NOTES 



Sir William Mather 



The death of the Right Hon. Sir Wilham Mather on Sep- 

 tember 1 8, 1920, inflicted a loss upon science — not exactly 

 because Sir William Mather was himself a man of science, but 

 because he was very sympathetic towards all scientific questions 

 and did his utmost to promote science in this country. He 

 was born in 1838, the son of one of two brothers whose father 

 had founded the iron-works, now those of Mather and Piatt, at 

 Salford ; and at the age of thirty he took over the entire control 

 of the business for a time. He was a very successful adminis- 

 trator ; entered Parliament in 1889; and in 1893 established 

 the forty-eight hour week at his works — the result of which 

 fully bore out his anticipations, the business of the firm being 

 greatly improved both as regards quality and quantity of output. 

 In addition to his business he had wide interests. He paid 

 many visits to Russia and was a member of the Official Parlia- 

 mentary Party which went there in 1921. He equipped the 

 mechanical training workshop at the Gordon College at Khar- 

 toum and was a trustee of the college. He was also President 

 of the Textile Institute for several years. He had a great 

 liking for the United States, and was made honorary LL.D. 

 by Princeton University. For a number of years he was 

 President of the British Science Guild, and also a Governor 

 and Member of Council of Owens College, Manchester (now 

 the University). He was knighted in 1902 in recognition of 

 the services he rendered to the Committee which had been 

 entrusted with the task of reorganising the War Office after 

 the Boer War, and in 19 10 he was appointed a member of His 

 Majesty's Privy Council. In later years he lived at Bramwell 

 Hill in the New Forest, where many have enjoyed his hospitality 

 and that of Lady Mather. A man of medium size, of a clear 

 and ruddy complexion and bright blue eyes, full of interest 

 in everything, he was looked upon with affection by large 

 numbers of people. We heard someone ask one day, " Why is 

 it that Sir William Mather always looks so supremely happy ? " 

 The answer was that his whole life had been an almost ideally 

 happy one, while he had plenty of that quality which does 

 more to ensure happiness than anything else — goodness. He 

 was everyone's friend. 



625 



