The
Lunar Society was a discussion
club of prominent
industrialists and
scientists, who met regularly between
1765 and 1813 in
Birmingham,
England. At first called the Lunar Circle,
Lunar Society became the formal name by 1775. The society's name came from their practice of scheduling their meetings at the time of the
full moon. Since there was no street lighting, the extra light made the journey home easier. Venues included
Matthew Boulton's home,
Soho House, and
Great Barr Hall.
The members of the Lunar Society were very influential in Britain in their day. Amongst those who attended meetings more or less regularly were
Matthew Boulton,
Erasmus Darwin,
Samuel Galton Junior,
James Keir,
William Murdoch,
Joseph Priestley,
Josiah Wedgwood,
James Watt and
William Withering.
More peripheral characters and correspondents included Sir
Richard Arkwright,
John Baskerville,
Thomas Beddoes,
Thomas Day,
Richard Lovell Edgeworth,
Benjamin Franklin,
Thomas Jefferson,
Anna Seward,
William Small,
John Smeaton, Thomas Wedgwood,
John Wilkinson,
Joseph Wright,
James Wyatt, Samuel Wyatt.
Antoine Lavoisier frequently corresponded with various members of the group, as did
Benjamin Franklin, who also visited them in Birmingham on several occasions.
As the members grew older and died, the Lunar Society was closed in 1813, and all former members had died by 1820.
Among memorials to the Society and its members are the
Moonstones; two statues of Watt and a statue of
Boulton, Watt and Murdoch, by
William Bloye; and the museum at Soho House – all in
Birmingham, England.
Further reading
- The Lunar Men: Five Friends Whose Curiosity Changed the World by Jenny Uglow (Faber & Faber, 2002)
External links
Category:Industrial Revolution