Ohiiuary—Mr. Wm.. Reed, RG.8. 283 



WILLIAM REED, M.R.C.S. (ENGL.), F.G.S., Etc. 



Born 1810. Died 1892. 



By the death of Mr. William Eeed, of Blake Street, York, the 

 Yorkshire Philosophical Society has lost one of its oldest members, 

 and certainly — as regards its Museum — one of its most liberal 

 benefactors. 



Mr. Eeed commenced life as pupil of Mr. Ness, surgeon, Helmsley, 

 and it was probably during his residence in that district that he 

 acquired that strong affection for the study of geology which 

 characterized his later years, and gave him a place amongst the first 

 geologists of the past half century. Upon leaving Helmsley he 

 entered St. George's Hospital, London, and subsequently continued 

 his studies at Paris. In the year 1837 he qualified as licentiate of 

 the Society of Apothecaries, and the following year he took his 

 degree as member of the Koyal College of Surgeons (Engl.). Ho 

 was afterwards appointed resident medical officer of the York County 

 Hospital, and surgeon of the York Eye Institution, founded by Mr. 

 Henry Russell. After occupying these positions for some years, to 

 the great benefit of the patients under his care, he removed from 

 York to Foston, and there carried on a private practice with marked 

 success for several years. Afterwards he again took up his residence 

 in York, and remained there during the rest of his life. In York 

 he entered into partnership with Mr. Benjamin Dodsworth, who at 

 that time enjoyed a very extensive practice, and the partnership 

 continued several years. After leaving his partner Mr. Eeed carried 

 on practice for some years alone. This practice, owing to his great 

 diligence and professional skill, became very extensive, so much 

 so, indeed, that he found it necessary to take a partner, and he 

 was joined by Mr, Eose, with whom he worked until nine or ten 

 years ago, when Mr. Eeed retired from the profession. Since that 

 time he has devoted his leisure to the study of geology, to which 

 a great portion of his earlier leisure time had also been given. 

 Many years ago he became connected with the Yorkshire Philo- 

 sophical Society, and it is to him more than to any other person 

 that the Museum at York owes its present high standing. His 

 whole soul was devoted to the science of geology, and the excellent 

 collections of specimens now to be seen in the Museum will cause 

 his name to be handed down to many future generations, and 

 will testify to his great liberality. For many years he has con- 

 tinually been adding geological specimens to the Museum, but his 

 liberality is most apparent in the two collections of specimens 

 which he presented, which have raised the Museum to the first 

 position in the country. The first of these collections was presented 

 in 1878. It contained about 100,000 geological specimens collected 

 by Mr. Eeed himself. The following is an extract from the York- 

 shire Philosophical Society's annual report : — " In the Geological 

 Department, the Council have formally to announce the presentation 



