244 Presidentship of Sir Joseph Banks 1813 



genial company by electing him into their body at the first 

 opportunity. Samuel Davies became a Fellow of the Royal 

 Society in 1792. 



There were no guests of special prominence among those 

 entertained for the first time this year. The " Mr. Skene " 

 invited by Lord Kirkwall on 29th April may be conjectured 

 to have been Sir Walter Scott's friend James Skene, an 

 advocate at the Scottish bar, father of the Celtic scholar 

 and historian W. F. Skene. 



" Mr. Dollond " appears as the guest of John Pond on 

 i8th February. There were then living two active members 

 of this noted race of opticians. The first and most eminent 

 of the family, John Dollond, was elected into the Royal 

 Society, which awarded the Copley Medal to him in 1758 

 for his invention of achromatic telescopes. He died in 

 1761. His son Peter maintained the scientific renown of 

 the firm till he died in 1820 at the age of ninety, greatly 

 regretted by a wide circle of friends who enjoyed his society, 

 and by a numerous group of poor persons whom his 

 generosity relieved. George Dollond, his nephew (1774- 

 1852), who fully kept up the reputation of the family, was 

 much esteemed among scientific men and was elected into 

 the Royal Society towards the end of 1819, and into the 

 Club in 1833. 



On the i6th December Barrow invited " Mr. Brunei " 

 as his guest. There can be little doubt that this was the 

 future Sir Marc Isambard Brunei, the well-known engineer 

 who came to England in 1799, and among other under- 

 takings constructed the Thames Tunnel. 



1814. The Anniversary on I4th July 1814 was attended 

 by twenty-two members, the President occupying the chair. 

 The Treasurer reported that on the Tavern bills since the last 

 General Meeting he had disbursed 107 I2s. and that he 

 had a balance in hand of 11 155. 4d. It was agreed that 

 the contribution from each member for the ensuing year 

 should be 2. There was a single vacancy which was by 

 ballot filled up, and the Duke of Somerset, on the proposal 

 of the President, was declared to be elected a member. 



