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Royal Geographical Society

RGS ADDITIONAL PAPERS: election of women as Fellows

IDENTITY STATEMENT

Reference code(s): GB 0402 AP/93

Held at: Royal Geographical Society

Title: RGS ADDITIONAL PAPERS: election of women as Fellows

Date(s): 1892-1913

Level of description: sub-fonds

Extent: 2 boxes

Name of creator(s): Royal Geographical Society

CONTEXT

Administrative/Biographical history:

In 1887 the President first suggested to the Council that women may be allowed to become members of the Royal Geographical Society, however the subject was soon dropped. Two years later a Fellow revived the question but it was again refused. In 1892 the Scottish Geographical Society, which had allowed female members and fellows since its inception, established a branch in London - this was a rival to the Royal Geographical Society and as a result they granted access to their meetings to members of all British geographical societies. That a woman should have rights in the RGS by belonging to another body was an anomaly, and on 4 Jul 1892 the President moved in the Council that women should be eligible for Fellowship. This was carried at once and almost unanimously. However there were dissenters among the Fellows and on 24 April 1893 the decision to allow female Fellows was reversed, although the 22 women who had already been made Fellows were retained. This provoked controversy among the Fellows and another Special General Meeting was held in July, but the proposal for women Fellows was again lost. It was not until a Special General Meeting on 15 Jan 1913 that women were again admitted as Fellows.

CONTENT

Scope and content/abstract:

Papers relating to Royal Geographical Society admission of women Fellows, 1892-1913, including report of the Special General Meeting, 1892; printed summary of the correspondence received from the Society; case submitted to Counsel and Counsel's opinion; notes by D W Freshfield; Counsel's opinion obtained in 1912; press cutting, 12 Nov 1912; printed papers, 1912 correspondence, 1910-1913 and photocopies of certificates of women elected in 1892.

ACCESS AND USE

Language/scripts of material: English

System of arrangement:

As outlined in Scope and Content.

Conditions governing access:

Accessed via the Foyle Reading Room. Free of charge for Fellows, Members and those with valid academic identification. All other users pay a charge and must bring identification in order to register on arrival.

Conditions governing reproduction:

Photocopying at Archivist's discretion, and subject to completion of Request for Copies form. No reproduction or publication without permission of the RGS-IBG Archivist. Please note that in some cases copyright of the author or owner may need to be sought.

Finding aids:

Box list available in the Foyle Reading Room.

ARCHIVAL INFORMATION

Accruals:

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

Generated internally by the Royal Geographical Society.

ALLIED MATERIALS

DESCRIPTION NOTES

Archivist's note: Compiled by Sarah Drewery.
Sources: The Record of the Royal Geographical Society, 1830-1930 by Hugh Robert Mill.