IG - History of the Society. 



I have been requested to devote my address this evening- 

 to the History of our Society, and I hope that my remarks 

 on this subject may not prove tedious, particularly to those 

 who are not my fellow-members. I must first acknowledge 

 with gratitude the assistance I have received from Messrs 

 G. W. Shirley, M. H. M'Kerrow, J. Rutherford, and S. 

 Arnott, in compiling the following paper. 



The History of the Dumfriesshire and Galloway 

 Natural History and Antiquarian Society Since its 

 Institution on November 20th, 1862, to November 

 20th, 1912. 



Sir William Jardine in the Memoirs of Hicgh Edwin 

 Strickland, his son-in-law, comments on the formation of 

 several local Natural History Clubs about the year 1850, and 

 states that these were but following the initiative of the 

 " Berwickshire Naturalists' Club," which was founded in 

 1832. " It is curious," Sir William adds, " that the example 

 of this Club has only extended southward." These re- 

 marks were published in 1858,* and our local Society may 

 proudly claim to be the oldest Scottish Club embracing both 

 Antiquarian and Natural History pursuits.! I have seen a 

 letter from a Mr G. W. Watson to Sir William Jardine, 

 dated so early as October nth, 1839, in which the writer 

 suggested " the formation of a local Natural History Society 

 at Dumfries." Unfortunately, I do not know how the cele- 

 brated Naturalist replied to this suggestion, and it was not 

 till some twenty-three years later that the scheme took 

 definite shape; when Sir William, as our Society's first 

 President, gave generously of his enthusiasm, time, and 

 money to forward its interests. 



The Institution of the Society. 



To three gentlemen is due the credit of instituting our 

 Society. In 1862 Dr James Gilchrist, Dr J. Dickson, and 



* Memoirs of Hugh Edwin Strickland, 1858, pp. ccli.-ccliii. 



t A proposal to form a Dumfriesshire Natural History Society 

 occupied half a column of the Bum-fries and Galloway Courier, 

 January 13th, 1836. 



