1868–1958 What is now the Royal Commonwealth Society was founded in 1868 as a non-political,
learned organisation. A
royal charter was granted in 1869, and a
clubhouse opened in 1885. The Society's name slowly evolved – from
The Colonial Society (1868–1869), to
The Royal Colonial Society (1869–1870), to
The Royal Colonial Institute (1870–1928), to
The Royal Empire Society (1928–1958). The Royal Commonwealth Society was the name adopted in 1958. The Society may be seen from early on to have been
progressive in its time towards
equality and diversity. A woman was first invited by The Royal Colonial Institute to read a
research paper in 1894, and The Royal Colonial Institute was one of the first learned organisations to admit women as full
Fellows, in 1922. The identity of the Society was for more than a hundred years bound up with its
library. At a meeting on 26 June 1868,
Chichester Parkinson-Fortescue recommended "the formation of a colonial library, to which all interested in the welfare of the colonies should have access," an aim affirmed by the Society's first elected chairman,
Viscount Bury. The Society's first librarian was appointed in 1869, and the first salaried librarian, Australian-born
Joseph Sylvester O'Halloran, in 1885. The person mainly responsible for the Library's remarkable development and international reputation was Evans Lewin, Master Librarian for thirty-six years, 1910–1946. The Society's Library quickly increased in size and reputation, and the organisation moved in 1885 to 18–21
Northumberland Avenue in London. The site was completely rebuilt in 1936 to the design of architect Sir
Herbert Baker, providing a greatly extended Library. On the night of 10/11 May 1941, the hardest night of the Blitz, the Northumberland Avenue address was again severely damaged. The Society persevered, adopting the "
business as usual" motto characteristic of Britons targeted in the Blitz. The subsequent issue of the Society's journal
United Empire, May–June 1941, reported the resumption of activities including its Saturday afternoon dances for members of the Overseas Armed Forces. Determined attempts were made to replace the Library's losses, drawing helpful donations from institutions and individuals, and an award from the
War Damage Commission, but many items proved irreplaceable. Enthusiasm may seem to have surrounded the Commonwealth in the 1950s, but political tides began to flow against the Society; for example,
newsroom space was taken for the fledgling
Voluntary Service Overseas (1961–1963), which began life under the wing of the Royal Commonwealth Society.
The Contemporary Review described the collection as "the most comprehensive single source for the history of the world's greatest empire from its 16th century beginnings to its present fifty-nation Commonwealth". From 1956 to 1987 the society's librarian was Donald Simpson (1920–2002), who had joined the staff in 1945. He was in advance of other librarians of his time in recognising the importance of photographs and ensured that photographic collections were identified and catalogued. He was the author of
Dark Companions (1975), a book about the indigenous associates of explorers. From the late 1960s, however, increasing financial problems, combined with severe
flood damage, led to the conclusion that it was no longer viable for the Society to maintain its Library. Cambridge University Library acquired the Library's collection in 1993. There had been a sign of things to come when a notable chairman of the Library, Sir
Alan Burns (who in 1948 had published a study called
Colour Prejudice, a groundbreaking contribution to the subject), resigned from his post in protest at the Society's attempt to sell off Library books in order to supplement its income. This building was sold and the Society purchased a former bank building next door at 25 Northumberland Avenue, but with no accommodation. By 2012, financial pressures again presented a challenge. The Society found it necessary in 2013 to sell its headquarters at 25 Northumberland Avenue, and it moved in 2014 to a new London office on
Pall Mall, with a view to focusing on its
charitable work. Through its
educational,
youth and
outreach programmes, the Society aims to encourage young people to develop skills and, with an increased understanding of their role as
global citizens, to engage with challenges facing the international community. It aims to bring alive the principles of the modern Commonwealth
tolerance,
diversity,
freedom,
justice,
democracy,
human rights, and
sustainable development to a generation living in an increasingly interconnected world. Society projects aim to enable young people to engage with their counterparts across the Commonwealth in
youth leadership programmes, and
creative writing and
film-making projects. Through its charitable programmes and its international network, the Society's remit is to work towards the continued growth and resilience of Commonwealth
civil society. The Society is one of three bodies supporting The
Queen's Commonwealth Canopy, a project launched in 2015 to preserve and promote forested areas throughout the Commonwealth. The Society's Hong Kong office was opened in 1983 and has existed outside of the Commonwealth realm since 1997. The Hong Kong branch's cultural and charitable activities are of sufficient importance that its Chairmen are often recognised with appointment to the Order of the British Empire for their services to the Commonwealth community in Hong Kong. There is also a branch of the Royal Commonwealth Society in the
Republic of Ireland, due to Ireland's history as part of both the British Empire and the Commonwealth until 18 April 1949 when the
Republic of Ireland Act 1948 came into effect. ==References==