Obituary: B.H. St. John O'Neil, M.A., F.S.A.

OBITUARY B. H. ST. JOHN O'NEIL, M.A., F.S.A. IT is with deep regret that, as we go to press, we have to communicate to our Members the lamentable news of the sudden death of our distinguished Vice-President, Mr. B. H. St. John O'NeU, at the early age of 49 years. At the time of his death Mr. O'NeU was Chief Inspector of Ancient Monuments. Bryan Hugh St. John O'Neil was a Kentish man by birth and lived much of his life in Beckenham. He was educated at Dulwich College Preparatory School, at Merchant Taylors' School and at St. John's College, Oxford. In 1926 he was President of the University Archaeological Society. His official appointments thereafter were, Assistant Inspector of Ancient Monuments for Wales (1930-1935), Inspector of Ancient Monuments for Wales (1935-1945), and finally Chief Inspector of Ancient Monuments. He was Rhind Lecturer in Archaeology in 1946 and since 1950 a member of the Royal Commission on Historical Monuments. He was elected a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries in 1935 and served as a Vice-President of that Society from 1946 to 1950. Throughout the years from 1926 onwards Mr. O'Neil directed a considerable number of archaeological excavations of first importance and he was particularly an authority on pre-historic and Roman sites in England and Wales, and on medieval fortifications. His death will leave a considerable gap in British archaeology. He joined our Society in 1934, and in 1946 was elected a Vice-President. He displayed a great interest in our affairs, and regularly attended meetings of the Council, where his great knowledge and good advices were much in demand. He was so present at our last Council Meeting in Rochester on the 12th of October and afterwards visited Temple Manor, Strood (now being restored by the Ministry of Works), in the company of two members of CouncU ; his death will, therefore, come as a particular shock to the President, Officers and Members of CouncU. Members wUl remember that we had the privilege of a talk by Mr. O'Neil at Cooling Castle during the Hundred of Hoo excursion in October, 1950. The Society has lost a faithful and valuable friend in the passing of Bryan O'Neil, and those who knew him will lament the untimely death of a man who bore his great abilities and knowledge with humility, and was always a genial and good companion. THE EDITORS. 224