1 82 Annual Report of the Council. 



prejudices of England with regard to bimetallism led him to 

 think that the world was not yet good enough for Free 

 Trade. Yet he had a strong English feeling. He was a 

 member of the Royal Academy of Belgium, a corresponding 

 member of the Institute of France, and of the Accademia 

 dei Lincei of Rome, and had been invested with the orders 

 of Leopold, the Legion of Honour, the Crown of Italy, 

 Charles the Third of Spain, the Crown of Oak, St. James, 

 Christ of Portugal, and others. He was elected an honorary 

 member of the Manchester Literary and Philosophical 

 Society in 1887. A few weeks before his death the rank of 

 " Baron " was conferred on him by the King of the Belgians. 

 He died at the Chateau de Doyon, Namur, on January 2, 

 1892, and an international movement has been initiated for 

 the erection of a statue to his memory. 



SIR Thomas Sowler was born in 1818 and died on 

 April 4, 1891, at his residence in Victoria Park, Manchester. 

 He was the son of Mr. Thomas Sowler, a Manchester book- 

 seller, who established the Manchester Courier in 1825. On 

 leaving the Manchester Grammar School, where he was 

 educated, Sir Thomas, with his brother, Mr. John Sowler, 

 who died before him, took an active part in the management 

 of the newspaper, of which he became the sole proprietor 

 in 1871. He took a leading part in promoting the modern 

 Volunteer movement in Manchester from its inception, when 

 he joined as a gunner in the Artillery Brigade, rising to the 

 rank of lieutenant-colonel, which position he resigned in 

 1874. Later he was made honorary colonel, and retained 

 that appointment until his death. He also took a prominent 

 part in the foundation of the Manchester Free Library 

 system. For many years he was secretary to the Man- 

 chester Natural History Society until its transference to 

 Owens College. He held prominent positions also in con- 

 nection with the promotion of music in Manchester, and 



