Annual Report and Accounts for the Year 1927

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS POR THE YEAR 1927. Wxt mt ^rctokrgkal ^umtg. REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31ST DECEMBER, 1927. THE Council herewith submits its Sixty-ninth Report and Statement of Accounts with Balance Sheet. The satisfactory increase in membership recorded a year ago. has been repeated in 1927, the number of new members elected during the year being 102. The membership on the 31st December stood at 890, being made up of three Honorary, 111 Life, and 771 Ordinary members; and five Affiliated Societies. In addition there are 21 new members elected on December 16th, whose entrance fees will be paid in 1928. A satisfactory feature to be noted is the good proportion of ladies and gentlemen seeking election, affording a satisfactory indication of a growing interest in Kent Archseology. The Society has to deplore the death of Mr. A. S. Lamprey, well-known as Member of Council, Local Secretary for Ashford, and an energetic worker in the field of Kentish Place-Names. Mr. Lamprey acted as Hon. Secretary to the Place-Names Sub-Committee of the Society and carried out a large amount of research work in conjunction with Prof. Mawer of Liverpool, Secretary of the Place-Names Survey. Another very old member died during the year : Dr. George Cowell, of South Kensington. He joined the Society in 1863. The Annual General Meeting was held in the Museum, Maidstone, on March 31st, at 12 o'clock, and was well attended. This was a departure from the Society's custom of holding the Annual General Meeting on the first day of the Summer Excursion, and has the advantage of leaving the whole of the two days free for the outing, a matter of some importance when the programme is a full one. The President, Sir Martin Conway, occupied the chair, and in moving the adoption of the Report, referred to the satisfactory xlii REPORT, 1927. increase in the membership, the total to date approaching 900, but considered that that number did not by any means represent the limit of expansion. He also referred to the loss sustained by the Society through the death of Mr. Biden, who had been Secretary of the Records Branch from its commencement. It was gratifying to learn that the Master of the Rolls had approved the Museum and Public Library at Maidstone as a suitable place of deposit for Kentish Manorial documents. He hoped that members of the Society and others would take advantage of it for securing their safe custody. The Report and Accounts were adopted unanimously, and the five retiring members of the Council who were eligible were re-elected, viz.: Mr. G. B. Ewing, Miss Churchill, Dr. Randall Davis, Dr. P. W. Cock, Miss Conway ; and Mr. E. P. Boys Richardson was elected in place of Mr. Bruce Bannerman. The retiring Auditors, Mr. F. C. Allwork, F.C.A. and Mr. Mark Green, were re-elected. The arrangements for the Summer Excursion were announced by Dr. Hardman, the first day to be spent in Dover and the .second in visiting places of interest in the neighbourhood. The President asked the members to support the new Grants Fund, the object of which was to enable the Council to make contributions to approved archaeological investigations in the county. The Rev. R. U. Potts drew attention to the efforts being made by the Corporation of Canterbury to acquire the old Star Brewery premises in order to open to view the ancient wall of the City, and hoped the Society would support them. A resolution was •unanimously passed wishing the Corporation success in their policy of preserving the historical treasures of the City. A further meeting was held in the afternoon, the President again being in the chair. No fewer than 150 members were present. Lectures were delivered by Mr. Walter G. Klein, F.S.A., on " Excavations at Richborough Castle in 1926," and by Mr. Aymer Vallance, F.S.A., on " Excursions among Old Houses," both being fully illustrated by lantern slides. Both lectures were much appreciated and votes of thanks were accorded to Mr. Klein and Mr. Vallance. During the year Mr. Frend found it necessary to relinquish the office of Librarian, and the Council has much pleasure in .announcing that Mr. Walter Ruck, of Maidstone, has consented REPORT, 1927. xliii to undertake the duties. He has already made good progress in cataloguing the books. There is a large collection of miscellaneous documents and objects waiting to be arranged and made more accessible for reference by members. The Summer Excursion was held at Dover and neighbourhood on June 22nd and 23rd in fine weather, and was attended by about 160 members and friends. The party gathered in the Town Hall to meet the Mayor of Dover (Alderman R. J . Barwick, J.P.), who briefly welcomed them. In the absence of the President, Sir Martin Conway, who had been delayed en route, the Hon. H. Hannen