The Old Eccles Society. 197 



"Natural System," which it was Linnaeus' own desire to 

 arrive at acknowledging his sexual or "Artificial System" 

 to be but temporary and provisional, when it appeared 

 it may fairly be said to have made that live which before 

 was dead or dying, and to have been the true inaugura- 

 tion of the science of botany. 



The period referred to was, in round numbers then, 

 fully one hundred years ago. No records are extant as 

 to what was actually done here at that time, but the 

 general fact that botany was ardently engaged in is well 

 established. Old Crowther, who was born in 1768, was 

 accustomed, when only nine years of age, to attend the 

 meetings of a botanical society at Eccles, numbering, on 

 the average, forty members, the first society, in all like- 

 lihood, that was formed by the young Linnaeans, and the 

 same, it may be concluded, as that which in 1790, or 

 thereabouts, had spread to Ashton, Oldham, Middleton, 

 and many other places, holding fixed monthly meetings 

 at the several towns and villages in rotation, and with 

 which the proper "historical era" of botany in Man- 

 chester may be said to commence. The business of the 

 meetings was to compare the floras of the several neigh- 

 bourhoods, and to exchange plants and information in 

 general on subjects connected with botanical science. 

 A library of practical service was formed at a very early 

 period. The members subscribed, and bought among 

 other books the "Systema Naturae," and "Species Planta- 

 rum," of Linnaeus; Withering' s "British Plants," and 

 Lee's "Introduction to Botany," exchanging the volumes 



