of the marine hospitals of New Brunswick for the government, and submitted an exhaustive report theron. He also filled for many years the positons of Coroner, Jail physician, physician of Alms House and Marine Hospital, and chairman of the Charlotte County Board of Health. At the time of his death he was meteorological observer for the port of St. Andrews.
He was closedl identified with Free Masonry the greater part of his life, having been made a Mason in Edinburgh when he was 21 years old. He was the last charter member of St. Marks' Lodge, F and A. M. of St. Andrews. His wife (who was a Miss Fairweather, of Sussex) survives him, also one son, Dr. Harry Gove. Mrs. Gove was been an invalid for many years and is now in a very critical conditon of health. His funeral took place on Sunday afternoon, and was held under the auspices of the Masonic fraternity. The Arbutus brought down a large delegation fo the brethren from St. Stephen, including Grandmaster Whitlock, Henry Graham, R. W. Whitlock, C. C. Whitlock, Walter Inches,. R. W. Grimmer, W. S. A. Douglass, James Vroom, E. G. Vroom, George J. Clarke, M. E. McGowan, C. O. Barker, Jas McKenzie, A. I. Teed, Fred L. Ham, John C. Henry, S. Wheelock. The visitors united with the members of the St. Marks' Lodge, making quite a long procession of the order. The outside friends of the deceased made the cortege nearly a uarter of a mile in length.
The body was first taken to All Saints Church, where Reve. Canon Ketchum conducted an impressive service, the choir rendering "Art Thou Weary," "Lead Kindly Light," "Forever with the Lord," and the Nuc Dkimittis. At the grave a short service was conducted byCanon Ketchum, after which the burial rite of the Masonic body were performed in an effective manner by Grand Master Whitlock. James Clinch led the singing at the grave with his cornet. Many person swere at the cemetery to witness the last rites over th departed. The deceased in his will names his son, Dr. Harry Gove, James A. Shirley and T. R. Wren as his executors. He leave an estate valued at about $15,000.