Annual Report and Accounts for the Year 1928

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR 1928. REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31ST DEC. 1928. THE Council herewith submits its Seventieth Report and Statement of Accounts for 1928. The membership continues to expand in a satisfactory manner although the increase is at a slower rate than in 1927, in which year the election of new members was exceptionally large. After all deductions due to deaths and resignations the names on the hst at 31st December totalled 916, consisting of six Affiliated Societies, four Honorary, 109 Life, and 797 Ordinary members. In addition twenty-five members (including one Affiliated Society) were elected during the year whose Entrance Fees, and first subscriptions, will be credited to 1929. The Secretary reports an increasing number of enquiries of an archaeological and genealogical description from non-members which lead at times to the enquirer joining the Society. The deaths of Dr. A. J. Mason, Canon of Canterbury and a Vice-President of the Society, and of Mr. A. W. Hudson, the Society's Local Secretary for Cranbrook, have to be recorded with much regret. The Annual General Meeting was held in the Museum, Maidstone, by kind permission of the Library Committee on March 29th at 12 o'clock, but owing to the inclement weather the attendance was Hmited to between thirty and forty members. In the absence of the President, Sir Martin Conway, the chair was taken by Mr. Charles Watson Powell, D.L., a Vice-President, who before moving the adoption of the Report, made an interesting reference to the inauguration of the Society in 1857, and the first meeting in Canterbury in 1858 which he attended with his father. He also alluded to the design of the Society's badge or xlii REPORT, 1928. bookplate and the meaning of the motto on it. In moving the adoption of the Report and Accounts the Chairman drew attention to the great increase in the membership, the total including those to be elected that day being about 930, the largest number on record, and invited the members to interest their friends in the antiquities of the County and the work of the Society. He also alluded to the death of Mr. Lamprey, who had done so much good work in the department of Place Names, and congratulated the Society in obtaining the services of Mr. E. C. Matthews as Hon. Secretary of the Place Names Sub-Committee. The Hon. Treasurer, Mr. C. Stokes, then dealt with the Accounts and Balance Sheet and pointed out the great improvement in the Society's finances. The motion for the adoption of the Report and Accounts, having been seconded by Sir Thos. Colyer- Fergusson, was passed unanimously. The six retiring members of Council, viz., Rev. R. U. Potts, Rev. S. W. Wheatley, F. H. Day, G. Woods Wollaston, W. Whiting, and Dr. Cotton, being eligible, were re-elected ; likewise the retiring Hon. Auditors, Mr. F. C. Allwork, F.C.A., and Mr. Mark Green. Eleven new members were elected to the Society. In the absence of Mr. Elliston Erwood, the Hon. Secretary gave particulars of the arrangements made for the Summer Excursion which was to take place in June in the neighbourhood of Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells, the headquarters being at Tonbridge. The Chairman then spoke on the establishment of the new Excavations Branch, about which a circular had been sent to all members, and said that Mr. Elliston Erwood would explain the scheme at the afternoon meeting. Meanwhile he asked the members to elect the provisional Committee and Officers as given in the circular, viz. : President, Sir Martin Conway, F.S.A.; Treasurer, Charles Stokes ; Committee, V. B. Crowther-Beynon, F.S.A., H. Elgar, Dr. Hardman, F.S.A., R. F. Jessup, Rev. R. U. Potts, F.S.A., W. Whiting; Secretary, F. C. Elliston Erwood, F.S.A. This was seconded by Sir Thos. Colyer- Fergusson and agreed unanimously. On the motion of the Chairman, a vote of thanks was passed to the Officers, and the proceedings terminated. In the afternoon a general meeting of members and friends was held, Mr. C. W. Powell again presiding. About 100 were present. Mr. Elliston Erwood delivered a lecture on " Recent REPORT, 1928. xliii Excavations in West Kent," and took the opportunity of explaining the objects of the newly formed Excavations Branch and asking the support of the members. A second lecture was given by Mr. E. C. Matthews, the Place-Names Secretary, on " The present position of Place- Names work in Kent." Both lectures were illustrated by slides. Hearty votes of thanks were passed to the lecturers, and also to the Library Committee for placing the room at the Society's disposal. The Summer Excursion