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ROYAL SOCIETIES CLUB, 1897

On separate pages (accessed via the links below) a list of
almost 1400 members' names has been extracted from a publication by
The Royal Societies Club
St. James's Street, S.W.
(founded 1894)

Surnames beginning with
A   B   C   D   E   F   G   H   IJK   L   M   NO   PQR   S   TUVWXYZ
Deceased Members

This page is an additional guide to the various abbreviations,
qualifications, titles, etc., appearing in members' entries.

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Key to Abbreviations, etc.

NOTE AND DISCLAIMER: no guide to the abbreviations used was supplied in the publication, so this page attempts to fill the gaps; but you should NOT rely on the suggestions or interpretations below as gospel! While it is hoped a good number are accurate, many are only best guesses (and some are still left blank). You should check for yourself the correct meanings of abbreviations used in entries against any names of interest to you — to avoid associating an individual with a profession to which he may not have belonged :)

There seem to be inconsistencies in the way some designations were printed (or perhaps as supplied by members themselves at the time), i.e. instances where two apparently different abbreviations possibly refer to the same thing. Some societies and associations also had similar initials. The meaning of 'letters after a name', therefore, isn't always clear without more expert knowledge than we have :)

Most of the institutions still exist today, though they may have amalgamated with others or changed their names since the end of the 19th century. Links are provided to websites where possible, and these can be worth investigating as many include at least a little of the organisation's history.

Any of the following abbreviations and acronyms, or further suggestions for what they may be (or became), are welcome.

