Wernerian Natural History Society

Founding of the Society

Year	Authority / Notes
1808	According to Sweet (1967), pp.205-206, Robert Jameson (1774–1854) founded this Society in Edinburgh in 1808 with the name Wernerian Natural History Society in honour of Abraham Gottlob Werner (1749–1817), who had proposed a theory of the formation of the earth that Jameson favoured; the organizational meeting occurred on 1808, January 12. Sweet (1967), p.210 indicates that the first meeting of the Society occurred on 1808, March 2. In an article (by Dennis R. Dean) on Jameson, Robert (1774–1854), geologist and natural historian, in the electronic version of the Dictionary of National Biography, we read: "In 1808 Jameson founded the Wernerian Natural History Society, of which he remained president for life." (Dennis R. Dean, 'Jameson, Robert (1774-1854)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/14633, accessed 24 May 2005]) In an article (by Norman E. Butcher) on Necker, Louis Albert (1786–1861), geologist, in the electronic version of the Dictionary of National Biography, we read: "Jameson had studied briefly under A. G. Werner in Freiburg and established the Wernerian Natural History Society in Edinburgh in 1808, to promulgate Werner's teaching on the classification and origin of rocks." (Norman E. Butcher, 'Necker, Louis Albert (1786-1861)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/49478, accessed 24 May 2005]) Sweet (1967), p.216, indicates that Jameson's health began to decline beginning in 1845, and so too did the activities of the Society. In addition, by this time few members of the Society still adhered to the Wernerian theory of rock formation. Jameson ceased to be involved in the Society after 1850, November 23, and he died in 1854. According to Sweet (1967), p.217 there was a lapse of six years in meetings of the Society from 1850 until 1856, March 1, when a meeting was held to discuss the future of the Society. The executive considered various options through 1856 and 1857; eventually it was decided to close the Society down and dispose of its assets. The Society formally ceased to exist on 1858, April 16.

Year

Authority / Notes

1808

According to Sweet (1967), pp.205-206, Robert Jameson (1774–1854) founded this Society in Edinburgh in 1808 with the name Wernerian Natural History Society in honour of Abraham Gottlob Werner (1749–1817), who had proposed a theory of the formation of the earth that Jameson favoured; the organizational meeting occurred on 1808, January 12. Sweet (1967), p.210 indicates that the first meeting of the Society occurred on 1808, March 2.

In an article (by Dennis R. Dean) on Jameson, Robert (1774–1854), geologist and natural historian, in the electronic version of the Dictionary of National Biography, we read: "In 1808 Jameson founded the Wernerian Natural History Society, of which he remained president for life." (Dennis R. Dean, 'Jameson, Robert (1774-1854)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/14633, accessed 24 May 2005])

In an article (by Norman E. Butcher) on Necker, Louis Albert (1786–1861), geologist, in the electronic version of the Dictionary of National Biography, we read: "Jameson had studied briefly under A. G. Werner in Freiburg and established the Wernerian Natural History Society in Edinburgh in 1808, to promulgate Werner's teaching on the classification and origin of rocks." (Norman E. Butcher, 'Necker, Louis Albert (1786-1861)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/49478, accessed 24 May 2005])

Sweet (1967), p.216, indicates that Jameson's health began to decline beginning in 1845, and so too did the activities of the Society. In addition, by this time few members of the Society still adhered to the Wernerian theory of rock formation. Jameson ceased to be involved in the Society after 1850, November 23, and he died in 1854.

According to Sweet (1967), p.217 there was a lapse of six years in meetings of the Society from 1850 until 1856, March 1, when a meeting was held to discuss the future of the Society. The executive considered various options through 1856 and 1857; eventually it was decided to close the Society down and dispose of its assets. The Society formally ceased to exist on 1858, April 16.

Name of the Society

Dates	Name	Authority
1808 - 1838	Wernerian Natural History Society	Its publications establish this name from 1808. Its publications establish this name as late as 1838.

Dates

Name

Authority

1808 - 1838

Wernerian Natural History Society

Its publications establish this name from 1808.

Its publications establish this name as late as 1838.

