300 LEICESTER LITERARY SOCIETY. .P^'"'3l 



This change appears to have put new hfe into the Society. From 

 that period it made continual progress both in numbers and in social 

 influence. 



In October, 1837, a dinner was given by the Society to Professor 

 Sedgwick, who had come to Leicester to investigate the Geology of 

 Chamwood Forest. 



In the summer of 18il the Society's Museum of Geology, Natural 

 History, and Antiquities was estabhshed. In Februai-y, 1843, it had 

 grown to such importance that it was resolved to give free admis- 

 sion to the pubhc during three days a week, and Mr. John Plant, 

 then a young man, was appointed Curator. Mr. Plant has since 

 become well-known in the scientific woi-ld, as the Ciirator of the 

 Peel Park Museum, Salford. The public were greatly interested in the 

 opening of the Museum, 5,000 persons being admitted dming the first 

 fortnight. 



In 1849 the Museum was handed over to the Town Council, who, 

 having adopted the Museums Act, and levied a half-penny rate, purchased 

 for its reception, at a cost of £3,000, a building erected twelve years 

 previously for the Proprietary School. In this building it has remained 

 for nearly thii-ty years. 



The collection at that time contained about 10,000 objects. It has 

 now about "22,000. Many of the original specimens, such as stuffed birds 

 and insects, have decayed and been thrown away. In some cases this 

 has happened twice over. Natm'al History specimens exposed to the 

 light will only remain good for a limited period. The increase has, 

 therefore, been more than would at first appear. 



An arrangement was made between the Town Council and the 

 Society, in an informal manner, not in wi-iting, that the Society should 

 retain the supervision of the Museum, should have rooms provided iu 

 the building for its meetings, should select the curator, and should 

 pay £52 a year towards his salary. This arrangement, with slight 

 modifications, was continued till the year 1872, and worked with 

 remarkable smoothness and fair success. The half-penny rate, which 

 realised at first only about £100 per annum, increased with the increase 

 of the town, until in 1872 it produced about £450. But the whole of 

 this was expended in salaries, repairs, new cases, and sundries. No 

 specimens were pvirchased with it. The increase of the Museum 

 collection depended entirely upon donations, a large part of which 

 came from the Society, which continued to devote its funds to this 

 purpose. 



In 1872 a new rUcjime was introduced, which is still in operation. 

 The government of the Museum is now in the hands of a Special Com- 

 mittee, consisting of ten members of the Town Council, who appoint also 

 8i.\ gentlemen, not members of the Corporation, as co-optative members 

 of the Committee. The Council of the Society are entitled to recommend 

 four of these six. The Committee thus constituted of sixteen members 

 appoints six of its own body as Honorary Curators of the Museum, each 

 with his own special depai-tment ; and these Curators, who generally 



