SOME ESSEX NATURALISTS 313
He was twice married. By his first wife Judah he had
six children, only one of whom survived him, but by his
second wife Sarah Finch he does not appear to have had
any children. Both wives predeceased him.
When John Ray, towards the end of his life, took up the
study of insects, Dale became his chief assistant. Upon the
death of Bay, Dale was asked by Sir Hans Sloane to com-
plete the unfinished History. Dale's reply is characteristic
of him :—
'' I heartily thank you for your good opinion of my
ability to perfect Mr Ray's Historia Insectorum. I must
confess my inclination is good to serve both the widow
and the public, but believe this undertaking to be above
my sphere. Were it only to finish the English part I do
not doubt but with your kind assistance to do it (being
better acquainted with Mr Ray's insects than any other
man) but the exotic part I cannot fathom, nor am I master
of so good a language as anything joined to Mr Ray's
would deserve."
All Ray's collections had been sent to Dale shortly before
the great naturalist's death; he prepared the catalogue for
the sale of his library; he was indefatigable on behalf of
the family; but to act as the literary heir and executor of
his friend was, unfortunately for us, a task which he was
too modest to undertake.
Amongst his other interests, Dale was deeply interested
in the study of fossils, encouraged by his discovery of the
deposits in the cliffs at Harwich in 1696. These studies
Dale published in 1730 in his much amplified and very in-
teresting edition of Silas Taylor's "History of Harwich",
which contains an accurate list of the flora and fauna of the
area as well as an account of the fossil beds. As subsequent
erosion has destroyed the Harwich cliffs, without his account
of the fossils we would otherwise have no knowledge of these
beds.
Dale died in 1738, and was, by his own request, buried
in the yard of the Meeting House at Bocking, where both
his wives were already laid. Unfortunately, it is not possible
to trace the exact location of his tomb. There is, however,
a memorial to him, which was erected in 1912, in the Jesus
Chapel of the Parish Church of St. Michael, Braintree.