CHAPTER IV 



THK TRUSTS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY 1 



'I'm following succinct account of the various trusts which the Society 

 administers, their origin and progress, the application of the income of the 

 funds, and their present, financial position, follows the alphabetical order in 

 \\liich tlu trusts an- arranged on the annual balance sheet of the Society. 

 Full particulars of capital, income, and expenditure in each case are clearly 

 in that sheet and are reprinted in the ' Year-book '. A larger amount of 

 detail ,-IN to the foundation of the older funds will be found in Weld's * History 

 of the Roval Society', and in an anniversary address delivered by the late 

 Mr. Spottiswoode, as treasurer, in 1874. 



No. 1. BAKERIAN AND COPLEY MEDAL FUND. 



Then has for many years been only one amalgamated fund for these two 



objects. Through successive accumulations, owing in part to no medal having 



awarded in some years, it now consists of 403 9s. Sd. 2% per cent. 



Annuities. The Bakerian Lecture originated in 1775, through a bequest of 



Mr. Henry Baker, F.R.S., of 1 J 100, for an oration or discourse, to be spoken 



or nad yearly by some one of the Fellows of the Society, on such part of 



natural history or experimental philosophy, at such time and in such manner 



.-IN tlu President and Council of the Society for the time being shall please to 



order and appoint. In case no lecture be given, there is a pain of forfeiture 



hcd to the bequest. The payment to the lecturer has for many years 



fixed sum of 



The Copley Medal, which has long been regarded as the highest scientific 



distinction that the Royal Society can bestow, originated in a legacy of 100 



from Sir (iodfrey Copley, Bart., F.R.S., received in 1709. The testator 



dim-ted that this Mini should be laid out in experiments or otherwise for the 



fit of I lu Society, as they shall direct and appoint. For many years the 



i the fund was paid to Dr. Desaguliers, Curator to the Society, 2 



periments made before it, but in 1736 Martin Folkes, who 



qnently became IV. >ident of the Society, proposed to render Sir Godfrey 



fopley's donation more beneficial than at that time it was. His suggestion 



1 in HIP main from ;i p :i p t ,r by the late Sir John Evans, K.C.B., Treas. R.S., 

 I. Ivii, p. W2, hut revised up to date, and with particulars of the 



ul>-rc|iM-iitly added. 



