The Portraits and Founders of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland
The Society was first discussed on the 14th November 1780 when the Right Honourable the Earl of Buchan invited "the following Noblemen and Gentlemen to his house, where he explained, in a pertinent discourse, the general plan and intention of the proposed Association.
| Right Honourable Lord Hope | Sir James Stewart-Denham, Baronet | |||
| Honourable Henry Erskine | ♦ | Mr John Syme | ||
| ♦ | Allan Maconochie, Esquire | Honourable Baron Maule | ||
| Honourable Lord Kames | Sir William Forbes, Baronet | |||
| Honourable Lord Hailes | John Swinton, Esquire | |||
| ♦ | William Tytler, Esquire | ♦ | Andrew Crosbie, Esquire | |
| ♦ | Hugo Arnot, Esquire | George Clerk-Maxwell, Esquire | ||
| Sir John Dalrymple, H.M. Baronet | Sir James Foulis, Baronet | |||
| David Erskine | Reverend Dr Henry | |||
| John Davidson, Esquire | ♦ | Charles Hay, Esquire | ||
| Reverend Dr Blair | Mr John McGowan | |||
| James Colquhoun, Esquire | ♦ | Alexander Wight, Esquire | ||
| ♦ | Mr William Smellie | Mr George Paton | ||
| Honourable James Erskine | Dr Gilbert Stuart | |||
| ♦ | Mr James Cummyng | ♦ | Mr William Creech | |
| ♦ | Mr John Balfour | ♦ | Mr Thomas Philips | |
| John Caw, Esquire | ♦ | Mr John Donaldson | ||
| ♦ | Mr John Williams | Mr Alexander Brown | ||
| James Boswell, Esquire | " |
Only those with a diamond (♦) adjacent were able to attend this meeting, but at a further meeting held on the 28th November 1780 "a considerable number of Gentlemen" met at the Earl of Buchan's house and agreed to meet on the 18th December 1780 in order to found "a regular and permanent body, under the designation of THE SOCIETY OF THE ANTIQUARIES OF SCOTLAND". On that day they elected the following as Officers of the Society:
| President | The Right Honourable the Earl of Bute | ||
| 1st Vice-President | The Right Honourable the Earl of Buchan | ||
| 2nd Vice-President | Sir John Dalrymple-Hamilton McGill, Baronet | ||
| 3rd Vice-President | John Swinton of Swinton, Esquire | ||
| 4th Vice-President | Alexander Wight, Esquire | ||
| 5th Vice-President | William Tytler of Woodhouselee, Esquire | ||
| Treasurer | Sir William Forbes of Pitsligo, Baronet | ||
| Secretary | Mr James Cummyng |
The Society was incorporated by Royal Charter in 1783. A full historical account of the Society's beginnings can be found in the opening pages of the first volume of the Transactions of the Society, called Archaeologia Scotica, written by William Smellie and published in 1792.
Current Council
Laws of the Society
Patron and Honorary Fellows of the Society
Website Portraits
The Society website features the portraits of several of the Founders and other original Office Bearers of the Society:
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David Steuart Erskine, 11th Earl of Buchan (1742-1829) by John Brown © Society of Antiquaries of Scotland on loan to the Scottish National Portrait Gallery Antiquary and Founder and Vice-President of the Society 1780 Benefactor to the Scottish National Portrait Gallery and the Edinburgh University Library |
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William Smellie (1740-1795) by George Watson © Society of Antiquaries of Scotland on loan to the Scottish National Portrait Gallery Master Printer, Naturalist, Antiquary and Superintendent of Natural History of the Society 1780 Compiler of the first Encyclopædia Britannica |
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James Cummyng (1732-1793) by John Brown © Society of Antiquaries of Scotland on loan to the Scottish National Portrait Gallery Secretary to the Society 1780 Herald Painter in 1770 and Lyon Clerk Depute 1770-1773 (this link opens a 3.57Mb pdf file) |
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Sir William Forbes of Pitsligo, Baronet (1739-1806) by Sir Joshua Reynolds © Scottish National Portrait Gallery Banker, Author and Treasurer of the Society 1780 |
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John Brown (1749-1787) with Alexander Runciman, artist (1736-1785) self portrait by Alexander Runciman © Society of Antiquaries of Scotland on loan to the Scottish National Portrait Gallery John Brown was an artist and Latin Secretary to the Society 1781 |
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Alexander Drummond (1758-1815) by John Brown © Society of Antiquaries of Scotland on loan to the Scottish National Portrait Gallery Teacher of French and French Secretary to the Society 1781 |
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William Tytler of Woodhouselee, Esquire (1711-1792) by John Beugo after Sir Henry Raeburn © Scottish National Portrait Gallery Historian, Writer to the Signet and Vice President of the Society 1780 |
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Alexander Henry Rhind of Sibster, Esquire (1833-1863) by Alexander S Mackay 1874 |
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