Talk:George Canning, 1st Baron Garvagh

The Royal Society
Does anyone know WHY George Canning was elected a fellow of the Royal Society in 1810? I actually wrote to the Royal Society a few years ago to ask them, but they don't know (either). The London based Royal Society was and is generally associated with scientific achievements and discoveries, but of course in 1810 the country had been at war with France for nearly twenty years, so decision processes in national institutions of this kind may, like so much else, have been on a "war footing" at the time. In other words, Canning's contribution to the greater good may have been associated more with political or diplomatic achievement than with some otherwise (at least to me) unevidenced starring role in the world of science.

Any and all further information on the whys of "Irish" George Canning's fellowship of the RS would be gratefully noted. And almost certainly deserves to be included in this entry. Thank you (if you did) for reading this and for sharing your insights on the matter. Charles01 (talk) 14:58, 22 December 2010 (UTC)