68 The late Professor Algernon Freire-Marreco. 



been anticipated. He was a very constant attendant on meet- 

 ings, and was a general favourite among the members. Person- 

 ally lie was of a most genial disposition and unassuming manners, 

 and these qualities, no less than the vivacity of bis conversation, 

 and tbe accuracy of bis scientific information rendered bim one of 

 tbe most agreeable of friends. It is to be boped tbat an account 

 of tbe life-work of tbis modest and not fully appreciated cultivator 

 of science will appear in next number of tbe "Proceedings" of tbe 

 Club to wbicb be was so mucb attached. J. H. 



IN MEMORIAM. 



The late Professor Algernon Freire-Marreco, M.A., F.G.S. 



The lives of scientific men are seldom eventful, and tbat of tbe 

 eminent cbemist wbose name stands at tbe bead of tbis notice 

 was no exception to tbe rule. Born at Nortb Shields in 1837, 

 Professor Marreco may be said to have spent his whole life in 

 the North Country, if we except a few early years sojourn in the 

 Peninsula — tbe native land of bis father, who was a distinguished 

 member of the Marreco branch of the old Portuguese family of 

 Preire. From infancy almost Mr Freire-Marreco showed a pre- 

 dilection for solid reading, and at tbe Escola Polytechnica, of Lis- 

 bon, bis love of the physical sciences was fostered in a manner 

 which, at tbat time, would have been impossible in any English 

 school. The effect of tbis foreign training was marked through 

 life. To it he owed an almost colloquial knowledge of tbe classic- 

 al languages, and equally sound knowledge of tbe chief modern 

 European tongues, a wonderful drilling in mental arithmetic 

 wbicb an abnormally retentive memory enabled him to profit by 

 to the utmost, and lastly a passion for Chemistry. 



On returning to England, when still quite a youth, he was for 

 a short time in the well-known Newcastle school then conducted 

 by Dr. Collingwood Bruce, tbe historian of tbe Eoman Wall. 

 Here he anglicized and enlarged tbe knowledge he bad acquired 

 abroad, and preserving the taste for science which had come to 

 bim as a child, be entered the laboratories of the late Dr. 

 Eicbardson, who was in those days the leading analyst in the 

 North of England. It is clear that Dr. Eicbardson knew a good 

 man when be got one, for we soon find the young cbemist en- 

 gaged in tbe most responsible work, and entrusted with investi- 



