Charter of the British Academy

The British Academy

FOR THE PROMOTION OF HISTORICAL 
PHILOSOPHICAL AND PHILOLOGICAL STUDIES 

CHARTER OF INCORPORATION *
*as amended by Supplemental Charters dated 11 March 1960, 17 June 1980 and 19 December 2002

EDWARD - the Seventh - by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and of the British Dominions beyond the Seas, King, Defender of the Faith, to all to whom these presents shall come greeting:

WHEREAS certain of Our subjects, members of a society called The British Academy for the Promotion of Historical, Philosophical, and Philological Studies, whose names are herein set forth, have petitioned for a charter of incorporation such as is in and by these presents granted:

And whereas We are minded to comply with the prayer of their petition:

Now therefore, We, of Our especial grace, certain knowledge, and mere motion, do hereby for Us, Our heirs and successors, will, grant, direct, appoint, and declare as follows:

1. The Right Honourable Earl of Rosebery, K.G., K.T.; The Right Honourable Viscount Dillon, President of the Society of Antiquaries; The Right Honourable Lord Reay, G.C.S.I., G.C.I.E., President of the Royal Asiatic Society; The Right Honourable Arthur James Balfour, M.P.; The Right Honourable John Morley, M.P.; The Right Honourable James Bryce, M.P.; The Right Honourable William Edward Hartpole Lecky, M.P.; Sir William Reynell Anson, Baronet, M.P., Warden of All Souls College, Oxford; Sir Frederick Pollock, Baronet, Corpus Professor of Jurisprudence in the University of Oxford; Sir Edward Maunde Thompson, K.C.B., Director and Principal Librarian, British Museum; Sir Henry Churchill Maxwell-Lyte, K.C.B., Deputy-Keeper of the Public Records; Sir Courtenay Peregrine Ilbert, K.C.S.I., C.I.E.; Sir Richard Claverhouse Jebb, M.P., Regius Professor of Greek in the University of Cambridge; David Binning Monro, Provost of Oriel College and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford; Adolphus William Ward, Master of Peterhouse and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge; Edward Caird, Master of Balliol College, Oxford; Henry Francis Pelham, President of Trinity College and Camden Professor of Ancient History in the University of Oxford; John Rhys, Principal of Jesus College and Professor of Celtic in the University of Oxford; The Reverend George Salmon, D.D., Provost of Trinity College, Dublin; John Bagnell Bury, Regius Professor of Greek in the University of Dublin; Samuel Henry Butcher, Professor of Greek in the University of Edinburgh; Ingram Bywater, Regius Professor of Greek in the University of Oxford; Edward Byles Cowell, Professor of Sanskrit in the University of Cambridge; The Reverend William Cunningham, D.D.; Thomas William Rhys Davids, Professor of Pali in University College, London; Albert Venn Dicey, K.C., Vinerian Professor of English Law in the University of Oxford; The Reverend Canon Samuel Rolles Driver, D.D., Regius Professor of Hebrew in the University of Oxford; Robinson Ellis, Corpus Professor of Latin in the University of Oxford; Arthur John Evans, Keeper of the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford; The Reverend Andrew Martin Fairbairn, D.D., Principal of Mansfield College, Oxford; The Reverend Robert Flint, D.D., Professor of Divinity in the University of Edinburgh; James George Frazer; Israel Gollancz, University Lecturer in English in the University of Cambridge; Thomas Hodgkin; Shadworth Hollway Hodgson; Thomas Erskine Holland, K.C., Professor of International Law and Diplomacy in the University of Oxford; Frederick William Maitland, Downing Professor of English Law in the University of Cambridge; Alfred Marshall, Professor of Political Economy in the University of Cambridge; The Reverend John Eyton Bickersteth Mayor, Professor of Latin in the University of Cambridge; James Augustus Henry Murray; William Mitchell Ramsay, Professor of Humanity in the University of Aberdeen; The Reverend Canon William Sanday, D.D., Lady Margaret Professor of Divinity in the University of Oxford; The Reverend Walter William Skeat, Elrington and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon in the University of Cambridge; Leslie Stephen; Whitley Stokes C.S.I., C.I.E.; The Reverend Henry Barclay Swete, D.D., Regius Professor of Divinity in the University of Cambridge; The Reverend Henry Fanshawe Tozer; Robert Yelverton Tyrrell, Professor of Ancient History in the University of Dublin; James Ward, Professor of Mental Philosophy in the University of Cambridge, and all such persons as now are or may hereafter become members of the said society, according to the provisions of these presents, shall for ever hereafter be, by virtue of these presents, one body politic and corporate by the name of ‘The British Academy for the Promotion of Historical, Philosophical, and Philological Studies,’ and by that name shall have perpetual succession and a common seal, and may take and hold any lands, tenements, or hereditaments situate within Our United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and may grant, demise, alien, charge or otherwise dispose of all or any of the lands, tenements and hereditaments belonging to the Academy.
   
2. The objects of the Academy are the promotion of the humanities and social sciences.
   
3. The members of the Academy shall be called Fellows.
   
4. The persons herein-before named shall be the first Fellows.
   
5. There shall be a President and a Council of the Academy. The President and the Council shall be elected by the Fellows from amongst their own number.
   
6. New Fellows shall be elected at a General Meeting of the Fellows, from among persons who have attained distinction in some one or more of the branches of scientific study which it is the object of the Academy to promote. Provided always that, in cases where the Council is of the opinion that in the interests of the advancement of the objects of the Academy it is desirable to elect Fellows who do not closely conform with this condition, the Council may recommend for election by the Fellows persons who in their opinion are such that their election will be of signal benefit to the Academy, and persons so recommended may be elected at a General Meeting of the Fellows, but so that the total number of Fellows who have been elected by virtue of this proviso shall not at any time exceed four.
   
7. The Government of the Academy shall be vested in the Council and in the Fellows assembled in General Meeting.
   
8. The Academy may elect Honorary and Corresponding Fellows, but an Honorary or Corresponding Fellow shall have no voice in the management of the affairs of the Academy or in the election of new Fellows.
   
9. The Council shall make such bye-laws and regulations as appear to be required for regulating, subject to the provisions of these presents, the constitution of the Academy and the management of the affairs thereof, and may repeal, alter or add to any bye-laws or regulations so made.
   
10. The Council may by resolution passed at any meeting by not less than two-thirds of the members present and voting (being an absolute majority of the whole number of the members of the Council) and confirmed by not less than two-thirds of the Fellows present and voting thereon at a General Meeting in accordance with the procedure prescribed by the Bye-Laws revoke, amend or add to any of the provisions of this Our Charter and such revocation, amendment or addition shall when allowed by Us, Our Heirs or Successors in Council become effectual so that this Our Charter shall thenceforeward continue and operate as though it had been originally granted and made accordingly. This provision shall apply to the Our Charter as revoked, amended or added to in manner aforesaid.

Provided always that the said bye-laws shall not be in any manner repugnant to the laws and Statutes of this Realm and provided also that the said bye-laws and any revocation alteration or amendment thereof shall not be of any force or effect until the same shall have been allowed by the Lords of our Privy Council of which allowance a certificate under the hand of the Clerk of our Privy Council shall be conclusive evidence.

In Witness whereof We have caused these Our Letters to be made patent 

Witness Ourself at Westminster the Eighth Day of August in the second year of Our reign.

By Warrant under the King’s Sign Manual

Muir Mackenzie.

SEAL