| RefNo | CMO |
| Level | Fonds |
| Title | Council Minutes Original: minutes of meetings of the governing body of the Royal Society |
| Date | 1663- |
| Description | Minutes of the meetings of the Royal Society Council from 1663 onwards. Council is concerned with the business and administration of the Royal Society. Minutes record discussions of all matters relating to the Society's constitution, activities, awards, funds, bequests, buildings, and staff.
A business meeting for the election of Fellows, Foreign Members and Honorary Fellow takes place after the Council meeting in May. Minutes for these election meetings are held within the Council minutes.
The Council minutes exist in three main forms. In addition to these original minutes there are copy minutes for the years 1663-1882 which were transcribed retrospectively in the early 18thC and then regularly until 1822 for greater security. These copies form the series 'Council Minutes Copy' (CMC,1663-1832). From 1832 the minutes were printed for distribution to Council members, and sets retained by the Society. These form the series 'Council Minutes Printed' (CMP, 1832-1997) |
| Language | English |
| Extent | 86 volumes |
| PhysicalDescription | Bound volumes |
| Arrangement | Chronological by date of meeting. Please note that within the volumes, there are sometimes two references for each meeting's minutes; the Ref. No. refers to the item, where an Alt. Ref.No. is given this refers to the page number in the volume |
| FindingAids | Volumes 1-2 have index for 1663-1727. There is a separate index to Volumes 1-8, 1663-1811, catalogued as CMO/8A. Volume 9, 1811-1822, has a short but incomplete index. |
| Notes | Volumes 1, 2, and 3 transcribed |
| AccessStatus | Open |
| AccessConditions | Closed for 30 years from date of creation |
| Copyright | The Royal Society |
| RelatedMaterial | The Council minutes exist in three main forms. The original council minutes (CMO, 1663-present). The original minutes for 1663-1882 were transcribed retrospectively in the early 18thC and then regularly until 1822 for greater security. These copies form the series 'Council Minutes Copy' (CMC,1663-1832). From 1832 the minutes were printed for distribution to Council members, and bound sets 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' (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.
Council meeting agenda and associated papers submitted to Council 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). |