was held in the neighbourhood of Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells on June 13th and 14th in fine weather, and was attended by a large number of members and friends, more than 240 tickets having been issued. The party assembled at Tonbridge Castle, the preliminary proceedings taking place in the Council Chamber where members were welcomed by Dr. H. J. Manning Watts, Chairman of the Tonbridge Urban District Council. Sir Martin Conway, President of the Society, thanked Dr. Manning Watts in a short speech and referred to previous visits of the Society to the town, to its historic Castle and Priory, the last named having been pulled down in 1840 to make room for an ugly railway station. He thanked Mr. J. W. Little for serving as their guide and also those responsible for the interesting collection of prints and drawings of Old Tonbridge which had been got together for their inspection by members of the Tonbridge Antiquarian Society. Mr. Little then took the party round the Castle, pointing out its principal features and giving much information as to its early history and vicissitudes. Thence to the Church with a brief inspection of old houses such as the Chequers Inn and the Port Reeves' house on the way. At the Church the Vicar, the Rev. S. H. Clarke, M.A., exhibited the first Register Book complete in its original binding. After luncheon the members drove to Tunbridge Wells in order to see the Church dedicated to King Charles the Martyr. It was built in 1684 when the " Wells " was becoming a fashionable resort. Canon Oliver, the Vicar, described the Church, drawing particular attention to its beautiful plaster ceiling. Passing through the Pantiles and by the Chalybeate Spring, members rejoined the cars and drove to Bayham Abbey, where, in the unavoidable absence of Mr. Elliston Erwood, they were addressed by Mr. V. J. B. Torr, who gave an interesting account xliv REPORT, 1928. of the ruins and history of the Abbey. Bayham was a house of Premonstratensian or White Canons originally estabhshed at Otham in Sussex and refounded on its present site towards the end of the twelfth century. Lamberhurst Church was the next objective where Mr. Torr again acted as guide and described the building which is mainly of fourteenth-fifteenth century date. The party then returned to Tonbridge, where the members were kindly entertained to tea by Dr. and Mrs. Manning Watts. In the evening members met in the Parish Church Hall, by invitation of the Tonbridge Antiquarian Society, to hear an address by Mr. Beauchamp Wadmore, F.S.A., on " Old Tonbridge." Mr. Wadmore, and his father, the late Mr. F. J. Wadmore, have succeeded between them in gathering up practically all the information obtainable about the town. The lecture, which was much appreciated, was fully illustrated by lantern slides. Mr. J. F. Fellows Wilson, President of the Tonbridge Society, proposed a hearty vote of thanks to Mr. Wadmore, which was seconded by Dr. F. W. Cock, on behalf of the Kent Archasological Society. A full account of the lecture is printed in the Tonbridge Free Press of June 15th, 1928. On the second day the party left Tonbridge in good time for Leigh, where the members were received by the Rev. F. L. W. Sealy, M.A. The Church, which was described by Mr. Torr, has interesting features, among others being a blocked arcade, brasses, and pulpit with hour-glass stand dating from 1597. Moving on to the pretty village of Chiddingstone, of which Rev. R. C. Salmon is Vicar, the Church was also described by Mr. Torr. Despite the damage by fire in 1624, there are still indications of early work. The pulpit, altar rails and fine chandelier are noteworthy, and there is an interesting group of cast-iron tomb slabs to members of the Basset family. At Penshurst lunch was provided at the Leicester Arms Hotel, after which the Church was inspected under the guidance of the Rector, the Very Rev. James Cropper, M.A. and Mr. Aymer Vallance, F.S.A., who described its architectural features more fully. It is a fine building of late fifteenth century date and contains tombs' of the Sidney, Hardinge, Drummond, and other families, and many brasses. Penshurst Place was next visited by permission of Lord de Lisle and Dudley, who was present to meet the members. In REPORT, 1928. xlv the great Hall, Mr. Vallance gave an introductory address to the assembled party who afterwards split up, part viewing the gardens while others made the tour of the House, his Lordship himself escorting some of the members. On leaving Penshurst the party drove to Groombridge Place, where Mr. H. S. Mountain, the owner, received them. The beautiful moated house, which was described by Mr. Torr, is