Fellows <strong>of</strong> the Royal Society who are or were Freemasons, listed alphabetically Everest, Capt George, FRS [8 Mar 1827], later [1861] Colonel Sir George Everest (4 Jul 1790–1 Dec 1866), Welsh Surveyor and Geographer. Born in the Manor <strong>of</strong> Gwernvale, Crickhowell, Powys, 4 Jul 1790, he was commissioned into the Royal Artillery and in 1818, Lt Everest was appointed as Asst to Colonel William LamBton (1756–1823), 195 surveyor, geodesist, and founder <strong>of</strong> the GTSI in 1806 that lasted several decades. On LamBton’s death in 1823, he succeeded to the post <strong>of</strong> superintendent <strong>of</strong> the survey and in 1830 was appointed Surveyor-Gen <strong>of</strong> India. Largely responsible for completing the section <strong>of</strong> the Great Trigonometrical Survey <strong>of</strong> India [GTSI] along the meridian arc from the south <strong>of</strong> India extending north to Nepal, a distance <strong>of</strong> approximately 1,491 miles (2,400 kilometres). In 1865, Mount Everest was named in his honour despite his objections. It was surveyed by his successor, Maj-Gen Andrew Scott Waugh (1810–1878), who started work on the GTSI as a young <strong>of</strong>ficer in 1832, 2 years after Everest had been appointed Surveyor-Gen. Retired in 1843 and returned to live in the United Kingdom and, 1862, elected V-Pres, Royal Geographical Socy. Died at Greenwich, 1 Dec 1866, and bur in St Andrew’s Church, Hove, near Brighton, Sussex. Initiated (probably), on unknown date, in Neptune L. No. 441, Penang. 196 Joined, 20 Feb 1829, Prince <strong>of</strong> Wales’s L. No. 493, now No. 259, London; membership ceased before his death. 195 He was born and educated in Northallerton, Yorkshire. He entered Lord Fauconberg’s Foot Regiment in 1781 and was transferred to the 1st Battalion Duke <strong>of</strong> Wellington’s Regiment, becoming a lieutenant in 1794. He served in New Brunswick and the Cape Province, before the regiment moved on to Bengal, and then to Madras (now Chennai) in 1798. 196 Prince <strong>of</strong> Wales’s Island, Malay Peninsular, East Indies. Records for Neptune L. are incomplete, so it is not possible to confirm his date <strong>of</strong> Initiation, &c [Message from Mrs Diane Clements to the compiler, 20 Jul 2009]. 40
Fellows <strong>of</strong> the Royal Society who are or were Freemasons, listed alphabetically F Fallows, The Revd Fearon, FRS [8 Jun 1820] (4 Jul 1789–25 Jul 1831), astronomer, son <strong>of</strong> John and Rebecca Fallows. Born in Cockermouth, apprenticed in the handloom weaving trade, which his father’s family had followed. ‘His father was <strong>of</strong> scholarly disposition and appreciating the boy’s quick intelligence and aptitude for learning, made sure that his son had the best education that could be obtained for him. Both father and son were interested in mathematics and even before formal tuition on the youth’s behalf was secured, they made considerable progress in that subject.’ Did well in his studies, became Asst to the Headmaster <strong>of</strong> Plumbland School, helped by The Revd H. A. Hervcy, Vicar <strong>of</strong> Bridekirk, and ‘that a patron readily financed his further education’. Educ at St John’s Coll, Cambridge (BA, 1813, as 3 rd Wrangler, 197 MA, 1816). Lectured in mathematics at Corpus Christi Coll for 2 years, followed by election as a Fellow <strong>of</strong> St John’s Coll, during which period he was ordained in the Church <strong>of</strong> England, as Deacon, 1815, and Priest, 1819. Appointed, on the recommendation <strong>of</strong> Herschel, 26 Oct 1820, Dir, Astronomical Observatory, Cape <strong>of</strong> Good Hope, South Africa, by the Commrs for Longitude. When he arrived, selected an appropriate site for building the observatory, prepared plans, though the construction work was not started until 1825 nor completed until 1829, just 2 years before his death. In the meantime, with the assistance <strong>of</strong> his wife, Mary Anne Hervey, whom he had married, 1821, shortly before sailing with her for South Africa, 4 May 1821, in sometimes trying circumstances, he meticulously catalogued the 273 southern stars, the results being eventually published in the Transactions <strong>of</strong> the RAS, 1824. Died at the Observatory, after contracting scarlet fever and was bur in front <strong>of</strong> the main building. Their only son died young Initiated, 28 Dec 1818, Cambridge New L. No. 549, Cambridge, Dep Chap, 1820, resigning 1820, 2 years before it was renamed L. School <strong>of</strong> Plato. Faye, Charles De La, 198 FRS [4 Nov 1725] (?