| Description | Papers and letters relating to bequests, trusts and matters arising from them 1840-1900. Mostly legal correspondence with Few & Co, who acted as Solicitors to the Royal Society.
No 1 - Concerning the Botfield bequest, 1843.
30 November 1843, Thomas Botfield bequeathed "such a sum of money, by way of donation, as would have been payable if he had been made a Life Member" of the Royal Society (£60)
Nos 2-12 Concerning the Dircks bequest, 1874-1876.
29 October 1874, bequest of one fourth of Henry Dircks residue, amounting to £878 12s 10d (see Minutes, 18 May 1876).
See also MM/13/8 to MM/13/11.
No 13 - Statement of Ellis bequest, 1878.
27 February 1879, Henry Ellis, "An unconditional bequest to the Society of £1000".
Nos 14-26 Concerning the Fairchild Lecture, 1855-1856.
In 1728 a bequest was made by Thomas Fairchild of £25 "to be placed out at 20s annually" for preaching a sermon at St Leonard's Church, Shoreditch, on Tuesday in every Whitsun Week.
DM/14-26 describe the events and aftermath of the Fairchild Lecture of 1855, when the Rev John D Letts was turned away from St Leonard's Church when he thought he had been appointed to deliver said lecture.
For more on the history of the Fairchild Lecture see MM/13/14 to MM/13/20.
Nos 27-46 Concerning the Handley bequest, 1844-1876.
From his will of 1843, Edwin Hill Handley bequeathed a sum, which eventually founded the Handley Fund ("to be applied as a reward for important inventions in art or discoveries in science, physical and metaphysical, or for assistance in the prosecution of any such invention or discovery...").
Owing to the Statute of Mortmain, a considerable portion of the property did not pass by his will of 1843, but eventually in 1876, the sum of £6378 19s was received.
See also MM/13/31 to MM/13/35.
Nos 47-52 Concerning the Lawes Trust, 1889.
Referred to in the correspondence as the Lawes Agricultural Trust.
See MM/19/77.
Nos 53-54 Concerning the Mackinnon Trust, 1899.
November 1879, Sir William Mackinnon, residue of his estate upon trust for the foundation and endowment of prizes and scholarships for the purpose of furthering Natural and Physical Science, and of furthering original research and investigation in Pathology.
Nos 55-72 Concerning the Oliveira bequest, 1865-1869
21 December 1865, Benjamin Oliveira. bequest of £4000, reduced after a chancery suit to £1506 17s 1d (Minutes, 28 October 1869). This was applied to the construction of the telescope afterwards lent to Dr Huggins, and since presented to the University of Cambridge.
See also MM/13/1 to MM/13/1/4
Nos 73-78 Concerning the Ponti bequest, 1874.
Papers relating to the intended bequest to the Society by Giralomo Ponti. Ponti bequeathed 865,000 lire to be disposed between the Acadamies of Science of London, Paris and Vienna
See also MM/13/28 to MM/13/29.
Nos 79-110 Concerning the Stevenson bequest, 1852-1898.
1852, W F Stevenson, bequest of annual income from certain stocks (about £1100).
See also MM/13/36 to MM/13/43.
Nos 111-132 Concerning the Warburton bequest, 1885
On the will of WB Warburton, investigated by a legal action, and declared intestate.
Nos 133-144 Concerning the Wintringham bequest, 1840-1900.
"In 1794 a bequest of £1299 had been made to the Society by one of its Fellows, Sir Clifton Wintringham. On Lady Wintringham's death in 1805 letters of administration were taken out by a Mr CW Loscombe, but he did not pay over to the Society the bequest which had reverted to it. When his affairs were being settled in 1839, the ommission was discovered and on the Society claiming the bequest the Foundling Hospital set up a counter-claim on the grounds that the dividends not having been applied according to the terms of the bequest, it necessarily lapsed to the Hospital. A lawsuit ensued which was followed by a compromise by which £1200 Consols were transferred to the Society. This was approved by the Master of the Rolls in 1847. When, however, the Council came to give effect to the conditions of the bequest they proved to be impracticable of fulfilment and the income has therefore been paid over to the Foundling Hospital in each successive year since then" ('The Record of the Royal Society of London', 1940, 1992 ed, p65).
See also MM/13/5 to MM/13/7 and CMB/25/4.
No 145 Concerning the Oliveira and Stevenson bequest, 1868.
No 146 Concerning the Dircks and Stevenson bequest, 1874.
No 147 Concerning the Stevenson and Oliveira bequest, 1867. |