The Society was formed in 1918 as an amalgamation of the Sheffield Naturalists' Club, the Sheffield Microscopical Society and the Junior Naturalists' Club. It was originally named The Sorby Scientific Society in honour of Sheffield's greatest scientist Henry Clifton Sorby (1826 - 1908), but this name was changed in 1932 to The Sorby Natural History Society. It is hardly surprising that the founders of the Society felt that Sorby's name would be an appropriate title for the new body, particularly in view of the fact that microscopical studies formed part of its activities. Over eighty years later the Society is still very active studying all branches of natural history (including microscopy and geology) within the City of Sheffield and around it, organising lectures, field trips and scientific surveys and producing a wide variety of publications. The Society is proud to bear Sorby's name and honours his memory as a great scientist.
Detailed history of the society from 1918 to 1954. (This includes a history of the Sheffield Literary and Philosophical Society, Sheffield Microscopical Society and Sheffield Naturalists Club.)