1765 John Smeaton ; Benjamin Franklin 9 1 



James Burrow, in the Chair. 

 William Hall Samuel Dyer 



Dr. William Watson Dr. Gowin Knight 



John Ellicott Dr. W. Heberden 



Henry Cavendish Dr. Nich. Munckley 



Josiah Colebrooke, Treasurer 

 and James West, Henry Boult Cay and Dr. Baker, visitors. 



It was reported by the Treasurer that the expenditure 

 for the past year had amounted to 6 is., whereof 4 173. 6d. 

 had been due to deficiencies in the attendance at dinner, 

 and that the unexpended balance in his hands was 5 

 I2S. 6d. The total attendance at the dinners since the last 

 Anniversary was 673, composed of 473 members and 200 

 visitors. 



It was announced that by the death of the veteran member 

 Lord Willoughb}' of Parham, of Dr. Charlton Wollaston 

 and of Dr. John Hadley, three vacancies had arisen. These 

 were filled by the election of John Smeaton (F.R.S. 1753), 

 George Eckersall (F.R.S. 1761) and Thomas Wood (F.R.S. 

 1761). All these new members had already been visitors 

 to the Club. Smeaton's reputation as a great engineer was 

 increasing every year. In 1759 he had completed his achieve- 

 ment of the erection of the Eddystone lighthouse the most 

 stupenduous work of the kind which up to that time had 

 ever been erected in the midst of a stormy sea. Not only 

 had his scientific merit been recognised by his election 

 into the Royal Society, but the Society had bestowed its 

 Copley Medal upon him in 1759. There were still many 

 triumphs of engineering skill to be won by him in the years 

 that were to come. 



The names of no distinguished foreigners are to be found 

 in the dinner lists for this year, except that of the Conte 

 Carburis, who was entertained again by the Club on i8th 

 April. His election into the Royal Society had taken place 

 on the 2ist of the preceding month. The most illustrious 

 guest was Benjamin Franklin, who towards the end of 1764 

 had returned to England on his second mission to this 

 country. He dined with the Club on 24th January this year. 



