The Askesian Society — was a debating club for scientific thinkers in London (1796-1807). The name was taken from the Greek term ''

Askesis Asceticism (; from the el, ἄσκησις, áskesis, exercise', 'training) is a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from sensual pleasures, often for the purpose of pursuing spiritual goals. Ascetics may withdraw from the world for their p ...

'', meaning 'training' or 'application'.

History

Founded on 23 March

1796 Events January–March * January 16 – The first Dutch (and general) elections are held for the National Assembly of the Batavian Republic. (The next Dutch general elections are held in 1888.) * February 1 – The capital ...

in London.''Torrens H. S.'' The Askesian Society and the British mineralogists. In. The making of the Geological Society of London. London: GSL,2009. P. 135-141 It was founded by William Allen, who allowed the use of his laboratory at No. 2 Plough Court for the society's scientific experiments. The other two principal founders were Richard Phillips and

William Haseldine Pepys William Haseldine Pepys FGS FRS (23 March 1775 – 17 August 1856) (or William Hasledine Pepys - both versions were used during his lifetime) was an English scientist and founder of learned institutions who contributed significantly to the advan ...

, both Quakers from the Lombard Street area. The club was formed to fill the void after the departure of

Bryan Higgins Bryan Higgins (1741 – 1818) was an Irish natural philosopher in chemistry. He was born in Collooney, County Sligo, Ireland. His father (d. 1777) was also called Dr. Bryan Higgins. Higgins entered the University of Leiden in 1765, whence he ...

and his chemistry lectures. Members had to present a paper or pay a fine, which led to

Luke Howard Luke Howard, (28 November 1772 – 21 March 1864) was a British manufacturing chemist and an amateur meteorologist with broad interests in science. His lasting contribution to science is a nomenclature system for clouds, which he proposed i ...

's 1802 presentation ''On The Modification of Clouds'', which established the still used terms "stratus," "cumulus," and "cirrus." They often held theatres for "laughing gas evenings", where members would watch as fellows would sup nitrous oxide and stumble around the stage. The Society disbanded in 1807, with many of its members going on to join the

Mineralogical Society The Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland began in 1876. Its main purpose is to disseminate scientific knowledge of the Mineral Sciences (mineralogy) as it may be applied to the fields of crystallography, geochemistry, petrology, envi ...

, the Geological Society, the Linnean Society and the Royal Society of London.

References

* Richard Hamblyn - ''The Invention of Clouds'' (2001) {{authority control Organizations established in 1796 1807 disestablishments Scientific societies based in the United Kingdom 1796 establishments in Great Britain