WILLIAMSON: JOHN WILLIAMSON. 
311 
A few hundreds of pounds were left them on the death of an old 
friend ; this they invested in a lodging-house of the usual watering- 
place type, which made some further addition to their income. 
This investment was exchanged for a similar, but more important 
one at a later date. When in the serv^ice of the Earl of Mulgrave, 
Mr. Williamson had saved some money wherewith he purchased a 
small share in a ship, employed by the government in the transport 
service, during the Peninsular war. This investment unfortunately 
proved a very lucrative one, but bore fruit of another kind at a later 
day. He also purchased a small plot of land outside the town, on 
which he ultimately built for himself a snug little cottage. On the 
construction of the York and Scarborough Railway, the Railway 
Company required this land, paying him £1150 for it. The old 
mania for dabbling in shipping unfortunately returned upon him, but 
the times were unfavourable. Steamers were beginning to supplant 
small sailing vessels, and the result was the loss of all the money. 
Throughout life an earnest Liberal, he took an active interest in the 
politics of the borough, steadily supporting the late Sir John Y. B. 
Johnstone, of Hackness, first as candidate for Yorkshire on the 
elevation of Brougham to the woolsack, and subsequently as one of 
the members for Scarborough. He also was much interested in the 
foundation of the British Association for the advancement of science, 
having been one of the small gathering which met at York under 
the presidency of Earl FitzwiUiam on September 27th, 1831 ; at 
that meeting he exhibited a series of the fossil Crustacea which he 
had discovered in the rocks of eastern Yorkshire. He continued 
to display the same activity and energy that had characterised 
his earlier years until age began to show some of its natural results ; 
in January, 1853, at the age of 69, he resigned the keepership of 
the museum of which he had so long had the charge. He had become 
too old to have his movements controlled by any external authority 
however kindly exercised. 
But though thus freeing himself from all official work, there 
yet remained in him an amazing store of energy, which found vent 
in several directions. At the time when he resided in his cottage, 
near Falsgrave, to which reference has been made, a Floral and 
