Royal Institution | 12 Nov 1841
My Dear Sir
It was with great pleasure I saw your handwriting and read your words, for I have a most pleasant remembrance of your kind feelings towards us here when you came to see us, and I should be sorry to think you forget me altogether. Do you remember the meeting in the Hanover Square rooms? I hope you will represent me kindly to those I saw there, Mrs. Bache2 and my willing friend her sister, I think3.
With regard to the matter you ask me about, I have been searching about, and find that there was a gentleman, James Smithson4 Esq F.R.S. of 3 Stanhope Place St James Square, who was one of our earliest members5. He was elected in the year 1799 and joined according to the formalities in March 1800. We cannot find however his name in the proceedings of the Institution i.e on the committees or otherwise, and in the absence of any other means of judging, conclude he was no otherwise active than as all the members then generally were. Mr Fisher6 [sic] our assistant Secretary who has been in the Institution since I believe the year 1810 or before, does not know of any especial activity on Mr Smithsons part or remember any circumstance which might lead to such a conclusion. Persons are often importantly active who are not formally so. Indeed sometimes they are the most valuable but I cannot in the present case recover any indications of activity here.
I send you all our printed documents. The list of Members and the Charters Bye laws &c &c I have [blank in MS] out, also a set of the early Journal numbers. They are very scarce & all are in the packet that were published. As Mr Vaughan7 wants the packet I may not detain them long enough to give them a decent exterior but I hope you will accept them as they are[.]
Ever my dear Sir your very faithful Servant | Signed M. Faraday
President Bache
Please cite as “Faraday1371,” in Ɛpsilon: The Michael Faraday Collection accessed on