Papers and correspondence of the Society of Antiquaries
Item
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Country
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GB
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Language of name of institution
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eng
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Contact information: postal address
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Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BE
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Contact information: phone number
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0044 020 7479 7084
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Contact information: email
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archives@sal.org.uk
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Reference number
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SAL/01/01
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Type of reference number
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Archival reference number
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Title (official language of the state)
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Papers and correspondence of the Society of Antiquaries
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Language of title
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eng
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Creator / accumulator
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Society of Antiquaries of London
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Date(s)
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1707/1800
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Language(s)
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eng
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Extent
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821 shelfmarks
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Type of material
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Textual Material
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Scope and content
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This sub-series of the Papers and correspondence of the Society of Antiquaries collection records from the beginning of the Society to 1800. The Sephardic naturalist Emanuel Mendes da Costa (1717-91) was admitted as a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries on January 16, 1752. Thus, this collection includes some materials concerning Costa, such as the following:
SAL/01/01/0208: Paper read before the Society on May 20, 1756.
SAL/01/01/0215: Costa's particulars relating to a copy of the Domesday Book in the Arundelian library. May 12, 1757.
SAL/01/01/0216: Costa's remarks on the public library of the city of London at Guildhall. May 26, 1757.
SAL/01/01/0235: Paper on the "Dea Hamoa Sabia". March 16, 1758.
SAL/01/01/0301: Letter from E. Randall for Emmanuel Mendes Da Costa enclosing plates for John Horsley's Romanis Brittania and requesting that they be shown to the Society. November 22, 1763.
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Administrative / Biographical history
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The origins of the Society of Antiquaries dates back to the foundation of the College of Antiquaries in 1586. This earlier Society seems to have dealt with "antiquity" rather than "antiquities" and to have been more in the nature of a debating society. There are some indications of an informal society existing in the 17th century but it was not until the early 18th century that the Society of Antiquaries was founded.
The first minutes of the Society record that, on December 5, 1707, a meeting was held at the Bear Tavern in the Strand. The first President was Peter Le Neve (1661-1729), Norroy King of Arms, and it was agreed that the business of the Society should be the subject of antiquities, particularly as they related to the history of Great Britain.
The Society encountered a few problems before it became firmly established. However, from 1717, the Society was established in the Mitre Tavern, Fleet Street, and there is a continuous series of minutes from then until the present day.
In 1751, the Society was granted a Royal Charter and took on its present form. The basic structure of the governance of the Society, with the annual election of Officers and Council on St George’s Day (23 April) was also put in place at this time.
The Society left the Mitre Tavern in 1753 and moved into the former Robin’s Coffee House in Chancery Lane. In 1780, the Society again moved to new premises in Somerset House granted by George III, where it remained until 1874. Although the Society was reluctant to move, it was offered a suite of purpose-built apartments in Burlington House, Piccadilly.
At present, the Society has about 3,000 fellows, including distinguished archaeologists and art and architectural historians, holding positions of responsibility across the cultural heritage.
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(source: Society of Antiquaries of London website)
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System of arrangement
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Records are arranged chronologically.
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Author of the description
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Carla Vieira, 2023
