WILLIAM NORWOOD CHEESMAN. 1847-1925.

By J. Ramsbottom. BY the death of Mr W. N. Cheesman, J.P., F.L.S., our Society, for the first time in its history, had to mourn the loss of the President during his term of office. He had been ill for some months but the end, when it came, was unexpected.

William Norwood Cheesman was born at Winterton, Lincs. on Feb. st, 1847; as a youth he spent some time at Hull and then went to London to learn the drapery business. In his twenty- fifth year he joined his uncle at Selby in the extensive drapery establishment which later became Cheesman (Selby) Ltd. Latterly he had retired from active participation in its affairs though he retained his seat on the directorate. It was while in London that Mr Cheesman began to take an interest in nature study. The controversies which had not then died down after the publication of Darwin's Origin of Species no doubt gave many young men their first taste for natural history or whetted ' their appetites. That it may have been so in Cheesman's case also seems likely as he was proud of having known Charles Darwin whose home at Mitcham he had visited occasionally.

On going to Selby (1870) young Cheesman soon got a local reputation as a general naturalist, but particularly as a botanist. In the first volume of the new series* of the Naturalist (1875-6), the Journal of the West Riding Consolidated Naturalists' Societies which was formed in 1861, he is shown as Secretary of the Selby Naturalists' Society. With the joining up of local societies as the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union (1877) a compre- hensive study of the natural history of the county was initiated. After the time of James Bolton's History of Fungusses growing about Halifax (1788-91) the study of fungi in Yorkshire had been spasmodic. Now a number of members, among whom were Dr H. F. Parsons, Rev. W. Fowler, Messrs W. West and W. N. Cheesman interested themselves in fungi as one of the "neglected orders" which were marked out for special study. A fungus foray took place in 1881 with Leeds as a centre. The next foray was held at Selby in 1884, the arrangements being made by Mr Cheesman: the account of this foray (Naturalist, x, p. 140, 1885) suggests that hospitality on his part was not lacking. A third foray was held in 1888 and since 1891 there has been one annually. The study of fungi in the field was increasing

* The first series was 1864-67. M. S . I

2 Transactions British Mycological Society. in popularity in Yorkshire at a time when the Woolhope forays were declining after Dr Bull's death in 1886. A mycological committee was formed in 1892. "The justly celebrated Here- ford Foray ... the universally acknowledged meeting place for exchange of opinion and courteous criticism between British and foreign mycologists has unfortunately run its course, and it is the hope and ambition of the Yorkshire Union that the annual autumn gathering may-by avoiding the weak points of its predecessor, which were mainly confined to an excess of hospitality-prove at least equally attractive and instructive to mycologists " *.

At the Huddersfield foray in 1895 the idea of a National Mycological Union was discussed and a t Selby the following year the British Mycological Society was formed, the arrange- ments being talked over in Cheesman's house, "over a cup of tea" to use his own words. Mr George Massee was elected first President and held the post for two years ; then for some reason he withdrew from the Society with several of his Yorkshire friends, among whom was his great admirer Mr Cheesman. What Massee failed to realise was that the day of supreme authority had passed, even in systematic mycology, but he was willingly accorded that position in Yorkshire, continuing as chairman of the Mycological Committee until his death. When it was clear that the British Mycological Society was accom- plishing the work it had set itself, matters straightened out to a great extent and at the time I joined the Society in 1910 there was no more enthusiastic member than Mr Cheesman. I met him for the first time at the Taunton foray in 1911. He acted there as he always did with beginners, taking the greatest delight in pointing out the characters of the fungi exhibited on the plates : one had only to show interest in order to receive every assist- ance it was in his power to give. Many mycologists on looking back at their first foray will doubtless recall that it was our late President who made it his business to give them what help he could. He did not enjoy the reputation of some of his Yorkshire colleagues as a systematist-many of them acquired European reputations-but his work did not lie in that direction. He was essentially a populariser of the subject and as a careful and energetic collector he was one of the best-known amateurs in the country. In later years he was particularly interested in Mycetozoa.

As a recognition of his efforts in furthering the study of mycology he was elected President of the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union in 1916 and took as the subject for his address Economic Mycology: the benejcial and injurious injuences of fungi. The

* C. Crossland, Naturalist (1894), p. 60.