A.B. - Bachelor of Arts (Artium Baccalaureus)
A.M.S.
A.R.A. - Associate of the Royal Academy
A.R.C.A. - (a) Associate of the Royal College of Art or RCA, (b) Associate of the Royal Cambrian Academy (RCA or RCamA)
A.R.D.
A.R.S.A. - (a) probably Associate of the Royal Scottish Academy, (b) possibly Associate of the Royal Society of Arts
A.V.D. - possibly Army Veterinary Department? (if so, now the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, or RAVC)
Aberd. - Aberdeen
Acad. - Academy
Agr. - Agricultural
Amer. - America
Anat. - Anatomical or Anatomy
Anat. Soc. - Anatomical Society
Anthrop. - Anthropological or Anthropology
Anthrop. Inst. - Anthropological Institute
Antiq. - Antiquaries
Apoth. - Apothecary/Apothecaries (Worshipful Company of Apothecaries in London)
Arch. - (a) Archaeology, (b) Architects
Arch. Inst. - possibly the Archaeological Institute
Architect. Assoc. - Architectural Association
Arist. Soc. - possibly the Aristotelian Society
A.R.S.M. - possibly Associate of the Royal School of Mines?? (if so, now part of Imperial College)
Asiat. - Asiatic
Assoc. - (a) Associate, (b) Association
Asst. - Assistant
Ast. - Astronomy or Astronomical
Ast. Assoc. - possibly now the British Astronomical Association?
B.A. - (a) Bachelor of Arts, (b) British Academy
B.C. - possibly Bachelor of Surgery (Baccalaureus Chirurgiae), see next entry
B.CH. - Bachelor of Surgery (Baccalaureus Chirurgiae)
B.C.L. - (a) Bachelor of Civil Law, (b) Bachelor of Canon Law
B.D. - Bachelor of Divinity (Baccalaureus Divinitatis)
B.L. - Bachelor of Law(s) (Baccalaureus Legum)
Ball. - Balliol College, Oxford
Balneo. and Climat. Soc. - probably the Balneology and Climatology Society
Bart. - Baronet
Bart's - Bartholomew's
Bd. Nat. Educ. - probably the Board of National Education in Ireland
Belg. - Belgium
Berl. - Berlin
Bib. - Biblical
Bib. Arch. - Biblical Archaeology
Biol. - Biological or Biology
Bras. or Brase. - Brasenose College, Oxford
Br. or Brit. - British
Brist. - Bristol
Brit. Arch. Assoc. - British Archaeological Association
Brit. Arch. Soc. - British Archaeological Society? (possibly the same as entry above)
Brit. Econ. Assoc. - British Economic Association (now Royal Economic Society)
Brit. Inst. - British Institute (possibly the British Institute of Preventive Medicine, later the Jenner Institute of Preventive Medicine, now the Lister Institute of Preventive Medicine)
Brit. Inst. Pub. Health - British Institute of Public Health (now the Royal Institute of Public Health)
Brit. Med. Assoc. - British Medical Association, or BMA
Brit. Med. Soc. - British Medical Society (may have become part of the BMA above?)
Br. Roy. Asiat. Soc. - British Royal Asiatic Society (probably the Royal Asiatic Society)
Brux. - probably Bruxelles/Brussels (Belgium)
B.SC. - Bachelor of Science (Baccalaureus Scientae)
Camb. - Cambridge
Cambs. - Cambridgeshire
Cantab. - Cambridge (Cantabrigiensis, 'of Cambridge')
Cath's. - St Catherine's College, Oxford; or St Catharine's College, Cambridge
C.A. - Chartered Accountant? (if so, see Institute of Chartered Accountants)
C.B. - Companion of the Order of the Bath
C.E. - possibly Civil Engineer (Institution of Civil Engineers, or ICE)
C.I.E. - Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire
CH.M. - Master in Surgery (Chirurgiae Magister; 'Chirurgeon' is archaic for Surgeon)
C.M. - probably also Master in Surgery (Chirurgiae Magister, see entry above)
C.M.G. - Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George
C.S. - Civil Service?? (possibly in connection with India?)
C.S.I. - Companion of the Order of the Star of India
Ch. Ch. - possibly Christ Church College, Oxford
Chapl. - Chaplain
Chem. - Chemistry or Chemical
Chem. Soc. - Chemical Society, amalgamated into Royal Society of Chemistry
Clin. - Clinical
Coll. - College
Conchol. Soc. Manch. - possibly Conchology Society?, Manchester
Corr. Mem. / Hon. Corr. Mem.
Counc. - Council
Cumb. - Cumberland
Demonst. - Demonstrator?
D.C.L. - Doctor of Canon Law, or Doctor of Civil Law
D.D. - Doctor of Divinity (Divinitatis Doctor)
D.L. - Deputy Lieutenant
D.Litt. - Doctor of Literature or Letters (Doctor Litterarum)
D.Mus. - Doctor of Music (Doctor Musicae)
D.SC. - Doctor of Science
Dubl. - Dublin
Dunelm - University of Durham?
Durh. - Durham
E.E. - Electrical Engineers/Engineering
Edin. - Edinburgh
Edin. Architect. Assoc. - Edinburgh Architectural Association, or EAA
