ew s ▁leaving ▁the ▁tower ▁and ▁ch an cel ▁un in j ured . ▁ ▁Sir ▁William ▁was ▁Vice - Pres ident ▁of ▁the ▁Society ▁for ▁Im pro ving ▁the ▁Cond ition ▁of ▁the ▁Labour ing ▁Class es ▁which ▁sought ▁to ▁improve ▁housing ▁for ▁working ▁families . ▁It ▁eventually ▁became ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Pe ab ody ▁Trust . ▁ ▁Royal ▁Agricult ural ▁Society ▁A ▁prominent ▁agricult ural ist ▁and ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁found ing ▁f athers ▁of ▁the ▁Royal ▁Agricult ural ▁Society , ▁he ▁was ▁chairman ▁of ▁the ▁local ▁committee ▁who ▁" cont ributed ▁to ▁the ▁excell ence ▁of ▁the ▁arrang ements " ▁for ▁the ▁Br istol ▁Country ▁Me eting . ▁▁ ▁He ▁took ▁a ▁practical ▁interest ▁in ▁experiments ▁on ▁his ▁far ms . ▁ ▁He ▁regularly ▁hosted ▁the ▁Society ▁and ▁served ▁on ▁its ▁Management ▁Committee ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁being ▁Chair man ▁of ▁the ▁Local ▁Committee ▁at ▁Br istol ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 2 ▁when ▁he ▁jud ged ▁the ▁tri als ▁at ▁P use y . ▁▁ ▁He ▁l ent ▁his ▁own ▁steam ▁engines ▁at ▁Le igh ▁Court ▁for ▁experiments ▁following ▁an ▁anti - mod ern isation ▁protest ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 7 . ▁▁ ▁He ▁was ▁the ▁Royal ▁Agricult ural ▁Society ' s ▁Ste ward ▁of ▁Im plements ▁from ▁ 1 8 4 1 – 1 8 4 7 ▁and ▁during ▁his ▁Ste ward ship , ▁the ▁Ex hib ition ▁of ▁Im plements ▁grew ▁from ▁" a ▁couple ▁of ▁sh eds ▁to ▁an ▁extend ▁which ▁even ▁then ▁gave ▁promise ▁of