178 Obituary. 
records shows that while the prevalence of sunshine was nearly as 
large in the winters both of 1886-87 and 1889-90, the amount 
registered last season was actually greater than any observed at a 
similar time of the year since the recording instrument was first 
started, in 1876. 
OBITUARY. 
THE RIGHT HON. SIR HARRY VERNEY, BART. 
Born December 8, 1801 : Died February 12, 1894. 
The Royal Agricultural Society has been fortunate in many things ; 
and not the least gratifying part of its now long and honourable 
history is the continuous hold which it has retained on the affections 
and interest of its original founders. Fifty-six years ago a public 
meeting was held at Freemasons’ Tavern, under the chairmanship of 
the third Earl Spencer (better known as Lord Althorp), which may 
fairly be described as historic — at least in agricultural annals. That 
meeting was attended by a number of men whose names were 
already, or have since become, household words ; and the Society 
may well be proud of ranking amongst its founders men like Earl 
Spencer, the fifth Duke of Richmond, Lord Portman, Sir Robert 
Peel, Sir James Graham, Mr. Shaw Lefevre (Vicount Eversley), 
Mr. Handley, M.P., Mr. Philip Pusey, and last, but by no means 
least, Sir Harry Yerney. 
Lord Portman, Lord Eversley, and Sir Harry Yerney — each a 
member of the Provisional Committee appointed at the meeting of 
May 9, 1838 — were all three associated with the Society for more 
than half a century. Lord Portman, active-minded to the last, 
and keenly interested in even the smallest details of the Society’s 
work, achieved the at present unique distinction of being con- 
tinuously on the Council for over fifty years. Appointed Yice- 
President on June 27, 1838, and Trustee on July 8, 1 8L6, he served 
as President three times — in 1845-6 at Newcastle, in 1855-6 at 
Chelmsford, and in 1862 at Battersea. Only a few days before his 
death on November 19, 1888, I received a note from him (one of a 
series of three) on the subject of the early history of the Society, in 
which he mentioned that he was the very first member of the English 
Agricultural Society to pay his subscription to the bankers, and 
that he was, therefore, the oldest member of the Society. It 
appears from the records that at the first meeting of the Provisional 
Committee, held on May 10, 1838 (the day after the inaugural 
meeting), it was decided that “ Any person setting down his name, 
and paying his subscription before June 27 next, may become a 
subscriber to this Society, and that subsequently all members be 
elected by the Committee.” 
