Annual Report of the Council. in 



a position in the shop of the late James Woolley, and 

 became acquainted with Mr. Halliday, with whom Mr. 

 Woolley was a partner, as chemical manufacturers, in 

 Quay Street, Salford. A discovery was made and patented 

 with respect to the manufacture of "aluminous cake," and 

 Mr. Pochin became manager of the works, then transferred 

 to Newton Heath. These were on a large scale, and 

 a very profitable business was carried on. Mr. Pochin 

 survived his partners, and made a large income. His 

 discovery of the method of distillation of resin with steam 

 at a high temperature is said to be the basis of the modern 

 manufacture of yellow and fancy soaps. Having proved 

 successful in one direction, temptations were placed before 

 him in others. The Limited Liability Act of 1855 opened 

 up an apparently unlimited prospect of fortunes to be made 

 by investment in limited companies. Mr. Pochin availed 

 himself of the opportunity, and became officially connected 

 with a large number of the most important manufactures 

 and industries of the kingdom. He is said to have 

 been a director of not fewer than 22 concerns. Many 

 men make money in their own business, but are just as 

 unfortunate when they engage in other enterprises. Mr. 

 Pochin was an exception to this rule, being, on the whole, 

 very fortunate in his speculations. ■ He served as Councillor 

 for Salford, and was elected Mayor of that borough in 

 1866-7-8, when he endeavoured to add to the dignity of 

 the office by the invention of a mayoral costume of velvet 

 with an attendant sword. He was a magistrate for the 

 Salford Hundred, and a deputy-lieutenant for the county 

 of Denbigh. Subsequently to a brief appearance in Par- 

 liament, to which he was returned as a member for Stafford 

 in 1868 (being unseated on petition in the following year), 

 he was little known in Manchester or in connection with 

 Manchester institutions; but he remained a member of 

 this Society, to which he was elected in 1854, until his 



