JosepJi Baxendell^ F.R.S. 33 



intimate knowledge of the rules made him a very valuable 

 officer of the Society; of the strict observance of these rules 

 he was very tenacious, both with regard to himself and 

 others. He was also opposed to any popular administration 

 of the Society, which under adelusiveappearance of prosperity 

 would contribute no real advantage to the purposes for which 

 it was founded. His devotion to astronomy and meteorology 

 gave a decided bias towards these subjects in the work and 

 discussions of the Society ; he was also the means of bringing 

 to it the work of other meteorologists, amongst whom may 

 be named the late G. V. Vernon, the Rev. J. C. Bates 

 (of Castleton), Dr. Black, and the Rev. T. Mackereth. His 

 activity in the interests of the Society continued until a few 

 years back, when he was afflicted with a disease in the lower 

 jaw, attended with a series of painful abscesses ; in addition 

 he was at times troubled with a difficulty of breathing. On 

 a partial recovery, he attempted to resume his old regularity 

 of attendance, and would even venture out on cold wintry 

 nights to do so; but his appearance made it painfully evident 

 to a spectator that his constitution was thoroughly under- 

 mined. His latest residence was at Southport ; here he 

 was appointed superintendent of an observatory in Hesketh 

 Park, fitted up and presented by Mr. John Fernley, formerly 

 of Manchester. In his private observatory at Birkdale he 

 resumed his astronomical work, in which he had the valuable 

 assistance of his son, who has had the advantage of his father's 

 training. He was also meteorologist to the Corporation of 

 •Southport; he had been since 1859 astronomer to the 

 Corporation of Manchester, succeeding the Rev, H. H, 

 Jones. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical 

 Society in 1858, and a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1884. 

 Of foreign societies, he was a corresponding member of the 

 Roy. Phys. Econ. Soc, Konigsberg, and Acad. Sci. and Lit., 

 Palermo. 



Before proceeding to an account of his work in this 

 C 



