From the Archives: The Royal Charter of 1790

On the occasion of the Monarch’s gracious continued patronage of RSM.

King George III allowed the RSM to use the title ‘Royal’ from 1785 and a charter of incorporation was issued on 26 August 1790. 

George III (1736-1820) by Gainsborough Dupont (1754-1797) the nephew and pupil of Thomas Gainsborough (1727-1788); [ca 1790].

The King was an enthusiastic patron of the Society as well as of the Handel festivals from 1785 to which he had donated £525, and continued to donate significantly in the early 1790s.

The full length portrait above shows him standing, star of garter attached to left lapel, in a landscape with Windsor Castle in the background.  Purchased in February 1813 (Minutes of 7 February: "Mr Michl Wm. Sharp [(ca 1773-1840)] having offered a Portrait, which had been seen and approved by several members, of His Majesty with a Frame for Twenty Two Guineas a Motion was motion was made by Mr Oliver [James Aldwell Oliver ?1758-1818)] & seconded by Mr Potter [Richard Huddlestone Potter (1755-1821)] that it be purchased”; otherwise described in the "International Inventions Exhibition, 1885" as "Presented by His Majesty to the Royal Society of Musicians".

The Charter of 1790

A transcription of this legal document which was endorsed by the Master of the Chancery John Eardley Wilmot (1748-1815):

