Royal Society of Musicians

The Royal Society of Musicians of Great Britain is a charity in the United Kingdom that supports musicians. It is the oldest music-related charity in Great Britain, founded in 1738 as the Fund for Decay'd Musicians by a declaration of trust signed by 228 musicians, including Edward Purcell, Thomas Arne, William Boyce, Richard Carter, Johann Christoph Pepusch, Hilda Wilson, Dr. John Worgan, and George Frideric Handel. It still operates a bank account at Drummonds Bank which was opened by its first secretary, Michael Christian Festing, in November 1738.