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SOPPITT MEMORIAL. 



REPORT OF THE SUB-COMMITTEE, 

 8th May, ig'oi. 



By the death of Henry Thomas Soppitt, of Bradford and 

 later of HaHfax, an event which took place ist April, 1899, 

 Botanical Science in general and Yorkshire Natural History 

 lost one of their most devoted adherents. 



At a meeting- of a few of his friends held at Bradford on 

 the 28th May, it was decided to have a memorial of him, to 

 take the form of purchasing his library and herbaria in the 

 event of his widow being willing to dispose of them, and to 

 present them to the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union, Messrs. 

 Charles Crossland, W. Denison Roebuck, and William West 

 being appointed a Sub-committee to deal with the matter, 

 Mr. Crossland 10 be Convener, and Mr. Roebuck acting as 

 Hon. Treasurer. 



A printed appeal was sent out to members of the Yorkshire 

 Naturalists' Union and various known friends of Mr. Soppitt, 

 and a special appeal was made to the members of the Bradford 

 Naturalists' Society by its Secretary. 



The total amount contributed by 27 members of the 

 Bradford Society was ;^i6 15s. 6d., and ^1 4s. od. was 

 contributed by the Elland Naturalists' Society and eight of its 

 members. The amount contributed by 42 other friends amounted 

 to ;^48 and the interest allowed by the Bank came to iis. iid., 

 making the total receipts ;^66 iis. 5d. 



The widow was willing to part with the books and herbaria 

 for the purpose specified, and these, on being purchased were 

 offered to and accepted by the Executive of the Yorkshire 

 Naturalists' Union, and were at first deposited in their library at 

 Leeds, pending a decision as to the most suitable place in 

 which to deposit it, the intention being that it should be 

 conveniently accessible to mycological students in Yorkshire. 



The Sub-committee had next under consideration the 

 desirability of providing a headstone for Mr. Soppitt's grave 

 in Eccleshill Churchyard, in accordance with wishes expressed 

 by several of the largest subscribers to the fund. Negotiations 

 were entered into with a Bradford firm of monumental masons, 

 and after consultation with the widow the sub-committee 

 authorized the erection of a handsome headstone with border 

 stone and iron railings, which met with full approbation. 



The expenditure of the Sub-committee was p/^30 for the 

 purchase of the library and herbaria, ^3 15s. for a bookcase, 

 ;^27 6s. for the headstone and railings, and £^^ los. 4d. for 

 circulars, postages, and sundry small expenses, making' a total 

 expenditure of ^65 us. 4d. — and leaving a balance in the bank 

 of^i OS. id. 



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