SOCIETY. 



Society, Sunday School, was e(labli(hed, in 1796, for 

 promoting free and Sunday fchools in Wales, under the 

 patronage of the prince of Wales. Its officers are a 

 prefident, vice-prefident, treafurer and vxe-treafurer, and 

 fecretary. 



Society for promoting Sunday fchools throughout the 

 Britilh dominions wa^ inftituted in 1785. See Schools. 



Society for the SuppreJJion of Vice, was eftablilhed in 

 Eflex-itreet, in the Strand, m 1802. Its ofBcers are a pre- 

 fident, twelve vice-prcfidents, a treafurer, a fecretary, and 

 coUeftor. 



Society, Natimial, for promoting the education of the 

 poor in the principles of the eilablifhed church, in England 

 and Wales, was inllituted in 181 1. The prince of Wales 

 is patron, and the archbirtiop of Canterbury prelldent : it 

 has a great number of vice-prefidents, includin;r all the 

 biihops, a treafurer, and fecretary. 



Society, Naval and Military Bible, was initituted in 

 1780, for the purpofe of diitributing bibles among the 

 foldieis and failors of the army and navy. One guinea con- 

 ftitutes a governor, and ten guineas a governor for life. 



Soci ETY or Fund for the Support of decayed Muficians 

 and their Families-, was eftablifhed m 1738, and incorporated 

 in 1790. 



This inllitution had always been patronized by many of 

 the flrll families in the kingdom, as honorary fubfcribcrs ; 

 and the public in general eagerly attended the annual bene- 

 tits, which, with the fubfcriptions of the profefTional mem- 

 bers and gratuitous performance, produced a confiderable 

 fum. But the benevolent fpirit of the eftablilhment was 

 narrowed, and infufficient to furnifh means of comfort to 

 the claimants already on their lift, and confequently pre- 

 cluded the augmentation of their number, till after that 

 memorable event, the Commemoration of Handel in 1784, 

 by which 6000/. were added to their fund, enabled the 

 governors to enlarge and extend their bounty, by a more 

 confiderable allowance to the decayed claimants and their fa- 

 milies already on their lilt, and to be lefs fcrupulous in the 

 admiffion of new members. 



Their majefties and the royal family having been gra- 

 cioufly pleafed to countenance this eitabhfhment, and honour 

 it with their prefence, not only at all the commemoration 

 performances, but at every fubfequent annual benefit for its 

 fupport, increafed its importance, and excited an ambition 

 in the members to be under the immediate proteftion of his 

 majeity ; which vvifh was moft gracioufly comphed with 

 in 1790, by a permillion to incorporate themfelves under 

 the title of the " Royal Society of Muficians," till which 

 period the inllitution went under the title of «' The Fund 

 for the Support of decayed Muficians and their FamiHes." 



Society for bettering the Condition of the Poor, was 

 founded in 1796. Its objeft was r.o examine the caufe of 

 individual diftrefs, to remove difficulties in the way of pa- 

 rochial relief, to facilitate the dillribnlion of charitable bene- 

 faftors, to infpeft workhoufes and charitable inftitutions, in 

 order to fuggell improvements, and fo aid the important 

 caufe of religious inftruftion to the mature and to the young. 

 Society for aloliflnng the Method of fweeping Chimnies 

 ly climbing Boys, was inllituted in 1802. Ten guineas con- 

 ftitute a perpetual, and one guinea an annual governor. 



Society /or the Difcharge and Relief of Perfons imprifoned 

 for fmall Debts, was inftituted in February, 1772. The 

 debts, or compofition for them, of the perfons that are re- 

 lieved mull not exceed 10/. ; and the aged and infirm are 

 preferred, as well as thofe that have the largell families, and 

 others who have loft their liberty by unavoidable misfor- 

 tunes, and not by fraud, vice, or extravagance. No debtor 



can be relieved a fecoiid time. The annual fubfcriptions 

 are two guineas, and thofe for life are twenty guineas. 