William Norwood Cheesma-lz. J . Ramsbottom 3 title was fully indicative of the scope of the address which was an able exposition of the importance of the study of fungi.

He was a regular attender at the British Association meetings both at home and overseas. In this country he represented our Society as delegate on several occasions: his visits further afield to Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand resulted in excellent collections of fungi and Mycetozoa.

In 1918 he was elected to the newly formed Council* of our Society, served as Vice-president in 1923, and was elected President for the year 1925.

He felt that his health might prevent him from being an effective President but arrangements were made that enabled him to consent to serve. He fully appreciated the honour judging from the letters he wrote in answer to accounts he received of arrangements to be made and those carried out. I t was a great trouble to him that he was not well enough to prepare a Presidential address, but-it was a medical veto rather than the advice of his friends that at length persuaded him that it would bc unwise to attempt one. Just before the Dublin foray he wrote to me as follows:

"I have just received the notice of our annual meeting a t Dublin and I regret very much that I am not able to attend; I am still having the doctor's attention; at times I think that I am getting better at other times I think otherwise.

"Certainly I am better than I was a year ago, but am only able to walk about gently with my stick; my time is spent all day in my garden and greenhouse, when I am able to ponder over the pleasant past and the joyous reflections of happy days spent in the fields and at our Forays. I am thus able, in content- ment, to pass my time smoking my pipe (four ounces a week), working crossword puzzles, solving chess problems and reading light, frivolous literature.. . .

"I had two or three plans for my address to the members but my doctor strongly discouraged me from undertaking any serious mental work.

"Please convey to the members my hearty greetings and my grateful thanks for the great honour they did me by electing me as their President. I am now sorry that my illness has made me such a useless President.

" I hope that you will have a good time at Dublin and find plenty of interesting 'stuff.'

"My best wishes are for the continued prosperity of the Society and my hope that the membership will soon number a thousand for with increased membership the hands of the officers will there- by be strengthened in the important work they are carrying on.

* Again at Selby. 1-2

4 Transactions Brit ish Mycological Society. "The B.M.S. Forays have been bright periods in my life and

many other members will have the same feelings. "Again, with best wishes to all,

" I remain, Yours sincerely, "W. N. Cheesman.

" P.S. I enclose cheque for one hundred guineas which I wish our Treasurer to invest and the proceeds applied to the printing fund or to such other purposes as the Council may decide." This unexpected, though characteristic generosity, was greatly appreciated. After considerable discussion the Council decided that the best use of the gift would be to enable one or more students to attend the autumn forays which our President so valued. I t was decided to ask him whether this would meet with his approval-but he died on November 7th, the day following the meeting.

In addition to his natural history activities Mr Cheesman studied Archaeology and was for many years a prominent member of the Yorkshire Archaeological Society. He was keenly interested in Selby Abbey and acted as churchwarden for some years. As a prominent Freemason he combined his archaeology and his craft and wrote several papers, the most important of which was O n Mason's marks in particular, and Mediaeval Craftsman's marks in general. He was prominent in all affairs of Selby, and had served as president of a considerable number of associations connected with the town as well as being a Justice of the Peace for the West Riding. In his younger days he was a strong swimmer-he swam the Humber while at Hull -and took a great delight in all kinds of sport. I t was a pleasure to be in his company as he had so many interests and, moreover, enjoyed a good story-either in the telling or in the hearing; "one of Cheesman's" used often to go the rounds of a foray. His death removes from our circle one who was sincerely respected by all. To the younger mycologists he was representa- tive of a type that seems in danger of being swamped by the greatly increased numbers of professional workers. In these days when there are so many pleasures in which business men may obtain their necessary relaxation it should be the aim of the professional worker to encourage business-men naturalists and working-men naturalists to continue to share those of our labours and our delights that their occupation allows.

The death of William Norwood Cheesman takes from our ranks in the year in which he occupied the premier position a very fine type of English gentleman: generous, kind, earnest, and one who had the interests of his country at heart.

I t is a pleasing thought that his name will ever be associated with the Society in connection with the Cheesman Fund.