68 
PROFESSOR OWEN 
CH. n. 
He only arrived to find his son at the point of 
death. It was naturally a great grief to Mr. Clift, 
but at the same time it was a consolation to know 
that Owen would eventually stand in the place of 
his son, both in the museum and at home. After 
the death of William Home Clift, Owen remained 
the only assistant, and was paid at the rate of 
200/. per annum until July 1833, when his salary 
was increased to 300/. per annum — i.e. to the same 
amount as that which the Conservator was receiv- 
ing, except that the latter received an extra 
gratuity of 100/. annually. 
The Christmas of that year Owen spent in 
Lancaster, and in a letter dated December 24, 
written to Mrs. Clift to announce his safe arrival, 
he says : ‘ Everything shows how little change 
Lancaster has undergone since the days of my 
childhood. ... I sent for the barber this morn- 
ing to hear all the current scandal, &c.’ He also 
mentions a delay of three hours in getting to 
Manchester ‘ in consequence of the coach taking 
in, I should think, near a ton of oysters at 
Islington.’ 
