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Record

RefNoCD
LevelFonds
TitleCouncil Documents: letters and papers submitted to the governing body of the Royal Society
Date1900-1930
DescriptionFiles of letters and papers submitted to the Council of the Royal Society in consideration of particular topics. Surviving files set out the following information: subject of title of the file, contents, date laid before Council, dates of decisions communicated and notes of action taken.
LanguageEnglish
Extent1,288 documents
PhysicalDescriptionPaper
FindingAidsDocuments catalogued to item level in Archive Card Catalogue
AccessStatusOpen
CopyrightRoyal Society
RelatedMaterialCouncil meeting agenda and associated papers submitted to Council from 1945 onwards form the series 'Council Agenda and Papers' (CAP, 1945-present). Some earlier documents submitted to council are preserved in the series 'Council Documents' (CD, 1900-1930). There are also printed copies of Council agenda for the years 1950-1975 pasted into bound volumes and annotated. These form the series 'Council Agenda' (CA, 1950-1975).

The archive also holds Council minutes, which exist in three main forms. The original council minutes (CMO, 1663-present) of which the Council Minutes Copy are transcripts (CMC, 1663-1882). From 1832 the minutes were printed for distribution to Council members, and sets were retained by the Society. These form the series 'Council Minutes Printed' (CMP, 1832-1997)

There are also various series of rough minutes with some fair copies in the Manuscripts General series (MS/629-47, 19 volumes, 1665-1870 and MS/800, 5 boxes, 1885-1896).

The manuscripts general series also contains some indexes to the minutes:
MS/407 'Alphabetical index to the printed minutes' by P.M. Roget is a guide to most of the first volume of printed minutes, 1832-1844.
MS/801 is a subject index for the subjects under discussion in volumes 1-4 of the printed minutes, 1832-1877.

Select minutes have been published:
The Council Minutes Original for the period 1660-1687 are printed with the Journal Book Original in 'History of the Royal Society' (4 vols, London, 1756-1757) by Thomas Birch . An index to the proper names in Birch by Gail Ewald Scala was published in 'Notes and Records of the Royal Society of London' Volume 28, No. 2 (1974).
The minutes 1663-1800 are published on microfilm by University publications of America.
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    Browse the records of some of our collections, which cover all branches of science and date from the 12th century onwards. These include the published works of Fellows of the Royal Society, personal papers of eminent scientists, letters and manuscripts sent to the Society or presented at meetings, and administrative records documenting the Society's activities since our foundation in 1660.

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