The late Charles Randell. 
679 
XXXV.— IN MEMORIAM. 
(a.) The late Charles Randell. By John Dent Dent, Ribston 
Hall, Wetherby. 
Thirty years ago, when clay-land farmers were almost as mucli 
depressed in spirits as they have been during the last few years, 
I remember the late Sir Henry Meysey Thompson asking me to 
ride over to his farm at Kirby, to see some experiments in clay- 
burning which he was carrying out with labourers sent to him 
and advice tendered by Charles liandell of Chadbury. This was 
the first special notice of Mr. Randell which occurs to me, but 
I remember well how highly his practical knowledge was then 
spoken of. Some years passed by, during which I only knew 
him by report as a man facing the difficulty of clay-land culture 
with spirit and with hope, and with success as times improved. 
In 1861, however, I found myself, to mj great delight, elected 
a member of the Council of the Royal Agricultural Society, and 
my colleagues elected in that j'ear were Earl Cathcart and Mr. 
Wells (still happily surviving), and Mr. Randell. No one 
could have seen Mr. Randell, then in the prime of life, without 
being struck with his handsome presence and his fine manly 
English address.^ When I undertook the office of steward of 
live stock at the Show at Worcester in 1863, he gave me much 
help in my endeavour to put an end to certain rascalities 
existing amongst the exhibitors of pigs, and during the two 
following years we were fellow-stewards of live stock at New- 
castle and at Plymouth. At this time some of the newly 
elected members of Council thought that there was room for 
considerable improvement in the management of the Society, 
and especially in the conduct of its Shows. Mr. Randell entered 
heartily into these aspirations, and it was mainly owing to his 
wide experience and his practical knowledge of business in 
every form that we may attribute any measure of success that 
was attained. He was very quick to see any mistakes even in 
matters of detail, and very ready in remedies ; while his firm- 
ness and common sense always kept in check any dangerous 
enthusiasm of his younger colleagues. 
' One of my colleagues writes of him, " His commanding presence and 
honest countenance betokened the essential qualities of the man — tender- 
hearted, yet determined — holding his own with every one, I thought him 
always most generous in the appreciation of others, and in the expression of 
tliat feeling.'" 