Emm. - Emmanuel College, Cambridge
Eng. - England
English Goethe Society
Ent. Soc. - probably Entomological Society
Epedim. Soc. of Lond. - Epidemiological Society of London (now part of the Royal Society of Medicine)
Excav. - Excavation
Exten. - Extension
F.C.S. - Fellow of the Chemical Society, amalgamated into Royal Society of Chemistry
F.F.A. - probably Fellow of the Faculty of Actuaries in Scotland, the Scottish counterpart of the Institute of Actuaries
F.I.A. - Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries
F.I.C. - Fellow of the Institute of Chemistry, now amalgamated into the Royal Institute of Chemistry; (FIC also indicates 'Fellow of Imperial College', London, but this doesn't seem to have been formed until the early 1900s)
F.G.S. - Fellow of the Geological Society
F.F.P.S. - probably Fellow of the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons, Glasgow
F.L.S. - probably Fellow of the Linnean Society
F.R.A.S. - Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society
F.R.C.I. - possibly Fellow of the Royal Colonial Institute (see under R below)
F.R.C.P. - Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians
F.R.C.S. - Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons
F.R.G.S. - Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society
F.R.I.B.A. - Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects
F.R.M.S. - Fellow of the Royal Microscopical Society
F.R.Met.S. - Fellow of the Royal Meteorological Society, or RMetS
F.R.S. - Fellow of the Royal Society
F.R.S.E. - (a) Fellow of the Royal Society of Engineers, (b) Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
F.R.S.G.S. - probably Fellow of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society
F.S.A. - Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries
F.S.S. - possibly Fellow of the Statistical Society
F.Z.S. - Fellow of the Zoological Society
Fell. - Fellow
Folk Lore Soc. - Folklore Society
For. - Foreign
G.C.M.G. - Knight Grand Cross of St. Michael and St. George
G.P.O. - General Post Office
Geol. Society - probably the Geological Society
Geogr. or Geograph. - Geographical
Glasg. - Glasgow
Glouc. - Gloucester or Gloucestershire
Gött. - probably Göttingen (Germany), and likely to refer to the University
Govt. - Government
Gynae. - Gynaecological
H.B.M. - Her Britannic Majesty
H.E. - His Excellency
H.M. - Her Majesty or Her Majesty's
H.R.H. - His Royal Highness
Hakluyt Society
Harleian Soc.
Heid. - Heidelberg, probably the University
Hellenic Soc. - Hellenic Society
Hert. Coll. - Hertford College, Oxford
Hist. - History or Historical
Hist. Soc. - Historical Society
Hon. - (a) Honourable, (b) Honorary
Hon. Sec. - Honorary Secretary
Hon. Soc. of Cymmrodorion - the Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion
Hor. - Horticultural?
Incorp. - Incorporated
Inc./Incorp. Law Soc. - Incorporated Law Society
Inst. - Institute or Institution
Inst. of C.A. - Institute of Chartered Accountants
Inst. of Chem. - Institute of Chemistry in Great Britain (originally the Chemical Society; now the Royal Society of Chemistry, or RSC)
Inst. of E. and S.
Inst. of E. and S. Scot.
Inst. Mar. Eng. - Institute of Marine Engineers or IMarE, now the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology, or IMarEST
Inst. Mech. E. - Institute of Mechanical Engineers, or IMechE
Inst. of M. and M. - Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (now part of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining)
Inst. of N.A. - Institute of Naval Architects
Inst. of Painters in Oil-colours - now the Royal Institute of Oil Painters, or ROI
Irel. - Ireland
I. and S. / Iron and Steel Institute
Jap. - Japan/Japanese
Jurid. Soc. Edin. - probably the Juridical Society of Edinburgh
Jur. - Jurisprudence? or Juridical?
Juris. - Jurisprudence?
K.C.B. - Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath
K.C.I.E. - Knight Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire
K.C.M.G. - Knight Commander of St. Michael and St. George
Knt. - Knight
L.D.S. - possibly Licentiate in Dental Surgery
L.F.P.S. - Licentiate of the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons
LL.B. - Bachelor of Law(s) (Legum Baccalaureus)
LL.D. - Doctor of Law(s) (Legum Doctor)
LL.L.
LL.M. - Master of Law(s) (Legum Magister)
L.R.C.P. - Licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians
L.R.C.S. - Licentiate of the Royal College of Surgeons
