| Administrative History | From its earliest days, care of the Museum was problematic. The first Keeper of the Museum, Thomas Webster, was appointed in 1812 however he was overwhelmed with the workload as the position was only part-time. Additionally he was caught between oppposing scientific factions who continually objected to the layout of the Museum as it did not adhere to their own particular credo.
In 1829 William Lonsdale, the first Curator, was appointed. Like Webster, Lonsdale was also assistant secretary and librarian but at least was employed full time. Lonsdale's appointment was viewed by all as a great success, however by 1836 his health had broken down from over work. Between 1839 and 1848 there followed five Curators but the high turnover of staff in the Museum, meant that much of the work was unfocused or unfinished. In order to try and sort out the ongoing problems in the Museum, various short lived Special Museum Committees were formed. |