The royal society and the empire: The colonial and commonwealth fellowship part 1. 1731-1847

Abstract

Under the statutes of The Royal Society of London, residents of Britain's colonial territories were always eligible for election to the Fellowship on the Home List. During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, significant numbers of colonial scientists were elected under this rule. A systematic analysis of the evolution of the Society's rules relating to non-resident Fellows provides the basis for a comprehensive survey of those elected, before the reform of the Society's rules for election in 1847, whose nomination was linked to their service in Britain's dominions overseas. This reveals a steady stream of elections that directly parallels the expansion of British imperial power, especial..