Editing Lunar Society of Birmingham (section)

===Decline 1789–1813===
[[File:Priestley Riots painting.jpg|thumb|The [[Priestley riots]] of 1791]]
The outbreak of the [[French Revolution]] in 1789 caused political strains between members of the society,<ref name="Schofield 1966 157">{{Harvnb|Schofield|1966|p=157}}</ref> but it was the [[Priestley riots]] of 1791 in Birmingham itself that saw a decisive falling off of the society's spirit and activities.<ref>{{Harvnb|Schofield|1963|p=214}}</ref> [[Joseph Priestley]] himself was driven from the town, leaving England entirely for the United States in 1794, [[William Withering]]'s house was invaded by rioters and [[Matthew Boulton]] and [[James Watt]] had to arm their employees to protect the Soho Manufactory.<ref name="Schofield 1966 157"/> Lunar meetings were continued by the younger generation of the families of earlier Lunar members, including [[Gregory Watt]], [[Matthew Robinson Boulton]], [[Thomas Wedgwood (photographer)|Thomas Wedgwood]] and [[James Watt junior]], and possibly [[Samuel Tertius Galton]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Schofield|1966|pp=157–158}}</ref> Regular meetings are recorded into the nineteenth century – eight in 1800, five or six before August 1801 and at least one in 1802,<ref name="Robinson 1962 156"/> while as late as 1809 [[Leonard Horner]] was describing "the remnant of the Lunar Society" as being "very interesting".<ref name="Robinson 1962 156"/> While individual members continued to produce work of importance, however, the collaborative activity that marked the heyday of the society was noticeably absent.<ref>{{Harvnb|Schofield|1966|p=158}}</ref>

The society had definitely collapsed by 1813, however: in August of that year [[Samuel Galton, Jr.]] is recorded as having won a ballot for possession of the scientific books from the society's library.<ref name="Robinson 1962 160"/>