MEMOIR OF DR. BOWERBANK. 



JAMES SCOTT BOWERBANK, LL.D., F.R.S., was born in 

 Sun Street, Bishopsgate, London, on the 14th July, 

 1797, and received his early education from the then 

 celebrated Dr. Kelly, of Finsbury Square, London. 



About the age of fifteen he entered his father's 

 distillery, where in subsequent years, and in conjunc- 

 tion with his late brother Edward, the business was 

 carried on under the name of Bowerbank and Sons. 



His strong leaning to scientific investigation began 

 to exhibit itself when he was a mere boy, and at an 

 early age he took up the study of Astronomy, 

 Chemistry, Botany, Geology, Anatomy and Physio- 

 logy. The pursuit of science, indeed, occupied 

 every moment of his time not necessarily devoted 

 to business, and though he never neglected the latter, 

 he ever made business relations available whenever 

 possible for the furtherance of his researches. 



About the year 1820 he joined The Old Mathematical 

 Society, which held its meetings in Crispin Street, 

 Spitalfields, and here he attended the well-arranged 

 lectures of Mr. Wilson, a gentleman of considerable 

 acquirements. In this Society Bowerbank was after- 

 wards also appreciated himself as a lecturer on various 