 Similar in its objeft is the " Philanthropic Society" at 

 Mile-End ; the annual fubfcription being only twelve ftiiU 

 lings, and five guineas conllituting a life-governor. 



Society' of Friends of Foreigners in Diftrefs, was infti. 

 tuted A.D. 1806, to relieve the deftitute in a ftrange land, 

 by pecuniary, medical, legal, and religious aid. One 

 guinea conllitutes an annual governor, and ten guineas a 

 governor for life. 



Society, Hibernian, was inftituted A.D. 1806, for the 

 purpofe of providing every poor family in Ireland with a copy 

 of the holy fcriptnres, efpecially of the New Teftament, to 

 increafe the number of their Sunday fchools, to circulate 

 religious trafts, and to give encouragement to preachers of 

 approved charafters. One guinea conllitutes an annual 

 member, and ten guineas a member for life. 



Society, Royal Humane, was eftablilhed A.D. 1774, by 

 Dr. Cogan and Dr. Havves, for the recovery of the appa- 

 rently dead by drowning, or by any other ca'.ifcs of fuffo- 

 cation. One guinea conllitutes an annual member, and ten 

 guineas a member for life. See Drowning. 



Society' for teaching the indigent Blind. See Blindness. 



Society for the Relief and InftruSion of the Deaf and 

 Dumb. See Deafness. 



Society for the Eflablijlmunt of a literary Fund was infti- 

 tuted A.D. 1790, for the relief of authors in diftrefs, whofe 

 claims, Itated in writing to the committee, are duly con- 

 fidered by them, and admitted, if proper, at their difcre- 

 tion, Tvhilll the names of the applicants are not difclofed. 

 The annual fubfcription is one guinea, and that for life is 

 ten guineas. The fociety's houfe is in Gerard-ftreet, 

 Soho. 



Society for the Relief of Widows and Orphans of Medical 

 ATen in London and its Vicinity, grants to a widow, provided 

 that her income does not exceed 30/., and if (he has children, 

 they have not more than 10/. per annum each, an annuity, and 

 a fum towards an apprentice fee when the children are four- 

 teen years of age. Any orphan whofe father was a member 

 of the fociety at his death, who has not more than i j/. per 

 annum, alfo receives an annuity ; and relief is granted to 

 medical men themfelves, rendered incapable of attending to 

 their buli;iefs. Twenty guineas conftitute a member for 

 life, and one guinea an annual fubfcriber ; and a fubfcriber 

 of two guineas for fifteen years becomes afterwards a 

 governor. 



Society for Relief and Support of difabled Seamen, their 

 Widoius and Children, in the Merchant Seamen's Service, was 

 incorporated by ftatute 20 Geo. II. to provide relief by 

 penfions for feamen incapable of future fervice by ficknefs, 

 wounds, or old age, and for the widows and children of thofe 

 that have been killed or wounded, provided they be under 

 fifteen years of age, or, above that age, incapable of earning 

 a fubfiltence by fome infirmity. Relief is reftrifted to thofe 

 who have contributed Cd. per month out of his wages to 

 this fund. Fifty pounds conftitute a governor. The af- 

 fairs of the fociety are condufted at the merchant feamen's 

 office. Royal Exchange, London. 



Society, Mijfxonary, was inllituted in the year 1795, for 

 the purpofe of Ipreading the gofpel in foreign parts. 



Society for Mijftons to Africa and the Eafl, was efta- 

 bUftied by voluntary fubfcription in the year 1799, for the 

 converfion of the African and Eaftern tribes. The mif- 

 fionaries fixed their Itation at Sierra Leone, alfo on the 

 Rio Pongas and Baffia, where they have opened fchools, and 

 worfhip on the Lord's day ; and as the flave-trade declines, 

 or is abolilhed, they flatter themfelves with fuccef?. Many 



Maroons 



