The Devonshire Association (DA) is a

learned society A learned society (; also learned academy, scholarly society, or academic association) is an organization that exists to promote an academic discipline, profession, or a group of related disciplines such as the arts and science. Membership m ...

founded in 1862 by William Pengelly and modelled on the

British Association The British Science Association (BSA) is a charity and learned society founded in 1831 to aid in the promotion and development of science. Until 2009 it was known as the British Association for the Advancement of Science (BA). The current Chie ...

, but concentrating on research subjects linked to

Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devo ...

in the fields of science, literature and the arts.

History

The first meeting was held in Exeter, England 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. Although similar in format to older groups such as the Plymouth Institution (inaugurated in 1812) and the

Devon and Exeter Institution The Devon and Exeter Institution is a subscription library in the City of Exeter, Devon, founded in 1813 for "The general diffusion of science, literature and the arts". It is situated at 7, Cathedral Close, Exeter, in a building facing the nort ...

(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 World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

. In 1932 the first of a number of local branches was established in Plymouth, and subject-based sections were formed, specialising in

botany Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek w ...

, buildings, entomology,

geology Geology () is a branch of natural science concerned with Earth and other astronomical objects, the features or rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Ea ...

history History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...

literature Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include ...

folklore Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging ...

and the dialect of Devon. By 1952 membership had risen to 1,100 and to over 1,800 by the centenary in 1963. 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 review Peer review is the evaluation of work by one or more people with similar competencies as the producers of the work ( peers). It functions as a form of self-regulation by qualified members of a profession within the relevant field. Peer revie ...

ed research papers. (Subscription required for internet access) 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. 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. (Subscription required for internet access) 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. The association's 150th anniversary in 2012 was marked by a major conference in Torquay, the home town of its founder, William Pengelly.

Some notable presidents

The year shown is the one in which the Presidential address was given. *1863

John Bowring Sir John Bowring , or Phraya Siamanukulkij Siammitrmahayot, , , group=note (17 October 1792 – 23 November 1872) was a British political economist, traveller, writer, literary translator, polyglot and the fourth Governor of Hong Kong. He was a ...

*1864

Charles Spence Bate Charles Spence Bate, FRS (March 16, 1819 – July 29, 1889) was a British zoologist and dentist. Life He was born at Trenick House near Truro, the son of Charles Bate (1789–1872) and Harriet Spence (1788–1879). Charles adopted "Spence Bate" ...

*1865 Charles Daubeny *1866

John Russell, 1st Earl Russell John Russell, 1st Earl Russell, (18 August 1792 – 28 May 1878), known by his courtesy title Lord John Russell before 1861, was a British Whig and Liberal statesman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1846 to 1852 and a ...

*1867 William Pengelly *1868 John Coleridge, 1st Baron Coleridge *1869

George Parker Bidder George Parker Bidder (13 June 1806 – 20 September 1878) was an English engineer and calculating prodigy.W. W. Rouse Ball (1960) ''Calculating Prodigies'', in Mathematical Recreations and Essays, Macmillan, New York, chapter 13. Early life B ...

*1870

James Anthony Froude James Anthony Froude ( ; 23 April 1818 – 20 October 1894) was an English historian, novelist, biographer, and editor of '' Fraser's Magazine''. From his upbringing amidst the Anglo-Catholic Oxford Movement, Froude intended to become a clerg ...

*1871 Charles Kingsley *1872 Frederick Temple, Bishop of Exeter *1875 Richard John King *1877 Alfred Earle *1878 Samuel White Baker *1879

Robert Collier, 1st Baron Monkswell Robert Porrett Collier, 1st Baron Monkswell, (21 June 1817 – 27 October 1886) was an English lawyer, politician and judge. Background and education He was the eldest son of John Collier, a merchant of Plymouth, formerly a member of the Soc ...

*1884

Thomas Roscoe Rede Stebbing The Reverend Thomas Roscoe Rede Stebbing FRS, FLS (6 February 1835, London – 8 July 1926, Royal Tunbridge Wells) was a British zoologist, who described himself as "a serf to natural history, principally employed about Crustacea". Educated i ...

*1887 William Dallinger *1889

Wilfred Hudleston Hudleston Wilfred Hudleston Hudleston FRS (né Simpson) (2 June 1828 – 29 January 1909) was an English geologist, ornithologist and paleontologist. Life Hudleston was born at York on 2 June 1828. He was the eldest son of John Simpson of Knaresborough ( ...

*1895

Hardinge Giffard, 1st Earl of Halsbury Hardinge is a surname. People with the surname include: * Viscount Hardinge, UK peerage, including: ** Henry Hardinge, 1st Viscount Hardinge (1785–1856), British Army field marshal, Governor-General of India **Charles Hardinge, 2nd Viscount Har ...

*1896

Sabine Baring-Gould Sabine Baring-Gould ( ; 28 January 1834 – 2 January 1924) of Lew Trenchard in Devon, England, was an Anglican priest, hagiographer, antiquarian, novelist, folk song collector and eclectic scholar. His bibliography consists of more than 1,2 ...

*1901 Roper Lethbridge *1903

Edgar Vincent, 1st Viscount D'Abernon Edgar Vincent, 1st Viscount D'Abernon, (19 August 1857 – 1 November 1941) was a British politician, diplomat, art collector and author. Early life Vincent was born at Slinfold, West Sussex on He was the youngest son of Sir Frederick Vin ...

