ISO PRESIDENT OF THE SOCIETY. 



his one-horse power steam engine, which would have been 

 allowed but for the perverse opposition of ... . who 

 resided at Old Trafford, and, in spite of a memorial from 

 the other residents, insisted upon an item in the deed which 

 prohibited any steam engine being used. My brother was 

 anticipating a series of important experiments in conjunction 

 with W. Thomson, for which a grant had been obtained.. 

 However, he made some experiments, e.g., his sensitive 

 barometer, using the coach-house for the purpose. He took 

 the first opportunity of selling his house." 



In 1 86 1 what had been the general wish of this Society 

 for some years, was gratified by the election of Joule to the 

 office of President, in succession to Sir William Fairbairn, 

 who vacated the chair, after having occupied it five years,, 

 in consequence of the adoption in the meantime of a rule 

 that the president should retire after two years of office. 

 Sir William Fairbairn, Angus Smith, and E. W. Binney 

 were elected Vice-Presidents at the same time, and Drs. 

 Schunck and Roscoe (Sir Henry) were Secretaries ; and after 

 this time Joule was elected President on every possible- 

 occasion as long as his health would allow him to accept 

 the office. 



After his removal to Thorncliffe, and the stoppage of 

 his experimental work, Joule seems to have spent much more 

 time away from home. Thus, in May, 1861, he took his 

 family and sister to the Isle of Man, where his younger 

 brother was living. In September he spent a fortnight with 

 his elder brother in the Xorth-west of Ireland, and in 

 October was in London for a week. In 1862 he made three 

 visits to the Isle of Man, besides spending a month in Wales 

 and some time in London and Cambridge. In 1863 he was 

 frequently at Douglas, staying with his younger brother 



