Annual Report

ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR 1953 • ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST D ECEMBER, 1953 The Council presents its Ninety.fifth Report, and Statement of Accounts for 1953. (The Statement of Accounts will be circulated with the notice convening the Annual Genera.I Meeting.) ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING The Annual General Meeting was held at the Museum, Maidstone, on the 22nd April, 1953. The President in presenting the Report and Accounw for 1952 referred to ti'.􀄲e sustained interest in the archreology and history of the county as shown by the number of local societies now in existence and the interesting excavations in course of progress in several different parts of the county. He hoped that members would not relax their efforts to influence friends to join the County Society by interesting them in its aims and objects. After the luncheon adjournment, Dr. Felix Hull, the new County Council archivist, spoke on Kent County Archives, and Miss Anne Roper on the Cinque Ports and the Coronation. Both lectures were much appreciated. An exhibition by the President of the magnificent robes of a Coronation Baron of the Cinque Ports proved a great attraction. MEMBER.SHIP Fifty new members were elected during the year. The present membership is approximately 1,060. LIBRARY The following additions by gift or purchase were made during t he year to the Library: Ancient Herauiic Glass at Wickham Court, West W ickham, Kent, by the Rev. D. Ingram Hill, M.A., in collaboration with C. R. Councer, F.S.A. (Reprint from Journal of the British Soc'iety of Master Glass Painters, XI, 94-104) : gift of Mr. C.R. Councer, F.S.A. The Place Nannes of Cumber- 7,a;niJ,, English Place Name Society, vol. XXII: gift of Mr. B. W. Swithinbank, C.B.E. The North Downs Main Trackway and the Pilgrims' Way, by Ivan D. Margary, F.S.A. (Reprint from Archceological Journal, CIX, 39-53): gift of the author. The Story of Keston in Kent, by F. S. Gammon, London, 1934: gift of M.rs. E. V. Piercy Fox. A History of Darwin's Paruih, Downe, Kent, by 0. J. R. and Eleanor K. Howarth: gift; of Mrs. E. V. Piel'cy Fox. The OffwiaZ Guide to Faversham, by Sydney Wilson, Town Clerk: gift of the author. Town and, Port of Faversham 12 52-1952, Souvenir of the 700th Anniversary of the Grant of Henry III's Charter: gift of Mr. Sydney Wilson. Two plaster shields rescued by the donor during the demolition of the billiard room at Surrenden-Dering, 1953: gift· of Mr. Colin W. Walker, M.Inst.B.E., F.S.A.(Scot.). xl • REPORT, 11)53 ExCURSIONS A programme of exctu'Sions as follows was arranged during the year: Place Date Rochester City Satuxday, 25th April Headcorn, East ·sutton and Leeds Saturday, 20th June St. Margaret-at-Cliffe, East and West Langdon, St. Radigund'sAbbey S!i-turday, 25th July Ci·ayford, Bexley, Erith and Lesnes Abbey Saturday, 26th September The excursions all proved successful although the number of members taking part. was not so high as in some previous years. What promised to be an. interesting week-end meeting at Kingsgate College on Aspects of Military History of Kent had to be cancelled as the date of. the meeting clashed with Coronation arrangements. RECORDS BRANCH It was hoped during the year that Part IV of Feet of Fines would be issued to members. Unfortunately this proved impossible, but the printers are making good progress and unless there a.re any unforeseen a-ccidents Part IV should be issued within the next few months. ExcA VA'l:IONS. AND DISCOVERIES Canterbury The· work of the Canterbury Excavations Committee continued with excavations carried on under the direction of Mr. S. Frere at Easter and again for six weeks during the summer. A full report of the excavations· will appear in due course. Meanwhile reference must here be limited to the finding of more late Saxon material in Canterbury Lane, the recovery of more of the street plan of Roman Canterbury, and the investigation of pre-Roman and early Roman ribbon development west of the Stour crossing. Mr. F. Jenkins reports: During the course of constructing an access road to the new cattle market at St. Stephen's Road, the site of a Roman tilery with an associated pottery kiln was discovered. The results of excavations carried out by l\>Ir. Jenkins on behalf of the Canterbury Excavation Committee suggest that the two kilns were in use at some time within the period A.D. 130-150. · Another potter's kiln, found a few hundred yards to the north-east, can hardly be later than the time of Nero, and is probably nearer .A.n.50 than A.D.60. It is fortunate that a number of interesting structW'al features have survived. It is hoped to publish a full report, giving the results in more detail, in the neat· future. The Olerlc of the W orlcs to the Dean and Oltapter reports the uncovering, during 1962, in the course of the rebuilding of the Cathedral Library, of the Norman columns of the Great Dormitory Undercroft. The b1•icks which encased the columns on either side of the Dark Entry passage have been removed revealing the half-shafts on the Chapter House side and the diaper decoration of columns on the north side. The monastic brewery and bakery on the north side of the Green Court have been restored and are now being used as classrooms by the King's School. Two Norman window openings and two-Tudor door openings have been preserved in the east wall. xli REPORT, 1953 l(eston Mrs. Piercy Fox reports: In the thi.J:d season's work on the Warbank site, the remaining area available foi• excavation was examined and the whole site was totally excavated. A report is being prepared. LuUingstone Lt.