144 
mentioned there are certainly only slight notices, but some, 
on the other hand, show laborious work, and have been left 
unfinished. 
He joined Mr. Young in beginning works for the manu- 
facture of paraffin oil, adding his savings to the small 
amount that was available at the time, after Mr. Young 
(now Dr. Young, of Kelly) had found it necessary to have 
aid in order to enlarge his establishment and begin his 
Scottish Works, the supply of oil in Derbyshire having failed. 
The firm was in this town called by the name of E. W. Binney 
and Co. The partnership continued during the existence of 
the patent, and Mr. Binney retired with a handsome sum, 
which he greatly increased by his investments. He spent 
a large portion of his later years at Douglas, in the Isle of 
Man, where his house, Bavenscliff, gave him a fine view of 
the Bay and of the sea, and was still to a great degree 
sheltered. 
Mr. Binney was a remarkable man. He knew many 
people, but visited few, but to these few he was very 
strongly attached, whilst his tenacity of purpose prevented 
him from having sympathies with many, and caused him to 
put many people in an attitude of opposition, without 
making them enemies. In science he read very widely, 
but never wrote on anything outside the first field of his 
geological interest. 
He had a peculiar horror, even loathing, for men who 
made a display, and, although a rich man, he lived in great 
simplicity. He admired great men, it is true, but his chief 
love was for the poor man who gained knowledge, although 
finding it difficult to gain bread. Thus he took up the case 
of Samuel Bamford, the author of ‘ The Life of a Kadical/ 
and did not cease till he induced the Government to grant 
him a sum from the Civil List. A similar kindly feeling 
prompted him to great attention to Buxton the botanist, 
