Society for Nautical Research


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:
The society celebrated its centenary in 2010

Patron and President

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.

List of the Fellows of the Society for Nautical Research

The first class of Fellows of the Society was created in 2015 and as at January 2017 consisted of the following individuals:
Former Fellow of the Society :
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:
Since 2010, the Society has been a co-sponsor of the annual Alan Villiers Memorial Lecture at Oxford.