| AdminHistory | The British Museum was founded in 1753 by Act of Parliament (26 George II c.22), and a Board of Trustees established. The Board consisted of Crown and Government nominees as well as elected members and representatives of the families of the founders and benefactors of the Museum. The Board met fortnightly at first, and then from 1761 four times a year at what were called 'General Meetings', which became purely formal. The Board delegated the day-to-day business of the Museum to a Standing Committee, which was established in 1755. Sub-Committees were set up by the Standing Committee from time to time as the need arose. The Chairman of the Board was always one of the three 'Principal Trustees': the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lord Chancellor and the Speaker of the House of Commons.
From 1871 extracts from the Standing Committee minutes relating to the natural history departments were copied for the use of the departments (DF902), and from 1884, once the departments had moved, the Standing Committee met at South Kensington to transact business connected with the British Museum (Natural History) (DF900). General Meetings of the Board were likewise held at this Museum from time to time, and their minutes are held here, together with the minutes of the sub-committees concerned with natural history (DF901).
In 1963 the British Museum (Natural History) was separated from the British Museum by Act of Parliament, and a newly constituted Board of Trustees met for the first time on 11 October 1963.
References:
Miller, E, 1973. 'That noble cabinet, a history of the British Museum'. London: Deutsch. p400
Stearn, W T, 1981. 'The Natural History Museum at South Kensington'. London: Heinemann. p.414 Ch.2
Wallace, J, 1990. 'The archives of the British Museum'. Archives 19:213-223
The British Museum Archives holds the minutes of the General Meetings of the Board of Trustees, 1753-1963 (CE1); the minutes of the Standing Committee, 1754-1963 (CE3); and minutes of the Trustees' sub-committees, 1828-1963 (CE7). Xerox copies of all these papers are held in The Natural History Museum Archives. |