Thomas Alcock, Zoology Lectures

Contents: A volume containing Thomas Alcock's lectures in zoology delivered at Owens College, Manchester, between 25 October 1867 and 20 March 1868. Alcock was employed by the College to teach zoology to evening students, something which he did for several years. At the time, a significant proportion of Owens students studied at evening classes, although few of them pursued regular courses of study. The lectures were delivered on Fridays between 7.30-8.30 pm.

The volume comprises Alcock's copy of the lectures, and presumably it is in his own hand. The lectures deal with the main classes of animals. As well as these lectures, the volume includes details of examination questions presumably devised by Alcock for Owens College, University of London and the University of Cambridge natural sciences tripos. Some of these questions appear to be prepared for specific pupils e.g. for "Miss Gregson".

The lectures as presented in this volume do not correspond exactly with the syllabus in the Owens College Calendar 1867-8,. Alcock had previously given lectures on "Zoology or four plans of animal creation" for first series of Science lectures for the people at Carpenter’s Hall, Manchester in 1866/7. These notes, although they shown some common elements with the 1866/7 lectures, are sufficiently different to show that there was no direct connection. .

Thomas Alcock (1823-1891) was a physician, who practised in Manchester and Ashton-upon-Mersey. He appears to have had a strong interest in natural history, and was curator of the Museum of the Manchester Natural History Society for many years (this later became the Manchester Museum). He also lectured on zoology at Owens College for evening students.

The manuscript is available for consultation by any accredited reader.

The manuscript was purchased by the Library for £550 in June 2003.

Photocopies and photographic copies of material in the manuscript can be supplied for private research and study purposes only, depending on the condition of the manuscript.

Prior written permission must be obtained from the Library for publication or reproduction of any material within the manuscript. Please contact the Head of Special Collections, The John Rylands Library, 150 Deansgate, Manchester, M3 3EH.

Unknown before purchased by the Library.

The archive of Manchester Museum (MMA) includes material from period when Alcock was a curator for the Manchester Natural History Society. Some of Alcock's zoological papers are held by Manchester Archives and Local Studies ( ref. C21). His diaries for the period 1859-1869 are in the custody of Cheshire Archives and Local Studies (ref. D 6817).