-Col.111.eates reports on the Roman Villa excavation: The 1953 season was devoted to work on the "Barn" building, which at the close of the season was completely uncovered with its plan revealed. It is hoped soon to publish a comprehensive report on this interesting agricultural building in Archceowgia Cantiana, and nothing precise can yet be said pending full investigation into the many sherds of pottery, the coins, and other finds, recovered from the different levels, and into parallel examples of such buildings, if indeed they exist. The internal arrangement of the building is probably -unique in Britain, and it may include both drying and threshing floors. As regards dating, it seems to have been erected very late in the third century, and to have persisted throughout the Constantinian era, being radically altered in the last quarter of the fourth century, when its north wall received buttresses, the whole being then reorganized probably as stables and vehicle standings, its corn purpose having lapsed in the interim. The field level into which the walls of this "Barn" were first trenched was found to contain quantities of Flavian/Trajanic Samian and coarse pottery, and it is possible that a building of that date is yet to be found nearby, perhaps to the north. Beneath this level were signs of earlier occupation, which may possibly be dated to the first half of the first century A.D. Arrangements are going forward for the permanent protection of the site under the Ministry of Works. 'rhe restoration of pottery vessels is progressing quickly in the efficient hands of Mr. R. J. Rook, and a display fully representative of the site is ,being formed. The season bad its usual quota of many visitors, who have been guided and instructed by Mrs. R. J. Rook during the whole period, and the work of the experienced team of excavators has proved most successful. Offord Mr. R. D. Clarke reports: The third season's work has been largely confined to a complex on the south side of the Becket's Well site, where what appears to be an original wall has been further excavated. Two pieces of Barne.ck stone, believed to be portions of a Norman font, have been found in the rubble of another wall. As was surmised last year, it will not be possible to publish a report on the excavation until another season's work has been completed. {:,'nodland Mr. Ronald Jesswp reports: The well-lmown barrow at Holborough, Snodland, which has long been stispeoted to be of Roman date was corn· plately excavated this year and its Roman date proved beyond doubt. An account of the work, which was supervised for the Ministry of Worlcs by Messrs. R. F. Jessup and N. O. Oook, will be read before the Sooiety of .Antiquaries and by permiBSion of that Society, published in our own journal. In the meantime it may. be said that the excavation revealed an extremely interesting primary burial by cremation, and a secondary xlii REPORT, 1953 burial of a very yonng child in a decorated lead sarcophagus. The date of both burials is provisionally fixed in the first half of the third century A.D. Associated with the primary burial was a. folding chair, a sella, castrensis,only one other example of which is known in Britain, and a series of five amphorae, all of which had been deliberately smashed and covered with a libation of wine or oil. The sarcophagus has already been presented to Maidstone Museum by the landowners, the Associated Portland Cement Manufacturers Ltd., who most generously provided labour and equipment for the excavation and the facilities of its own Research Organization on a scale which can rarely have been equalled. Tunbridge Wells The Curator of Tunbridge Wells Museum reports that in ·April, 1953, the lower femur of an iguanodon was fonnd in the Wadhurst clay at the High Brooms Brick and Tile Company's brick pit. Other discoveries of iguanodon bones have previously been made in the same pit. Loo.AL SECRET.ARIES AND Loe.AL ACTIVITIES The large, and now densely populated, north-west Kent district centering around Dartford has been divided and Mr. P. J. Tester has taken over the local secretaryship for the new area of Bexley. Mr. A. F. Allen has agreed to act as Local Secretary for the Gravesend area and Major IC H. Northover has succeeded our late member, Mr. Burtenshaw as Local Secretary for Tenterden. The Conncil are grateful to these members for acting as the Society's representative in their own localities. A meeting of Local Secretaries was held at Maidstone Museum on the 31st October, when, amongst other matters, the 1954 programme of excursions was discussed. Mrs. Piercy Fox, Local Secretary for Bromley, in collaboration with Mr. Tookey, Q.C., Local Secretary for Beckenham, arranged a lecture meeting at Bromley Library on the 24th February, when Colonel Meates spoke on excavations at the Lullingstone Roman Villa. Fifty members of the Society, and more than one hnndred and fifty members of the general public enjoyed Colonel Mee.tea' lecture, illustrated with lantern slides, in which he described the course of the excavations which, from the first season, have been marked by :finds of exceptional interest and importance. On the 16th May, Mr. Richard Church gave a talk at Tunbridge Wells to about sixty members on Canterbury, consisting in part of readings from his recently published book. The meeting was organized by our Local Secretary, Mrs. Desborough, and proved highly popular. CoUNTY A.ROHIVES During May, June and July, a display of Royal Autographs and Portraits, Great Seals, etc., found on documents in the Kent Archives Office was held at County Hall, Maidstone. The exhibition served to give some idea of the wealth and variety of the contents of the Kent Archives Office. MAIDSTONE MUSEUM To mark the Coronation, a new room, devoted to Medieval Kent and its relics, was opened at Maidstone Museum on the 30th May. xliii REPORT, 1953 FlNANOE A statement of Income and Expenditure for 1953 and a copy of the Balance Sheet at the 31st December, 1953, will be circulated with the notice convening the Annual General Meeting for 1954. The Council again urges members to send their subscriptions promptly to the Collector, Mr. 0. W. Hopper, 14 Nunnery Road, Canterbury. The Council would also bring to the notice of members the advantage accruing to the Society from the contributions of members who have signed undertakings to continue payment of their subscriptions for a period of seven years, such undertak, ni gs automatically lapsing in the event of death. The effect of this method of payment is that it enables the Society to reclaim Income Tax paid on a gross sum equivalent to the net amount of the subscription, without adding anything to the amount paid by each member concerned. New undertakings may be entered into by members at any time on forms obtainable from the Honorary General Secretary, and the Council trusts that many more members will decide to pay their subscriptions in this way. January, 1954. xliv By Order of the Council, FRANK V\7. JESSUP, Hcmorary Gemeral Secretary.