PROFESSOR AT OWENS COLLEGE 121 



About the year 1877 I was glad to be of service in 

 bringing forward the claims of Joule for national 

 recognition. The proposal was to obtain for him a 

 Government pension. A memorial drawn up by 

 Professor Tyndall was signed by almost every 

 scientific man of position in the country, and I had 

 much correspondence with Tyndall and Huxley and 

 Hooker on this subject. The result was a pension of 

 200 a year. 



Many letters from Joule are in my possession. 

 The following one was in answer to a letter I 

 had written to him urging him to accept a nomina- 

 tion as President of the British Association at the 

 Bradford meeting for the year 1873. It is inter- 

 esting as showing that he was not at all averse to 

 the appointment of eminent noblemen who are 

 not especially scientific as presidents, an opinion 

 which is not now generally held, it being felt that 

 the first requisite for the President is a distinguished 

 scientific position, whether he be a nobleman or a 

 commoner. 



5, CLIFF POINT, BROUGHTON, 



March 4^, 1872. 

 DEAR ROSCOE, 



I thank you much indeed for your kind note ; and if any- 

 thing could have helped me into the office it would have been 

 such encouragement. But it cannot be ; I am not strong 

 enough for it, and must be content to go on in my present 

 quiet way. I see that since the Prince Consort there has been 

 only one nobleman (the Duke of Buccleuch) appointed. At 

 the commencement of the Association there were about even 

 numbers of peers and commoners. It seems to me a most 

 desirable thing to get at the sympathy and influence of the 

 upper ten. There is Lord Derby and your President D. of 

 Devonshire, both most eminently fitted. I could not well 

 suggest this in my letter, but if you chance to agree with 

 me and see a convenient opportunity of urging it, it might be 



