314 Presidentship of the Duke of Sussex 1834 



estate at Parsonstown in Ireland, wherewith he made some 

 important observations among the nebulae ; Robert Ferguson, 

 M.P., was elected into the Royal Society as far back as 

 1805 ; John G. Shaw-Lefevre, an able barrister, at this 

 time in the Colonial office, formed one of the commission 

 that founded the colony of Australia, was elected into the 

 Royal Society in 1820, afterwards became K.C.B. and lived 

 till 879. 



The visitors this year included few scientific men of note. 

 Most illustrious of them was John Dalton, whose atomic 

 theory, promulgated thirty years before, had marked one 

 of the most important advances in modern chemistry. He 

 was now nearing seventy years of age, and had long been 

 hailed by the scientific world as one of its brightest lights. 1 

 He dined on May 8th on the invitation of W. T. Brande. 

 He had been a Fellow of the Royal Society since 1822 

 and his name stands at the head of the long list of recipients 

 of the Society's Royal Medals. Professor Gumming was 

 probably the Professor of Chemistry at Cambridge, and 

 Fellow of Trinity College. 



" Professor Wilson " dined with the Club on June 5th. 

 The most widely known professor of this name at the time 

 was the poet, athlete and occupant of the chair of Moral 

 Philosophy in the University of Edinburgh, best remem- 

 bered by his nom-de-plume of " Christopher North/' and as 

 the brilliant editor of Black-wood's Magazine. Captain James 

 Clark Ross was a worthy representative of the Navy who 

 dined now as a visitor, but in course of time was elected 

 a member of the Club. He had already made a series of 

 important Arctic voyages, and was yet to do pioneer work 

 in the Antarctic regions also. John Delavel, Earl of Tyr- 

 connel, and Lord Teignmouth also dined with the Club. The 

 former was elected into the Royal Society this year. His 

 title became extinct in 1853. 



1 Sir Henry Holland, referring to Dalton 's early years, records that he 

 " well knew that philosopher in his rude laboratory of broken bottles and 

 other uncouth apparatus at Manchester an individuality in himself, 

 apart from the Quaker garb he wore." Recollections, p. 212. 



