View source for Midland Union of Natural History Societies

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The '''Midland Union of Natural History Societies''' (initially the '''Union of Midland Natural History Societies''') was an association of amateur groups in the [[Midlands|English Midlands]] and central Wales, which existed from 1877. For sixteen years it published a journal, '''''The Midland Naturalist''''', and from 1881 awarded a medal, the '''Darwin Prize'''. The phrase "Natural History" was interpreted broadly, and the groups' interests included archaeology, architecture and geology.

== History ==

The success of a [[Tamworth Natural History, Geological, and Antiquarian Society]] meeting held early in 1874, joined by the [[Birmingham Natural History Society|Birmingham Natural History and Microscopical Society]] (BNHMS) led {{nowrap|[[William Gabriel Blatch|William G. Blatch]]}}, Honorary Secretary of the latter, to propose closer collaboration between local natural history societies.<ref name="OpeningAddress">{{Cite Q|Q116982992|author1=Anonymous}}</ref> Eventually, on 17&nbsp;August 1876 committee meeting of the Birmingham society, decided to investigate the formation of  a union of such groups.<ref name="OpeningAddress" /> Representatives of various societies met at the [[Birmingham and Midland Institute|Midland Institute]], Birmingham, on 28&nbsp;August 1877, and elected a council to manage the union.<ref name="OpeningAddress" />

The eminent surgeon and president of the BNHMS, [[Lawson Tait]], played a leading role in the formation and early administration of the Union.<ref name="OpeningAddress" /> He resigned his positions on the managing bodies of both organisations in 1878, in a dispute over the Union's subscription fees.<ref name="ProposedIncrease">{{Cite Q|Q117087957}}</ref>

In 1885, the Union wrote a letter to ''[[The Times]]'' (published 6 July) pointing out "that many of our rarest and most beautiful native plants have already been, or are being, rapidly exterminated" due to over-enthusiastic collection by both botanists and professional dealers, and calling for measures to reduce this loss.<ref>{{cite news |title=The Preservation Of The Native Flora Of Great Britain |author=Midland Union of Natural History Societies |work=The Times |issue=31491 |page=7 |date=6 July 1885}}</ref> The calls were supported in an editorial in the same issue.<ref>{{cite news |title=London, Monday, July 6, 1885 |author=Anonymous |work=The Times |issue=31491 |page=9 |date=6 July 1885}}</ref>

The last press reports on the Union's activities appeared in the [[Birmingham Daily Post]] in August 1894, when:<ref name="BPost-1894-08-06">{{cite news |title=Midland Union of Natural History Societies |work=[[Birmingham Daily Post]] |date=6 August 1894 |page=3}}</ref>

{{Blockquote|In proposing a vote of thanks to the out-going president, Mr. Jebb said Mr. Wilkinson had stuck to the union in a crisis, and he hoped there was now a brighter time in store for them.}}

=== Presidents ===
{{listdev|date=March 2023}}

* {{Timeline-event|date={{Start date|1880}}|end_date=|event=Herewald Wake}}<ref name="DO1">{{cite web |title=Encouragement of original research: The Darwin prize. |url=http://darwin-online.org.uk/content/frameset?pageseq=1&itemID=F1993&viewtype=side |website=The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online |access-date=11 March 2023}}</ref>
* Circa 1881: [[Thomas Wright (geologist)|Thomas Wright]]
* {{Timeline-event|date={{Start date|1882}}|end_date=|event=Egbert de Hamel}}<ref name="LM">{{cite news |title=Midland Union of Natural History Societies: Annual Meeting at Tamworth |work=[[Lichfield Mercury]] |date=15 June 1883 |page=7}}</ref>
* {{Timeline-event|date={{Start date|1884}}|end_date=|event=[[John Perowne]]}}<ref>{{cite journal |title=Meeting of Natural History Societies. Midland Union of Natural History Societies. The Seventh Annual Meeting |journal=The Midland Naturalist |date=1984 |volume=7 |page=167 }}</ref>
* {{Timeline-event|date={{Start date|1885}}|end_date=|event=[[Robert William Chase]]}}<ref>{{cite news |title=Midland Union of Natural History Societies |work=Birmingham Daily Post |date=17 June 1885 |page=7}}</ref>
* {{Timeline-event|date={{Start date|1886}}|end_date=|event=J. D. La Touche}}<ref>{{cite journal |title=Meeting of Natural History Societies. Midland Union of Natural History Societies. Ninth Annual Meeting, Shrewsbury, 1886 |journal=The Midland Naturalist |date=1986 |volume=9 |page=190}}</ref>
* {{Timeline-event|date={{Start date|1887}}|end_date=|event=George E. Mackie}}<ref name="WorcChron">{{cite news |title=Midland Union of Natural History Societies |work=Worcestershire Chronicle |date=9 July 1887 |page=7}}</ref>
* {{Timeline-event|date={{Start date|1892}}|end_date={{End date|1893|07}}|event=A. T. Jebb}}<ref name="BPost-1893-07-12">{{cite news |title=Midland Union of Natural History Societies |work=Birmingham Daily Post |date=12 July 1893 |page=7}}</ref>
* {{Timeline-event|date={{Start date|1893|07}}|end_date={{End date|1894|08}}|event=W. H. Wilkinson}}<ref name="BPost-1893-07-12" />
* {{Timeline-event|date={{Start date|1894|08}}|end_date=|event=R. C. Tower}}<ref name="BPost-1894-08-06" />