–11 Dec 1763), Public Servant, Under-Sec <strong>of</strong> State to successive Secs <strong>of</strong> State for the Northern Dept 199 and later to Duke <strong>of</strong> Newcastle [qv, below], Sec <strong>of</strong> State for Southern Dept 4 Apr 1724–10 Feb 1746. Member, L. No. 3, 200 at Horn Tavern, Westminster, London; suffered serious illness, 1733. Wrote The Fellow Craft’s Song, included in first edn <strong>of</strong> Dr James Anderson’s Constitutions, p. 83, and 2 nd edn, 203–4. 201 Wrote 2 letters dated 15 and 18 Oct 1731 from Hampton Ct to 1 st Earl <strong>of</strong> Waldegrave, detailing arrangements for the Duke <strong>of</strong> Lorraine’s visit to England. Fermi, Enrico FRS [ 27 July 1950] (29 September 1901 – 28 November 1954). Physicist. Italian, particularly remembered for his work on the development <strong>of</strong> the first nuclear reactor, and for his contributions to the development <strong>of</strong> quantum theory, nuclear and particle physics, and statistical mechanics. Awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1938 for his work on induced radioactivity, Fermium, a synthetic element created in 1952, the Fermi National Accelerator Lab, the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, and a type <strong>of</strong> particles called fermions are named after him. Became a member <strong>of</strong> Adriano Lemmi Lodge Rome in 1923 Fermor, Captain The Hon Thomas William, FRS [14 Mar 1805], FSA [9 Apr 1804], later [7 Apr 1830] Lt-Gen 4 th Earl <strong>of</strong> Pomfret (22 Nov 1770–29 Jun 1833), brother <strong>of</strong> George Fermor, 3 rd Earl <strong>of</strong> Pomfret (1768–1830), first ProvGM for Northamptonshire, 27 Jan 1798–1800. Ensign, 3 rd Foot Guards (Scots Guards) 18 Nov 1790; Lt and Capt 10 Feb 1794; Capt and Lt-Col 16 Mar 1800; Col in the Army 25 Jul 1810; served with his regt in Flanders 1793, the Irish Rebellion 1798, the Expedition to the Helder 1799 and in the Peninsular War 1809–13, commdg 1 st Bn 1809–12 and Guards Brigade 1812–13; received Gold Medal after the Battle <strong>of</strong> Salamanca 22 Jul 1812; Hon Kt Cdr, Tower and Sword <strong>of</strong> Portugal; Maj-Gen, 4 Jun 1813; Lt-Gen, 27 May 1825. Initiated 1792, L. <strong>of</strong> Friendship No. 3, now No. 6. Joined 2 London Ls.: 1798, GStwds’ L., resigning 1807; and 23 Oct 1811, L. <strong>of</strong> Antiquity No. 1, now No. 2, resigning 1826. GStwd 1798. SGW, PGL, 1799. 197 The 1st Wrangler was John Frederick William Herschel, FRS [27 May 1813] (7 Mar 1792–11 May 1871), later [1838] Sir John Herschel, 1 st Bt, KH, Master <strong>of</strong> the Mint. The 2nd Wrangler was George Peacock, FRS [29 Jan 1818] (9 Apr 1791–8 Nov 1858), Tutor in Mathematics, Trinity Coll, Cambridge, 1823–39; Lowndean Pr<strong>of</strong> <strong>of</strong> Astronomy and Geometry, Cambridge Univ, 1837–58; Dean <strong>of</strong> Ely, 1839–58. ‘Wrangler’ is the name given in the Univ <strong>of</strong> Cambridge to those who have attained the 1st Class in the public mathematical honours examination. The word itself is derived from the public disputations in which candidates for degrees were, in former times, required to exhibit their powers. 198 Variously given as De La, De la and de la, before Faye. 199 Charles Townshend, 2 nd Viscount Towenshend, 17 Sep 1714–early Dec 1716 and 10 Feb 1721–16 May 1730; James Stanhope, 1 st Viscount Stanhope, 12 Dec 1716–Apr 1717 and 18–21 Mar 1718– 4 Feb 1721, and Charles Spencer, 3 rd Earl <strong>of</strong> Sunderland, 12 Apr 1717–2 Mar 1718. 200 Time Immemorial L., being No. 4 <strong>of</strong> the Four Old Ls., changing its no. to 2 in 1740 and to 4 1814; 1st met at Rummer and Grapes, Channel Row, Westminster, London, before its move to Horn Tavern 1723, where it remained until 1767 when it changed to Fleece, Tothill Street, with 5 subsequent moves. The L. was erased 3 Apr 1747, restored 1751, named Old Horn L. 1767 after amalgamation with Somerset House L. No. 229 [No. 279 <strong>of</strong> 22 May 1762], 10 Jan 1774, Somerset House L. and adopted its present name after amalgamation with Royal Inverness L. No. 648 [<strong>of</strong> 1814], 25 Nov 1828 [Lane, 35]. 201 Where he is referred to as ‘Charles de la Fay’. 41
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