Lect. - Lecturer
Leices. - Leicester or Leicestershire
Libr. - Library? (Library Association, now part of CILIP)
Lond. - London
M.A. - Master of Arts (Magister Artium)
M.B. - Bachelor of Medicine (Medicinae Baccalaureus)
M.CH. - Master of Surgery (Magister Chirurgiae)
M.D. - Doctor of Medicine (Medicinae Doctor)
M.E. - Mechanical Engineers, or Mining Engineers
M. and M. - probably Mining and Metallurgy, Institution of (now part of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining)
M.I.E.E. - Member of the Institution of Electrical Engineers or IEE (now part of the Institution of Engineering and Technology)
M.I.N.A. - Member of the Institute of Naval Architects
M.L.A. and M.L.C. of Victoria, N.S.W. - possibly Member of the Legislative Assembly and Member of the Legislative Council?
M.P. - Member of Parliament
M.R.S.A. - Member of the Royal Society of Arts
M.R.S.G.S. - Member of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society
M. SC. - Master of Science
M. Inst. E. and S.
M. Inst. Mar. E. - Member of the Institute of Marine Engineers or IMarE (now the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology, or IMarEST)
M. Inst. N.A. - Member of the Institution of Naval Architects (now the Royal Institution of Naval Architects, or RINA)
M.S. - (a) Master of Science, (b) Master of Surgery
MUS. B. - Bachelor of Music (Musicae Baccalaureus)
MUS. D. - Doctor of Music (Musicae Doctor)
Mus. Soc. - Music Society? Museum Society?
Mag. or Magd. - Magdalen College, Oxford, or Magdalene College, Cambridge
Manch. - Manchester
Manch. Geogr. Soc. - Manchester Geographical Society
Mar. Biol. Assoc. - probably the Marine Biological Association
Math. - Mathematics or Mathematical
Math. Soc. - probably the Mathematical Society
Mech. - Mechanical
Mech. E. - Institution of Mechanical Engineers
Med. - Medicine or Medical
Mem. or Memb. - Member
Mert. - Merton College, Oxford
Met. - Metallurgy or Meteorological
Min. - Mining? Mineralogy? Miniatures?
Min. Soc. - possibly the Mineralogical Society, or 'Min.' may refer to either Miniatures (art) or Mining
Mon. - Monmouthshire
N.A. - Naval Architects
N.S.W. - New South Wales (Australia)
Nat. - Natural or National
Nat. Vet. Assoc. - probably the National Veterinary Association, evolving into the British Veterinary Association?
Nat. Hist. - Natural History
Num. Soc. - Numismatic Society
Obs. Soc. - Obstetrical Society? (see next)
Obst. Soc. - Obstetrical Society (now part of the Royal Society of Medicine)
Ord. Danebrog. - probably a recipient of the Order of Danebrog (Denmark)
Orn. Union - Ornithologists' Union?
Ornit. - Ornithologists?
Oxon. - Oxford
P.C. - Privy Counsellor
PH.D. - Doctor of Philosophy (Philosophiae Doctor)
Palaeon. Soc. - probably the Palaeontology Society
Path. - Pathology or Pathological
Path. Soc. - at this time probably the Pathological Society of London (now part of the Royal Society of Medicine, formerly the Medical and Chirurgical Society, then RMCS), but see also the apparently separate Pathological Society
Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain
Phil. - Philosophical
Phil. Soc. - Philosophical Society
Philadel. - presumed to be Philadelphia
Phys. Soc. - Physical Society (possibly now the Chemical and Physical Society?)
Physiol. - Physiology or Physiological
Pract. - Practical? Practitioner?
Pres. - President
Princ. - Principal
Pruss. - Prussian?
Pruss. Ord. - possibly the Prussian Order of Merit
Pub. - Public
Q.C. - Queen's Counsel
R.A. - Royal Academy / Royal Academician, or Royal Artillery
R.A. Inst.
R.B.A. - probably Royal Society of British Artists
R.C.P. - Royal College of Physicians
R.C.S. - Royal College of Surgeons, or Royal College of Science
R.C.V.S. - Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons
R.D.S. - Royal Dublin Society
R.E. - possibly Royal Engineers
R.G.S. - Royal Geographical Society
R.I. - Royal Institution of Great Britain
R.I.A. - Royal Irish Academy
R.I.B.A. - Royal Institute of British Architects
R.I.M. - possibly the Royal Institute of Mining?
R.N. - Royal Navy
R.N.R. - Royal Naval Reserve?
R.P.E.
R.S. - Royal Society
R.S.A. - (a) Royal Society of Arts, (b) Royal Scottish Academy
R.W.S. - probably the Royal Watercolour Society, or RWS
Ray. Soc. - possibly the Ray Society? (though the full-stop seems to indicate it's an abbreviation for something else)
Retd. - Retired
Roy. - Royal
