Robert Balle, Merchant of Leghorn and Fellow of the Royal Society ( ca. 1640- ca. 1734)

Bibliographic Data

ID20314980
AuthorsN R R FISHER (Yorick House, Lyncombe Vale, Bath BA2 4LT, UK, corresponding author)
Year2001
Volume55
Issue3
Pages351-371
Publication date2001-09-22
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueNotes and Records the Royal Society Journal of the History of Science (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0035-9149 • E-ISSN: 1743-0178
PublisherThe Royal Society (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1098/rsnr.2001.0151
OpenAlexW1976203086
LanguageEN
Citations received3

The reasons why one English merchant, Robert Balle, should have wished to join The Royal Society in 1708 and become thereafter an active member of it are discussed in this paper. The author has used the Journal and Minute Books of The Royal Society, the correspondence of Sir Hans Sloane and other contemporary materials, published and unpublished. She concludes that the factors involved in Balle's decision included family connections, genuine interest in some of the subjects with which the Society was concerned and a belief in the need for the free exchange of ideas. They co–existed with Balle's wish to utilize membership of the Society to further his social and commercial ends and his use of scientific patronage for the enhancement of self–esteem and personal prestige. It is hoped that this study will contribute to the discussion on merchant membership of, and activity within, the early Royal Society

Political science · Prestige · Social science · Sociology · Historical Economic and Social Studies · Law · Philosophy

Tools

Open DOISci-Hub