James Varley (member of Huddersfield Naturalists' Society) with an 'obtained' Ring Ouzel. Photo: Tolson Memorial Museum, HuddersfieldIn 1861 a group of six natural history societies, in the Huddersfield area and within about 20 miles of each other, along with 200+ members, came together to form the West Yorkshire Consolidated Naturalists' Society (WYCNS). It provided an opportunity for individuals who were interested in the study of natural history to meet together, organise excursions, discuss observations and exhibit specimens. The collection of the latter formed an essential part of natural history studies then and, while this is still a prequisite for the study of many organisms today, the extent to which birds, mammals, reptiles and butterflies etc. were collected then (see right) would be severely disapproved of today.In 1864 the WYCNS embarked on the publication of a journal The Naturalist which is still being published by the YNU today.
The WYCNS was reorganised in 1877 and renamed the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union.
By 1880, when it presented its 'memorial' to Charles Darwin at his home in Down House, Kent, there were 27 affiliated societies and an aggregate of 1500 members.
YNU Presidents
This is a list of YNU Presidents from 1876 to the present day. We are in the process of adding links to obituaries, where applicable, and to presidential addresses via the Biodiversity Heritage Library. Most obituaries are taken from the YNU's journal The Naturalist, while others are taken from the Journal of Botany (1) or Ibis (2).
| 1876-77 | Rev. Wm. Fowler, MA | |||
| 1878-79 | H. Clifton Sorby, LLD, FRS, Pres.GS | |||
| 1880-81 | Prof. W. C. Williamson, FRS | Obituary | ||
| 1882-83 | J. G. Baker, FRS | Obituary | ||
| 1884 | Rt. Hon. Lord Walsingham, MA, FLS | Obituary | ||
| 1885-86 | Rev. W. H. Dallinger, LLD, FRS, Pres.RMS | |||
| 1887 | Sir Ralph Payne-Gallwey, MBOU | Obituary | ||
| 1888 | W. H. Hudleston, MA, FRS, Sec.GS | |||
| 1889 | Henry Eeles Dresser, FLS, FZS | Obituary | ||
| 1890 | Rt. Rev. Wm. Walsham How, D.D. | Obituary (1) | ||
| 1891 | Prof. A. H. Green, MA, FRS, FLS | Obituary | ||
| 1892 | C.P. Hobkirk, FLS | |||
| 1893 | Henry Seebohm, FLS, FZS | Obituary (2) | ||
| 1894 | R.H. Tiddeman, MA, FGS | Obituary | ||
| 1895 | R. Braithwaite, MD, FLS | Obituary | ||
| 1896 | John Cordeaux, MBOU | Obituary | ||
| 1897 | Prof. W. Boyd Dawkins, MA, FRS, FGS | Obituary | ||
| 1898 | Prof. Michael Foster, MA, Sec.RS | Obituary | ||
| 1899 | William West, FLS | Obituary | ||
| 1900 | G.T. Porritt, FLS | Obituary | ||
| 1901 | Rev. Wm. Fowler, MA | |||
| 1902 | Prof. P.F. Kendall, FGS | |||
| 1903 | W. Denison Roebuck, J.P., FLS, FGS | Obituary | ||
| 1904 | A.H. Pawson, J.P., FLS, FGS | |||
| 1905 | G.W. Lamplugh, FRS, FGS | Obituary | ||
| 1906 | W. Eagle Clarke, FRSE | |||
| 1907 | Charles Crossland, FLS | Obituary | ||
| 1908 | Dr. Wheelton Hind, BSc, FGS | Obituary | ||
| 1909 | W.H. St. Quintin, J.P., MBOU | |||
| 1910 | Prof. A.C. Seward, MA, FRS | |||
| 1911 | Alfred Harker, MA, FRS | |||
| 1912 | John W. Taylor | |||
| 1913 | Harold Wager, FRS, FLS | |||
| 1914 | Thos. Sheppard, FGS, FSA (Scot.) | |||
| 1915 | Riley Fortune, FZS | |||
| 1916 | W.N. Cheesman, FLS | Obituary | ||
| 1917 | Sir Archibald Geikie, O.M., K.C.B., LLD., DSc, FRS, FGS | Obituary | ||
| 1918 | Prof. W. Garstang, MA ScD, FZS | |||
| 1919 | W.G. Smith, PhD, BSc | Obituary | ||
| 1920 | Prof. J.E. Marr, ScD, FRS | |||
| 1921 | H.B. Booth, MBOU, FZS | |||
| 1922 | T.W. Woodhead, PhD, FLS | |||
| 1923 | Dr. A. Smith Woodward, FRS, FLS, FGS | |||
| 1924 | Percy H. Grimshaw, FRSE., F.E.S. | |||
| 1925 | Prof. J.H. Priestley, D.S.O., BSc, FLS | |||
| 1926 | Edwin Hawkesworth | |||
| 1927 | Wm. Falconer, F.E.S. | |||
| 1928 | Professor, F.O. Bower, D.Sc, FRS, FLS | |||
| 1929 | Herbert E. Wroot | |||
