PREFACE. 5 



record of attendance is kept. On the whole, the minutes 

 appear to be sufficiently recorded. The page containing 

 the proceedings of the meeting on June 6th, 1781, has been 

 torn out. In the minutes, the resignations of three out of 

 the four whose names are struck out of the list of members 

 are recorded, but not of the fourth ; of course, it might 

 have been minuted on the missing page. 



However, the Secretaries of the time have reversed the 

 book, and made use of the last pages for keeping some 

 accounts. Counting from this end, the first page records the 

 receipt of subscriptions over a period from the commence- 

 ment to (about) July, 1781. The second page contains 

 some items of expenditure, obviously incomplete. The third 

 page contains a list of subscriptions beginning in October, 

 1781. 



The value of these subscription lists as evidence turns 

 upon their completeness. On examination the only name 

 missing is that of the gentleman, Mr. Uniach, whose name is 

 struck out of the list of members, and whose resignation is 

 not recorded. With this one exception, the Journal supplies 

 us with the list of Founders, but the exception is important 

 since Mr. Uniach was present at the first three meetings, 

 and, though his name does not occur again, appears to be 

 connected in some way with the group of men who founded 

 the Society. 



The connection may be one of relationship. A John 

 Uniacke,* of Youghal, co. Cork, married the eldest daughter 

 of Roger Manwaring, and succeeded to some portion of the 

 family estates of the Manwarings at Kermincham (and Dr. 

 Mainwaring was in the remainder). His son, John Man- 

 wairing Uniacke, born in 1762, entered the Manchester 

 Grammar School in 1774, and would be 19 years of age at 

 the time in question. To explain the record, it is suggested 

 that John Uniacke (Uniach) may have been introduced 

 * Manchester School Register, Vol. I., p. 199. 



