By the death of Dr. J. E. Stead, F. R. S., on October 31, 1923, at the age of 72, this country lost one of its most famous metallurgists, a man who played an honourable and leading part in the development of scientific metallurgy and who is not unworthy to be ranked with the great names of Lowthian Bell, John Percy, and Roberts-Austen. He was born in 1851, and was a younger brother of the late W. T. Stead. He was educated privately by his father, as owing to the weakness of his spine he was unable to stand the rough-and-tumble of school life. At the age of 16 he became apprenticed to John Pattinson, the public analyst of Newcastle-on-Tyne. After serving a course of three years with him, he left to take up a position as analyst to the Tharsis Sulphur and Copper Company at Hebburn-on-Tyne. From there he proceeded as Chemist to Messrs. Bolckow, Vaughan and Co., a large firm of iron manufacturers, who had purchased the works of a Lancashire steel company at Garston. While in Manchester he attended evening classes at the Owens College in the early days at Quay Street. Subsequently he was transferred to the Middlesbrough works of the same company. At the age of 25 he entered into partnership with his former employer, Mr. Pattinson, and he remained identified with the firm for the remainder of his life, a period of about 52 years in all. He became one of the best-known analysts of England, and one can only conjecture how many large ore contracts were signed on the basis of Stead's analyses.