Devonshire Association

William Pengelly, founder

The Devonshire Association (DA) is a learned society founded in 1862 by William Pengelly and modelled on the British Association, but concentrating on research subjects linked to Devon in the fields of science, literature and the arts.^[1]

History

The first meeting was held in Exeter in 1862 with a membership of 69 and, except for 1942, meetings have been held annually in different locations around the county every year since.^[2] Although similar in format to older groups such as the Plymouth Institution (inaugurated in 1812) and the Devon and Exeter Institution (1813), The Devonshire Association's aims were broader and more ambitious.

By 1877, there were around 500 members and this number remained fairly constant until just before the Second World War. In 1932 the first of a number of local branches was established in Plymouth, and subject-based sections were formed, specialising in the botany, buildings, entomology, geology, history, literature, folklore and dialect of Devon.^[3] By 1952 membership had risen to 1,100 and to over 1,800 by the centenary in 1963.^[2] In 2009 membership stood at 1,306.

Today

The DA is a registered charity. Annually, it publishes its Report and Transactions which includes reports from the sections and branches, and peer reviewed research papers.^[4]

The Association's three-day Annual Conference takes place in June, at a different Devon venue each year. At this event local visits are organised, along with a formal dinner and an AGM, at which an honorary president takes office, invited from those "of standing and importance" in the county.^[2] Since 2006 the Association has also held an annual President's Symposium on a topic of his or her choosing; the one in 2007, for instance concerned farming in Devon.^[5]

A number of events take place throughout the year, including presentations, visits to notable places in the county, and training courses on various aspects of the Association's work. The DA also makes grants to support Devon-related research projects.

The President for 2010–11 was Roger Thorne, JP, CEng, MICE, FSA who was succeeded by Professor Nicholas Orme, MA, DPhil, DLitt, FSA, FRHistS in 2011.^[6] The Association's 150th anniversary in 2012 will be marked by a major conference in Torquay, the home town of its founder, William Pengelly.^[4]

Some notable presidents

The year shown is the one in which the Presidential address was given.^[2]

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

1863 John Bowring 1864 Charles Spence Bate 1865 Charles Daubeny 1866 John Russell, 1st Earl Russell 1867 William Pengelly 1868 John Coleridge, 1st Baron Coleridge 1869 George Parker Bidder[7] 1870 James Anthony Froude 1871 Charles Kingsley 1872 Frederick Temple (bishop of Exeter) 1877 Alfred Earle 1878 Samuel White Baker 1879 Robert Collier, 1st Baron Monkswell 1884 Thomas Roscoe Rede Stebbing 1887 William Dallinger 1889 Wilfred Hudleston Hudleston 1895 Hardinge Giffard, 1st Earl of Halsbury 1896 Sabine Baring-Gould

1901 Roper Lethbridge 1903 Edgar Vincent, 1st Viscount D'Abernon 1905 Basil Thomson 1906 Frederick Thomas Elworthy 1907 Archibald Robertson (bishop of Exeter) ... 1952 Margaret Cruwys ...

... 1978 William George Hoskins 1981 Frank Barlow 1984 Basil Greenhill 1988 John Parker, 6th Earl of Morley 1997 Sir Hugh Stucley, 6th Baronet 2001 John Seymour, 19th Duke of Somerset 2003 Eric Dancer 2011 Nicholas Orme

References

1. ^ "Home Page". The Devonshire Association. http://www.devonassoc.org.uk/index.htm. Retrieved 2011-09-08. 
2. ^ ^{a b c d} "History & Origins". The Devonshire Association. http://www.devonassoc.org.uk/history.htm. Retrieved 2011-09-08. 
3. ^ "Branches". The Devonshire Association. http://www.devonassoc.org.uk/branches.htm. Retrieved 2011-09-08. 
4. ^ ^{a b} Bradley, Colin (5 March 2011). "Neglected treasures record the landscape of the past". Western Morning News (Northcliffe Newspapers Group Ltd). http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=UKNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=135D75E5F89E08A8&p_docnum=3&p_queryname=1. Retrieved 8 September 2011.  (Subscription required for internet access)
5. ^ Gibson, Anthony (2 May 2007). "Symposium speakers offer cheer and optimism for future". Western Morning News (Northcliffe Newspapers Group Ltd). http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=UKNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=118EEEEF5070B998&p_docnum=19&p_queryname=5. Retrieved 8 September 2011.  (Subscription required for internet access)
6. ^ "Presidency of The Devonshire Association". The Devonshire Association. http://www.devonassoc.org.uk/president.htm. Retrieved 2011-09-08. 
7. ^ "A Short History of George Parker Bidder, 1806-1878". GENUKI/Devon. http://genuki.cs.ncl.ac.uk/DEV/Moretonhampstead/Bidder.html. Retrieved 2011-09-08. 

External links

Official website