43.     British Association                                                                    1869 


The British Association for the Advancement of Science was founded in 1831 on the lines of a German Institution. William Vernon Harcourt and J F W Johnston were leading advocates of the association in competition with the Royal Society. The first meeting was held in York but annual meetings were held in different cities; in 1869 Exeter was chosen.

Although a guide of sorts may have been printed for attendees only a copy of a specially produced map has been seen by the authors and this has been loosely inserted into a copy of Murray’s Handbook for Travellers (1859)[1]. However it is highly probable that the map was issued to participants as part of a welcome pack or possibly together with the Report Of The British Association For The Advancement Of Science Held At Exeter In 1869 which would have been presented or sold to each participant who had attended the British Association meeting held in Exeter. This work was published in 1870 by John Murray, London. It was part of an extremely important annual series of original research papers. Containing 800-1000 pp it included 100-120 pp to the rear listing all the members of the association with their qualifications and addresses. 

Title: BRITISH ASSOCIATION  EXETER MEETING 1869

Size: 134 x180 mm and SCALE OF YARDS (600 = 48mm) (or 1 Mile = 140 mm). 

This is a simple block plan naming principal streets, the railways and principal buildings with just under half the area taken up with a list of the Section Rooms and references to other map notes, mostly hotels, above the scale bar. Note the new Albert Memorial Museum; the Fairpark on Magdalen Rd; Rougemont (for castle area); the note Old Cemetery disused; the two telegraph offices; the inaccuracy of the layout to the reservoirs (north of the county gaol); the cross shaped county prison; the alignment of the castle; and the walls are not shown. The Victoria Public Hall was rushed to completion in time for the meeting and was used for concerts, meetings and lectures until the turn of the century.

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[1] Illustration reproduced by kind permission of Devon Archives & Local Studies - .sWES/1859/HAN..

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