Royal Society of Edinburgh

Sponsorship the way you would do it

At the start of the eighteenth century, Edinburgh's intellectual climate fostered many clubs and societies. Though there were several that treated the arts, sciences and medicine, the most prestigious was the Philosophical Society (f. 1738). With the help of University of Edinbugh professors like Joseph Black, William Cullen and John Walker, this society transformed itself into the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1783 and in 1786 it issued the first edition of its new journal: Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. As the end of the century drew near, the younger members like Sir James Hall embraced Lavoisier's new nomenclature and the members split over the practical and theoretical objectives of the society. This resulted in the founding of the Wernerian Society (1808-1858), a parrellel organisation that focused more upon natural history and scientific research that could be used to improve Scotland's weak agricultural and industrial base. Under the leadership of Prof. Robert Jameson, the Wernerians first founded Memoirs of the Wernerian Natural History Society (1808-1821) and then the Edinburgh Philsophical Journal (1822), therby diverting the output of the Royal Society's Transactions. Thus, for the first four decades of the nineteenth century, the RSE's members published published brilliant articles in two different journals. By the 1850s, Jameson and his partner Sir David Brewster lost their influence and the society once again could unify its membership under one journal. During the nineteenth century the society produced many scientists whose ideas layed the found of the modern sciences. For instance, William Thomson, later Baron Kelvin of Largs, was President from 1873 to 1878 and again from 1886 to 1890. Other notable members are included Lyon Playfair, Peter Guthrie Tait, George Chrystal, Sir Archibald Geikie and John Hutton Balfour. From the twentieth century onward, the society functioned not only as focal point for Scotland's eminant scientists, but also it leaders in the arts and humanities. It still exists today and continues to promote original research in Scotland.