Resignation of Sir Jacob Wilson as Honorary Director, clxxxv 
services which Sir Jacob Wilson has 
rendered to the Eoyal Agpricultural 
Societ)'-, because they are so well 
known. But I may remind you that 
his first appearance at the Society’s 
shows was at Carlisle in 1855, thirty- 
seven years ago, and he has, with only 
one or two exceptions, been present 
at each subsequent Meeting to the 
present day. He became a member 
of the Eoyal Agricultural Society on 
December 5, 1860, and he was first 
engaged in an official capacity at our 
shows iis judge of steam cultivators 
at the Worcester Meeting of 1863, 
now nearly thirty years back. Ho 
was elected a Member of Council on 
May 22, 1 865, and is now the senior 
ordinary Member of Council. He was 
appointed a Steward of Stock in 1869, 
and acted in that capacity at the 
Manchester (1869), Oxford (1870), 
Wolverhampton (1871), and Cardiff 
(1872) Meetings. On the retirement 
of Mr. Brandreth Gibbs in 1875, he 
was unanimously elected Steward of 
General Arrangements, and subse- 
quently Honorary Director. He was 
Chairman of our Showyard Works 
Committee from 1877 to 1881, and 
from 1889 to the present time. 
He was also Chairman of the Stock 
Prizes Committee from 1883 to 1884, 
and from 1886 to 1888. He took a 
prominent part in inaugurating the 
scheme of premiums to thoroughbred 
stallions, now under the charge of a 
Eoyal Commission, on which he is the 
member representing the Society ; 
and he has assisted in the delibera- 
tions of this Council in a great variety 
of other ways. The resolutions which 
I have now the pleasure to propose 
refer only to Sir Jacob’s services as 
Honorary Director, and it must not 
be supposed that Ihe “conspicuous 
services rendered during eighteen 
years ’’ referred to therein compre- 
hend the whole of Sir Jacob’s services 
to the Society. For a period very 
much longer than that, in fact for 
nearly thirty years, Sir Jacob has 
been helping on in one capacity or 
another the work of this great institu- 
tion, and though he has now decided 
to retire from the anxious duties of 
Honorary Director, we may hope that 
he may give us for a long time to 
come the benefit of his help and 
counsel. (Loud cheers.) 
His Grace then formally moved the 
following resolutions : — 
1 . That this Council has received 
with great regret the resignation 
by Sir Jacob Wilson of the office 
of ^Honorary Director of the Country 
Meetings of the Society. The 
Council desires to place on record 
its high appreciation of con- 
spicuous services rendered during 
eighteen years, which services have 
signally conduced to the welfare 
and advantage of the Society. 
2. That Sir Jacob Wilson be 
elected a Life Governor, and that 
he be requested to accept from the 
Society a piece of plate of the value 
of 100 guineas, in grateful recogni- 
tion of the invaluable services 
rendered by him. 
Mr. Charles Howard said he 
had very great pleasure indeed in 
rising to second the resolution which 
had been so ably proposed by His 
Grace. As an old Steward of Stock, 
he had had ample opportunities of 
knowing the extent and the value of 
Sir Jacob Wilson’s services, and he 
thought the country, and the Society 
especially, owed him a deep debt of 
gratitude. Sir Jacob had great 
organising powers, and all his duties 
were carried out with the greatest 
precision and order. (Cheers.) In 
the carrying out of all these onerous 
duties, he had had at times great 
provocation ; but he (Mr. Howard) 
could safely and truly say that no 
man ever saw him lose his temper. 
He was one of the most unselfish, 
generous, and kind-hearted men it 
had ever been his pleasure to know. 
Nothing, he believed, gave him 
greater happiness than that he could 
do a good turn to others. Thousands 
of his countrymen would rejoice at 
the great improvement in his health, 
and at the prospect of his being able 
to resume the duties of his well- 
earned appointment. Well would it 
be for the country if it had more such 
men in it as Sir Jacob WTlson 1 He 
had great pleasure in seconding the 
resolutions. 
The resolutions were carried unani- 
mously by acclamation, and it was 
agreed that they should be engrossed 
on vellum, and sealed with the seal 
of the Society, and that they should 
