Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- CHAPTER I THE FATHERS OF ENGLISH GEOGRAPHY
- CHAPTER II THE ROYAL SOCIETY
- CHAPTER III THE AFRICAN ASSOCIATION
- CHAPTER IV THE RALEIGH CLUB
- CHAPTER V FOUNDATION OF THE ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY
- CHAPTER VI PRESIDENTS AND SECRETERIES OF THE ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY, 1830–50
- CHAPTER VII PRESIDENTS AND SECRETARIES OF THE ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY, 1851 TO 1881
- CHAPTER VIII EXPEDITIONS PROMOTED BY THE ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY, AND GRANTS OF THE ROYAL AWARDS, 1830–55
- CHAPTER IX EXPEDITIONS PROMOTED BY THE ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY AND GRANTS OF THE ROYAL AWARDS, 1855–1880
- CHAPTER X PUBLICATIONS OF THE SOCIETY—LIBRARY AND MAP ROOM—EDUCATIONAL MEASURES
- CHAPTER XI PROGRESS OF THE SOCIETY
- CHAPTER XII COMPARATIVE VIEW OF GEOGRAPHICAL KNOWLEDGE IN 1830 AND 1880, WITH A NOTICE OF THE WORK THAT STILL REMAINS TO BE DONE
- APPENDIX
CHAPTER VII - PRESIDENTS AND SECRETARIES OF THE ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY, 1851 TO 1881
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 29 August 2010
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- CHAPTER I THE FATHERS OF ENGLISH GEOGRAPHY
- CHAPTER II THE ROYAL SOCIETY
- CHAPTER III THE AFRICAN ASSOCIATION
- CHAPTER IV THE RALEIGH CLUB
- CHAPTER V FOUNDATION OF THE ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY
- CHAPTER VI PRESIDENTS AND SECRETERIES OF THE ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY, 1830–50
- CHAPTER VII PRESIDENTS AND SECRETARIES OF THE ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY, 1851 TO 1881
- CHAPTER VIII EXPEDITIONS PROMOTED BY THE ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY, AND GRANTS OF THE ROYAL AWARDS, 1830–55
- CHAPTER IX EXPEDITIONS PROMOTED BY THE ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY AND GRANTS OF THE ROYAL AWARDS, 1855–1880
- CHAPTER X PUBLICATIONS OF THE SOCIETY—LIBRARY AND MAP ROOM—EDUCATIONAL MEASURES
- CHAPTER XI PROGRESS OF THE SOCIETY
- CHAPTER XII COMPARATIVE VIEW OF GEOGRAPHICAL KNOWLEDGE IN 1830 AND 1880, WITH A NOTICE OF THE WORK THAT STILL REMAINS TO BE DONE
- APPENDIX
Summary
Admiral W. H. Smyth, c.b., who was President from 1849 to 1851, was the restorer of the prosperity of the Society. He was descended from Captain John Smith, whose valour and genius were so instrumental in the colonisation of Virginia. His father, Mr. Joseph Smyth, had estates in New Jersey, which were confiscated when the American Revolution succeeded, owing to his staunch loyalty to the old country. His only son, born on January 21st, 1788, entered the navy in 1805, and saw active war service in the China and Indian seas. In 1810 he was in command of a large gunboat in the defence of Cadiz, and was often engaged and under heavy fire from the French forts. As a reward for his excellent services at Cadiz, and for a valuable survey he had made of the Isla de Leon and adjacent coast, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in 1813, and was sent to command a flotilla employed in the defence of Sicily. He executed some most valuable surveys, entirely through his own resources, for which he was made Commander in 1815. His ‘Atlas of Sicily,’ with a memoir, was published soon afterwards. From this time he was, for several years, actively engaged on surveys in the Mediterranean and Adriatic, first in the Aid, and from 1821 in the Adventure.
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- The Fifty Years' Work of the Royal Geographical Society , pp. 43 - 56Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2009First published in: 1881