 On 11 June 1874 the Victoria Rooms hosted a meeting to promote what was described as a College of Science and Literature for the West of England and South Wales, which became University College, Bristol, an educational institution which existed from 1876 to 1909.It was the predecessor institution to the University of Bristol, which gained a Royal Charter in 1909.The meeting was attended by the then President of the British Association and Sir William Thompson (later Lord Kelvin).