22 ON NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUMS. 



Previously to the foundation of the British museum, the great 

 museum in London was that of the Royal Society. The 

 formation of a Museum has generally been considered to be 

 legitimately included in the work of any society devoted to the 

 advancement of science; and the Essex Field Club has con- 

 sequently been simply a humble follower in this direction. 

 Bishop Sprat, in describing the early doings of the founders of 

 the Royal Society after the Oxford Meetings were broken up and 

 they had settled in London, tells us that : — 



" As soon as they were reduc'd into a Fix\i Assembly, one of the Principal. 

 Intentions they propos'd to accomplish, was a General Collection of all the 

 Effects of Arts, and the Common, or Monstrous Works of Nature. This they at 

 first began by the casual Presents, which eithei Strangers, or any of their own 

 Member* bestow'd upon them. And in short time it has increas'd so fast, by a 

 contribution from all Parts, and chiefly by the bounty of Mr. Colwal, that they 

 have already drawn together into one Room, the greatest part of all the several 

 kinds of things, that are scatter'd throughout the Universe (!). The Keeping, 

 and Ranging of these into order, is committed to Mr. Hook, who had also the 

 honour of being made the first Curator of the Royal Society by election." 23 



Writing to Mr. Boyle on February 3, 1666, Hooke, the 

 Secretary of the Royal Society, says " I am now making a 

 collection of natural rarities, and hope within a short time to get 

 as good as any that have yet been made in any part of the 

 World." About this time, the Council resolved iS that the 

 donation of ^"100. presented by Mr. Colwall, should be expended 

 in purchasing the collection of rarities formerly belonging to 

 Mr. Hubbard." 



Dr. David Murray in his recently published work on 

 museums, 23 * suggests with much plausibility that this "Mr.. 

 Hubbard" was really Robert Hubert alias Forges, who is known 

 to have had a large collection of rarities, which he exhibited 

 publicly in 1664 at " the place called the Musick House, at the 

 Miter near the west end of St. Paul's Church." Of this 

 collection a catalogue exists, and many of the objects are 



2-$The History of the Royal Society of London, for the improving of Natural Knowledge. 

 By Tho. Sprat. D.U., Lord Bishop of Rochester. London: 2nd ed. 1702. P. 251. 



The " Curator " of the Ro>al Society was an officer who attended to the experiments, etc. 



'23*Museums : their History and their Use. By David Murray, LL.D., F.S.A. 3 vols. 

 Glasgow. 1904. 



It was not until after this Address had practically been finished that I had an opportunity 

 of consulting this valuable work. Had I seen it earlier I should have used it more freely. 

 In working up the history of the subject I was familiar with the chapter on " Collections of 

 Natural Curiosities '' in Beckmann's History of Inventions, and wit u Prof. Newton's paper 

 and a few other short notes; but struck with the scarcity of information on the subject, I 

 had said, in the draft of the address. " the history of museums has yet to be written." 

 Before the time came, however, to deliver the address Dr. Murray's comprehensive volume 

 had made its appearance 



