CHAPTER V 



PRINCIPAL BENEFACTORS OF THE SOCIETY 



AT a Meeting of Council holden December 14, 1663, it was 



* Ordered, that the Secretary bring in a list of the Names of all the Bene- 

 factors to the Society, together with their Donations, and the time when they 

 presented them. 



* Ordered, that the Benefactors be registered in loose vellum sheets. 1 

 Similar orders were made on December 3, 1674, on April 27, 1682, and on 



several subsequent dates. Unfortunately these early lists of Benefactors are 

 not now extant, and no list drawn up at the present day can pretend to be 

 complete. The subjoined list is compiled principally by aid of the Index to 

 the MS. Council Minutes, and is complete only in respect of benefactions of 

 o^50 and upwards there recorded. The dates given are, in most cases, those 

 of the Council Meetings in the minutes of which the gifts are recorded. Many 

 more names would be added if the lists of subscribers to special funds were 

 consulted, but in these cases only the names of the founders of such funds are 

 here given. 



KING CHARLES II. 



1662. July 15. Granted to the Society a Charter of Incorporation. 



1663. August 3. Presented the Society with a mace of silver, richly gilt, 

 weighing 150 oz. troy weight. 



1667. September 27. Granted the Society Chelsea College and lands, which 

 were ultimately conveyed by Royal Patent dated April 8, 1669 (see 

 pp. 25, 27, 94, 105). 



KING GEORGE III. 



1768. March 24. Ordered the sum of < J 4,000 clear of fees to be paid to the 

 Society, to enable them to send expeditions to observe the Transit of 

 Venus. The surplus left, after paying all the expenses connected with 

 the expeditions, was ordered by the King to be carried to the credit of 

 the Society. 



KIXG GEORGE IV. 



1825. December 15. Founded two Gold Medals of the value of Fifty 

 guineas each (see Royal Medals, pp. 186, 213). 



KING WILLIAM IV. 



1833. March 28. The grant of two Royal Medals continued. 



o 