thanked the Mayor for the kind invitation which had been extended to the Society to visit Dover, and the Rev. C. Eveleigh Woodruff expressed the great obligation the members were under to Mr. J. H. Mowll, Dr. Hardman, and Miss Fernie for making the arrangements. The members then inspected the Hall and Chapel of the Maison Dieu, under the guidance of Mr. W. H. Godfrey, F.S.A., who gave an account of its foundation and history, and of the discoveries which had been made in the course of its restoration by the Office of Works. At the luncheon, which was provided in the Town Hall, Sir Martin Conway presided and expressed the thanks of those present to the Mayor and Corporation for allowing them the use of such a fine and historical building and to Mr. Taylor, the Borough organist, who gave a recital during lunch. Sir Martin said that the membership of the Society was increasing and urged the citizens of Dover to join it. Dover Priory was the next objective, the party being received in the noble refectory by Mr. W. S. Lee, the head-master of Dover College, who gave a concise account of the Priory and its remaining buildings, and mentioned certain problems connected with the place which he was desirous of solving. A photograph of the party was taken in the grounds. The members then drove to Dover Castle and assembled in the Keep, where Mr. Philip M. Johnston, F.S.A. discoursed on the history and construction of the Keep and other parts of the Castle, the Pharos, and St. Mary's Church, which he considered was the oldest building in the country still in use. His remarks led to an interesting and impromptu discussion as to whether the tufa used as building material was native or imported from Italy, in which Canon Livett took part. The party then divided xliv REPORT, 1927. and inspected the Castle under the guidance of Messrs. Sears and Heasman of H.M. Office of Works, the time allotted however proving only too short, for the Society had an invitation to tea at Chaldercot, where Mrs. Martyn Mowll was " at home " to the members. This was a great success, a large party being present, and the enjoyment of the visit was much enhanced by a selection from the unique collection of Dover prints and engravings belonging to the family being on view. In the evening a well attended meeting was held in the Town Hall, at which the Dover Corporation plate and documents were exhibited, and a lantern lecture was delivered by Mr. G. C. Druce, F.S.A., Hon. Secretary, on " Animals and their legends as seen in Kentish Churches." The lantern was operated by Mr. E. G. J. Amos. On the second day the party left Dover in cars about 11 o'clock on a visit to places of interest in the neighbourhood, the first halt being made at Westcliffe, where Mr. Aymer Vallance described the church and afterwards gave an account of Wallett's Court nearby, a manor house rebuilt in 1627 on older foundations. The next objective was the church of St. Margaret's-at-Cliffe, a beautiful twelfth century building with many interesting features, the best known perhaps being its West doorway. Here the Rev. Arthur Collins, a former Vicar, acted as guide and in the course of his remarks drew the members' attention to the figures of ships scratched by sailors on the pillars in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. Similar figures appear also at Sandwich and Rochester. After lunch the two small churches of East Langdon and Whitfield were visited, both being described by Mr. Torr. East Langdon is well known as the possessor of a valuable piece of embroidery, part of a fifteenth century cope, which has representations of the Annunciation and is powdered with flowers and the monograms MR and IHS. A few descriptive remarks on it were added by Mr. Vallance. Whitfield is thought to be of pre-conquest origin, the unusual height of the walls and the doubly splayed windows giving ground for that view. Barfrestone was the last of the churches to be seen, its description being in the hands of Mr. J. F. Duthoit. The Rector, the Rev. P. J. Boyer, M.A., also had various interesting documents to show the members. In view of the numerous references to the church in Archaeologia Cantiana, it is not necessary here to REPORT, 1927. xlv give details, beyond saying that the little church which is an architectural gem is well cared for. The time allotted proved rather short, for the members were due at Upton Lodge, Sibertswold, for tea by kind invitation of Mr. and Mrs. Rutley Mowll. This concluded the day's programme and the party drove back to Dover, having had a very successful and enjoyable outing. The Autumn meeting of the Society was held on September 17th and took the form of a local excursion in the Maidstone district. It met with an unexpected and almost embarrassing response, for as many as 225 tickets were applied for. The party was booked to leave the Museum