Minutes of General Meetings: There were 10 meetings in the first year, subsequently 15 meetings each year with an extended summer break. An Anniversary meeting was held in the March at which the Council and Officers are elected, a review of the year given and the finances discussed. Initially meetings were held in either the Thatch House Tavern in St James's Street or Willis' Rooms, King Street, St James, but by 17 January 1824 the Society was housed in Grafton Street. The Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland became the Royal Asiatic Society as from 7 June 1823. On 19 June 1824 the first volume of the Society's Transactions is mentioned. By the end of this period the Society had both a Library and Museum.
The minutes are handwritten in clear copper plate script, in a folio sized leather bound volume in reasonable condition.
Minutes of General Meetings: In 1827 there were generally 2 meetings a month with an extended summer recess and also no meetings in January because of the death and funeral of Duke of York, Vice Patron of the Society. A Special Meeting in March was called to consider amendments to the Society's Regulations. At the Anniversary Meeting in 1827 the deaths of the Duke of York and Sir Stamford Raffles were recorded and thanks were given for donations to museum and library, particularly from the Directors of the East India Company. The first volume of the Transactions were not yet completed. Financially, total assets were of the order of £3,250 while the probable surplus for 1827 was estimated at £664, dependent on the recovery of arrears due from members. At the Anniversary Meeting in 1828 thanks were given to Directors of East India Company for £100 to be given annually. The Museum was now fully operational and admission was to be by 'admission card' so that members did not personally have to introduce 'strangers'. Mention is made of Oriental Translation Committee. For a short time during the year there were 4 meetings in a month and in December the association with the Literary Society of Bombay was proposed which was finalised in January 1829. At the Anniversary Meeting in 1829 the Society officially associated with the Asiatick Society of Bengal, the Literary Society of Madras, and the Madras Auxiliary Society. In spite of acknowledging the receipt of many books as gifts it was recorded that the Council were disappointed at the 'slow progress' being made to establish the Library.
The minutes are in a folio sized leather bound volume in reasonable condition.
Minutes of General Meetings. At a Special Meeting on 1 May 1830 it was agreed that members of the Oriental Club could become Honorary Members on a reciprocal basis. At the Anniversary Meeting in that year it was announced that 'if the society cannot be called rich..it may be considered flourishing with a clear balance of £131 and no debt'. The Library had 900 printed works, all catalogued. The Museum was doing well and a catalogue was being prepared. The public were allowed to use the Museum.
At a special Meeting on 27 July 1830, King William IV declared himself Patron and at same time Prince Leopold of Saxe-Cobourg became a Vice-Patron. At a Special Meeting on 11 December in the Theatre of Royal Institution there was a dissection by Sir J Malcolm of a mummy give to the Royal Asiatic Society. At the Anniversary Meeting in 1831 it was announced that the Society now had 549 members. The Society was involved with the extensive Indian collection made by Colonel Colin Mackenzie. At the Anniversary meeting in 1832 it was announced that William Huttmann, a salaried officer, had embezzled the society of more than £107, leading to a tightening up of procedures, regarding the collection of subscriptions. It was decided that foreign members be limited to 50 and with regard to gifts no temporary deposits to be accepted.
The minutes are in a folio sized leather bound volume in reasonable condition.
Minutes of General Meetings. At the Anniversary Meeting in May 1833 the Report of the Council was greater than 50 pages and included several eulogies including that of the Rajah of Tangore. Delays to the Transactions had been caused partly by lack of 'uniformity in orthography'. Details of the Anniversary Meeting held in May 1834 are scant as the Report of Council and the Auditors' Report were to be published in the Transactions of the Society. At a meeting in February 1835 Lieutenant Burns was elected a life member of the Society on account of his contribution to Oriental Geography and Science. At the Anniversary Meeting in 1835 the Chairman of the East India Company was requested to accept the office of Vice Patron of the Society.
The minutes are in a folio sized leather bound volume in reasonable condition.
Minutes of General meetings. At the Anniversary Meeting in May 1836 it was noted that a Committee of Agriculture and Commerce was suggested and several members agreed to make contributions to finance this committee. At a Special meeting in July, Article 49 regarding subscriptions was amended so that all members could pay annually. In December the Society's funds being inadequate for the purpose contemplated by the Society, General Worsley subscribed £100 and begged members to donate their subscriptions for a year. At the Anniversary Meeting in 1837, Professor H. H. Wilson became Director of the Society in succession to Henry Colebrooke, deceased. In July, the Society was informed by letter that General Worsley was giving the Society £1,000 to be used at the discretion of the Council. It was recorded that a bust should be commissioned to be paid for by members. In July, it was confirmed that Queen Victoria had consented to be Patron of the Society. At a Special meeting in January 1838, ways in which defaulting members should be treated were considered. In January 1839 Sir James Carnac, Governor of Bombay, offered to promote the interest of the Society (in Bombay). At the Anniversary Meeting in 1839 as well as the usual reports, a report of the Committee of Commerce and Agriculture was tabled and read. At the end of the volume there are four pages of index.
Handwritten in folio sized leather bound volume of which the binding needs attention.
Minutes of General and Anniversary Meetings. They give details of Papers read and donations presented. Includes an extract from a letter from Henry Creswicke Rawlinson concerning his discoveries in Baghdad, dated 14 October 1846 (facing page 62) and notification of the death of Sir Alexander Johnston on 6 March 1849 (recorded in Minutes for Meeting of 17 March 1849). There is an index at the rear of the Volume.
Handwritten Minutes in folio-sized leather bound book in reasonable condition.
Minutes of General and Anniversary Meetings. They give details of Papers read and donations presented, of Members nominated and elected, and changes within the Council. Includes details of the bequest of Colonel James Tod.
Handwritten Minutes in folio-sized leatherbound book in reasonable condition.
Minutes of General, Special, and Anniversary Meetings. They give details of Papers read and donations presented, of Members nominated and elected, and changes within the Council.
Handwritten minutes in folio size leatherbound book in reasonable condition.
Minutes of General, Special and Anniversary Meetings. They give details of Papers read and lectures given, of Members nominated and elected, and of changes in Council members. Typed minutes in folio-sized red and black hardcover bound volume with some damage to the binding.
Minutes of General, Special and Anniversary Meetings. They give details of Papers read and lectures given, of Members nominated and elected, and of changes in Council members. Typed and computer printed minutes in bound volume with red and blue hardcover in reasonable condition,