26 
Proceedings of the Royal Society 
and courteous gentleman, and his retirement was a source of deep 
regret to all his colleagues. 
Sir William died on the 12th of March, in his 81st year. 
Martyn John Eo berts, horn August 2, 1806, was the only 
child of John Eoberts and Caroline, the daughter of William 
Yalden, of an old Hampshire family. His father resided at “ Bryn 
Caeran, Caermarthenshire,” and did not think it necessary to bring 
up his son to any profession or business, hut he soon made himself 
acquainted with all the mining and other industrial occupations in 
the district. Early in life, he manifested a great distaste for mere 
classical learning, and an immense avidity for scientific pursuits; and 
as science was not to be acquired at school or at home, he found 
out every thing for himself while discouraged by all those around 
him. Amongst the Welsh servants and peasantry, he was considered 
somewhat in the light of a magician, owing to the extraordinary ex- 
periments he was always making ; and in thus teaching himself, he 
often rediscovered many facts already known to others with whose 
works he could not then become acquainted. But had he heard of 
them he could not have been satisfied without proving them. He 
had a rare combination of exact scientific research with flashes of 
imagination, and thus the study of electricity always possessed a 
peculiar charm for him. There, he saw a very imperfectly explored 
and wonderful region with plenty of room for experiment and dis- 
covery. 
He was never all his life without a carpenter and smith working 
out his ideas, so needful was it for him to create a tangible repre- 
sentation of them, and so unable w r as he with his refined, nervous 
fingers to do any rough manual work for himself. Both his parents 
died before he was of age. He began his independent career by 
having a yacht built on his own plan, and sailed about to visit 
various places abroad, making acquaintance with Cuvier, Clement- 
Desormes, and other scientific men in Paris. Thus he came in 
contact with all that had been already done in science, and knew 
over what field his future investigations must range. In this way 
also he made himself thoroughly master of navigation, and was 
qualified to suggest improvements regarding ships. Hence, we find 
him, July 9, 1838, receiving thanks from the United Service 