ascribed to Sir Christopher Wren and is certainly of his period. It stands on the site of an earher house, the sole remains of which are some fittings which have been incorporated in the later house. Groombridge Chapel, close by, was also visited and described by the Rev. J. A. Patrick, Curate-in-Charge. It was built in 1625 to commemorate the return of Prince Charles from Madrid, as stated in an inscription over the porch, and was originally dedicated to King Charles the Martyr, but the dedication was later changed to St. John the Evangelist. This concluded the programme and the party returned to Tonbridge. The success of the excursion was much enhanced by the fine weather. The Autumn meeting was held on September 29th in the neighbourhood of Greenwich and Eltham and was arranged in conjunction with the Greenwich Antiquarian Society. About 120 members of both Societies were present. A start was made from Greenwich Station at 10.30 for the Parish Church of St. Alphege, where the party was met by the Vicar, the Rev. F. J. Tackley, M.A., who described the Church. No part of the existing building is earher than 1718. It was designed by Hawksmoor, and the upper stages of the Tower were added some years later by John James. The monument to William Lambard which was formerly in the old Church has been removed to Sevenoaks Church. The Church contains interesting iron work and wood carving, and the tomb of Wolfe of Quebec. Greenwich Hospital was next visited, by permission of the Admiral President, who had granted special facilities. The buildings were described by Mr. A. D. Sharp, of the Greenwich Antiquarian Society, who led the party through the various blocks, including the Painted Hall, Chapel, and Naval Museum, and discoursed upon the history of the place. At lunch, which was partaken of at the Ship Hotel, Miss Conway expressed the regrets of Sir Martin Conway, the President, xlvi REPORT, 1928. who was unable to be present through indisposition, and thanked Mr. Sharp and the Greenwich Antiquarian Society on behalf of the Kent Archaeological Society for their assistance in carrying out the programme. The members then drove to Morden College, Blackheath, where Mr. Sharp again acted as guide. The buildings which were originally founded in 1695 by Sir John Morden as an almshouse for decayed " Turkey Merchants," were designed by Wren. A short drive then brought the party to Charlton House, until recent years the seat of the Maryon-Wilson family, but now used as a Public Library. It is a typical example of an early Jacobean house, dating from about 1608. A few remarks were contributed by Mr. Sharp, and thanks accorded to Councillor M. C. Matthews and the Greenwich Borough Council for facilities given. The last objective on the programme was Eltham Palace, which was inspected by permission of Mrs. E. H. Wilson and described by Mr. Elliston Erwood, F.S.A. The most important parts remaining are the fine fifteenth century bridge crossing the moat and the Great Hall with its magnificent roof and remains of the screen. The greater part of the fabric dates from Edward IV's reign and later. The party then adjourned to the Castle Hotel, Eltham, for tea, when a hearty vote of thanks was passed to Mr. Elliston Erwood for his effective organisation of a very pleasant expedition. The work of the Records Branch is dealt with fully in its own Report, and it is sufficient to say here that during the year publication was hmited to the Churchwardens' Accounts of Bethersden. Other works are in preparation but progress is slow owing to the hmited number of subscribers and funds available. It is much to be desired that more members of the Kent Archaeological Society and others should join this Branch and so increase its usefulness. The Excavations Branch has not so far issued any Report owing to the fact that operations have not been possible for reasons detailed in the Circular which has been sent out with Vol. XL. of Archceologia Cantiana, but it is hoped that with an increase in subscriptions a commencement will be made in 1929. Mr. Matthews, Hon. Secretary of the Place-Names Sub- Committee, reports that much work has been accomplished in REPORT, 1928. xlvii the identification of names contained in Subsidy Rolls of 1327 and 1333, in addition to the collection of forms of place-names from various other sources. Some years have elapsed since the beginning of the Survey in Kent, which was organised by the Enghsh Place-Names Society, and publication of a work dealing with Kentish names rests entirely with that Society. Mr. Matthews is anxious to obtain more workers for the Survey. Reports have been sent in by a few Local Secretaries. Dr. , Hardman (Deal and