68 Obituary Notices of Fellows deceased. 



Whatever be any prophetic estimate now made as to the position 

 which the future will assign to Lie among the great mathematicians, 

 his contemporaries and i'mmediate survivors would agree in regarding 

 him as one of the most conspicuous, independent, and original workers 

 in his generation. 



A. R. F. 



SIR WILLIAM ROBERTS. 1830-1899. 



WILLIAM ROBERTS was born at Bodedern, Anglesea, on March 18, 

 1830.- He was the youngest son of Mr. David Roberts, of Mynydd-y- 

 gof, and of Sarah, daughter of Mr. John Foulkes, of Machynlleth, 

 Montgomeryshire. Mr. David Roberts farmed his own land in Angle- 

 sea, and in addition practised as a surgeon in the neighbourhood, where 

 indeed he was the only medical man. Both of Sir William Roberts's 

 parents lived to a great age, and some of his elder brothers settled in 

 Manchester, where they achieved distinction, and one of them, Alder- 

 man J. Foulkes Roberts, was Lord Mayor of Manchester in 1897. 

 William Roberts received his early education in Manchester, subse- 

 quently he went to Mill Hill School, and he entered University 

 College, London, as a 'medical student in 1849. Walsh, Garrod, Jenner, 

 Quain, were amongst his teachers at this period, and Roberts came 

 early under the influence of Sharpey, and the interest which he main- 

 tained throughout life in physiological problems was probably 

 aroused by the special influence of this teacher. Roberts had a dis- 

 tinguished career as a student at University College, and he graduated 

 as a B.A. in the University of London in 1851, and took the degree of 

 M.D. in 1854. After completing his studies in London, lie studied for 

 some months at Paris and also at Bonn and Berlin. In 1854 he was 

 appointed house surgeon to the Manchester Royal Infirmary, and soon 

 afterwards, when 25 years of age, he was elected, in July, 1855, with 

 out opposition, physician to the Royal Infirmary and lecturer on 

 anatomy and physiology in the school of medicine. Subsequently he 

 became lecturer on pathology, and, in 1863, lecturer on the principles 

 and practice of medicine at Owens College. When the Victoria 

 University was established he became Professor of Medicine. In 1883 

 Dr. W. Roberts resigned his physiciancy at the Royal Infirmary, after 

 serving on the active staff for nearly thirty years. During the whole 

 of this time he was an energetic teacher of clinical medicine, and 



