Penzance Natural History and Antiquarian Society
Encyclopedia
Penzance Natural History and Antiquarian Society was a local society founded in Penzance
in Cornwall
, England
, UK
, whose aim was "the cultivation of the science of Natural History, and for the investigation of the Antiquities referring to the early inhabitants." It was established at a public meeting on 20 November 1839, with an annual subscription of 10 shillings or life membership of £5. The society held meetings, where lecture
s were delivered and discussed, held an annual excursion to visit the antiquities of the area, and maintained a museum.
Despite the initial enthusiasm, very little happened as the Secretaries and Curators' Report at the 1845 AGM concluded with "The society having somewhat revived from the torpor which has for some time hung over it, the council hopes that its increased energy will be continued without further interruption". The first volume of Reports and Transactions was finally published in 1851, covering the years 1845–51. Transactions continued with the publication of volume two in 1864 (covering the years 1851–55) and volume three in 1865 (the years 1862–65). The society then lay dormant apart from the annual excursions which continued until 1872 when it became defunct. The society was revived in 1880 after a public meeting on 26 April and a new series of Reports and Transactions was published annually until 1890 and intermittently until 1899. The Penzance Natural History and Antiquarian Society ceased to exist in 1961.
and the Penzance Library (later to become the Morrab Library
). In 1961 the collection, which included local flora and fauna
passed into the ownership of the Borough of Penzance and is now housed at Penlee House
.
Penzance
Penzance is a town, civil parish, and port in Cornwall, England, in the United Kingdom. It is the most westerly major town in Cornwall and is approximately 75 miles west of Plymouth and 300 miles west-southwest of London...
in Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, whose aim was "the cultivation of the science of Natural History, and for the investigation of the Antiquities referring to the early inhabitants." It was established at a public meeting on 20 November 1839, with an annual subscription of 10 shillings or life membership of £5. The society held meetings, where lecture
Lecture
thumb|A lecture on [[linear algebra]] at the [[Helsinki University of Technology]]A lecture is an oral presentation intended to present information or teach people about a particular subject, for example by a university or college teacher. Lectures are used to convey critical information, history,...
s were delivered and discussed, held an annual excursion to visit the antiquities of the area, and maintained a museum.
Despite the initial enthusiasm, very little happened as the Secretaries and Curators' Report at the 1845 AGM concluded with "The society having somewhat revived from the torpor which has for some time hung over it, the council hopes that its increased energy will be continued without further interruption". The first volume of Reports and Transactions was finally published in 1851, covering the years 1845–51. Transactions continued with the publication of volume two in 1864 (covering the years 1851–55) and volume three in 1865 (the years 1862–65). The society then lay dormant apart from the annual excursions which continued until 1872 when it became defunct. The society was revived in 1880 after a public meeting on 26 April and a new series of Reports and Transactions was published annually until 1890 and intermittently until 1899. The Penzance Natural History and Antiquarian Society ceased to exist in 1961.
The Museum
In 1839 the Museum was housed in the dome of the Market House, (now Lloyds Bank) and moved to the newly built public buildings, now known as St. John's Hall, in 1867, where it joined the Royal Geological Society of CornwallRoyal Geological Society of Cornwall
The Royal Geological Society of Cornwall is a geological society based in Cornwall in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1814 to promote the study of the geology of Cornwall, and is the second oldest geological society in the world....
and the Penzance Library (later to become the Morrab Library
Morrab Library
The Morrab Library is an independent library based in Penzance in Cornwall in the UK.The library situated in Morrab House in Morrab Gardens, and was founded in 1818. Morrab is financed through membership subscriptions and is notable for its large celtic studies collection and local archives...
). In 1961 the collection, which included local flora and fauna
Flora and fauna of Cornwall
Cornwall is the county that forms the tip of the southwestern peninsula of England; this area has a mild and warm climate regulated by the Gulf Stream...
passed into the ownership of the Borough of Penzance and is now housed at Penlee House
Penlee House
Penlee House is a museum and art gallery located in the town of Penzance in Cornwall, and is home to a great many paintings by members of the Newlyn School, including many by such luminaries as Stanhope Forbes, Norman Garstin, Walter Langley and Lamorna Birch. Penlee house is currently operated by...
.
List of Presidents
- 1839-47 John Paynter, Esq.
- 1847-55 Joseph CarneJoseph CarneJoseph Carne was a British geologist and industrialist.-Early life:Carne was born at Truro, Cornwall, United Kingdom, the eldest son of William Carne, a banker, and was educated at the Wesleyan school, Keynsham, near Bristol. His younger brother was John Carne...
, Esq, F.R.S. - 1864-65 Thomas Simon Bolitho
- 1880-81 Charles Campbell RossCharles Campbell RossCharles Campbell Ross was a British politician and banker based in Penzance, Cornwall. Educated at Brighton College, he was leading member of the Penzance Borough Council in the 1880s serving as mayor 5 times in 1877, 1878, 1879, 1881 and 1883...
, M.P. - 1881-82 William Copeland BorlaseWilliam Copeland BorlaseWilliam Copeland Borlase FSA was an antiquarian and Liberal politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1880 until 1887 when he was ruined by bankruptcy and scandal....
, Esq. F.S.A., M.P. - 1882-83 Thomas Cornish, Esq.
- 1883-84 John RalfsJohn RalfsJohn Ralfs was an English botanist. Born in Millbrook, near Southampton, he was the second son of Samuel Ralfs, a yeoman of an old family in Hampshire...
, Esq., M.R.C.S. - 1884-85 Rev. W. S. Lach-SzyrmaW. S. Lach-SzyrmaRev. Wladislaw Somerville Lach-Szyrma M.A., F.R.H.S., was born at Devonport. His father, Krystyn Lach Szyrma, a Polish Professor, moved from Warsaw c. 1830 to escape persecution , and married into the naval Somerville family in Plymouth...
, M.A. - 1885-86 William Bolitho Jun., Esq.
- 1886-87 George Bown Millett, Esq. M.R.C.S.
- 1887-88 Thomas Cornish, Esq.
- 1888-89 Right Hon. Leonard Henry Courtney, M.P.
- 1889-90 Rev. W. S. Lach-Szyrma, M.A
- 1890-91 William Bolitho Jun., Esq
- 1891-93 William Shepheard Bennett, M.R.C.S
- 1893-95 William E. Bailey, F.E.S., Esq.
- 1895-96 J D Enys
- 1896-97 F Holman
- 1897-98 A H Teague
- 1898-99 John Batten Cornish