 About 1846 he acted as secretary to a committee that was formed to obtain a university for Manchester, an unsuccessful scheme.With James Kay he promoted the Manchester and Salford District Provident Society, set up in 1833, and the Manchester Statistical Society of the same year.The aims of the Manchester and Salford District Provident Society were "for the encouragement of frugality and forethought ...and the occasional relief of sickness and unavoidable misfortune amongst the poor".