Journals of the Society

Years	Full Journal Title	Abbrev.
1808/1809/1810 - 1838 [1811 - 1838] (Vol.1 - v.8, pt.1) A	Memoirs of the Wernerian Natural History Society Indexed Pogg. Indexed Reuss Indexed RSLC [Nat. Lib. Scotland cat.]	Edinb. Mem. Wern. Soc. RSLC, v.1, p.xxx. Mem. of the Werner. Soc. Pogg., v.1, col.253; gives no further details. Mem. of the Wernerian Nat. Hist. Soc. Reuss, v.16, p.77 (2nd sequence) cites Vol.1. Mem. of the Wernerian Society Phil. Trans., Vol. 111 (1821), p.140 cites I. Mem. Soc. Wern. Ann. Missouri Bot. Garden, Vol. 1893, (1893), p.86 cites iv, 1823. Mem. Wer. Nat. Hist. Soc., Edinb. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad., Vol. 79, (1927), p.157 cites 1, 1811. Mem. Wern. Taxon, Vol. 3, No. 8 (Nov., 1954), p.242 cites 1, 1809. Mem. Wern. Nat. Hist. Soc. Kew Bulletin, Vol. 10, No. 2 (1955), p.287 cites 1, 1809. Mem. Wern. nat.-hist. Soc., Edinburgh Taxon, Vol. 11, No. 4 (May, 1962), p.128 cites 1, 1810 (read 4th November 1809). Mem. Wern. N.H. Soc. Notes. Rec. Roy. Soc., Vol. 9, No. 1 (Oct., 1951), p.128 cites 1826-1831, 6. Mem. Wern. N.H. Soc., Edin. Notes. Rec. Roy. Soc., Vol. 9, No. 1 (Oct., 1951), p.132 cites 1826-1831, 6. Mem. Wern. Soc. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad., Vol. 16, No. 4 (Sep. - Oct., 1864), p.203 cites i, 1811. Mem. Wern. Soc. Edin. Trans. Am. Phil. Soc., New Series, Vol. 85, No. 3 (1995), p.221 cites 8, 1839. Mem. Wern. Soc. Edinb. Bryologist, Vol. 51, No. 3 (Sep., 1948), p.151 cites 5, 1824. Mem. Werner. Nat. Hist. Soc. Quart. Rev. Biol., Vol. 17, No. 3 (Sep., 1942), p.243 cites 3, 1821. Mem. Werner Soc. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad., Vol. 53, No. 1 (Jan. - Mar., 1901), p.175 cites VIII, 1839. Mem. Werner Soc. Edinburgh Bull. Misc. Info. (Roy. Gard. Kew), Vol. 1935, No. 6/9 (1935), p.405 cites IV (1823). Mem. Wernerian N. Hist. Soc. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad., Vol. 66, No. 2 (Apr. - Aug., 1914), p.284 cites VI, 1832. Mem. Wernerian Nat. Hist. Soc. Phil. Trans., Vol. 165 (1875), p.595 cites vol. iv. Mem. Wernerian Nat. Hist. Soc. Edinburgh Science, New Series, Vol. 216, No. 4552 (Jun. 18, 1982), p.1329 cites 6 (1827). Mem. Wernerian Soc. Bryologist, Vol. 82, No. 4 (Winter, 1979), p.521 cites 5, 1824. Mem. Wernerian Soc. Pogg., v.1, col.1189 cites I, 1811; II, pt. I, 1814; II, pt. II, 1818; III, 1821; and IV, pt.II, 1823. Mem. Wernerian Soc. Nat. Hist. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad., Vol. 55, (1903), p.314 cites 3, 1821. Memoirs of the Wernerian Nat. Hist. Soc. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad., Vol. 88, (1936), p.455 cites 4, 1821-24. Memoirs of the Wernerian Society Phil. Trans., Vol. 117 (1827), p.268 cites the Third Volume. Memoirs Wernerian Nat. Hist. Soc. Notes Rec. Roy. Soc., Vol. 38, No. 2 (Mar., 1984), p.257 cites 1811, I. Memoirs Wernerian Soc. Am. Naturalist, Vol. 5, No. 3 (May, 1871), p.153 cites Vol. v, 1826. Wernerian Memoirs Phil. Trans., Vol. 152 (1862), p.797 cites vol. ii. Wernerian Nat. Hist. Soc., Mem. Am. J. Botany, Vol. 46, No. 10 (Dec., 1959), p.739 cites 6, 1827. Wernerian Soc. Memoirs Proc. Roy. Soc., Vol. 23 (1874 - 1875), p.543 cites 1821-23.

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