115 



BENEFACTORS OF THE SOCIETY. 



At a Meeting of Council holden December 14, 1663, it was 



" Ordered, that the Secretary bring in a list of the Names of all the 

 Benefactors to the Society, together with their Donations, and the 

 time when they presented them. 



" Ordered, that the Benefactors be registered in loose vellum 

 sheets." 



Similar orders were made on December 3, 1674, on April 27, 1682, 

 a iid on several subsequent dates. Unfortunately these early lists of 

 Benefactors are not now extant, and no list drawn up at the present 

 day can pretend to be complete. The subjoined list is compiled 

 principally by aid of the Index to the MS. Council Minutes, and is 

 complete only in respect of benefactions of 50 and upwards there 

 recorded. The dates given are, in most cases, those of the Council 

 Meetings in the minutes of which the gifts are recorded. Many more 

 names would be added if the lists of subscribers to special funds were 

 consulted, but in these cases only the names of the founders of such 

 funds are here given. 



KING CHARLES II. 



1662. August 13. Granted to the Society a Charter of Incorpora- 

 tion. 



1663. August 3. Presented the Society with a mace of silver, 

 richly gilt, weighing 190 oz. avoirdupois. 



1667. September 27. Granted the Society Chelsea College and 

 lands. The College was conveyed to the Society by Royal 

 Patent dated April 8, 1669. 



KING GEORGE III. 



1768. March 24. Ordered the sum of 4000 clear of fees to be 

 paid to the Society, to enable them to send expeditions to 

 observe the Transit of Venus. The surplus left, after paying 

 all the expenses connected with the expeditions, was ordered 

 by the King to be carried to the credit of the Society. 



KING GEORGE IY. 



1825. December 15. Founded two Gold Medals of the value of 

 Fifty guineas each (see Royal Medals, p. 132). 



KING WILLIAM IV. 



1833. March 28. The grant of two Royal Medals restored. 



i 2 



