November ist, 1921.] Proceedings. v. 



Heniy was probably the son of another John Dalton also of 

 Eaglesfield, whose relationship to the famous John Dalton 

 Professor Hickson was not able to trace. He was born in 1793 

 and was therefore 9 years of age at that time. No record of 

 A. Dalton was discovered. 



At the end of the book there is the Lord's prayer written in 

 such small writing- that it can scarcely be read without a magni- 

 fying glass, and on the front page : — 



" Jane Dain mared Deer. 30th." 

 " J.D. Mared Dec. 30th 1777." 



Do these entries refer to an early romance in the life of John 

 Dalton of which we have no other record ? 



Close to these two entries are the following four sums : — 



1800 1841 1761 1777 



1777 1777 16 1716 



23 64 1777 61 



39 



Whatever may have been the meaning of it, this figure or year 

 1777 seems to have been in his mind, as he wrote ** John 

 Dalton's book 1777 " twice on these leaves in addition to the 

 inscriptions already mentioned. 



A study of these autographs shows that in his boyhood he 

 was inclined to the use of flourishes in his writing and that 

 he practised the art of flourishes is shown by specimens of 

 them on the first page. When he was 23 years of age these 

 flourishes were somewhat reduced but were retained in a 

 modified form in the capital " D " and in the " n " at the end 

 of his surname. 



The signature which was copied on the Conversazione Pro- 

 gramme of 1919 was probably written in his old age, and in this 

 the flourishes have disappeared. 



Professor Hickson, on behalf of Mrs. S. J. Hickson and Mrs. L. 

 H. Fletcher, presented the two marriage certificates and the 

 arithmetic book to the Society. 



Mr. R. W. James, M.A., B.Sc, read a paper entitled : — 



" The Distribution of the Electrons in Atoms." 