| 1930 | Greevz Fysher | |||
| 1931 | T. Petch, BA, BSc | |||
| 1932 | Prof. A. Gilligan, DSc, FGS | |||
| 1933 | J. Meikle Brown, BSc, FLS, F.E.S. | |||
| 1934 | F.A. Mason, F.R.M.S. | |||
| 1935 | W.S. Bisat, FGS | |||
| 1936 | E.G. Bayford, FRES | |||
| 1937 | W.H. Pearsall, DSc, FLS | |||
| 1938 | H. Hamshaw Thomas, MBE, MA, ScD, FRS, FGS | |||
| 1939 | Ralph Chislett, FRPS, MBOU | |||
| 1940 | W. Watson, DSc, ALS | |||
| 1941 | H.C. Versey, DSc, FGS | |||
| 1942 | Prof. A.C. Hardy, MA, DSc, FRS | |||
| 1943 | A. Malins Smith, MA | |||
| 1944 | J. Wilfrid Jackson, DSc, FSA, FGS | |||
| 1945 | W.D. Hincks, FRES | |||
| 1946 | A.A. Pearson, FLS | |||
| 1947 | Prof. W.G. Fearnsides, MA, FGS, FRS | |||
| 1948 | Wilfrid Backhouse Alexander, MA | |||
| 1949 | Lorna I. Scott, MSc, FLS | |||
| 1950 | A. Raistrick, MSc, PhD, FGS | |||
| 1951 | Henry Whitehead, BSc | |||
| 1952 | Prof. E.A. Spaul, DSc, PhD, FGS | |||
| 1953 | E.W. Mason, MA, MSc, FLS | |||
| 1954 | Rev. T. Basil Kitchen, FRES | |||
| 1955 | E. Wilfrid Taylor, CBE, FRS, MBOU | |||
| 1956 | J. Grainger, BSc, PhD | |||
| 1957 | P.F. Holmes, MA | |||
| 1958 | Alfred Hazelwood | |||
| 1959 | H. Henson, FSc, FRES | |||
| 1960 | Prof. D.H. Valentine, MA, PhD, FLS | |||
| 1961 | Rt. Hon. Lord Hurcomb, GCB, KBE | |||
| 1962 | Ellen Hazelwood, FLS | |||
| 1963 | W.A. Sledge, PhD, BSc | |||
| 1964 | R.F. Dickens | |||
| 1965 | S.M. Walters, MA, PhD, FLS | |||
| 1966 | N.F. Robertson, MA, BSc, PhD | |||
| 1967 | Prof. G.C. Varley, MA | |||
| 1968 | James Fisher, MA, FLS, MBOU | |||
| 1969 | Miss C.M. Robb, FLS | |||
| 1970 | J.H. Flint, FRES, FLA | |||
| 1971 | A.J. Wallis, ACIS | |||
| 1972 | G.A. Shaw | |||
| 1973 | Miss F.E. Crackles, BSc, FLS | |||
| 1974 | Dr. Lloyd Evans, MB, CHB | |||
| 1975 | A. Brindle, MSc, FRES | |||
| 1976 | Dr. J.D. Pickup, MD, MRCP | |||
| 1977 | R. Watling, BSc, PhD | |||
| 1978 | Joan E. Duncan, BSc | |||
| 1979 | T.M. Clegg, FMA, MBOU | |||
| 1980 | C.J. Smith, BA | Presidential Address | ||
| 1981 | E. Joan Appleyard | |||
| 1982 | J.R. Mather, MBOU | |||
| 1983 | Margaret E. Bradshaw, MBE, BSc, PhD | |||
| 1984 | Adrian Norris | |||
| 1985 | Roy Crossley, AIB, FRES | Presidential address | ||
| 1986 | M.R.D. Seaward, DSc, PhD, FLS | Presidential address | ||
| 1987 | M. Densley, FMA, MBOU | |||
| 1988 | I.C. Lawrence | |||
| 1989 | M.J.A. Thompson, MB, MPhil, FLS | |||
| 1990 | S.L. Sutton, MA, D.Phil, FRES, FRGS | |||
| 1991 | Brian Pashby | |||
| 1992 | Prof. Gordon F. Leedale, PhD, DSc, F.I.Biol., FLS | |||
| 1993 | Prof. G.F. Fryer, DSc, PhD, FRS, FLS | |||
| 1994 | L. Magee, C.Eng. | |||
| 1995 | P. Skidmore, DSc, FRES | |||
| 1996 | Albert Henderson, BA | |||
| 1997 | M.E. Archer, BSc, PhD, FRES | |||
| 1998 | Dr. Margaret A. Atherden, BA, PhD | |||
| 1999 | John E. Dale | |||
| 2000 | Colin A. Howes, MPhil | |||
| 2001 | Dr. Gillian M. Brand | |||
| 2002 | H.E. Beaumont | |||
| 2003 | D.J. Brookman, PhD | |||
| 2004 | William F. Curtis, MBOU | |||
| 2005 | Michael L. Denton, MBOU, FRES | |||
| 2006 | Helen M. Jackson, BA | |||
| 2007 | Mrs Phyl P. Abbott | |||
| 2008 | Colin R. Stephenson | |||
| 2009 | Terry J. Crawford, BSc, PhD | |||
| 2010 | Geoffrey Wilmore, BA, FLS | |||
| 2011 | John Wint | |||
| 2012 | Roger Key, PhD, FRES | |||
| 2013 | John Newbould | |||
| 2014 | Terry Whitaker, BSc, M.I.Biol., PhD, FRES | |||
| 2015 | Geoff Oxford, PhD, FLS | Presidential address | ||
| 2016 | Simon Warwick, MBE | Presidential address | ||
| 2017 | Sarah White, MA, MSc | Presidential address | ||
| 2018 | Peter Flint, FRES | |||
| 2019 | Jane Pottas, PhD | |||
| 2020/21 | Judith Allinson, PhD | |||
| 2022 | Barry Warrington | |||
| 2023 | Prof Alastair Fitter, PhD, CBE, FRS | |||
| 2024 | Jeff Lunn, BEM, BSc, MPhil, CEcol, CEnv, MCIEEM | |||
| 2025 | Derek Whiteley, FRES | |||
| 2026 | Prof Sir John Lawton, CBE, FRS |