194 Henry Clifton Sorby, LL.D., F.R.S., F.G.S., etc., 



of Attercliffe. At this house Sorby, who, I believe, was an only child, 

 was born on May lOth, 1826. 



When about seven years of age the boy was sent to a dames' school 

 at Harrogate, and here I may notice a curious coincidence not 

 without interest to geologists. Young Sorby became the playfellow 

 of another child residing in the same town, whose father was part- 

 proprietor with the Sorby s of the Orgreave colliery a few miles 

 away from Sheffield. The children parted in 1834, not to meet 

 again for forty-four years, when Sorby had become President of the 

 Geological Society, and the other lad, Mr. W. H. Hudleston, one of 

 the leading workers in the geological world. The two playfellows 

 both grew up to be Presidents of the Geological Societj^ and recipients 

 of the Wollaston Medal. ^ 



After leaving Harrogate, Sorby went to the Collegiate School 

 (now the Grammar School) of Sheffield, where he tells us that he 

 received a prize entitled " Headings in Science," which had a large 

 share in directing his mind into the channel of scientific research. 

 A still more important influence was exercised, however, by the 

 instructions of a mathematical tutor under whom he was placed on 

 leaving school. This tutor, the Rev. Walter Mitchell, who is known 

 as the author of a treatise on Crystallography published in Orr's 

 "Circle of the Sciences," and some original papers on the same 

 subject, had been a medical student, and was able to instruct Sorby 

 both iu Chemistrj' and Anatomy. At a very early age Sorby seems to 

 have made up his mind to devote his life to scientific research, and 

 to this end he tells us that, besides studying vai'ious branches of 

 science, he laboured to make himself proficient in drawing and the 

 representation of objects in colour. From the verj^ first, Sorby 

 appears to have set his face against any attempt to obtain academic 

 distinction or the passing of examinations. To have a well-trained 

 and untrammelled mind in a healthy body was always the one object of 

 his ambition. 



Sorby constantly maintained that the true atmosphere for a life of 

 scientific research could only be obtained by leisure and mental quiet, 

 and a complete absence of those pressing cares incident to a business 

 or profession. His own circumstances were particularly fortunate ones, 

 for he succeeded to a moderate but easy competence. In 1876 he 

 writes : " Original research can be carried on in a satisfactory manner 

 only when an investigator has abundance of time for work, and 

 freedom from those cares that interfere with reflection. I am 

 thankful to say that complete immunity from such routine employ- 

 ment " (a business or profession) " has been my own happy lot. My 

 entire life has been spent either in scientific research or in preparation 

 for it." ("Unencumbered Research," pp. 149-150.) 



An additional advantage enjoj^ed by Sorby was that of being, like 

 Darwin, free from the important, though often harassing, duties 

 connected with scientific societies and similar organisations. The 



^ I am indebted to my friend Mr. Hudleston for information upon wHch the 

 above statements are based, and he also tells me that the Orgreave property is in the 

 district rendered famous in Scott's " Ivanhoe." 



