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RICHARD TAYLOR MANSOX, F.G.S. 



Born March 17th, 1832. Died May 31st, 1900. 



Dr. R. T. Manson was the son of Mr. Robert Yule Manson, 

 of Liverpool, a native of Berwick-on-Tweed. He spent his 

 boyhood in Liverpool, and later was occupied with scholastic 

 work at Heighington. Afterwards he qualified as a doctor, and 

 practised at Howden-le-Wear. Having purchased the practice 

 of Dr. Arrowsraith he settled in Darlington. He became a 

 member of the old Naturalists' Society of Darlington, and some 

 years later founded the present Naturalists' Field Club which 

 owed very much to his enthusiasm. He was specially interested 

 in Geology, and a few years ago was elected a fellow of the 

 Geological Society. His book entitled " Zig-zag Ramblings of a 

 Naturalist " (^originally contributed to the " Darlington and 

 Stockton Times") was published in 1884. A second edition 

 was issued in 1898. In the Introduction to the first edition he 

 said, "One object held steadily in view was to add, if possible, 

 to the number of those who find a charm in the ever-speaking 

 phenomena of Nature, whether observed in the quarry, the 

 hedgerow, or the river. That to so many 



' The world in vain unbosometh her beauty ' 



is a matter for regret." And in the Introduction to the second 

 edition he says, " Nature's roofless cathedral is always open to 

 her worshippers. In what I have written I have endeavoured, 

 without I trust posing as other than a student myself, to lead 

 neophytes into the vestibule of the great God-built fane." 

 He wrote much to local newspapers — sometimes in verse. He 

 published a book entitled " Old Darlington," and a romance 

 called " Cecilia Kirby." Another publication of his was a 

 History of the Synod of Streonshalh. He was a member of the 

 Darlington Town Council. He was elected a Fellow of the 

 Geological Society of London on November 9th, 1898. I had 

 the honour to propose him as a member of The Yorks. Geological 

 and Polytechnic Society, and also of the Cleveland Field Club, 

 and he more than once sent me for identification interesting 

 shells found on the Saltburn beach. He was a painstaking, 

 reverent Naturalist, whom it was good to know. 



John Hawell. 

 April 27th, 1901. 



