Manchester Memoirs, Vol. Iviii. ( 1 9 1 3 ) . 5 



which perhaps accounts for his subsequent connection 

 with the town. When his regiment was disbanded he 

 invested his money in a flax mill, which was burnt down, 

 uninsured. Afterwards he made a living as a scientific 

 author until he became curator at Manchester. 



Captain Brown was a man well qualified for the posi- 

 tion of curator, but it is probable that there was too much 

 work in the Natural History Museum for one man to do 

 satisfactorily. Anyhow, the condition of the Museum and 

 specimens was far from good towards the end of Captain 

 Brown's time. 



Captain Brown died on 8th October, 1862, and was 

 succeeded by Thomas Alcock, M.D., who had been a 

 member of the Council of the Natural History Society. 



Dr. Alcock was an amateur rather than a professional 

 curator. He had qualified as a surgeon in 1848, and in 

 1857 graduated M.D. at St. Andrews, but he was only in 

 practice for a few years. Natural history was his hobby, 

 and he had a fine private museum at Ashton-on-Mersey 

 to which students were always welcomed. His work as 

 curator of the Natural History Museum must have been 

 hampered throughout by lack of funds, for the Society 

 was anything but prosperous in his time, but such work 

 as involved more labour for himself than cost to the 

 Society he did, and did well. The Natural History Club, 

 which consisted of enthusiastic amateur helpers of the 

 Museum, owed its formation to Mr. R. D. Darbishire 

 and Dr. Alcock. Dr. Alcock continued to be curator until 

 the Museum's dissolution, and he died at Evesham, 14th 

 July, 1891. 



Dr. Boyd Dawkins, to whom, with Mr. Darbishire, the 

 Manchester Museum owes so much of its excellence, was 

 appointed curator in j 870. 



Almost of equal importance with the curator was the 



