Memoirs and Papers sent to the Royal Society of London

Letters and papers sent to the Royal Society of London, and mostly published in the Philosophical Transactions. Most are initialled by Martin Folkes and endorsed with the dates when they were read to the Society. Comprised of the following:

MS.5403/1: "Part of a letter from Mr Willm Arderon, FRS, to Mr Henry Baker, FRS, concerning the formation of pebbles.", 3 March 1745

MS.5403/2: "Abstract of a letter from Mr Wm Arderon ... to Mr Henry Baker ... containing some observations made on the prickleback, and also on fish in general.", 9 July 1746

MS.5403/3: "Abstract of a letter from Mr Wm Arderon to Mr Henry Baker concerning the perpendicular ascent of eels.", 9 July 1746

MS.5403/4: "A supposition how the white matter is produced, which floats about in the air in Autumn, in a letter from Mr Arderon to Mr Baker.", 28 August 1746

MS.5403/5: "The substance of a letter from Mr William Arderon ... to Mr Henry Baker", with illustrations of "a distempered roach"., 20 April 1748

MS.5403/6: "Some account of an ancient seal, in a letter from Mr Wm Arderon to Henry Baker ...", 19 March 1746. Endorsed by Folkes 'March 19th 1746/7'

MS.5403/7: "An account of large subterraneous caverns in the chalk hills near Norwich, by Mr Wm Arderon ... in a letter from Mr Henry Baker ... to the President [Martin Folkes].", 15 March 1747

MS.5403/8: Letter from Henry Baker ... to the Society concerning the structure of wood., 21 March 1747

MS.5403/9: "A letter from Mr Henry Baker to the President [Martin Folkes] concerning several medical experiments of electricity.", 28 March 1748

MS.5403/10: "A tophus or hair ball formed in the stomach of a sheep. Shewn by Mr Baker.", 19 May 1748. Endorsed by Folkes 'May 19 1748'

MS.5403/11: "Observation of an occultation of Cor Leonis by the moon on Thursday March 12th 1747 ... communicated to the Royal Society by J[ohn] Bevis MD"., 19 March 1747. With a computation by John Catlin, n.d. [c. 10 March 1747]. Catlin's computation not published.

MS.5403/12: Letter from John Bevis to Martin Folkes concerning a case of plica, 2 April 1747. Endorsed in pencil 'when brought to the Society deemed a cheat.'

MS.5403/13: Letter from John Bevis concerning "the present comet", 1745-1748

MS.5403/14: "A letter from Richard Brocklesby, MD and FRS, to the President concerning the Indian poison sent over from M. de La Condamine" [Charles Marie de La Condamine]., 14 January 1746. With a translation of a letter to the Society on the same subject by Antonio de Ulloa, 14 September 1746. Endorsed 'no. 5, 18 Dec. 1746'. 4 ff.

MS.5403/15: "Upon the sounds and hearing of fishes". A review by Richard Brocklesby of Jacob Theodor Klein, Mantissa ichtyologica de sono et auditu piscium (Leipzig, 1746)., 1746

MS.5403/16: "An account of the poisonous root lately found mixt among the gentian, by Dr [Richard] Brocklesby.", . Endorsed by Folkes 'March 17th 1747'.

MS.5403/17: "Part of a letter from Mr John Browning, of Bristol, to Mr Henry Baker ... concerning the effect of electricity on vegetables.", 11 December 1746

MS.5403/18: "An account of the Naphtha Alba, by Mr Peter Collinson.", 15 January 1747. Endorsed by Folkes 'Jan. 15 1746/7'

MS.5403/19: "Some observations on the Belluga stone, by P Collinson", with illustrations in pencil., 12 March 1747. Endorsed by Folkes 'March 12 1746/7'.

MS.5403/20: "An observation of an uncommon gleam of light proceeding from the sun by Mr Peter Collinson FRS"., 19 March 1747. With an illustration in pencil. ¶Endorsed by Folkes 'March 19 1746/7'

MS.5403/21: "A draft of the machine for sounding the depth of the sea invented by Major William Cook ... in his voyage to America in 1738.", 10 April 1746. A drawing, with notes. ¶Endorsed by Folkes '10 Apr. 1746'

MS.5403/22: "Extract of a letter from Mr Benjamin Cooke FRS to Peter Collinson FRS concerning the property of new flannel sparkling in the dark.", 13 January 1746

MS.5403/23: Letter from George Costard to Thomas Shaw concerning Chinese chronology and astronomy., 2 March 1747

MS.5403/24: Letter from Arthur Dobbs to (Johann) Kaspar Wettstein, Secretary to Frederick Louis, Prince of Wales, on the distances between Asia and America., 10 February 1746

MS.5403/25: Letter from Richard Dunthorne to Charles Mason concerning the moon"s motion., 4 November 1746

MS.5403/26: "Extract of a letter from Dr Balthazar Erhart to Dr [Cromwell] Mortimer.", 5 November 1745. Produced in Memmingen.

MS.5403/27: "A letter from Mr William Fidge surgeon at Yarmouth to Cromwell Mortimer, MD, Secretary to the Royal Society, concerning a stone taken out of the bladder of a dog.", 29 December 1746

MS.5403/28: "The figure of the mustela fossilis communicated from Dr Gronovius [? Joannes Fridericus Gronovius] at Leyden to Mr Peter Collinson FRS.", 12 March 1746. With an illustration of the fish. ¶Endorsed by Folkes 'March 12 1746/7'

MS.5403/29: "Mr Jonas Hanway to the Revd Mr Forster of the Naphtha and fire near Baku.", 12 April 1746

MS.5403/30: Letter from John Hill to Martin Folkes concerning Windsor loam., 28 May 1746

MS.5403/31: Proposals for printing by subscription a general natural history ... by John Hill., 4 December 1746

MS.5403/32: "A letter from John Huxham to C Mortimer concerning a child born with an extraordinary tumour.", 12 December 1746

MS.5403/33: "Extrait d"un memoire sur la communication de l"electricité [by Louis-Guillaume Le Monnier], lu a ... l"Academie Royale des Sciences le 12 nov. 1746"., 1746

MS.5403/34: "The figures of some ... calculous concretions formed in the kidney of a woman. Communicated by Mr Charles Lucas at Dublin.", 1747. Illustration in pencil and grey wash.

MS.5403/35: "A letter from Mr Robert Lucas concerning the relief he found in the stone from the use of alicant soap and lime water, to his brother the Revd Mr Richard Lucas, FRS"., 1746-1747

MS.5403/36: Note on microscopical investigation of the structure of wood, by B Martin [Benjamin Martin 1704-1782]., 10 March 1748. Endorsed 'March 10 1747/8'

MS.5403/37: "A letter from the Rev. Mr [Charles] Mason ... FRS, to the President ... concerning spelter, melting iron with pig coal and a burning well at Broseley.", 18 January 1746

MS.5403/38: "Extract of a letter from the Revd Henry Miles, DD & FRS, to Mr Henry Baker, FRS, containing several electrical experiments.", 13 February 1746. Endorsed by Folkes 'Feb. 13, 1745-6'

MS.5403/39: Letter from Henry Miles to Henry Baker, 7 May 1746

MS.5403/40: Letter from Henry Miles to Martin Folkes concerning a collection of letters for a history of the Royal Society, 30 April 1747

MS.5403/41: "Further observations on the distemper now raging among the cow-kind" [by Cromwell Mortimer], 12 December 1745. Endorsed 'Dec. 12 1745'

MS.5403/42: "A third account of the distemper among the cows", by Cromwell Mortimer., 9 January 1746. Endorsed 'Jan. 9 1745/6'

MS.5403/43: "An account of a very learned Divine [Henry Wharton] who was born with two tongues. Communicated by C Mortimer MD.", 10 March 1747. Endorsed '10th March 1747'

MS.5403/44: "Extract of a letter from Dr James Mounsey ... to Henry Baker, FRS, concerning the everlasting fire in Persia.", 24 February 1748

MS.5403/45: "Extract of a letter from Mr Geo. [sic] Fred. Muller, FRS [Gerhard Friedrich Müller (1705-1783)], ... to C Mortimer.", 15 July 1747

MS.5403/46: Letter from John Turberville Needham to Dr [James] Parsons, FRS, concerning electricity., 11 December 1746

MS.5403/47: The Revd Mr W[illiam] Parker to the President ... of the success of curing the cows with musk.", 10 March 1748

MS.5403/48: Letter from James Parsons, FRS, to Martin Folkes on burying cattle in lime. With a letter from John Milner on the same subject., 12 June 1746. Endorsed by Folkes 'June 12 1746'

MS.5403/49: Review [by Dr James Parsons, FRS] of Albrecht von Haller, De respiratione experimenta anatomica (Göttingen, 1746)., 26 February 1747

MS.5403/50: "An account of Mr Klein"s letter to Mr Peter Collinson, concerning the Bobak, of Poland, by Dr Parsons.", 22 January 1748

MS.5403/51: Letter from James Parsons to the Revd Charles Lyttelton concerning fossils., 5 May 1748. With illustration.

MS.5403/52: Differens moyens d"empêcher de se corrompre les oiseaux morts ..., by René-Antoine Ferchault de Réaumur., 10 March 1748 - 27 April 1748. Endorsed by Folkes 'March 10 1747/8, Apr. 27 1748'

MS.5403/53: "Copy of a letter to Mr Benjamin Robins, FRS, shewing that the electricity of glass disturbs the mariner"s compass.", 10 June 1746

MS.5403/54: "A letter from Mr Robert Roche to the President, of a fustian frock being set on fire by electricity.", 17 May 1748

MS.5403/55: "Of the preparation, sophistication, use and vertue of china ink. Communicated to Dr de Castro [Jacob de Castro Sarmento, d. 1762] by Dr Jn Mendes Saquet [João Sachetti Barbosa, 1714-1780] physician to the King of Portugal"s hospital in Elvas.", 3 March 1748. Endorsed by Folkes 'March 3 1747/8'

MS.5403/56: "An account of an extraordinary bird ... in a letter from Doctor João Mendes Saquet ... to Doctor de Castro.", 9 June 1748. Endorsed by Folkes 'June 9 1748'

MS.5403/57: Abstract of a letter from James Simon to Folkes concerning the use of electricity in treating nervous complaints., 20 January 1747. Produced in Dublin.

MS.5403/58: [Spalding Gentlemen"s Society]: A note on recent proceedings., 2 April 1748 - 26 May 1748. Sent by the President of the Spalding Gentlemen's Society, Maurice Johnson; produced in Spalding 2 April 1748. Endorsed 'May 26 1748'.

MS.5403/59: Letter from Arthur Villettes to Folkes concerning a paper read by Signor Loteri at Turin., 25 February 1747

MS.5403/60: "A brief account of the Roman tessera by Mr John Ward, FRS.", 25 February 1747. Illustrated.

MS.5403/61: Observations on the nature of electricity, by Sir William Watson., 6 February 1746. Endorsed by Folkes 'Feb. 6 1745-6'

MS.5403/62: Letter to the Society from Sir William Watson, refuting the electrical experiments of [Johann Heinrich] Winckler of Leipzig., 4 May 1748

MS.5403/63: Letter from Johann Heinrich Winckler to Mr Schrader of London concerning electrical experiments., 22 April 1746. Produced in Leipzig. ¶Dated 22 April/3 May 1746.

MS.5403/64: "Extract out of Dr Winckler"s Abstract of his oration ... in praise of electricity.", 31 March 1748. Endorsed by Folkes March 31 1748

MS.5403/65: Summary of a work on caterpillars., 29 January 1747. Endorsed by Folkes 'Jan. 29 1746-7'

1745-1748

65 items Partly printed.

Mainly purchased at various Sotheby's, Stevens' and Glendining's sales, 1932-34, especially Stevens' 14-15 Aug. 1934, lots 283-294.

Additional to MSS. 1302, 2391-2392.

Database description taken from that in: Richard Palmer, Catalogue of Western Manuscripts in the Wellcome Library for the History & Understanding of Medicine: Western Manuscripts 5120-6244 (London: The Wellcome Library for the History & Understanding of Medicine, 1999).

These papers supplement the Royal Society papers in the British Library (Add. MSS. 4432-4448) as well as the Society's own archive. Cf. A H Church, The Royal Society. Some account of the 'Letters and Papers' of the period 1741-1806 in the archives (Oxford, 1908) and Keith Moore and Mary Sampson, A guide to the archives and manuscripts of the Royal Society (London, 1995).