== ''Midland Naturalist'' ==

[[File:Midland Naturalist - Volume 1 - title page.jpg|thumb|upright|Cover of the first volume of ''Midland Naturalist'' by [[Worthington George Smith|Worthington Smith]], who described his design in the first issue.<ref name="OurCover">{{Cite Q|Q116977457}}</ref> |alt=lithographed design as described in detail by cited source ]]

{{Wikisource|Midland Naturalist}}

A journal, ''The Midland Naturalist'', subtitled "The Journal of The Associated Natural History, Philosophical, and Archæologigal Societies and Field Clubs of the Midland Counties", was published from 1878 to 1893. Volumes 1-9 were edited by Edward W. Badger and [[William Jerome Harrison]]; Volumes 10-16 by Badger and W. Hillhouse.

From 1883 (volume 6) the journal incorporated the Annual Proceedings of the [[Birmingham Natural History Society|Birmingham Natural History and Microscopical Society]], which had previously been published separately.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Preface |journal=The Midland Naturalist |date=1883 |volume=6}}</ref> From volume 7 it took on the same role for the [[Leicester Literary and Philosophical Society]].<ref>{{cite journal |title=Preface |journal=The Midland Naturalist |date=1884 |volume=7}}</ref>

At least one [[species description]] was published in the journal, that for the edible fungus ''[[Russula claroflava]]'', whose [[type specimen]] was found in [[Sutton Park, West Midlands|Sutton Park]] by [[William Bywater Grove]] in 1888.<ref name="Grove 1888">{{cite journal |author=Grove WB. |title=Wayside notes |journal=[[The Midland Naturalist]] |year=1888 |volume=11 |pages=265–266 |url=https://archive.org/stream/midlandnaturali00socigoog#page/n283/mode/2up}}</ref>

The Birmingham Daily Post article of August 1894 referred to the journal as "now defunct", without further explanation.<ref name="BPost-1894-08-06" />

== Darwin Prize ==

{{Distinguish|Darwin Medal}}

[[File:Darwin medal Bagnall.jpg|thumb|Gold Darwin Prize medal, awarded to [[James Eustace Bagnall]] and engraved "J.E. Bagnall ALS Botany 1888" |alt= Medal (both sides shown) as described in caption, and in body of article]]
[[File:Charles Darwin bronze Award Medal.webp|thumb|Bronze Darwin Prize medal, unissued |alt= Medal (both sides shown) as described in caption, and in body of article]]

The society established an annual award in 1880, for original research by individual members of the member societies, submitted for publication in ''The Midland Naturalist'', in the fields of geology, archaeology, zoology, or botany.<ref name="DO1" /><ref name="GC">{{cite journal |title=The Darwin Medal|journal=[[The Gardeners' Chronicle]] |date=9 July 1887 |page=51 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/26087651 }}</ref> Recipients had a choice of a gold medal, or a bronze medal and cash, with a total value of £10 ({{Inflation|UK|10|1880|fmt=eq|cursign=£}}) initially.<ref name="DO1" /> Permission to name the award after [[Charles Darwin]], and to include his likeness on the medal, was granted by Darwin himself, who wrote:<ref name="DO1" />

{{Blockquote|"[your] wish to name the Medal after me is a very great honour, which I gladly accept. It is particularly pleasing to me to have my name connected, in however indirect a manner, with a scheme for advancing Science—the study of which has been my chief source of happiness throughout life."}}

The medal was engraved by [[Joseph Moore (medallist)|Joseph Moore]], of Birmingham.<ref name="GC" /> Its obverse showed a bust of Darwin, facing slightly right, below which was signed "{{sc|Jose<sup>h.</sup> Moore {{abbr|F.|Fecit}}}}".<ref name="Numismagram">{{cite web |title=101150 {{!}} Great Britain. Charles Darwin bronze Award Medal. |url=https://www.numismagram.com/product-page/101150 |website=Numismagram |access-date=11 March 2023 }}</ref> The reverse featured the wording "The Darwin Medal / Awarded to / Founded by the Midland Union of Natural History Societies 1880,", with space on a cartouche for the recipient's name, year and subject area, and below that a depiction of a branch of [[coral]].<ref name="Numismagram" /><ref name="DCP">{{cite web |title=2.7 Joseph Moore, Midland Union medal |url=https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/about-darwin/portraits-charles-darwin-catalogue/27-joseph-moore-midland-union-medal |website=Darwin Correspondence Project |access-date=11 March 2023 |date=17 September 2022}}</ref> The edge was plain.<ref name="Numismagram" />

