[Pre-Darwin's Origin - just; Incomplete] Lecture entitled On the Study of Natural History With Remarks on some of the specimens in the Natural History Department of the Darlington Polytechnic Exhibition. (Incomplete).

Four pages (of unknown original number), folio, bifolium (reinforced), fold marks, staining,aging, text clear but INCOMPLETE. He initially refers to the Lectures on Extinct Animals of Mr Waterhouse Dawkins [see note C below], then engages in a brief history of man's interest in Natural History going back to biblical times (Job, Solomon, then Ray in 1690) concluding The more minutely we examine the objects by which we are surrounded and the locality we inhabit - the more will our attention be repaid by the discovery of some new and surprising variety of existence [anticipation of Darwin?]. He devotes some time to the studies of Professor Bell [Thomas Bell, Zoologist etc]. He continues by saying how important the study of nature is, continuing I have been led into these remarks by my recollections of the Natural History department of our [underlined] great exhibition - the Darlington Polytechnic of 1855. He suggests that Natural History is not a popular subject by any means which led to important exclusions (e.g. some of the Backhouse collection of British Birds), continuing, Our nearest coast yields abundance of the remains of the animals and vegetable of former periods, How then shall we account for the entire absence of a collection of fossils from the lias [geological] formation except by the almost universal want of interest in natural history. But we will hope a better day is dawning [as it was!]. Since my thoughts were directed to this lecture great things have been done in Darlington and an interest created which if [end of surviving text] See PhotographsNotes: A. In the Journal of the Society of Arts, 3 April 1857, p.306, there's a Report on Lectures at the Mechanics' Institution for the year 1856. It includes Natural History in connection with the Darlington Polytechnic Exhibition, by Mr W. Fothergill; B. References to the Fothergills of Darlington and their interest in Natural History include William Yarrell, History of British Birds, vol.1, p.104; C. Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins (8 February 1807 - 27 January 1894) was an English sculptor and natural history artist renowned for his work on the life-size models of dinosaurs in the Crystal Palace Park in south London. [Wikipedia]; D. W. Fothergill, presumably related to William Fothergill, Carr End, Wensleydale (d.1831), whose family moved to Darlington and who corresponded on natural history (particularly birds).