Presidents. 207 



Years 



Date of in 



Election. Office. 



Martin Folkes , Nov. 30, 1741 11 



b. Oct. 29, 1690 ; d. June 28, 1754. Appointed Vice-President of the 

 Eoyal Society by Sir I. Newton (1723). Pres. Soc. of Antiquaries 

 (1750). Contributed ten papers to the 'Philosophical Transac- 

 tions.' 



George, Earl of Macclesfield Nov. 30, 1752 12 



b. 1697 ; d. March 17, 1764. Mathematician and Astronomer. In 

 1739 aided by James Bradley erected an Astronomical Observatory, 

 with the finest instrumental equipment then existing. His series 

 of personal observations extended from June 4, 1740, to his death. 

 He was mainly instrumental in procuring the change of style in 

 1752, being virtually the author of the " Bill for Eegulating the 

 Commencement of the Year," which passed the Peers in 1751. 

 He contributed papers to the ' Philosophical Transactions.' 



James, Earl of Morton (Lord Aberdour) Nov. 30, 1764 4 



I. 1702; d. Oct. 12, 1768. Astronomer. Instrumental in founding 

 (1739) the Philosophical (afterwards the Eoyal) Society of Edin- 

 burgh. Was one of the Commissioners of Longitude, and took 

 an active part in the preparations for observing the Transit of 

 Venus in 1769. One of the earliest Trustees of the British 

 Museum, and Keeper of the Records of Scotland. Contributed 

 several papers to the ' Philosophical Transactions.' 



James (afterwards Sir James) Burrow Oct. 27, 1768 



5. Nov. 28, 1701 ; d. Nov. 5, 1782. Legal Eeporter and Antiquary. 

 Contributed five papers on Earthquakes to the 'Philosophical 

 Transactions.' He was elected to the chair only to serve until 

 the ensuing anniversary. 



James West Nov. 30, 1768 4 



d. July, 1772. M.A. Balliol Coll., Oxford. M.P. for St. Albans in 

 1741. Joint Secretary to the Treasury till 1762. A Collector of 

 Manuscripts, Coins, and Medals, and a Fellow of the Society of 

 Antiquaries. " Astronomy is indebted to Mr. West for the pre- 

 servation of several manuscript volumes and papers of Flam- 

 steed's." (Weld, vol. ii, p. 50.) 



James (afterwards Sir James) Burrow ........ July 2, 1772 



See above. Elected a second time to fill the chair till the following 

 anniversary. 



Sir John Pringle, Bart Nov. 30, 1772 6 



I. April 10, 1707 ; d. Jan. 18, 1782. Studied medicine atLeyden, and 

 settled as a physician in Edinburgh. Appointed (1734) Joint Pro- 

 fessor of Pneumatics [i.e., Metaphysics] and Moral Philosophy 

 in Edinburgh. Physician to the Earl of Stair (1742), and Physi- 

 cian- General to the Forces in Flanders (1744). Afterwards Physi- 

 cian to the Forces ordered to march against the Pretender's 



