FREEMASONS AND THE ROYAL SOCIETY Alphabetical List of ...

Fellows of the Royal Society who are or were Freemasons, listed alphabetically
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Varley, Cromwell Fleetwood FRS [8 Jun 1871] (6Apr 1828 – 2 Sep 1883). Telegraph engineer
Born in London, Varley joined the newly formed Electric Telegraph Company in 1846. Promoted to Chief
Engineer for London in 1852 and for the whole company in 1861. He devised the “Varley Loop Test” for locating
faults in the insulation of underground lines. As Chief Electrician was responsible for laying the first successful
Atlantic submarine cable. Founder Institution of Electrical Engineers. A convinced spiritualist.
Initiated on 3 Feb 1865 in Britannic Lodge No 33, passed on 10 Mar and raised on 5 May 1865. Joined Grand
Master’s Lodge No 1 on 18 Mar 1867
Ville-sur-Illon, Bernard Germain Etienne de La, Count of Lacépède, FRS [17 Apr 1806] (26 Dec 1756–6 Oct
1825), French composer and scientist, turned politician and naturalist, interested in herpetology and ichthyology.
Born in Agen, France, Curator at Royal Gardens, Paris, 1785. At the Revolution, Prof of Natural History at Le
Jardin des Plantes. Senator 1799, Pres, Senate, 1801, Minister of State, 1804, GChan of La Légion d’Honneur 1803–
14 & 15, and created a Baron by Louis XVIII. Removed from Peerage 24 Jul 1815; reinstated 5 Mar 1819.
Contributed to Buffon’s Histoire naturelle series, himself publishing Histoire naturelle des poisons (5 vols., 1798–
1803). 536
Member, L. Les Neuf Sœurs [Nine Muses], Paris.
Villiers, George, 2 nd and last Duke of Buckingham, KG, PC, FRS [Original Fellow, 5 Jun 1661] 537 (30 Jan 1628–16
Apr 1687), 2 nd , but eldest surviving, son of George Villiers, 1 st Duke of Buckingham, KG (1659–1628), baptized at
Wallingford House, Westminster, 14 Feb 1628.
Educ at Trinity Coll, Cambridge (MA, 1642). HC resolved, 7 Jul 1648 that he, and several others, be proscribed
and put to death. Nominated KG, 19 Sep 1649, at St Germain-en-Laye, though not installed until 15 Apr 1661.
Gentleman of the Bedchamber thrice 1650–74. Col, Regt of Horse, with which he fought in the Battle of Worcester, 3
Sep 1651, from which he escaped with difficulty to Holland. Bore the Orb at Charles II’s Coronation, 23 Apr 1661;
Ld-Lt, Yorkshire, WR, 1661–74, with a 9-month gap, 1677; Master of the Horse, 1668–74; High Stwd, City of
Oxford, 1669; Ambassador to Paris, 1670, 1671 and Jt Ambassador, 1672; Chan, Univ of Cambridge, 1671–74;
Keeper of Enfield Chace [sic], 1672–75, Lt-Gen of the Forces and Col of a Regt of Foot 1672–73; Ld of the Admlty
1673–74. One of the 5 Ministers of State, 1667–72 who formed the unpopular ‘Cabal’.
Married, 15 Sep 1657, at Bolton Percy, Yorkshire, Mary Fairfax (1638–1704), dau and heir of Thomas Fairfax, 3 rd
Baron Fairfax of Cameron (1611–1671), the celebrated Parliamentary Gen, but they had no children, so when he died
of a chill whilst out hunting, aged 59, 16 Apr 1687, at the house of one of his tenants in Kikby Moorside, North
Yorkshire, and was bur in the church there next day, though later, on 7 Jun that year, removed to Westminster Abbey,
all his titles became extinct, apart from the Barony of De Ros of Helmsley, that he had inherited from his mother,
which fell into abeyance.
GM, 1674–79. 538
Vincent, Edgar, 1 st and last Viscount D’Abernon, GCB, GCMG, PC, FRS [1 Nov 1934], later [2 Mar 1936] 16 th
and last Bt (19 Aug 1857–1 Nov 1941), Diplomat, of Esher Place, Surrey. Born at Slinfold, Sussex, 7 th and youngest
son, by his 2 nd wife, Mary Copley Young (†1899), of The Revd Sir Frederick Vincent, 11 th Bt (1798–1883), Rector of
Slinfold, 1884–68, and Preb of Chichester.
Educ at Eton 1870–74; joined Coldstream Guards, 1877, resigning as Lt, 1882. Private Sec to Commr of Eastern
Roumalia, 1880; Asst to HM Commr for evacuation of territory ceded to Greece, 1881. Various diplomatic posts;
MP, Exeter, 1899–1906; Chmn: Dominions Royal Commn, 1912; and Central Control Bd, 1915–20; Ambassador to
Berlin 1920–26. Created: 2 Jul 1914, Baron D’Abernon and 20 Feb 1926, Viscount D’Abernon. Trustee: Natl Gallery
and Tate Gallery; Chmn: Thoroughbred Horse Breeders’ Assn, the Lawn Tennis Assn 1926 (Pres, 1927–32); and of
the Museums Royal Commn 1928–29. Head of Br Economic Mission to the Argentine and Brazil, 1929; Chmn,
Medical Research Council, 1929–34; Member, Royal Mint Advisory Commee, 1931–34. Succeeded his brother as
16 th and last Bt. Author of three major works, including An Ambassador of Peace (3 vols.), 1929–31.
Married, 24 Sep 1890, Lady Helen Venetia Duncombe (†1954), 2 nd dau of William Ernest Duncombe, 1 st Earl of
Feversham (1829–1915) and his wife, Mabel Violet Graham (†1915), 2 nd dau of Sir James Robert George Graham,
2 nd Bt, GCB, PC (1792–1861), but they had no children. When he died without issue his titles became extinct.
Initiated 5 Sept 1878, then a Lt, Coldstream Guards, passed 7 Nov 1878 and raised 1 May 1879, Kaisar-i-Hind L.
No. 1724, London, resigning Nov 1880. Joined, 5 Dec 1900, Devonian L. No. 2834, London, resigning 9 Jan 1902.
Voltaire, François Marie Arouet [Aroyet] 539 de, FRS [3 Nov 1743] (21 Nov 1694–30 May 1778), French writer
and philosopher, ‘the embodiment of 18 th century Enlightenment’; his literary works cover some ninety volumes.
Born at Châtenay, near Sceaux, his early life was loose and varied.
536 Crystal, 539.
537 As given on the RS’s List of Names on its website, but as 20 May 1663 in GEC, Vol. NN, 394.
538 James Anderson, The New Book of Constitutions (1738), 105; GEC, Vol. II, 394–5.
539 As spelt in the RS’s List of Fellows on its website, but Arouet in other main sources, including Crystal, 964
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