Lunar Society of Birmingham and their circle

Although the core set never numbered more than fourteen, The Lunar Society of Birmingham and their associates are remembered as the Fathers of the Industrial Revolution. A group of brilliant and skilled minds from a variety of backgrounds, they explored the possibilities of advancements in medicine, manufacturing and engineering. They were called the Lunar Society because they would meet for dinner and discussion on the Sunday nearest the full moon, allowing them to work late into the evening on their experiments, and make the most of the full moonlight for their journeys home. Among the members were many strong educational and anti slavery campaigners, such as the abolitionist Thomas Day, who ignited the slavery debate with his well know poem The Dying Negro (1773). Active from about 1765, this informal society would continue to hold meetings until the end of the century, as its members passionately worked on their ideas that would lead to social and economic reform.