*1905

Basil Thomson Sir Basil Home Thomson, (21 April 1861 – 26 March 1939) was a British colonial administrator and prison governor, who was head of Metropolitan Police CID during World War I. This gave him a key role in arresting wartime spies, and he was clos ...

*1906 Frederick Thomas Elworthy *1907 Archibald Robertson, Bishop of Exeter *1908

Robert Collier, 2nd Baron Monkswell Robert Collier, 2nd Baron Monkswell (26 March 1845 – 22 December 1909), was a British Liberal Party (UK), Liberal politician. He was briefly Under-Secretary of State for War under Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery, The Earl of Rosebery i ...

*1909 Charles Stubbs, Bishop of Truro *1911 Robert Burnard *1917 William Philip Hiern *1919 Henry Gamble, Dean of Exeter *1922 Henry Duke, 1st Baron Merrivale *1926 Richard Pearse Chope *1927

William Cecil Dampier Sir William Cecil Dampier FRS (born William Cecil Dampier Whetham) (27 December 1867 – 11 December 1952) was a British scientist, agriculturist, and science historian who developed a method of extracting lactose (milk sugar) from whey. H ...

*1928 Emma, Lady Radford *1929

George Parker Bidder III George Parker Bidder (21 May 1863 – 31 December 1954) was a British marine biologist who primarily studied sponges. He was the President of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, Marine Biological Association (MBA) from 1939 ...

*1930 R. Hansford Worth *1931 Howard Masterman, Bishop of Plymouth *1934

J. C. Squire Sir John Collings Squire (2 April 1884 – 20 December 1958) was a British writer, most notable as editor of the ''London Mercury'', a major literary magazine in the interwar period. He antagonised several eminent authors, but attracted a coterie ...

*1936

Robert Newman, 1st Baron Mamhead Robert Hunt Stapylton Dudley Lydston Newman, 1st Baron Mamhead (27 October 1871 – 2 November 1945), known as Sir Robert Newman, Bt, between 1892 and 1931, was a British politician. He was also a president of the Church of England Society for th ...

*1947

Ralegh Radford Courtenay Arthur Ralegh Radford (7 November 1900 – 27 December 1998) was an English archaeologist and historian who pioneered the exploration of the Dark Ages of Britain and popularised his findings in many official guides and surveys for the O ...

*1948

Leo Amery Leopold Charles Maurice Stennett Amery, (22 November 1873 – 16 September 1955), also known as L. S. Amery, was a British Conservative Party politician and journalist. During his career, he was known for his interest in military preparedness, ...

*1952 Margaret Cruwys *1953

Frederick Stratten Russell Sir Frederick Stratten Russell (3 November 1897 – 5 June 1984) was an English marine biologist. Russell was born in Bridport, Dorset, and studied at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge. From 1924 he worked for the Marine Biological Ass ...

*1956

Hugh Fortescue, 5th Earl Fortescue Hugh William Fortescue, 5th Earl Fortescue, (14 June 1888 – 14 June 1958), styled Viscount Ebrington from 1905 until 1932, of Castle Hill in the parish of Filleigh, of Weare Giffard Hall, both in Devon and of Ebrington Manor in Gloucest ...

*1957 Rev. S. C. Carpenter *1959 Leonard Knight Elmhirst *1960 Tony Giffard, 3rd Earl of Halsbury *1962 Robert Mortimer, Bishop of Exeter *1964

Derick Heathcoat-Amory, 1st Viscount Amory Derick Heathcoat-Amory, 1st Viscount Amory, , ( ; 26 December 1899 – 20 January 1981) was a British Conservative politician and member of the House of Lords. He served as Chancellor of the Exchequer between 1958 and 1960, and later as Chance ...

*1967 Wilfrid Westall, Bishop of Crediton *1971 G. Wilson Knight *1973 Lord Foot *1974

Richard Acland Sir Richard Thomas Dyke Acland, 15th Baronet (26 November 1906 – 24 November 1990) was one of the founding members of the British Common Wealth Party in 1942, having previously been a Liberal Member of Parliament (MP). He joined the Labour P ...

*1975 Sir Charles Cave, 4th Baronet *1978

William George Hoskins William George Hoskins (22 May 1908 – 11 January 1992) was an English local historian who founded the first university department of English Local History. His great contribution to the study of history was in the field of landscape history ...

*1981 Frank Barlow *1984 Basil Greenhill *1988

John Parker, 6th Earl of Morley John St. Aubyn Parker, 6th Earl of Morley (29 May 1923 – 20 September 2015) was a British peer, a professional soldier, and county dignitary. Morley was a staunch monarchist and royal servant. John Parker was born at Saltram House on 29 ...

*1989 Joyce Youings *1997 Sir Hugh Stucley, 6th Baronet *2000 Richard Hawkins, Bishop of Crediton *2001

John Seymour, 19th Duke of Somerset John Michael Edward Seymour, 19th Duke of Somerset (born 30 December 1952), styled Lord Seymour between 1954 and 1984, is a British aristocratic landowner in Wiltshire and Devon, and a member of the House of Lords. Life Educated at Hawtreys an ...

*2003 Eric Dancer *2007 Justin Leigh *2011 Nicholas Orme

References

External links

{{authority control Culture in Devon Organizations established in 1862 Scientific societies based in the United Kingdom Organisations based in Devon 1862 establishments in England Regional and local learned societies of the United Kingdom