1 1 6 Presidentship of Sir John Pringle 1772 



that form his immortal " Natural History of Selborne." 

 Barrington had been elected into the Royal Society on 

 June 4, 1767. 



The Rev. Francis Wollaston, senior wrangler, of Sidney 

 Sussex College, Cambridge, wrote on astronomical subjects. 

 After holding various ecclesiastical appointments he became 

 in 1779 Rector of St. Vedast, Foster Lane, London, and 

 retained that office until his death in 1815. He was elected 

 F.R.S. in 1769. He was the father of William Hyde 

 Wollaston, whose name will often appear on later pages of 

 these Annals. 



Alexander Aubert, a wealthy merchant, Director and 

 Governor of the London Assurance Company, was fond of 

 astronomy. He built a private observatory near Deptford 

 and another at Islington. He was made F.R.S. on the 9th 

 of January this year, and took so much interest in the affairs 

 of the Society that he was spoken of as a possible successor 

 to Sir John Pringle in the Presidency. He proved a most 

 useful member of the Club. 



John Turton received his education at Oxford, where he 

 took the degrees of M.A. and M.D. He became physician 

 to George III. and the Royal Family. His election into the 

 Royal Society dated from 1763. 



John Walsh had been paymaster of the troops at Madras 

 and private secretary to Clive. Returning to England he 

 in 1771 purchased a property in Berkshire. He became 

 F.R.S. in 1770. 



Thomas Astle was an eminent antiquary who, having 

 shown skill in the deciphering of manuscripts, was appointed 

 royal commissioner for the methodising of State-papers at 

 Whitehall. This office he held at the time of his election 

 into the Club. Afterwards he became chief clerk of the 

 Record Office at the Tower. He wrote many papers on 

 antiquarian subjects, and published a work on the " Origin 

 and Progress of Writing." He was elected into the Royal 

 Society in 1766. 



In anticipation of a diminished attendance during the 

 months of August and September it was ordered that 



