Description | Rix has looked further into the matter of the Romford Medal, and has found that the dates he provided before were those published in the Royal Society's list, which appear to be based on the idea that each second year has its medal, which must be awarded within two years of that date; he provide examples for medals awarded in 1800, 1804, 1806 and 1810.
He has therefore discovered that the medal was actually founded in 1796, and quotes from the entry in their history of the medal, which explains that Lieutenant General Sir Benjamin Thompson, Count of Romford, gave the Society 1000 pounds, three percent consolidated Bank annuities at the Anniversary meeting in 1796 for the founding of the medal. The medal was first struck in 1802, and was awarded to Count Rumford on 11 November 1802, and his paper published in 1803. The medal for 1802 was not awarded, and the medal for 1804 was awarded to Professor John Leslie on 7 February 1805. The medal for 1806 went to Mr William Murdoch on 24 November 1808, and his paper published in 'Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society' 1809. |