of Edinburgh, Session 1862 - 63 . 
75 
Note on the Family of M. L. A. Necker. 
Since the preceding biography was drawn up, I have received 
from M. Theodore Necker, nephew and nearest surviving relative 
of Professor Necker, some genealogical particulars which are of 
sufficient interest to he here briefly recorded. The family of 
Necker is stated to have been originally Irish, and to have taken 
refuge in Protestant Prussia during the religious persecutions of 
Queen Mary of England. Early in the eighteenth century, Charles 
Frederic Necker, great-grandfather of the subject of our biography, 
left Oustrin in Pomerania for Geneva, being charged with the edu- 
cation of a young German prince. He was a jurist of eminence, 
and having determined to settle at Geneva, a chair of law was in- 
stituted for him in 1724. He died in 1760. His son Louis 
Necker was Professor of Mathematics at Geneva, and author of 
several works, while another son w^as Jacques Necker, the cele- 
brated financier. These brothers both died in 1804. The former 
was grandfather of Louis Albert Necker, the subject of our bio- 
graphy, and father of Jacques Necker who in 1785 married the 
daughter of de Saussure. This Jacques Necker retreated with his 
family to England during the French Eevolution, and after his 
return became Professor of Lotany at Geneva. He was remarkable 
for his unflinching opposition to the French sway. On the Eestora- 
tion of the Swiss Government he was named one of the first magis- 
trates of Geneva, and died in 1825, very highly respected and 
regretted. Besides Louis Albert Necker, his eldest son, he had 
another, Theodore, and two daughters. 
Hence the subject of this notice was Professor at Geneva in the 
fourth generation. 
M. Theodore Necker (the nephew of my friend) informs me that 
among his uncle’s papers there remains nothing like a completed 
work, and little that is available for publication. Through the 
kindness of the same gentleman, the minerals collected by M. Louis 
Necker during his residence in Scotland have been presented to 
the University of St Andrews. 
I ought, perhaps, to add (on the authority of M. de Candolle) 
that the long delay which occurred in the publication of Necker’s 
Voyage en Ecosse, to which I have adverted in the preceding notice. 
