William Robert Spencer to Faraday   26 February 18241

4 Mount Street | Feb 26 1824

Sir,

I shall be extremely happy and proud to become a Member of the New Club instituted on the 16 of this month - according to the printed letter with which I have just been honored. I address my answer to you2 - and am

Sir | Your most obedient humble servant | W.R. Spencer


Address: Mr Faraday | 21 | Albemarle Street

1
William Robert Spencer (1769-1834, DNB). Poet.
2
After an exchange of correspondence between Croker and Davy it was proposed that a new club should be founded. At a meeting of interested parties on 16 February 1824 it was called The Society and Faraday was invited to become Secretary. He sent out printed letters, dated the day of the meeting, to various eminent men of science, artists, writers and churchmen inviting them to join. A copy of this letter has not been found. This and letter 225 were written in response to this. On 17 May 1824 the name of the club was changed to The Athenaeum (AC MS “Minute Book 1, 1823-6”, p.20r). Also on that day Faraday was offered ú 100 per annum to be Secretary (ibid., 21r). On 1 June 1824 Faraday resigned his Secretaryship and suggested Edward Magrath should be appointed; this was agreed (ibid., 26r). Faraday was then elected a member, without having to pay his membership fee for the first year (ibid., 27v).

Please cite as “Faraday0224,” in Ɛpsilon: The Michael Faraday Collection accessed on 19 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/faraday/letters/Faraday0224