96 Presidentship of the Earl of Morton 1767 



be made of Sir James Naesmith, Bart., who had some 

 reputation as a botanist, having been a pupil of Linnaeus. 

 He is said to have been among the first in Scotland to plant 

 silver firs. 



1767. The Annual General Meeting in 1767 was held on 

 July 30th, when there were fourteen members present and 

 the Earl of Morton was in the Chair. The Treasurer stated 

 that the expenses had amounted to 4 173. 6d., of which 

 4 los. were due to deficiencies in the attendance, and a 

 balance of only los. remained in his hands. An order was 

 accordingly made for a contribution of 55. from each 

 member. 



Two deaths had occurred during the past year those of 

 William Hall and Samuel Clarke. The former was one of 

 the early members of the Club (August 3rd, 1749), who 

 had never been elected into the Royal Society. The two 

 vacancies thus caused were filled by the election of the Rev. 

 Samuel Horsley and Dr. Wilkinson Blanchard. Dr. Horsley 

 had been elected into the Royal Society in April of this 

 year. He was. a writer on mathematical and theological 

 subjects. He became one of the Secretaries of the Royal 

 Society in 1773. In later years, disagreeing with the Presi- 

 dent and others in the management of the Society, he 

 resigned his membership in 1784. He was an able and 

 eloquent man, and filled a series of high ecclesiastical appoint- 

 ments, including in succession the bishoprics of St. David's, 

 Rochester, and St. Asaph. Dr. Wilkinson Blanchard was a 

 physician, elected F.R.S. in 1759. These two additions 

 to the Club were good illustrations of the practice, already 

 alluded to, of inviting candidates for admission during 

 many months previous to the day of election. 



At this General Meeting it was also ordered that for the 

 future the Astronomer Royal should be ex officio a member 

 of the Club. Consequently Dr. Maskelyne, who had often 

 dined with the Royal Philosophers, but always by invitation, 

 could now take his place there by right of membership. This 

 eminent philosopher, after a brilliant career at Cambridge, 

 crowned by a Fellowship at Trinity College, took the degree 



