Yorkshire Philosophical Society
The Lodge, Museum Gardens, York home of the Yorkshire Philosophical Society's offices and reading room.
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| Formation | 1822 |
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| Type | Learned society |
| Purpose | Historical, Archaeological and Scientific |
| Location | |
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Activities
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Research & publications, lectures & events |
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Founders
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James Atkinson, William Salmond, Anthony Thorpe and William Vernon |
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President
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Stephen Lusty |
| Affiliations | Yorkshire Museum, Museum Gardens |
| Website | yps.org |
The Yorkshire Philosophical Society (YPS) is a charitable learned society aimed at promoting the natural sciences, archaeology and history.
Contents
History
The society was formed in York in December 1822 by James Atkinson, William Salmond, Anthony Thorpe and William Vernon.[1][2] The society's aim was to gain and spread knowledge related to science and history and they built a large collection for this purpose.[3] The geologist John Phillips was employed as the society's first keeper of the museum.[4] In 1828 the society was given, by royal grant, some of the grounds of St Mary's Abbey including the ruins of the abbey.[5] On this land the society constructed a number of buildings including the Yorkshire Museum built to house the society's geological and archaeological collections and opened in 1830. Landscape architect Sir John Murray Naysmith was commissioned by the society to create a botanical gardens around the museum during the 1830s.
Organisation
The Yorkshire Philosophical Society is registered charity,[6] and has an open subscription-based membership. The offices and reading room of the YPS are located in Museum Gardens Lodge in York.
Honorary members
In 1933 Frank Elgee resigned as Curator of the Dorman Museum due to ill health and his wife Harriett Wragg Elgee, was appointed Curator holding that position until 1938. In 1933 his work was recognised and he was awarded an Honorary Degree of 'Doctor of Philosophy' by Leeds University. He was elected an Honorary Member of the Yorkshire Philosophical Society in 1936.
Notable members
- James Atkinson (d. 1839), surgeon and bibliographer.[7]
- William Vernon Harcourt (d.1871), one of the founders of British Association for the Advancement of Science.[7]
- John Phillips (d.1874), geologist.
- Edward Charlesworth (d.1893), keeper of the Yorkshire Museum and paleontologist.
- Tempest Anderson (d. 1913), photographer and vulcanologist.
- E Ridsdale Tate (d. 1922), artist and architect.
- Walter Harvey Brook (d. 1943), honorary curator of the Yorkshire Museum and Medieval archaeologist.
Current activities
The Society holds a series of free public lectures every year covering subjects including science, technology, history, archaeology and geography. Research grants are given by the society in connection with its area of interest and awards are available for archaeology students.
References
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- ↑ Yorkshire Philosophical Society, Registered Charity no. 529709 at the Charity Commission
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Pyrah, B. J. 1988. The History of the Yorkshire Museum and its geological collections. York: William Sessions. pp14-30
Further reading
- Philosophers and Provincials; The Yorkshire Philosophical Society from 1822 to 1844 by A. D. Orange.
- York Observatory. Leaflet about the Observatory in the Museum Gardens, York.
- Mystery at the Rectory: Some Light on John Michell
- The Nature of the World: The Yorkshire Philosophical Society 1822–2000 by David Rubinstein
