Manchester Memoirs, Vol. Ivii. (1913), No. 19. 9 



William Henry had a great inclination towards his- 

 torical studies, and, besides publishing some interesting 

 papers on Priestley, etc., collected material for a history 

 of chemical discovery. Unfortunately, this material never 

 appeared in print. It was, however, the lot of his son, 

 William Charles Henry, to enter the field of historical 

 authorship by the ' Memoirs and the Life and Scientific 

 Researches of John Dalton,' which was published ten 

 years after Dalton's death by the Cavendish Society. The 

 author thought it necessary (see Preface) to apologise for 

 the long delay. He states, as a reason, that Dalton 

 bequeathed to him and his three co-executors ' all his 

 philosophical, scientific and literary manuscripts and 

 correspondence, to be disposed of as they may judge most 

 fit.' Henr\' states further that this clause of the will was 

 not communicated until 1844. He goes on to say 

 ' Regarding them (he refers to the clause of the will) as 

 significant of my venerable friend's intention that I should 

 act as his literary executor, and should write some account 

 of his life and discoveries, I commenced shortly after my 

 return (namely, from a journey to Italy in 1844-5) to 

 prepare for the task.' 



This printed statement is flatly contradicted X>y a 

 letter, in Henry's own hand, in which he says : — 



Haffield, near Ledbury, 



Herefordshire, 



Jatmary 22nd, 18 j8. 

 My Dear Sir, 



Your obliging letter proposing to me to under- 

 take a Report for the British Association was placed 

 in my hands only a {Q\f^ days ago, on the occasion of 

 my visiting Manchester, the person who superintends 

 my affairs there having unaccountably neglected to 

 forward it to me here. 1 do not feel myself sufficiently 

 conversant with the more recent accessions to that 



