Faraday to Charles Richard Weld   20 March 1848

Royal Institution, 20th March, 1848.

My dear Sir,

According to the earliest document I can find, the first meeting held for the purpose of founding the Institution, was on the 9th March, 1799, at the house of Sir Joseph Banks¹, in Soho Square². It is called a meeting of the Managers, and there were present Sir Joseph Banks, the Earl of Morton³, the Earl Spencer⁴, Count Rumford⁵, Richard Clark⁶, Esq., and Thomas Bernard⁷, Esq. These were the men; and at that meeting they made Sir Joseph Banks chairman, and Mr. Bernard secretary⁸. The title and purposes of the Institution, as given at that time, are as follows:

Institution, For diffusing the knowledge, and facilitating the general introduction, of useful mechanical inventions and improvements: and for teaching, by courses of philosophical lectures and experiments, the application of science to the common purposes of life ⁹.

You will see that no idea of the research that grew up in the time of Young¹⁰ and Davy entered into the conceptions of the founders. The first meeting of the proprietors (now replaced by those we call members) took place on the 2Oth April of the same year¹¹.

Ever truly yours, | M. Faraday.

C.R. Weld, Esq.