142 



THOMAS ROGERS. 



By J. COSMO MELVILL, M.A 

 (Read before the Society, Oct. 9th, 1901.) 



Few men will be missed more in local scientific circles in Manchester 

 and the neighbourhood than Thomas Rogers, whose sudden death on 

 30th May last, has deprived us of one whose kindly presence and un- 

 ceasing energy had long endeared him to all with whom he had come 

 into contact. How often he has presided at the meetings of the 

 Conchological Society, up to the very last gathering in May last, held 

 just a fortnight before his death, the archives of the society will show. 

 For some years he had acted as Recorder, and at the last annual 

 meeting was unanimously elected a Vice-President of the society. 



Born at St. Helens, Lancashire, in 1827, he very early in life 

 migrated to Manchester, and among the earliest offices he held was one 

 in the firm of Labrey & Sons, Tea Merchants. The late Mr. B. 

 Bowman Labrey was a devotee of natural history, more particularly, 

 turning his attention to entomology ; indeed in after years his collec- 

 tion of exotic lepidoptera became one of the finest in the North of 

 England. He may be said to have been the first to implant in young 

 Rogers' mind that love of biological science which became so impor- 

 tant a factor in his career. Subsequently he set up in business on 

 his own account, first in Cookson Street, and finally in Oldham Road, 

 Ancoats, quite in the heart of the busiest and smokiest district of 

 Manchester. 



It was in 1857 that a short article published by him in the 

 " National Magazine," relative to the growing of ferns and other plants 

 in simple Wardian cases, attached to window casements of houses in 

 crowded cities, attracted considerable notice, and brought him into 

 some prominence, and gained for him numerous friends and correspon- 

 dents. Indeed, Mr. Rogers may be said to have been the last 

 connecting link between the celebrated old coteries of botanists 

 and naturalists of Lancashire, with most of whom he had been 

 acquainted, and the present race of biologists. Amongst his special 

 friends, to name a few out of many, were the late Mr. J. Nowell, of 

 Todmorden, Dr. John Bland Wood, of Broughton, Manchester, Mr. 

 Abraham Stansfield, Mr. John Whitehead, of Oldham, Mr. S. Ashton, 

 Mr. John Hardy, Mr. J. Percival, and Mr. Horsefield. 



Many interesting excursions to the Highlands of Scotland, the 

 Irish Lakes, and the Welsh Mountains, accounts of many of which 

 were published by him, were made in company with some of the 

 foregoing or other friends. 



