HARCOURT, WILLIAM VERNON (1789-1871'), founder Jf the British Association, was born at Sudbury, Derby shire, in 1789, a younger son of Edward Vernon [Harcourt], arch bishop of York. He served for five years in the British navy and then went up to Christ Church, Oxford, took holy orders, and held a living at Bishopthorpe, Yorkshire. He was one of the founders of the Yorkshire Philosophical Society and its first presi dent. The laws and the plan of proceedings for the British As sociation for the Advancement of Science were drawn up by him; and Harcourt was elected president in 1839. In 1824 he became canon of York and in 1837 rector of Bolton Percy. His spare time until quite late in life was occupied with scientific experi ments. Inheriting the Harcourt estates in Oxfordshire from his brother in 1861, he removed to Nuneham, where he died in April 1871.