THE LATE SIR FREDERICK ABEL 
Sir Frederick Augustus Abel, Bart., G.C.V.O., K.C.B., D.C.L., F.R.S., etc., the Honorary 
Secretary and Director of the Imperial Institute, died suddenly at his residence, 2, Whitehall Court, 
London, S.W., on Saturday, September 6th, at the age of 75. 
Sir Frederick Abel was officially connected with the Imperial Institute from the commencement 
of its existence, and devoted himself to its services until the day of his death. He was Secretary to 
the first Organising Committee, and, on the opening of the Institute in 1S93, he became Secretary 
and Director, a post which since 1897 he has held in an honorary capacity. 
At a meeting of the Executive Council of the Imperial Institute held on September 17th, 
Lord James of Hereford presiding, the following resolution was unanimously passed : — 
“ That the Members of the Executive Council of the Imperial Institute desire to express 
their sense of the great loss sustained by the death of Sir Frederick Abel. 
“ For sixteen years he devoted all his great ability and energy to the service of the 
Imperial Institute; for that service he quitted all other pursuits, and in it he sacrificed time, 
emoluments and health. 
“ Every Member of the Council had learnt to value the worth of a great friendship, the 
loss of which is now sincerely mourned.” 
The funeral service was held on September nth, at the Church of St. Martin-in-th e-Fields, 
Trafalgar Square, in the presence of a large and distinguished assemblage. The chief mourners were 
Mr. Charles Denton Abel (brother), Mr. and Mrs. Mackeson (niece), and Miss Abel (niece). The King 
was represented by Colonel Lord Edward Pelham Clinton : Colonel the Hon. Sir William Carrington 
was to have represented the Prince of Wales, but was unavoidably prevented from attending. 
The Imperial Institute was represented by Sir Steuart Bayley, Sir Horace Tozer, Sir Walter 
Peace, and Colonel Makins, M.P. (Members of the Council), Professor Wyndham Dunstan, F.R.S. 
(the Director of the Scientific and Technical Department), Lieutenant Gerald R. Maltby, R.N. (the 
Assistant Secretary), and several members of the Staff. 
The Royal Society was represented by Sir William Huggins, K.C.B., the President, and Mr. A. B. 
Kempe, the Treasurer. 
The Chemical Society was represented by Professor M’Leod, F.R.S., and Dr. Alexander Scott, 
F.R.S. ; the University of London by the Rev. Dr. Robertson, the Vice-Chancellor, and Professor Sylvanus 
Thompson, F.R.S. ; the Board of Trade by Mr. Llewellyn Smith ; the Athenaeum Club by Mr. H. R. 
Tedder, the Secretary : and the Goldsmiths’ Company by Mr. R. Montagu Tabor, the Prime Warden, and 
Sir Walter Prideaux, the Clerk; and the British Association by Professor Wyndham Dunstan, F.R.S. 
Others present included Sir Andrew Noble, Bart, F.R.S., Sir George Birdwood, K.C.I.E., 
Mr. A. W. Reynolds, of the Canadian Office (representing Lord Strathcona, High Commissioner for 
Canada) ; Mr. T. G. White (representing the Agent-General for New South Wales) ; Professor Odling, 
Sir John Watney (representing the City Guilds of London Institute) ; Mr. W. H. Patchell and Mr. W. G. 
McMillan (Institution of Electrical Engineers) ; Mr. Walter Hills (past-president of the Pharmaceutical 
Society of Great Britain) ; Mr. Edgar Worthington (Secretary of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers) ; 
Mr. Wyndham Cook (representing the Alexandra House Association, Kensington Gore) ; Dr. Ludwig 
Mond, F.R.S., Dr. Messel, Mr. William Coldstream, Mr. W. Shelford, C.M.G., Professor Church, F.R.S., 
Mr. Henry Wheatley (representing the Society of Arts), Mr. Samuel Hall (Society of Chemical Industry), 
and Mr. S. E. Carr (Institute of Chemistry), Mr. T. Tyrer, Dr. Kellner (Woolwich Arsenal), Dr. Boverton 
Redwood, Mr. Arthur Dowd (Iron and Steel Institute), Mr. Alexander Siemens, Mr. Kraftmeier and 
Dr. Dupre. 
Wreaths were sent by the Staff of the Imperial Institute, the Royal Academy of Music, the 
Chemical Society, the Athemeum Club, the Society of Chemical Industry, the Institution of Electrical 
Engineers, Lord James of Hereford, Sir George Birdwood, and many others. 
The interment subsequently took place at Nunhead Cemetery. 
At the Meeting of the Council of the Imperial Institute, held on September 17th, Lord James 
of Hereford presiding, the following resolution was passed :■ — 
“It is directed by the Executive Council that until the transfer to the Board of Trade takes 
effect, or until these directions be rescinded, the general business of the Imperial Institute is to be 
conducted by the Assistant Secretary (Lieut. G. R. Maltby, R.N.) and the Director of the Scientific 
and Technical Department (Professor Wyndham R. Dunstan, F.R.S.). 
“The Assistant Secretary will have charge of the current expenditure of the Institute and the 
general business of the Office. 
“ Professor Dunstan will take general direction of the Indian and Colonial Collections, the 
Commercial Intelligence Department and the City Branch, the Journal, and the Library, and will be in 
communication with the Curators and the members of the Staff connected with these Departments, 
and will conduct all correspondence relating to them. 