Roy. Acad. of Med. Ireland - Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland
Royal Academy of Music
Roy. Arch. Inst. - Royal Archaeological Institute
Roy. Arch. Soc. - probably Royal Archaeological Society
Roy. Ast. Soc. - Royal Astronomical Society
Roy. Asiat. Soc. - Royal Asiatic Society
Roy. Col. Inst. - probably Royal Colonial Institute (originally the Colonial Society; later the Royal Empire Society, and finally the Royal Commonwealth Society, or RCS, before it was disbanded in the 1990s - its library and collections are now held at the Cambridge University Library)
Roy. Company of Archers
Royal Hibernian Academy
Roy. Hist. Soc. - Royal Historical Society
Roy. Inst. of Gt. Brit. - Royal Institution of Great Britain
Roy. Inst. of S. Wales - Royal Institute of South Wales
Roy. Inst. of Painters in Water-colours - Royal Institute of Painters in Water-colours (possibly now the Royal Watercolour Society, or RWS)
Roy. Irish. Acad. - Royal Irish Academy
Royal Medical Society of Edinburgh - the Society still exists, based at the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine at the University of Edinburgh
Roy. Met. Soc. - Royal Meteorological Society
Roy. Micros. Soc. - Royal Microscopical Society
Roy. Photo. Soc. - Royal Photographic Society
Royal Scottish Academy
Roy. Scottish Water-colour Society - possibly now the Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Watercolours, or RSW
Royal Society
Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE)
Roy. Soc. Litt. - Royal Society of Literature
Sanit. - Sanitary?
Sanit. Inst. - probably the Sanitary Institute, later the Royal Sanitary Institute
SC. - Science, or possibly Scholar
SC.B. - Bachelor of Science (Scientiae Baccalaureus)
S.C.I. - Society of Chemical Industry
SC.D - Doctor of Science (Scientae Doctor)
Sch. - Scholar or School
Sch. of Med. - School of Medicine
Sci. - Science or Scientific
Scot. - Scotland
Scot. Hist. Soc. - Scottish Historical Society
Scot. Met. Soc. - Scottish Meteorological Society? (if so, now part of the Royal Meteorological Society)
Sec. - Secretary
Sen. - Senior
Siam - modern Thailand
Sid. Coll. - possibly Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge)
Soc. - Society
Soc. of Antiq. - Society of Antiquaries
Soc. of Antiq. Scot. - Society of Antiquaries Scotland
Soc. of Bib. Arch - Society of Biblical Archaeology (possibly became part of the Royal Asiatic Society?)
Society of Chemical Industry
Society of Engineers - may have merged with the Institute of Incorporated Engineers (IIE), which in turn amalgamated into the Institution of Engineering and Technology or IET; or it may have become part of the Society of Professional Engineers, or SPE (see Institution of Diagnostic Engineers website)
Society of Miniaturists - now the British Society of Painters
SS. - in the context of these entries, Societies, i.e. more than one society
St. And. - St. Andrews, probably the University of St Andrews
Stat. Soc. - Statistical Society?
Surg. - Surgeon or Surgery
Syd. - Sydney? (Australia)
T.R.H. - Their Royal Highnesses
Tasman. - Tasmania
Treas. - Treasurer
Trin. - Trinity College, Cambridge
Univ. - University
V.D. - Volunteer Officers' Decoration
Vet. - Veterinary
Vict. - Victoria
Vict. Inst. - possibly the Victoria Institute (Philosophical Society of Great Britain)?
W. - West or Western
WH. SC. - likely to be 'Whitworth Scholarship', today WhSch (see Whitworth Society)
W.S. - Writer to the Signet: see the WS Society website
Wadh. Coll. - Wadham College, Oxford
Westm. - Westmorland
Wien - Vienna (Austria)
Wilts. - Wiltshire
Worc. - Worcester
Würz./Würzb. - quite likely Würzburg in Germany, and probably the University
Yorks. Arch. Soc. - probably Yorkshire Archaeological Society

Surnames beginning with
A   B   C   D   E   F   G   H   IJK   L   M   NO   PQR   S   TUVWXYZ
Deceased Members

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LINKS

There are a number of online references to the Royal Societies Club, either to specific events or lectures held there, or in connection with particular individuals and their membership of this august body, but I have so far been unable to find sources of further information about the RSC itself.

There is a little about the building at 63 St James's Street occupied by the Club (between 1894 and about 1941) at the British History Online site, and also a photograph.

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