180 
as a member of the council, and was for several years Hono- 
rary Secretary of the Physical and Mathematical Section. 
He was a Fellow of the Meteorological Society, and of the 
Anthropological Society, and a Member of the Meteoro- 
logical Society of Scotland, and of the Meteorological 
Society of France. 
Mr. Vernon carried on the business of a cotton spinner 
until his death, which occurred on the 11th of January, 
1878, at the age of 46 years. 
In private life Mr. Vernon was genial and kind-hearted 
and he was very fond of music and other accomplishments. 
William Leeson Dickinson was the eldest son of Robert 
Dickinson, mercer, of Nottingham, and Mary his wife, eldest 
daughter of William Leeson, of Halam, near Southwell, 
gentleman, and was born on the 15th of August, 1814. He 
was educated at Arnold Vicarage, near Nottingham, by the 
Rev. William Howard, and afterwards apprenticed to Mr. 
George Gamble, of Gainsbro’, chemist. Upon attaining his 
majority he went to Manchester, and was for some time 
assistant to the late Mr. Hargreaves, chemist, Market-street, 
upon leaving whom he commenced business as a drysalter. 
From his boyhood he was passionately fond of music, and 
took great delight in the study of mathematics, astronomy, 
and statistics. He was elected a member of the Society 
on the 23rd January, 1855, and afterwards contributed the 
following papers and communications to the Society’s 
Proceedings : — 
Eclipse of the Sun, March 15, 1858 Vol. I., p. 7 
Eclipse of the Sun, July 18, 1860 „ 206 
Occupation of Jupiter, May 24, 1860 „ 244 
Note on the Transit of Mercury, Nov. 12, 1861 ... „ II., 151 
On the Eclipse of the Sun, Dec. 31, 1861 „ 152 
Eclipse of the Sun, May 17, 1863 ,, III., 66 
Eclipse of the Sun, Oct. 10, 1865 „ V., 2 
Eclipse of the Sun, Oct. 8, 1866 „ 170 
Occupation of Aldebaran, Sep. 28 and Nov. 22, 1866 „ 170 
