An obituary devoted to the Rev. A.R. Eyles which was published in the
British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection journal, AV Times
(February 1970 edition):
Few men in the 79th year of their lives would conceivably take on the
responsibilities of presidency of as controversial an organisation as an
anti-vivisection society, let alone one that had treacherously been
stabbed in the back and left to die of its wounds by a large percentage
of its erstwhile foremost figures.
But, on January 18, 1968, the Rev. A.R. Eyles took on his shoulders
such a burden of responsibility. He had been President of BUAV Rotherham
Branch for 18 years, was also president of Liverpool Branch and, two
years before his retirement from the full time duties of a Church of
England minister, he had been elected to the Union's Executive
Committee.
Backbone
He had been Chairman of the committee under three BUAV Presidents,
only one of whom had died in office. In fact, he had for years been the
unassuming and hard-tried backbone of the executive.
The burden that faced him when the BUAV was reeling from the blows it
had sustained from the abortive amalgamation attempt and its aftermath
was perhaps the heaviest ever that faced a newly-elected Union leader.
But he bore it with courage, devotion, the soundest of commonsense and
good humour.
When he died, on Boxing Day last, the BUAV was stronger in
resolution, in better fettle and financially more secure than for many
years before he took on this final task.
After the bitter years of dissension that preceded the final,
irrevocable breakdown of amalgamation hopes between the National
Anti-Vivisection Society and the British Union, there was an overall
need for a wise, strong and patient man at the top. On the resignation
of the last President, there was no doubt in the minds of those who
stood fast as to whom they should call upon to fill the vacancy.
The good sense that the Executive Committee then showed was applauded
by the whole Union which showed not only its firm approval when the
announcement was made in the Anti-Vivisectionist, but their loyalty and
affection when Mr. Eyles chaired the annual general meeting for the
first time as President that year.
The new President expressed himself in his typical no-nonsense John
Blunt way in his first Presidential Message to the BUAV in the
Anti-Vivisectionist. His theme was Liberty.
Members were free, he told them, and only two months after the BUAV
had had to give up hopes of amalgamation over, among other
considerations, the vexed issue of future policy, "to support a measure
for restriction if they wish. They are not to be told by any other
society that they must do this, that or the other. No member need feel
ashamed of the truly great past of the BUAV."
During his term of office, no officer or member of the Union had
cause other than to feel proud of the "present" of the BUAV, for he
fulfilled in every way the hopeful expectations of those who, with one
voice, elected him to his high position.
How did his new office effect him? Honestly, the answer can only be
not at all - except to make him even busier, perhaps more frequently the
target of malevolent dissidents and members of the lunatic fringe of
which, like every other society of this kind, the Union has its fair
share.
In spite of his age and sometimes while in poor health he continued
as he had done for the past 20-odd years to officiate at BUAV Rotherham
Branch meetings, to continue every month, when sometimes it was obvious
that he was feeling ill, to chair the Executive Committee meeting - a
task that meant that he had to rise soon after 5 a.m. to reach London at
lunchtime, and which did not see him back at home in Rotherham until
nearly midnight.
Untypical
Additionally, in his role as President, he had more calls on his time
than ever before - and at the same time, from his retirement onward, he
continued to conduct Church services in his area.
Because of the nature of the work of this society, and of his long
service directed toward the ending of vivisection, the Rev. Eyles image
as a clergyman is perhaps a little obscured in the eyes of the BUAV.
Perhaps this has been brought about largely because he always appeared
to be rather untypical of the calling - to the present writer anyway.
Again this may be simply because he was as a man what any animal welfare
worker would like to see as a clergyman.
Disgusted
He was outspokenly disgusted at the way in which so many of his
fellow clergymen seemed to seek to avoid any controversial aspect of
cruelty to animals. On one occasion, he said that the response to the
BUAV's questionnaire to the entire clergy of this country had been
disgraceful. (Out of several hundred who had been approached, only a
handful had even the courtesy to reply.)
A modest man where some show of pride would have been excusable, it
is clear that the Rev. Eyles must have been a brilliant scholar. He
obtained his BA at the age of 21 and, in fact, had to wait two years
before he was old enough to take up appointment as deacon - a time he
spent teaching Classics at a"crammer" in Brighton.
If he possessed the virtue of not talking overmuch about himself, he
made up doubly by not over-criticising others. Under extreme provocation
he could and would find with commendable economy of words of exactly the
right temperature a well-tailored reply.
It is a rarity indeed to be able to remember not only with warmth of
personal regard, but with a respect born out of admiration, a man who
showed so much consideration and understanding, who was without rancour,
who possessed humility and yet a strong spark of originality, and who
was wise and witty without making a show of academic or ecclesiastical
pedantry.
A quiet man who succeeded others who were far more flamboyant, the
Rev. Eyles might only too easily go down in the annals of the British
Union as a somewhat retiring but perennially youthful personality. His
inner strength - which is perhaps the only strength that really amounts
to anything - allowed him to reveal a calm and composed face to the
world.
He was perhaps a man without a mask, but one who had acquired what
could disarmingly appear to be a dead pan. His persistent activity, both
on behalf of the BUAV and in his service of his God, proves that he must
have had an abundance of love for all his fellow beings, human, inhuman
and animal.
Exhortation
There will never be another quite like him, but if there are half a
dozen men and women left in this BUAV who have, each to themselves, a
like measure of one of each of his magnificent attributes, this Union
will not tire, lose its sense of purpose, its aim, fortitude or honest
good intent.
We may have lost a remarkable President: those who have served in any
way with him can only have gained something of the qualities which he so
clearly possessed.
When he accepted the Presidency, he wrote the following exhortation
in conclusion of his first address to the BUAV Membership. There are no
more fitting words to end this inadequate attempt to pay tribute to the
man, whose individual strength and confidence helped to hold this Union
together in the two harshest years of its history.
"Let us keep the old flag flying and meet the future with abundant
confidence and determination. Mid stress and toil, help us to steadfast
stand."
JP
Reproduced with thanks.
