Financial account books of the Royal Society

Collection

Postal address:: 6-9 Carlton House Terrace London Greater London United Kingdom SW1Y 5AG

Creator/accumulator:: Da Costa, Emanuel Mendez, 1717-1791, botanist and naturalist

Scope and content:: The series falls into two chronological groups. The first series contains the early financial accounts for the Royal Society, 1660-1768. Much of this material deals with the financial state of the Society during James West's Presidency, and represents the administrative work of the two Library Keepers/Clerks, Francis Hauksbee and Emanuel Mendes da Costa. The second series consists of cash-books and ledgers of the 19th and 20th centuries, 1867-1976. These deal with the Society's general finances, as well as its administration of the Government Grant and various Trust Funds. A third section contains copies of the Royal Society's Annual Accounts - both signed and unsigned.

Administrative/biographical history:: Emanuel Mendez Da Costa (June 5, 1717 – May 31, 1791) was an English botanist, naturalist, philosopher, and collector of valuable notes and of manuscripts, and of anecdotes of the literati.He was one of the first Jewish Fellows of the Royal Society of London, and became its librarian. He was also a fellow of the Antiquarian Society of London; a member of the Botanic Society in Florence, the Aurelian Society, and the Gentleman's Society at Spalding.His publications included A Natural History of Fossils 1757, Elements of Conchology, or An Introduction to the Knowledge of Shells 1776, British Conchology 1778, and several important papers in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society and other scientific publications.

Subject terms:: Professions; Professions--Scholars (secular), scientists, and academics

Access, restrictions:: Open. Some more recent records closed - records closed for 30 years from date of creation.

Finding aids:: Online catalogue see https://catalogues.royalsociety.org/CalmView/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=AB