1861 Sir John Lubbock (Lord A vebury) 385 



The Treasurers announced that they had received notice 

 that the building of The Thatched House Tavern was about 

 to be pulled down. They were accordingly instructed to 

 provide another suitable place of meeting. 



The number of dinners held during the past year was 

 twenty-four, which were attended by 293 persons, of whom 

 52 were visitors, the average attendance at each dinner 

 being I2'2. 



The new members were all men of note in the scientific 

 society of their day. John Lubbock, banker, naturalist, 

 antiquary, archaeologist, geologist, member of parliament 

 and politician, came to be one of the busiest and most 

 versatile men of his time. Beginning in his father's banking- 

 house when he was a lad, he retained his active interest in 

 its affairs up to the end of his long life. His capacity for 

 business led to his being recognised as one of the leading 

 men in the financial life of London. At the same time in 

 his country home he studied and described the habits of 

 ants and bees and the relations of flowers, fruits and leaves 

 to insect life. He was one of the earliest writers who 

 marshalled the evidence from existing savage races in expla- 

 nation of the history and habits of primitive man. He 

 travelled with a geological eye for the origin of the 

 varying aspects of scenery. And besides this wide range 

 of intellectual outlook he was a busy politician in and 

 out of parliament. He was a member of many suc- 

 cessive Commissions for improving the condition of the 

 country, especially in relation to education. To him we 

 chiefly owe the Bank Holidays Act, the Shop Hours Act 

 and other important and beneficent legislation. He suc- 

 ceeded to his father's baronetcy in 1865 and was raised to 

 the peerage in 1900 with the title of Lord Avebury. An 

 active and influential member of many learned societies, he 

 took a keen interest in the advance of science, and was ever 

 ready to help with his advice and experience. He played 

 also a worthy part in the social life of London. He was one 

 of the last men who kept up the time-honoured custom of 

 giving breakfasts in his town-house. And there were not 



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