Sir William Priestley, J.P., who died on March 25, a few days before his seventy-third birthday, was one of the Institution's most generous and in- fluential friends in the north of England.

The head of a big business of dress fabric manufacturers, he devoted a great part of his life to public affairs.

He was Mayor of Bradford, an Alder- man of the City Council, the first chair- man of its Education Committee, and one of the city's Members of Parlia- ment for twelve years. In the midst of these many activities he was still able to give much time and interest to the work of the Bradford Branch of the Institution. He was elected a Vice- President of the Branch in 1905, and he became its Chairman in 1916, a position which he still held at the time of his death. It was largely due to his influence and personal efforts, for more than a quarter of a century, that Bradford has been conspicuous for its generous support. Besides its large annual con- tribution to the funds of the Institution, it has in recent years raised two special Life-boat funds, and two boats bearing the name of Bradford are on the coast.

For her help in raising the second of these funds Lady PriestJey was pre- sented with the Gold Brooch of the Institution in 1926. Sir William Priestley himself was appointed a Vice- President of the Institution in 1926, in recognition of his notable services to the Life-boat Cause..