The Society for Nautical Research was founded in 1910 by Charles Napier Robinson to promote the academic field of maritime history in the United Kingdom.
The aims of the society were to:
support and encourage research in maritime history and underwater archaeology.
publish the pre-eminent academic journal for maritime history, The Mariner's Mirror.
sponsor events and conferences
purchase art and artifacts for the National Maritime Museum, which the Society helped to found.
fund special projects, such as the preservation of HMS Victory, one of the original aims of the society at its foundation.
The society celebrated its centenary in 2010
Patron and President
Patron: HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, KG, KT
President: HRH The Duke of York, KG, GCVO, CD, ADC(P)
Vice-Presidents:
Alan Aberg, BA, FSA, FRGS
Cdr John Bingeman, CEng, MIMechE, RN
Jonathan Coad, MA, FSA
Professor Eric Grove, MA, PhD, FRHistS
Professor Richard Harding, BA, PhD, FRHistS
Professor Derek G Law, MA, FIInfos, FLA, FKC
Lt Cdr Lawrie Phillips, RD, TD, RNR
Dr Susan Rose, MA, PhD, FRHistS
Dr Pieter van der Merwe, MBE, DL
Chairman: Admiral Sir Kenneth Eaton, GBE, KCB, BA, FREng
Hon. Editor, Mariner's Mirror: Dr Martin Bellamy
Hon. Secretary: Dr A. Byrne McLeod, PhD
Hon. Treasurer: Dr Peter Nash, PhD
In 2011, the Chairman of the Society, Admiral Sir Kenneth Eaton suggested in his "The Way Forward" report that the Society create a system of fellowships, similar to that of other Learned societies, as a means of recognition, using the Post-nominal letters "FSNR". Eaton initially asked a small group to carry forward the idea and the result was a report to which the Society's Council agreed and the idea was put forward to the Annual General Meeting. It was agreed that election as a Fellow of the Society would be in recognition of the outstanding role that an individual had played in furthering the objectives of the Society as set forth in its constitution. This might be for long service as an officer or member of the Council, as an officer of the Society's committees, as an outstanding contributor to its publications, or as a member whose achievements in the field of maritime studies merit recognition.
The first class of Fellows of the Society was created in 2015 and as at January 2017 consisted of the following individuals:
Alan Aberg, BA, FSA, FRGS
Richard Bateman, MA
Dr Martin Bellamy, BSc, PhD
John Bethell, MSc(Geog), MSc(InfoSc), FRGS
Cdr John Bingeman, CEng, MIMechE, RN
Jonathan Coad, MA, FSA
Dr John David Davies, MA, PhD, FRHistS
Admiral Sir Kenneth Eaton, GBE, KCB
Robert Gardiner
Lt Cdr Jock Gardner, MPhil, FRHistS
Professor Eric Grove, MA, PhD, FRHistS
Professor Richard Harding, BA, PhD, FRHistS
John H Harland, MD
Professor John Brewster Hattendorf, MA, DPhil, DLit, LHD, FRHistS
Rear Admiral John Richard Hill
Captain Peter Hore, FRHistS, RN
Brian Lavery, MA
Professor Derek G Law, MA, FIInfos, FLA, FKC
Margarette Lincoln, BA, PhD
Dr Campbell McMurray, OBE, BA, MSc, PhD
Dr Pieter van der Merwe, MBE, DL
Rear Admiral Roger Morriss, CB
Countess Mountbatten, CBE, MSC, CD
Professor Hugh Murphy, MA, PhD
Peter V Nash, MA, PhD, FRSA
Professor Derek J Oddy, BSc(Econ),PhD
Professor Sarah R. Palmer, BA, MA, PhD, FRHistS
Lt Cdr Lawrie Phillips, RD, TD, RNR
Rear Admiral David Pulvertaft, CB
Professor N.A.M. Rodger, MA, Dphil, FBA, FRHistS, FSA
Dr Susan Rose, MA, PhD, FRHistS
Lt Cdr F.J.M. Scott, MA, FNI, RN
Ann Shirley, Hon, DLitt
Ray Sutcliffe, FSA
Rif Winfield, BSc(Econ)
Peter Winterbottom
Jenny Wraight, BLib, MCILIP, FRSA
Former Fellow of the Society (now deceased):
Alan P McGowan, MA, PhD
The Society invited a small group of leading maritime historians in other countries, who were also members of the Society, to act as liaison in their own countries and to correspond with news of activities and events of interest to the membership to be published in the Society's newsletter. The current Overseas Corresponding Members are:
Australia: Rear Admiral James Goldrick, Royal Australian Navy
Belgium:
Canada: William Glover, PhD
Denmark: Professor Poul Holm
Finland: Tapio Bergholm, PhD
France: Rear Admiral Jean-Yves Nerzic, French Navy
Ireland: Seán T. Rickard, MA
The Netherlands: Ron Brand, MA
Norway: Professor Stig Tenold
Spain: Laureano Carbonell Relat, PhD
The United States: Professor John B. Hattendorf, DPhil, DLitt
Ernest Dade, maritime artist and model maker
Mariner's Mirror (1911-date), quarterly ISSN 0025-3359
Newsletter: Topmasts
Since 2010, the Society has been a co-sponsor of the annual Alan Villiers Memorial Lecture at Oxford.