for Kit's Coty at 11 o'clock, and did so in reduced numbers on the termination of a heavy rainstorm. The day however proved brilliantly fine. At Kit's Coty, Mr. F. C. Elliston Erwood, F.S.A., gave a most interesting address on the monument, maintaining that it was a burial place at the end of a long barrow, and added that there was a good prospect of the Kent Archaeological Society making a definite effort to conduct a thorough examination of this and other remains at no distant date. The party returned to Maidstone for lunch and then left for Leeds Church, the numbers being so augmented that there were probably not less than 200 present. The Vicar, Rev. T. H. Jacques, briefly welcomed the members and afterwards exhibited the registers and plate. Mr. Aymer Vallance described the church which has many pleasing features, including the beautiful fifteenth century screen, and Mr. Torr added a few remarks on the brasses. A short drive through the picturesque village of Leeds brought the party to Rumwood Court, Langley, where they were met by the owner, Mr. Arthur Forster, who had kindly given the members permission to inspect the beautiful old timber house and gardens. Mr. Vallance briefly described the house, which dates from the time of Queen Elizabeth, and also expressed the thanks of the members to Mr. Forster. The drive was resumed to Stoneacre, Otham, the beautiful home of Mr. and Mrs. Aymer Vallance, passing " Bishops," a restored "hall-house," on the way. On arrival the members were entertained to tea, and then Mr. Vallance described Stoneacre which he said had never been a monastic house. It was a typical specimen of a hall-house, built on the site of a quarry, and with xlvi REPORT, 1927. very massive beams. A hearty vote of thanks was passed to him and Mrs. Vallance. This excursion seems to have given much pleasure, its success being largely due to Mr. Vallance's exertions. Reports from Local Secretaries are somewhat meagre. Rev. R. U. Potts notifies the resumption of the excavations at St. Augustine's, Canterbury, which will enable the plan of the whole monastic buildings to be completed. The Society has made a grant towards this work. In the Antiquaries Journal for July the discovery of a piece of Samian ware at St. Martin's Hill is reported, bearing scratchings of what appears to be the Chi-Rho monogram and other lettering. ' Mr. Hudson of Cranbrook reports that the carved oak figure of Father Time, which has stood over the clock of the parish church for nearly 200 years had to be taken down owing to decay beyond repair. An exact replica of the figure in reinforced concrete was erected in the same position in September, the cost being defrayed by public subscription. During the recent excavations for drainage purposes in Cranbrook various small objects were found, viz., a Nuremberg counter of the fifteenth century; an eighteenth century halfpenny token with Sussex arms issued by J. Gibbs, Lamberhurst, inscribed, " For change not Fraud " ; also some ooins of William and Mary and George II, and some large pieces of fusible slag and dross iron, relics of the ancient iron industry, used as road metal. Portions of a very long spur, stirrup iron, and several ancient horse shoes were also found, possibly dating from the fifteenth century. Mr. Amos of Dover mentions many small excavations in the neighbourhood which may prove fruitful, and is following up clues connected with St. Edmund's Chapel. At the Castle part of a Saxon shaft worked by a transition Norman mason into a vaulting rib has been found and at the Priory a fine carved corbel head. Part of the Roman Villa at Folkestone is reported to have slipped owing to excessive rain and there is no hope o£ recovering it. Mr. Duffield of Shortlands refers to the discovery of the Roman House at Orpington. The site has been sadly broken up, partly probably at the time of the building of the S.E. Railway and later by the erection of offices for the Bromley Rural District Council, but excavations were made possible by the generosity of the Royal Archaeological Institute and the Beckenham Antiquarian Society. The site was planned but REPORT 1927. xlvii lack of protection led to it being raided by relic hunters, and it was covered up. Photographs have been made by Mr. E. C. Youens. Mr. Wm. Whiting sends notes of discoveries at Snodland, where the local Gas Co., when building a new retort house, have opened out what appears to be an important Roman Villa. Finds include an engraved buckle plate, which has been described and illustrated in the Antiquaries Journal for October, 1927, a terra cotta mask and a coin. Further excavations are proposed at an early date, and the Society has made a small grant towards expenses. Mr. Cobb, the local Secretary for Rochester, is distressed at the disfigurement of the surroundings of beautiful buildings like the Cathedral