Abstract :
The name of Sir Joseph Banks (1743–1820) is well known in scientific and exploration circles – he is
undeservedly much less well known as an antiquary. This study considers his roles in relation to the
premier antiquarian society of the time, the Society of Antiquaries of London. Using the Society’s
records, Sir Joseph Banks is considered as an ordinary Fellow, as a member of Council, as
an auditor of the finances and as a scrutator at elections. The relations between the Royal and
Antiquarian Societies on first moving into Somerset House and the contemporary question of whether
they might have merged is also examined. Joseph Banks’s role in the circumstances of the three
contested presidential elections of 1785, 1799 and 1812 is especially considered, and these are seen not
just to represent internal squabbling amongst the Fellows, but to reflect the wider social and political
strains of the time. In producing the narrative of these elections, significant past mistakes are
corrected. Lastly the relationship between George III and the Society of Antiquaries is touched upon
