232 Linnaan Society. 



early studies, he was far from inattentive to the claims of Natural 

 History on a portion of his leisure. He cultivated chiefly that 

 branch of it which embraces the vegetable kingdom ; and an ac- 

 quaintance formed in Cornwall with Dr. Withering, as well as his 

 friendship with Dr. Beddoes and Dr. Sibthorp at Oxford, contri- 

 buted to the same end. He became a Fellow of the Linnaean So- 

 ciety in 1792, in which year he also served the office of Sheriff for 

 his native county. In the year 1804 he was chosen one of the re- 

 presentatives of the borough of Helston, and in 1806 was returned 

 in a new Parliament for that of Bodmin. In this seat he continued 

 till the year 1832, when he ceased to be a member of the legislature. 

 During the whole time of his continuance in Parliament, he was the 

 encourager and indefatigable supporter of every measure connected 

 with the advancement of science ; and by his representations and 

 exertions many services were rendered to various scientific societies 

 and institutions, in promoting whose prosperity and usefulness he 

 was incessantly and zealously occupied. He took a prominent part 

 in the inquiry relating to the currency, and published in 1811 a 

 plain statement of the bullion question ; and he was also very 

 active both in the House of Commons and out of it in the arrange- 

 ment of the standard of weights and measures. 



In 1806 he married Mary Anne Gilbert, and in 1817 he assumed 

 the name of her family, in pursuance of the injunction contained in 

 a will of her uncle, Charles Gilbert, Esq., of Eastbourne, in Sussex. 

 By this marriage he had seven children, of whom only four sur- 

 vived him ; John Davies Gilbert, Esq., the present Sheriff of Sussex, 

 and three daughters. 



He became a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries in 1820, and 

 was likewise Fellow of the Astronomical and Geological Societies. 

 He continued to perform the office of Treasurer of the Royal So- 

 ciety, till in 1827 he became President of that distinguished body. 

 In the year 1831 he retired from the chair, and was succeeded by His 

 Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex. In 1832 he received from the 

 University of Oxford the Degree of Doctor of Laws, by Diploma. 



His last visit to his native county took place in 1839. On lea- 

 ving Cornwall he came through Exeter and Oxford to London, and 

 returned after a few days to Oxford. This last journey, which was 

 attended by some untoward circumstances, was too much for his 

 sinking strength. On his return to London he fell into a state of 

 lethargy, from which, though he was enabled to reach his home, he 

 never fully recovered, but after lingering in this state for some time 

 he expired, on the 24th of December, 1839, and in the 73rd year 

 of his age. 



The Rev. Joseph Goodall, D.D., Provost of Eton College. — Dr. 

 Goodall was ardently devoted to the study of Natural History, but 

 more especially to Conchology, with which science he was tho- 

 roughly acquainted, and his collection in that department was re- 

 garded as one of the most valuable in this country. He was ever a 

 warm and zealous friend of this Society. 



The Reverend Patrick Keith. — Mr. Keith long and successfully 



