Flashback

I would like to claim a record for continuous family membership of the Royal Society of Chemistry (or its founder societies), namely at least 118 years.

I don’t know when my grandfather H E Armstrong joined the Chemical Society, but he first served on Council in 1873, was secretary for 18 years, president for two years, and with only short intervals remained a member of Council for the rest of his life. He died in 1937. 

I joined the Institute of Chemistry in 1944, spent 14 years in three sessions on the Royal Institute of Chemistry Council and several years on the Chemical Society Council as a Royal Institute of Chemistry nominee. I served for five years on the RSC Council. 

The gap between 1937 and 1944 is filled by my uncle E F Armstrong, who was a member of both the Chemical Society and the Institute of Chemistry and served on the Councils of both. He died in 1945.

Letter from L M Miall, Barham, Canterbury, in  Chemistry in Britain (July 1991) in response to an earlier letter in May 1991 from M W Ramsay claiming a century of society membership from his father, himself and his brother. 

Ed. Dr Miall died in 1996 and so, at the time of his death, his family had continuous membership for at least 123 years. 

In a letter to  Chemistry in Britainlater in December 1991, Professor Wilson Baker claimed a record of 110 years for continuous father-son membership. 

Can any of our readers beat these records for continuous family chemical society membership?