About

Founded in 1710, Spalding Gentlemen’s Society is Britain’s oldest surviving provincial learned society. Since 1955, its charitable purpose has been: ‘To promote and foster among the public knowledge, appreciation and the study of …’ what we now call the Arts, Sciences and Humanities. It is a membership society that welcomes anyone aged 18 or over, including women, notwithstanding its history and name.

Our Beginnings

Early in the 18th century, lawyer Maurice Johnson came back to Spalding, having completed his training in London. Coffeehouses flourished in London as meeting places where a vibrant social circle eagerly discussed the news, discoveries, inventions, and publications. Johnson wanted to replicate this stimulating circle in his home town and gathered a group of men to meet in a newly opened coffeehouse.

Over the ensuing decades, the Society attracted eminent locals and also men of national stature (as corresponding members) such as Sir Isaac Newton. Johnson and his friend William Stukeley were instrumental in re-founding the Antiquarian Society in London, and Stukeley was a member of the Royal Society’s governing body.

From its early days, the Society has collected ‘curious’ things, and established an important library and archive holding. It was through donations by members and specific purchases that enabled the accumulation of many items representing our rich local heritage, as well as artefacts of national and international importance. As a museum collection in Britain, only the Ashmolean’s in Oxford has a longer history. Read more about Our Story.

With the changes wrought by the Industrial Revolution in the late 18th century onwards, the role of the Society changed. It became little more than a lending library, guarding its possessions but no longer at the forefront of learning. Its members enabled the Society to survive through the 20th century, but it was not fully living up to its purpose as declared in 1955. Now, in the 21st century, serious effort is being made to make the Society and its collections more accessible to the public – both in-person and digitally.

Who We Are

The Society has survived for over 300 years due to the much-needed support of its members. Some become involved with maintaining the collections, act as guides for visitors, help at events, or provide administrative assistance. Overall management is vested in the Council, whose members are elected by the membership at Annual General Meetings. His Grace the 10th Duke of Buccleuch is the Society’s Patron.

The Society’s home is the Grade II listed building on Broad Street, which was constructed to house the Society’s collections. The intent in 1911 was to store and display the holdings, primarily for the benefit of members, and a lecture room provided space for member events. However, the collections soon outgrew the space provided. New accessions usually number between 60-80 items annually and the building is no longer big enough to store, curate, and display the entire collection. To ensure a viable future for the Society, some major changes will be necessary.

The Future

Our Vision

For more than 300 years, the Society has been a beacon of Enlightenment ideals. It is Britain’s oldest surviving provincial learned society and second oldest museum. Today, we aim to connect members, visitors and the wider public with the world through interactive engagement with our collections on-site, virtually and through outreach. We believe that curiosity, discovery and the search for knowledge can and should be nurtured and open to all.

Our Mission

Our mission is to support the creation and sharing of knowledge by providing access to those collections and by offering innovative social and educational projects for all people.

We aim to:

• Tell the unique story of the Society, its collections and its members
• Maintain and develop a range of public programmes that reflect the range and diversity of our collections, our members, our community and society more broadly, and that are accessible to all
• Safeguard, develop and display our collections to ensure their continued improvement and benefit for future generations
• Provide opportunities for members, volunteers and visitors of all backgrounds, living locally or further afield, to enjoy and engage with our remarkable collections through participation in lifelong learning and creative expression
• Provide volunteers and students with opportunities to learn new skills in collections care, research, management and conservation

Our Values

As a Society, we believe that:

• The pursuit of knowledge should be free and open to all
• Openness, honesty and respectful dialogue are at the foundation of knowledge making and knowledge sharing
• Inclusivity and accessibility must guide all of our working practices
• Lifelong learning, personal development and self-discovery are fundamental parts of being human
• As custodians of the Society’s collections, we have a responsibility to research and interpret our collections and their provenance honestly and transparently, including where that provenance may be sensitive or difficult