Founding Members

The first meeting of the Royal Society of Edinburgh took place in the Old Library of Edinburgh University on Monday 23 June 1783. It was decided that all members of the Philosophical Society of Edinburgh should automatically become Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Its inception included 179 founding members of the Society who could be defined as the ‘original fellows’.

William Cullen, Alexander Monro, and William Robertson were instrumental in obtaining the Royal Charter in 1783.

List of Founding Fellow

1. Alexander Abercromby, Lord Abercromby
2. William Alexander
3. John Amyatt
4. James Anderson
5. John Anderson
6. Thomas Anderson
7. Archibald Arthur
8. William Macleod Bannatyne, formerly Macleod, Lord Bannatyne
9. William Barron (or Baron)
10. James Beattie
11. Giovanni Battista Beccaria
12. Benjamin Bell of Hunthill
13. Joseph Black
14. Hugh Blair
15. James Hunter Blair (until 1777, Hunter)
16. Robert Blair, Lord Avontoun
17. Gilbert Blane of Blanefield
18. Auguste Denis Fougeroux de Bondaroy
19. Ebenezer Brownrigg
20. John Bruce of Grangehill and Falkland
21. Robert Bruce of Kennet, Lord Kennet
22. Patrick Brydone
23. James Byres of Tonley
24. George Campbell
25. John Fletcher- Campbell (until 1779 Fletcher)
26. John Campbell of Stonefield, Lord Stonefield
27. Ilay Campbell, Lord Succoth
28. Petrus Camper
29. Giovanni Battista Carburi
30. Alexander Carlyle
31. John Chalmers
32. William Chalmers
33. John Clerk of Eldin
34. John Clerk of Pennycuik
35. John Cook of Newburn
36. Patrick Copland
37. William Craig, Lord Craig
38. Lorentz Florenz Frederick Von Crell
39. Andrew Crosbie of Holm
40. Henry Cullen
41. William Cullen
42. Robert Cullen, Lord Cullen
43. Alexander Cumming
44. Patrick Cumming (Cumin)
45. John Dalrymple of Cousland and Cranstoun, or Dalrymple Hamilton MacGill
46. Andrew Dalzel (Dalziel)
47. John Davidson of Stewartfield and Haltree
48. Alexander Dick of Prestonfield
49. Alexander Donaldson
50. James Dunbar
51. Andrew Duncan
52. Robert Dundas of Arniston
53. Robert Dundas, Lord Arniston
54. Henry Dundas, Viscount Melville
55. James Edgar
56. James Edmonstone of Newton
57. David Erskine
58. Adam Ferguson
59. James Ferguson of Pitfour
60. Adam Fergusson of Kilkerran
61. George Fergusson, Lord Hermand
62. Robert Findlay
63. James Flint
64. William Forbes of Pitsligo and Monymusk
65. Benjamin Franklin
66. William Franklin
67. Andrew Frazer (Fraser)
68. Alexander Garden
69. John Gardiner (Gardner)
70. Alexander Gerard
71. James Gillespie
72. Thomas Gordon
73. Cosmo Gordon of Cluny
74. James Grant of Grant
75. James Gregory
76. John Grieve
77. Henry Grieve
78. Matthew Guthrie
79. William Hamilton
80. Robert Hamilton
81. Robert Hamilton
82. Alexander Hamilton
83. James Hamilton
84. Robert Henry
85. George Buchan-Hepburn of Smeaton Hepburn (until 1764 Buchan)
86. George Hill
87. John Hill
88. Francis Home
89. John Home
90. George Home of Wedderburn & Paxton
91. John Hope
92. David Hume of Ninewells
93. John Hunter
94. Andrew Hunter of Barjarg
95. James Hutton
96. William Irvine
97. George Jardine
98. Alexander Keith of Ravelston and Dunottar
99. Louis F. de Lauraguais (Lauragais),
100. Georges Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon
101. John Leslie
102. James Lind
103. James Lind
104. John Logan
105. William Lothian
106. Andrew Lumsden (Lumisden)
107. John Macfarlan of Ballancleroch, (until 1765 Warden)
108. John Macgowan
109. Henry Mackenzie
110. James Stuart- Mackenzie
111. John Maclaurin, Lord Dreghorn
112. Roderick Macleod
113. Hugh Macleod
114. Allan Maconochie of Kirknewton, Lord Meadowbank
115. John Main
116. George Clerk- Maxwell of Penicuik (until his marriage, Clerk)
117. Joseph McCormick (M’Cormick)
118. William Miller of Glenlee, Lord Glenlee
119. Thomas Miller, Lord Barskimming 1766-88, Lord Glenlee 1789-
120. John Moir
121. David Stuart (Steuart) Moncreiff of Moredun
122. Donald Monro
123. Alexander Monro of Craiglockhart and Cockburn
124. James William Montgomery of Stanhope
125. William Morehead of Herbertshire
126. John Mortland (Morthland) of Rindmuir
127. John Mudie
128. William Nairne of Dunsinnan, Lord Dunsinnan
129. Fletcher Norton
130. William Ogilvie
131. John Playfair
132. John Pringle
133. Mark Pringle of Haining and Clifton
134. David Rae of Eskgrove, Lord Eskgrove
135. Thomas Reid
136. William Richardson
137. Thomas Robertson
138. William Robertson
139. James Robertson
140. William Robertson, Lord Robertson
141. John Robison
142. John Roebuck of Kinneil
143. John Rogerson
144. Adam Rolland of Gask
145. John Ross
146. James Russell
147. John Russell
148. Daniel Rutherford
149. Henry Scott, 3rd Duke of Buccleuch
150. George Skene
151. Robert Small
152. William Smellie
153. Adam Smith
154. Hary Spens
155. John Stedman (Steedman)
156. Edward Stevens
157. Alexander Stevenson
158. Matthew Stewart
159. Dugald Stewart
160. John Stewart (Steuart)
161. John Stuart
162. Charles Stuart
163. George Stuart
164. John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute
165. Jean Joseph Sue
166. William Traill (Trail)
167. William Tytler of Woodhouselee
168. Alexander Fraser Tytler of Woodhouselee(1792), Lord Woodhouselee
169. James Veitch of Elliock, Lord Elliock
170. Nicholas Vilant
171. John Walker
172. George Wallace
173. Andrew Wardrop
174. James Williamson
175. Alexander Wilson
176. Charles Wilson
177. Patrick (Peter) Wilson
178. William Wright
179. John Young