The award was first given in 1881 and was restricted to the topic of geology, the next year to biology, and the third year to archaeology, then the pattern repeated,<ref name="GC" /><ref name="DO1" /> before being abandoned. Recipients included:<ref name="GC" />

* {{Timeline-event|date={{Start date|1881}}|event=Edward Wilson, for geological research}}
* {{Timeline-event|date={{Start date|1882}}|event=Professor A. Milnes Marshall, and [[William Prime Marshall]], for investigations into the life-history of the [[Pennatulidae|Pennatulida]] (William  was Milnes's father<ref name="LM" />)}}
* {{Timeline-event|date={{Start date|1883}}|event=[no award]}}
* {{Timeline-event|date={{Start date|1884}}|event=[[William Bywater Grove]], for a monograph on the [[Pilobolaceae|Pilobolidæ]] and other botanical papers}}
* {{Timeline-event|date={{Start date|1885}}|event=[[William Jerome Harrison]], for geological research}}
* {{Timeline-event|date={{Start date|1886}}|event=[no award]}}
* {{Timeline-event|date={{Start date|1887}}|event=Edward W. Badger, for his paper "The Monumental Brasses of Warwickshire" }}
* {{Timeline-event|date={{Start date|1888}}|event=[[James Eustace Bagnall]] }}

The Birmingham Daily Post article of August 1894 noted an agreement that, with the demise of ''The Midland Naturalist'', the prize "should in future be awarded to the author of the best paper on a given subject in a newspaper or journal within the area of the union".<ref name="BPost-1894-08-06" />

The wax model for the medal is now at Darwin's former home, [[Down House]], along with the unused 1886 medal, which was sent to Darwin's family at that time.<ref name="LM" /><ref name="DCP" />

== Members ==

In its first year, membership of the Union included:<ref name="OpeningAddress" />

* [[Birmingham Natural History Society|Birmingham Natural History and Microscopical Society]]
* Birmingham Philosophical Society (merged with the above in 1894)
* [[Birmingham School Natural History Society]]
* [[Burton-on-Trent Natural History and Archælogical Society]]
* [[Ceradoc Field Club]]
* [[Derbyshire Naturalists' Society]]
* [[Dudley and Midland Geological and Philosophical Society and Field Club]]
* [[Leicester Literary and Philosophical Society]]
* [[Northampton Naturalists' Society]]
* [[Nottingham Literary and Philosophical Society]] (dissolved in the year 1882-1883<ref name="LM" />)
* [[Nottingham Naturalists' Society]] (withdrew in the year 1885/1886)<ref name="MN 9:192">{{cite journal |title=Meeting of Natural History Societies. Midland Union of Natural History Societies. Ninth Annual Meeting, Shrewsbury, 1886 |journal=The Midland Naturalist |date=1986 |volume=9 |page=190}}</ref>
* [[Rugby School|Rugby School Natural History Society]]
* [[Oswestry and Welshpool Naturalists' Field Club]]
* [[Severn Valley Naturalists' Field Club]]
* [[Shropshire Archæological and Natural History Society]]
* [[Stroud Natural History and Philosophical Society]]
* [[Tamworth Natural History, Geological and Antiquarian Society]]

Additional members, with date of joining, included:

* [[Peterborough Natural History and Scientific Society]] (year ending May 1879)<ref name="BPost-1879-05-22">{{cite news |title=Midland Union of Natural History Societies |work=Birmingham Daily Post |date=22 May 1879 |page=4}}</ref>
* [[Nottingham High School|Nottingham High School Natural History Society]] (year ending May 1879)<ref name="BPost-1879-05-22" />
* Small Heath Literary and Scientific Society (year ending May 1879)<ref name="BPost-1879-05-22" />
* [[Bedfordshire Natural History and Field Club]] (1880; withdrew in the year 1885/1886)<ref>{{cite news |title=Midland Union of Natural History Societies |work=Leicester Journal |date=25 June 1880 |page=6}}</ref><ref name="MN 9:192" />

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:1877 establishments in England]]
[[Category:Natural history societies]]
[[Category:Organizations established in 1877]]
[[Category:Organizations established in the 1890s]]
[[Category:1890s disestablishments in England]]