The Yorkshire Philosophical Society (YPS) is a charitable learned society aimed at promoting the natural sciences, archaeology and history. The society was formed in York in December 1822 by James Atkinson, William Salmond, Anthony Thorpe and William Vernon.[1][2]
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In 1828 the society was given, by royal grant, some of the grounds of St Mary's Abbey including the ruins of the abbey.[3] On this land the society constructed a number of buildings including the Yorkshire Museum built to house the society's geological and archaeological collections and opened in 1830. Landscape architect Sir John Murray Naysmith was commissioned by the society to create a botanical gardens around the museum during the 1830s.
The Yorkshire Philosophical Society is registered charity,[4] and has an open subscription-based membership. The offices and reading room of the YPS are located in Museum Gardens Lodge in York.
The Society holds a series of free public lectures every year covering subjects including science, technology, history, archaeology and geography. Research grants are given by the society in connection with its area of interest and awards are available for archaeology students.