“Charter of The Royal Society of
Musicians of Great Britain

Granted 26th August 1790

George the Third by the Grace of God of Great Britain France and Ireland King Defender of the Faith and so forth To all to whom these Presents shall come Greeting Whereas the Royal Society of Musicians of Great Britain have for many years past held frequent Meetings within our City of Westminster and come to several Resolutions for the establishing a Fund for the support and Maintenance of decayed Musicians and their Families And Whereas Benjamin Cook, Charles Burney, Samuel Arnold, and Edmund Ayrton Doctors in Music Members of a Society heretofore called the Society of Musicians on behalf of themselves and others by their Petition presented to us have most humbly besought us to Grant our most gracious Letters Patent to incorporate the said Society and to make them a Body Politick and Corporate to enable them to cultivate and improve the science of Music and to carry into Execution more effectually the charitable intentions of the Subscribers to the said Fund Now Know ye that Wee out of our Princely Regard to all liberal Arts and Sciences and for the Encouragement of all such who are desirous to promote the same and more especially such as are calculated and intended for the Charitable Relief and Maintenance of those who through Age Sickness or Infirmity shall be rendered unable to support themselves and their Families or the Families of such Professors being Members of this Society as are left destitute of Support have of our Especial Grace certain Knowledge and mere Motion Ordained Given and Granted and by these presents for us our Heirs and Successors DO Ordain Give and Grant that for the future there shall be a perpetual Society which shall be called by the name of the Royal Society of Musicians of Great Britain and Wee do hereby declare that the said Society shall consist of twelve Governors for the time being Forty eight Members constituting a Court of Assistants and other Members that shall be lawfully elected who by the Name of the Royal Society of Musicians of Great Britain shall for ever hereafter be a Body Politick and Corporate in Deed and in Law and that by the same Name they and their Successors shall have Perpetual Succession and that they and their Successors by that Name shall and may for ever hereafter be enabled and rendered capable and have power notwithstanding the Statute of Mortmain to purchase have take, acquire receive possess enjoy and hold to them and their Successors Manors Messuages Lands Rents Tenements Goods and Chattels Annuities and hereditaments of whatsoever Nature or Kind in Fee and Perpetuity or for Terms of Life or Years or otherwise And Wee do hereby Give and Grant unto the said Society and their Successors by the Name aforesaid our special Licence full Power and lawful Authority to hold and enjoy Lands and Hereditaments which may be hereafter devised granted or sold to the said Society and also to purchase hold receive and possess in Mortmain in Perpetuity or otherwise to or to the use of or in Trust for them and their Successors for the Use and Benefit of the said Corporation from any Person or Persons Bodies Politick or Corporate their Heirs and Successors respectively such Manors Lands Tenements Rents or Hereditaments as they shall think fit to purchase or shall be Given Granted Devised or Conveyed to them by Deed or otherwise not exceeding the Yearly Value of Three Hundred Pounds over and above all Charges and Reprizes so far as they are not restrained by Law and also to sell Grant Exchange and dispose of any of the same Manors Messuages Lands and Tenements whereof or wherein they shall have an Estate of Inheritance or for Life or Lives or Years as aforesaid And Wee further Grant that the said Society and their Successors by the Name aforesaid may an shall by the said Name of Royal Society of Musicians of Great Britain be able to sue and be sued plead and be impleaded answer and be answered defend and be defended in all Courts and Places whatsoever of Us our Heirs and Successors before any of our Judges and Justices and other officers of Us our Heirs and Successors in all and singular Actions Suits Plaints Causes Matters Demands and Things whatsoever and to act and do in all Matters and Things relating to the said Corporation in as ample manner and form as any other our Liege Subjects being Persons able and capable in the Law or any other Body Politick or Corporate in this part of our Kingdom of Great Britain called England lawfully may or can act or do And that the said Corporation for ever hereafter shall and may have and use a common Seal for the causes and Businesses of them and their Successors and that it shall and may be lawful for them and their Successors to change break alter and make new the said Seal from time to time as they shall find convenient And Wee do hereby Give and Grant unto the said Society and their Successors a Coat of Arms that is to say Azure on a Cross Gules the Imperial Crown of England—-The first Quarter charged with a syrinx Or—-The second Quarter charged with the Royal Harp of King David proper—-The third Quarter charged with the Pythagorean System —-The fourth Quarter charged with Aretine Scale of Music proper —-Supporters vizt.—-On the Dexter side an Apollo with his Lyre On the sinister side a Saint Cecilia in her hand the Pipes of the organ Or—-Crest a Lyre Or incircled with Branches of Oak and Laurel united by a Label bearing the word “Handel” -motto—- To Deliver the Poor that Cry” And Wee do hereby Grant and Establish that the Directors of the said Body corporate shall consist of twelve Governors for the time being and Forty eight Members constituting a Court of Assistants and all other Subscribers being Musicians to be called Members of the said Society and so accounted and called during Life except by the Statutes of the said Society hereafter to be made any of them shall be duly removed And for the better Execution of this our Grant Wee do Nominate Constitute and Appoint James Blake Adams, Thomas Billington, John Danby, James Fisin, Jon Gwillim, George Griffin, James Holmes, John Howles, Gregoria Patria, John Peter Salomon, John Sale, and Francis Phillips, to be the first twelve Governors for the time being of the said Corporation under this our Grant and Benjamin Cooke, Charles Burney, Samuel Arnold, Edmund Ayrton, Frederick Nicolay, John Beard, Thomas Gladwin, Theodore Aylward, Thomas Saunders Dupuis, John Crosdill, William Cramer, John Christian Smith, William Hodson, William Crouch, Philip Eiffert, Samuel Baumgarten, John Jones, William Jenkins, George Courtup, David Richards, John Evans, John Richards, Charles Scola, Francis Hackwood, John Asbridge, Thomas Gray, Robert Rawlings, Thomas Kaye, John Christian Luther, John Ashley, William Burnett, John Long, John Parke, William Jones, Edward Marley, James Smith, Benjamin Blake, William Parkinson, Thomas Hogg, Thomas Shaw Junior, William Forster, Charles Knyvett, William Dance, Henry Condell, William Sheild, George Jackson, John Buckley and William Parsons, to be the Court of Assistants for Life Except as before Excepted And Wee do hereby Direct that the said Governors and Court of Assistants and all Persons hereafter to be appointed Governors and Court of Assistants shall in all Things Aid advise and assist in the affairs of Business for the better Regulation and Government of the said Royal Society of Musicians and the proper Distribution of the Monies arising from the Fund for the Support and Relief of decayed Musicians being Members of the said Society and their Families And Wee further Give and Grant to the said Society that they shall and may from time to time assemble together in any Convenient Place in London or within Ten Miles thereof as the said Governors and Court of Assistants shall appoint by Summons or other Notice which they are by these presents impowered and required timely to issue for that Purpose to all the Members of the said Society and that they being so met shall have full Power to make Constitute and Ordain such Statutes Bye Lawes and Ordinances which shall appear to them to be good necessary and expedient for the Government Order and Regulation of the said Society and every Member thereof and for effectually carrying into Execution the Charitable Purposes and Intentions thereof and at their Will and Pleasure to revoke change and alter the same or any of them and the said Statutes Bye Lawes and Ordinances not being repugnant to the Laws and Statutes of this our Realm shall and may be effectually observed and kept and to do all other Things concerning the Government Estate or Estates and Revenues of the said Society In Witness whereof wee have caused these our Letters to be made patent Witness ourself at Westminster this twenty sixth day of August in the thirtieth Year of our Reign.

By Writ of Privy Seal

Wilmot”

The Charter’s seal