It was initially an offshoot of a gentleman's dining club called the Raleigh Club.
From the Britannica entry:
It originated in the Raleigh Travellers’ Club (formed in 1827) and was incorporated in 1859 under its present name.
Soon after its foundation it absorbed the African Association, founded in 1788.
The founders were all white men as one would expect given the period of time and social circumstances. They were part of a committee of six at the founding of the new Society:
The founders were all white men as one would expect given the period of time and social circumstances. They were part of a committee of six at the founding of the new Society:
- Sir John Barrow - Permanent Secretary to the Admiralty
- Robert Brown - Keeper of Botany to the British Museum, classified the findings of Alexander von Humboldt.
- Lord Broughton (John Cam Hobhouse) - held government positions and wrote about 'A Journey through Albania' - a travelling companion of Lord Byron
- Sir Bartholomew (Bartle) Frere - Diplomat
- Hon. Mountstuart Elphinstone - Diplomat - Governor of Bombay - and an expert on India of the time
- Sir Roderick Impey Murchison - known as "the Father of British Geology" - the youngest member of the committee and a friend of Livingstone.
They were soon joined by a seventh member who was asked to join:
- Admiral William Smyth - a hydrographer who helped develop the science of oceanography.
Early meetings were held at the Admiralty.
I purchased a second hand copy of a history of the RGS from 1830 to 1980, It's called 'To the Farthest Ends of the Earth: 150 years of World Exploration" and is written by Ian Cameron.
It outlines quite a bit of detail on the early years of the society.
More to come from this book in future blog posts.
Images: Alan Parkinson, shared under CC license
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