158 
The Burtonzon-Trent WMatural history 
Society. 
By Puitie B. Mason, M.R.C.S., F.L.S., F.Z.S., &c. 
Read befove the Society, March 22nd, 1895. 
COPY of the Inaugural Address delivered by Sir 
Oswald Mosley, President of the Burton-on-Trent 
Natural History Society, at the Opening of their Museum, 
on Tuesday, the 6th September, 1842, has recently fallen into 
my hands.* 
I thought it might not be without interest to our Members 
if I put on record some account of this Society, founded now 
more than 50 years ago, especially as neither Wesley nor 
Molyneux, in their respective Histories of Burton-on-Trent, 
give anything like a full account of it. It is more de- 
sirable to do this at the present time, as the house in 
which the Museum was placed, and which has, since its 
removal, being used as an Armoury by the Volunteers, will 
probably soon be demolished to allow the extension of the 
offices of Messrs. Bass & Co.; and, in addition to this, all 
the records of the Society were probably destroyed in the 
disastrous fire which took place at Rolleston Hall in the 
year 1871. 
I am enabled to give a fuller account than I otherwise could 
have done by the kindness of the present Sir Oswald Mosley, 
and of Mr. Robert Thornewill, to whom my thanks are due 
for their answers to my enquiries. 
*A Copy of this Address, presented by Mr. J. C. Perfect, is in the Society’s 
Library. 
