Charter of the 7th year of the reign of Victoria, 14th September 1843
TitleCharter of the 7th year of the reign of Victoria, 14th September 1843
ReferenceRCS-GOV/2/8/3
Level of descriptionfile
Date14 September 1843
Admin./ biographical historyBetween 1836 and 1840 several systems for examining Fellows had been tried and thought unsuitable. A College Committee was created and reported to Council in 1841, suggesting that Fellows should be admitted partly by election and partly by examination, and that the Fellows should act as an electorate for the Council and Examiners, who would continue to be elected for life. These changes required a new Charter, which the College applied for. Many members of the College had complained that the system of Council members electing members to the Council and Court of Examiners for life was undemocratic. The government agreed that the system needed updating and insisted that that the new Charter should end the system of election for life and that Council members should only be elected for 8 years. The Council reluctantly agreed to this in order to pass its scheme for creating Fellows. The Charter was hastened by the Home Secretary's Medical Bill of 1842, which included a clause that the College should be enabled to create a body of electors for the Council. A new provision was also added that the College's name should be changed from the 'the Royal College of Surgeons of London' to ‘the Royal College of Surgeons of England’.
Scope and ContentThe main provisions of this Charter are: the College's name is changed from the 'the Royal College of Surgeons of London' to ‘the Royal College of Surgeons of England’; the President, Vice-Presidents, Council Members and 250-300 members of the College will be elected Fellows of the College within the next three months; further Fellows will be created by examination; the Fellows will elect members of Council; the number of Council members will be increased to 24; the present Council members will remain in office for life but new Council members will remain in office for only 8 years; only Fellows of the College who do not practice pharmacy or midwifery and live within 5 miles of the London Central Post Office will be elected to Council; the present members of the Court of Examiners will remain in office for life, but new Examiners will be elected from the Fellows and remain in office at the Council’s pleasure.
Extent1 document
LanguageEnglish
Conditions governing accessBy appointment only. See College website for contact details of the Archives.
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