and St. Nicholas Church by the presence of petrol pumps and obtrusive advertisements, a state of things which is unfortunately only too common. On the other hand, Mr. Finn of Lydd reports the good work being done by Major Teichman- Derville, Mayor of New Romney, in the transcription and listing of the records of that ancient Cinque Port. Dr. Hardman of Walmer draws attention to the publication in the Antiquaries Journal of Mr. Walter Klein's excavation of a Roman Temple at Worth which was referred to in last year's report. The site is on rising ground overlooking the entrance to what was once the Wantsum Channel. Portions of a statue in stone were found, also pottery of the Roman period and a coin of Constantino II (337-40). Excavation revealed the interesting fact that the Roman Temple was erected on the site of an earlier Celtic structure. Three bronzes were found which Mr. Reginald A. Smith has pronounced to be votive shields made by the Britons in the last days of their independence ; also pottery of Hallstatt and La Tene types (early Iron Age). The season's excavation work at Richborough ended on the 14th October. It is stated in The Times of that date that the discoveries include a number of coins dating practically throughout the four centuries of the Roman occupation of Britain, and figure bronzes of beautiful workmanship. One is a woman's head and bust with the finely chiselled features of a Roman patrician and drapery skilfully depicted ; another is a statuette apparently of a god. Both are in an excellent state of preservation and were found about 4 ft. below the surface. Some beautiful coloured glass-ware of a rare type has been found, but it is badly xlviii REPORT, 1927. broken; also many bits of Samian ware, one bearing the raised figure of a swiftly running deer vigorously drawn. An interesting discovery has been made by Mr. Cecil W. Knox in the meadow of Walmer Castle. At a depth of 15 to 18 inches below the present grassy surface he has found an extensive platform composed of flints roughly compacted together. The platform appears to be on both sides of a channel and shows a gradual rise from the channel. There are slight traces of perished cement or mortar between the stones and a few of them are waterworn. The site is the lowest ground in Walmer and near the sea, and may possibly prove to be an ancient inlet or quay formed before the present bank of shingle was deposited along the shore. The discovery has been reported to the archaeological department of the Office of Works and needs further investigation before a definite opinion can be formed. With regard to the Records Branch of the Society, it is well to state that two publications have been issued during the year, viz.: Part II of the Churchwardens Accounts of St. Nicholas, Strood and another volume of Monumental Inscriptions, those for Lydd. All information as to the work of the Branch will be found in the Annual Report which is sent to all K.A.S. members. Owing to the death of Mr. Lamprey the Sub-Committee for Kentish Place-Names was deprived of its principal organiser and worker, but the Council is pleased to say that Mr. E. C. Matthews of Gravesend, who is keen on Place-Name work, has agreed to take his place and has been elected Hon. Secretary. One of the two vacancies on the Committee has been filled by the election of Dr. Hardman, the other being left vacant for the present. Gifts of books, pamphlets, maps, and photographs, have been made during the year, and are preserved in the Library. The number of Affiliated Societies remains the same. An account of their proceedings will be found in their Annual Reports. The Council regrets that contrary to expectation Vol. 39 of Archaeologia Cantiana could not be issued before the end of the year. The delay is largely due to the change of printers, which has thrown much extra work on the Hon. Editor. The volume will be issued to members in respect of their subscription for 1927. It is hoped that with the increase of membership and economies in the printing bill there will be no deficit on the year's working, a necessary condition for the production of an annual volume in the future. The list of members has been corrected to December REPORT, 1927. xlix 31st as far as has been found possible, and through the industry of the Hon. Treasurer and Mr. A. H. Taylor the date of admission of every member has been ascertained and added. Members are earnestly requested to notify changes of address to the Hon. Secretary in order to avoid delay or miscarriage of notices and parcels. Members are asked to forward their subscriptions for 1928 as early as possible to the Collector, Mr. A. J. Lancaster, 13, Oaten Hill, Canterbury. Members who prefer to pay by Bankers' Order can obtain the Society's form from the Hon. Secretary, Flishinghurst, Cranbrook. GEORGE C. DEUOE, Hon. Secretary. January, 1928.