Manchester Memoirs, Vol. Iviii. (19 13). 



INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 



The Old Manchester Natural History Society and 

 its Museum, 



By Th£ President, 

 Francis Nicholson, F.Z.S. 



October yth, igij. 



The Manchester Natural History Society existed 

 from 1 82 1 to 1S68. Throughout its career its principal 

 work was the formation and maintenance of a natural 

 history museum in Manchester. 



The formation of the Society was suggested primarily 

 as a means of keeping intact the fine private collection of 

 birds, insects and minerals got together by John Leigh 

 Philips, sold at his sale in 181 5, and in 1821 possessed by 

 Thomas Henry Robinson. The Society was formed on 

 30th June, 1821. At the beginning its members, or pro- 

 prietors as they were called, subscribed £10 as an entrance 

 fee, and paid an annual subscription of a guinea. Minor 

 changes were made from time to time in these conditions, 

 and at one period the annual subscription was two guineas, 

 and at another a guinea and a half For only a few years 

 was the annual income of the Society equal to its necessary 

 expenditure, and on several occasions proposals were made 

 for union with other Manchester societies: in 1822 with 

 the Literary and Philosophical Society, and in 1824 and 

 again in 1826 with the Royal Institution. In 1856 the 

 question of selling the property was considered, and in 

 1865 the Museum was offered to the Manchester Cor- 

 poration. It was refused, the sapient Corporation not 

 agreeing with the Society's condition that the Committee 

 of Management should include some persons interested in 



December 2/id, 1913- 



