Committee Minute Books

Identity Statement

Reference code(s)	: GB 0117 CMB
Held at	: Royal Society   Click here to find out how to view this collection at https://royalsociety.org/collections/ ›
Full title	: Committee Minute Books
Date(s)	: 1678-
Level of description	: Collection (fonds)
Extent	: 427 volumes and 50 boxes
Name of creator(s)	: Royal Society
Detailed catalogue	: Click here to view repository detailed catalogue

Context

Administrative/Biographical history:

Content

Scope and content/abstract:

Minutes of the Royal Society's Standing, Sectional, Joint, British National, ad-hoc and sub-committees. Early minute books in the series contain the business of several committees. Four of the Society's committees were in existence before 1900; the Library Committee (which was appointed in 1678), Finance Committee (1785), Scientific Relief Committee (1859) and Soiree Committee (1873). These Committees, therefore, have the longest and most complete sets of minute books. Many other committees have 'stood' for significant periods, however, including the Committee of Papers (1752). 19th century material additional to the minutes, such as the original letters, was often pasted into books. In 1992, the Committee Minutes ceased to be pasted into books, and are now stored in boxes. Larger collections of papers submitted to, or solicited by committees were increasingly preserved in the late 19th century, and can be found in the Manuscripts General.

Access & Use

Language/scripts of material:
English

System of arrangement:

Conditions governing access:

30 year rule applies.

Conditions governing reproduction:

No publication without written permission. Apply to Archivist in the first instance.

Finding aids:

An accessions list of the Committee Minute Books is maintained. The General Card Catalogue (Committees) alphabetically orders by name of committee and gives brief details of the number of minute books accumulated, chronological extent, and refers to related committees. The Society's 'Yearbook' (1897 to date) lists committees standing at the time of publication, with their date of foundation and terms of reference. 'The Library and Archives of the Royal Society 1660-1990' by Marie Boas Hall (London 1992) contains a detailed account of the history of the Library Committee.

Archival Information

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

Allied Materials

Related material:

The minutes of the earliest of the Society's committees, notably the Mechanical and Geological Committees 1664-1665 are in the Domestic Manuscripts, volume 5. For description see 'The Record of the Royal Society' 1940, pages 32-33. Larger collections of papers submitted to. or solicited by committees were increasingly preserved in the late 19th century, and are to be found in the Manuscripts General series. For more details about the activities of the post-war committees, see 'The Record of the Royal Society; Supplement oto the Fourth Edition 1940-1989', John Rowlinson and Norman Robinson.

Publication note:

Description Notes

Archivist's note:
Copied from the Royal Society catalogue by Sarah Drewery.

Rules or conventions:
General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal Place and Corporate Names 1997.

Date(s) of descriptions:
Feb 2009.