236 In Memoriam : Samuel Margerison. 



for many years a practice of concentrating his studies for a 

 definite time upon some specific branch until he had mastered 

 it. As a consequence he might be considered a specialist in 

 an exceedingly wide range of studies. He was one of the best- 

 informed naturalists in the county. A good general knowledge 

 of even the lesser-known branches of botany was the basis 

 of some studies on the colonising capacity of different wild 

 plants and their ability to dominate others in the struggle 

 for existence, studies which were carried out in some old 

 quarries in Calverley Woods. His book on this subject at- 

 tracted much notice from botanists in many parts of the 

 country as an excellent piece of original work. He was keenly 

 interested in Alpine plants, and his garden at Calverley became 

 one of the show-places of the district, and he was never happier 

 than when entertaining the members of the Leeds and Bradford 

 natural history societies, who were. long wont to pay him an 

 annual visit to see his treasures under his own guidance. It 

 was a great grief to him when unsuccessful investments com- 

 pelled him to give up to others the house and grounds into which 

 he had put so much affectionate labour. He was one of the 

 designers of the Bradford Botanical Garden in Lister Park, 

 and was a member of the advisory committee appointed by 

 the Corporation in connection with the garden. 



It was as an antiquary that he did most enduring work. 

 He was little more than a youth when he undertook a tran- 

 scription of the parish registers of his native place, which he 

 published in three volumes. He was an early member of 

 both the Bradford Historical and Antiquarian Society and of 

 the Thoresby Society, and contributed to the publications of 

 both societies. For the Thoresby Society, he transcribed, 

 and in conjunction with Mr. Paley Baildon edited, the early 

 charters of the Calverley family, which are now in the British 

 Museum. This produced a stout volume full of important 

 historical information, and the enterprise was completed by 

 the transcription and the publication — through the Surtees 

 Society — of the memorandum-book and diaries of the builder 

 of Esholt Hall — another important local ducument. Beside 

 these Mr. Margerison collected much historical information 

 and made many drawings for a history of Calverley, 

 which, however, he was fated never to write. He was an 

 excellent photographer and lantern-slide maker, and the 

 lecture which he frequently gave in various parts of the country 

 on ' What to See in an Old Church," did much to popularise a 

 knowledge of church-antiquities. He was a frequent contribu- 

 tor to: The Naturalist and The Bradford Scientific Journal and 

 was a life member of the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union. He 

 was buried at Calverley Church, and Yorkshire Naturalists 

 were well represented at the funeral. — H.E.W. 



Naturalist, 