Walmer) reports that excavations at Richborough were continued for ten weeks. The finds included a head of Silenus with vine tendrils wreathing his bald head, many small objects of everyday use, the usual profusion of copper coins, a fair number of silver siliqua and half a dozen gold solidi. The secret of the concrete platform and the marble cased building it carried has not yet been revealed. On the slope of a chalk down lying between the Deal Waterworks and the Deal Cemetery, the dry summer revealed a pattern of vigorous growth in a crop of oats. The site was investigated by Mr. Cecil Knox and some prehminary excavation work was done. A circular V shaped trench cut in the chalk was found having a width of 16 feet, a depth of 7 feet, and a diameter of 83 feet. The circle appears to be complete except for an entrance 14 feet wide on the S.E. side. In the filling of the trench many bones were found chiefly of domestic animals, but including a large piece of the head bone of a whale. The most interesting objects in the trench, however, were some fragments of handmade pottery which are beheved to be of the Early Iron Age. The assistance of Mr. 0. G. S. Crawford, F.S.A. was enlisted, and he was able to arrange for aerial photographs of the site to be taken. They indicate the existence of two adjoining circular ditches of the same size and possibly of other earthworks. These circular trenches appear to resemble some found at Broadstairs a few years ago. It is hoped to continue the excavation next year. Late in the year at Finglesham near the road leading from Northboume to Eastry workmen found in the chalk a number of human skeletons. The spot hasbeenpartially excavated under the direction of Mr. W. P. D. Stebbing, F.S.A. and Mr. W. Whiting, F.S.A., and appears to be a Jutish cemetery. More than a dozen complete skeletons have been exposed, both male and female. The objects found with the bones include a glass Jutish bottle xlviii REPORT, 1928. and a knife. By the side of a warrior lay the umbo of his shield with bronze studs and parts of the ribs attached, a long sword and a spear head. With the body of a woman were a finger ring, green bead, brooch, and a piece of glass. The Society has made a grant of £5 towards the expenses of this work. Mr. Cobb (Rochester) has to report with regret the destruction of the great barn at Whorn's Place, Cuxton, and of the house called The Gables, near Strood. At Rochester some masonry was discovered when laying a sewer through the Rochester shore abutment to the present bridge, and Mr. J. J. Robson, the Bridge engineer, is preparing a Report and plan for the Society's use. Mr. Amos reports that excavations for the Metropole Cinema at Dover brought some Roman remains to hght and many small objects have been found, including nine bits of CL.BR. tiles. Further excavations are in progress and Mr. Amos is on the look out for finds. Mr. Box (Sevenoaks) sends particulars of an unreported Roman or Romano-British site near Halstead which has been lately explored. Indications lead to the supposition that there was a building there, as Roman floor and roof tiles and fragments of pottery have been unearthed. The site is in a private garden and it is at present uncertain whether further excavation will be possible. Work on the Otford site, which has been conducted by the Sevenoaks Society with good results, has now been discontinued. The Society, in conjunction with others, has lent what aid it could in the task of saving old buildings threatened with destruction. Such were an old barn at Edenbridge which is in poor condition, and the Anchor and Hope Inn at Orpington. The latter is considered to date from Elizabethan times and the owners propose to rebuild it. Mr. Duffield (Bromley) reports that energetic efforts have been made locally to induce them to hold their hands, and this Society has in collaboration with the Society for the Preservation of Ancient Buildings also been in communication with them with a view to save this old and picturesque Inn, or at least of inducing a modification of plans. Mr E. C. Youens has photographed the Inn for this Society. The Society has also supported the appeal for funds for the repair of the Abbey Gatehouse at Minster (Sheppey). Copies of the appeal were distributed to all members and a letterREPORT, 1928. xlix appeared in the Times over the signature of the President of this Society. Some very fine panelling has been recently removed from Red Lodge on the Langley Park Estate, Beckenham, and it is feared that it has been sold through a dealer to a Museum in U.S.A. It is illustrated on p. xxix (advertisements) of The Connoisseur for November, 1928. The Rev. Sir Henry L. L. