W R Grove Esq
16 S^t James’s Square, Bath

1 Oct. 47

D^r Sir

Not exactly recollecting your address, I shall send this to the R. Soc^y’s ^<1> apartments & I hope it will reach you –

I have for some time wished to write to you respecting the Philosophical Club, ^<2> in which I wish for Material alteration, but as these regard first principles I am afraid it is of no use mentioning them.

So far from meeting on Thursdays and adjourning to the rooms of the Royal Society, I think we ought to meet any other day in preference – It appears to me that just at the time when the discussion proposed to the members of the Club became interesting, it would be necessary to adjourn to the Royal Society –

My advice is, that it should not be a dining Club at all, but an Evening Meeting at which scientific subjects should be discussed, experiments shown, and perhaps published by the Club or rather Society if very important and new.

It should be I think a separate Society, [illegible deletion] only having this much in common with the Royal Society that the same persons would be members of both. The Royal Society wants vitality and interest; as nothing is ever shown there, & the papers read are often so uninteresting or at any rate so unintelligibly read, as to operate rather to drive away the members than to bring a full attendance – I think a smaller society of working men ^<3> might do a great deal, but as to most of us time is very precious it is inconvenient to meet at so early an hour as the dinner hour is (and necessarily must be) fixed at – An Evening Meeting, with no regular adjournment would be best – without any President – Let those who liked to retire early, do so: and let those who are interested in what was going on, remain to as late an hour as they pleased – I have thrown out these few hasty suggestions, because tho’ I agree with you that something besides the Royal Society is very much wanted, I do not think this [illegible word] will answer –

Believe me
Yours vy Truly
H. F. Talbot

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Notes:

1. Royal Society of London.

2. The original Royal Society Club was formed largely for social purposes. However, dissatisfaction over the loosening standards for electing Fellows led to the formation of the Philosophical Club of the Royal Society in 1847. As a dinner club, it sought to preserve the standards of the Royal Society, to encourage respect for science in Britain, and to allow members to make special presentations of their studies. It lasted until 1901, when the two clubs were merged. See also Doc. No: 05825 and Doc. No: 06007.

3. In this context, active scientists.