Royal Institution for its founding were given by the Society for Bettering the Conditions and Improving the Comforts of the Poor, under the guidance of philanthropist Sir Thomas Bernard and American-born British scientist Sir Benjamin Thompson, Count Rumford. Since its founding it has been based at 21 Albemarle Street in Mayfair. Its Royal Charter was granted in 1800. Throughout its history, the Institution has supported public engagement with science through a programme of lectures, many of which continue today. The most famous of these are the annual Royal Institution Christmas Lectures, founded by Michael Faraday. The Royal Institution was founded as the
Humphrey Bowring and then the battleship HMS "Centurion". He was appointed Commander-in-Chief, Coast of Scotland in 1926 and retired in 1929. He lived at Plympton in Devon. In 1924 he married Rose Dalby. Humphrey Bowring Admiral Humphrey Wykeham Bowring CB DSO (18 April 1874 – 21 February 1952) was a Royal Navy officer who became Commander-in-Chief, Coast of Scotland. Born the son of the industrialist John Charles Bowring, Bowring joined the Royal Navy as a cadet in 1887, took part in the Witu expedition in 1890 and was promoted to Lieutenant in 1895. He served in World War I as Captain of