Council Documents

The Council of the Royal Society was established in the original Royal Charters of the Society in 1662 and 1663. Since that time, the Council has been the main governing body for the organisation. Council members must be Fellows of the Royal Society, ensuring science is always at the heart of the Society’s decision-making processes.

The Council Documents collection contains letters and papers that were placed before Council for their consideration, covering the period from 1890 to 1928. The files in this collection cover a broad range of the Society’s activities, reflecting the importance of the role of the Council right across the organisation. They cover important Royal Society business including the nomination and election of Fellows, the management of grants and bequests, and reports from the Society’s various Committees. Other files relate to wider scientific matters, including the Society’s relationship with other scientific organisations and the British Government.

Council Documents relating to the British National Antarctic ‘Discovery’ Expedition

Alongside the Royal Geographical Society, the Royal Society organised the 1901 ‘Discovery’ Expedition. Led by Robert Falcon Scott, it aimed to shed light on the largely unexplored continent of Antarctica through geographical surveys and careful scientific observations.

Papers relating to the expedition were often laid before the Royal Society’s Council in order to seek their opinion or direction on certain matters. In some cases this related to official correspondence from the President to the expedition members both during and after the voyage. 
Financial matters were also considered by Council, particularly the controversy around relief ships for the expedition. Finally, Council were involved with the decision-making around the publication of data gathered by the expedition.