46 PR0CEEDIKG8 OF THE 



TliP doo+li of IIkrbekt Hekry Corbett, who died at Doncaster 



on flip nth of J.'imiiirv hist, had this achlitional element of pathos 

 in tlint. elected last year to the Presidency of the Yorkshire 

 Xatnnlists' Union, it was too recent for his assiiiuption of its 

 fnncfions hefore his death. 



He was horn at " Broxups,'' the house near Besses o' th' Barn, 

 between Bury and Mancliester ; when five years of age the 

 family removed to Cheadle llulme. His education was received 

 at Dr. Key worth's school at Alderley Edge, and later at Owens 

 College, Manchester. For a short time he was in his father's 

 office in Manchester, hut the profession of an architect and sur- 

 veyor did not satisfy him, and he returned to Owens College to 

 study medicine. After passing his examination he deputised for 

 various medical men at Bolton, AVhaley ]}ridge, and Cheadle, 

 settling finally at Doncaster in 1888, succeeding to the practice 

 of Dr. AVadsworth. Later he became a homeopathist, probably 

 through the influence of the Capper family in Liverpool ; he 

 married Jessie Capper in lsr»2, the daughter of a distinguished 

 entomologist, and the union was a congenial and happy one. 

 Their home became a meeting-place for naturalists and a centre 

 for new activity in the Doncaster Scientific Society, with in- 

 creased membership and a systematic exploration of the local 

 flora and fauna; he filled the office of Secretary and then Presi- 

 dent for several years, and it was largely due to the influence 

 of our late Fellow that the Municipal ^Museum was established, 

 which, from modest beginnings, grew to the purchase.of a suitable 

 building for display and future extension. As the first Curator 

 he had the task of arranging the exhibits, and during the absence 

 on service of tlie present Curator, he I'eassumed his old functions. 

 ]Iis local collection of Coleoptera is housed in the ^luseum. 



On the outbreak of the great war, his only son Vincent 

 volunteered for service, was wounded and spent some months at 

 home recovering ; he rejoined, but in October 1918, shortly before 

 the Armistice, he was killed in action. This, added to the loss 

 of his wife, six months earlier, made an indelible mark, and the 

 subject of our remarks thereafter devoted his life to his three 

 daughters, who survive him. On the 5th March, 1919, he was 

 elected Fellow of the Entomological Society, and the next day 

 Fellow of the Linnean Societ}^ being formally admitted to the 

 latter on the 5th June following, the last occasion when the pre- 

 sent writer saw his friend of nearly forty years' standing. At the 

 annual meeting of the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union at Bradford, 

 9th December, 1920, he was elected President for the ensuing 

 year, and accepted the position with great pleasure, which gave 

 great satisfaction to the members of the Union. At the moment 

 of election he was staying at Broadstairs, recovering from a 

 severe operation, returned home, seemingly much the better for 

 his stay in Kent, and expressed himself feeling almost as well as 

 ever in his life. On the 2nd January, 1921, however, the old 



