Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society

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The Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society is one of the oldest learned societies in Britain being instituted on February 28, 1781. In 1799 the Society moved into its purpose built premises at 36 George Street, Manchester which it occupied until the building was completely destroyed in the Christmas 1940 blitz. After the war the premises were rebuilt but sadly were found to contain high alumina cement. The Society could not afford to rebuild again and the building was sold in 1980. Since that time the Society’s office has been located in premises in Manchester and lectures have been held at different convenient locations.

Most of the original members of the Society were physicians, surgeons or apothecaries but by 1861, when membership had expanded to over 200, it included merchants, engineers and manufacturers. Women were admitted to membership at the beginning of the 20th century.

Many famous scientists, engineers, physicists and mathematicians have been members of the Society including John Dalton. John Dalton, the ‘father of modern chemistry’, famous for his atomic theory of chemistry, was a member from 1794 until his death in 1844. During this time he was successively Secretary, Vice President and President, a post he held for his last 28 years. Much of his original research was done in a laboratory at the Society’s George Street House. A paper was presented by Dalton to the Society in October,1803 which contained one of the greatest statements of modern science; namely,

“An enquiry into the relative weights of the ultimate particles of gaseous and other bodies is a subject, as far as I know, entirely new; I have lately been prosecuting this enquiry with considerable success”.

Sad to record, the majority of Dalton manuscripts were lost in the 1940 blitz. However some remaining artefacts are held on loan from the Society by the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry and the University of Manchester.

Other important past members have been Dalton’s gifted pupil James Prescott Joule, Peter Mark Roget, the originator of the Thesaurus; William Fairbairn the engineer; Henry Roscoe the chemist; Ernest Rutherford the nuclear physicist and Joseph Whitworth the precision engineer. Professor Tom Kilburn, 1921-2001, was the Manchester based designer and builder of the world’s first functioning, stored program, electronic computer.

There have been other names, almost as illustrious, in the development of science and technology who belonged to the Society but the membership has never been purely academic and has included industrial innovators ranging from some of the great Victorian engineers to men who first introduced portable metal buildings and the ‘penny in the slot’ gas meter. The founding of the provincial universities and polytechnics, the invention of radio and television and the centralising of professional science in specialist institutions, have today inevitably altered the emphasis but not the main objectives of the Society.

Objectives

The objectives of the Manchester Lit and Phil, as it is popularly known, are: ‘to promote the advancement of education and the widening of public interest in, and appreciation of, any form of literature, science, the arts and public affairs, provided that no activity involving party politics or controversial theology shall be included in the pursuit of these objectives’.

In achieving these objectives during the last 200 years or more, the Society has set high standards in subject choice and audience participation in its programme. This reputation is an important factor in attracting prominent speakers who are active in significant contemporary issues.

The Lit and Phil has always been an outward looking organisation and has never been an exclusive club for intellectuals but for people with lively minds and a common interest in learning about and commenting on a range of topics of broad appeal. Among the Lit and Phil’s continuing strengths is the wide and varied range of occupations and interests of its members. Membership of the Society now numbers some 400, and is spread throughout Greater Manchester and the North West of England.

As a charitable society the members play an important part in promoting education to the wider public of all ages including students of school age. This important remit is carried out using lectures, symposia, seminars, demonstrations and public interviews.

The Manchester Lit and Phil is not a private or Government Body, but a Membership based Charity which depends upon its members to continue to support the cause and of course, enjoy participating in the organised events.

The Lit and Phil positively welcomes new members, many of whom join after attending events as guests of the Society.

Organisation

The Lit and Phil is run by its Council. Council members are elected at the Annual General Meeting, usually held at the end of September and serve for three years. Members of Council organise the six Main Society lectures held each year.

The principal officers of the Society are the President, who is elected for a two year term, the Hon. Secretary and the Hon. Treasurer. In addition to the main Council there are four section committees, each being responsible for organising six lectures a year. These sections are:

Science and Technology Arts Social Philosophy Young People

It is emphasised that there are no formal sections of the Society; merely Section Committees for the purpose of arranging lectures on their particular sphere of interest. All meetings of the Society are open to all members.

Membership of these committees is an excellent way of becoming involved in the Society and the Chairmen of the Committees are always anxious to welcome volunteers.

Lectures

Meetings are usually held weekly from October to May and there is a programme of lectures by people distinguished in their particular fields of interest. Following the lecture, supper is normally available for members when there is an opportunity to meet fellow members and the lecturer. Entry to lectures is free to the public but a donation is requested.

Since 1921, the Society has further promoted the public understanding of science by providing a number of lectures throughout the year for young people of the North West including primary and secondary school students. These lectures, often illustrated by experiments and exhibits, play a vital part in stimulating an interest in science and other subjects including the arts, media and sport.

Some meetings are in the form of interviews or seminars that allow the presentation of different views and include discussion of controversial topics.

During the season the Society normally holds a number of special lectures. Many of these are named after illustrious members or sponsors. The two most important named lectures are:

The Manchester Lecture – This was inaugurated in 1988 in association with BBC North. The lecture has been delivered by several notable people including H.R.H. The Princess Royal, the Rt. Hon. Michael Heseltine, Rt. Hon. Sir Leon Brittan, Rt Hon. Lord Barnett and the Rt Hon. Christopher Patten.

The Dalton Lecture and Medal

The Dalton Lecture is delivered annually by a speaker, eminent in the field of science. The most distinguished are presented with the Dalton Medal - the Society’s most prestigious award. Ernest Rutherford, PMS Blackett, JJ Thomson, Lawrence Bragg, Dorothy Hodgkin, Cyril Hinshelwood and Harry Kroto are among the Nobel Laureates who have given the Dalton Lecture and received the Dalton Medal.

The other named lectures are the Courtauld, Kilburn, Cardwell, Percival and McCurdy.

Publishing

Since 1785, the Society has regularly published its Memoirs and this annual publication is sent to each member. It is a record of many of the papers presented and other activities during the year and the 159 volumes so far published constitute a history of life and thought in Manchester over the past 200 years. Covering the period 1781-1989, a combined author and subject index comprising almost 12,000 entries was published in 1991 and updated in 1999.

Library

The Library is organised by the Hon. Librarian and Curator and contains archives, books, photographs and much modern and historical information regarding the Society.

Although the Library is not open for public viewing, there is a full set of the Manchester Memoirs available in the Manchester Central Library.

Co-operation with other bodies

The first meeting of the Royal Society ever to be held outside London was supported jointly by the Society and the University of Manchester in 1981.

The Society is represented on the Court of the University of Manchester and the Manchester Conservation Areas and Historic Buildings Panel.

There is a close association with other educational institutions and societies such as the University of Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan University and Salford University, the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Royal Society of Arts, the Institute of Physics, business firms and local press and broadcasting institutions.

Many of the Society’s unique instruments, microscopes and other historical and scientific items are deposited on loan with the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry, where they are on public display.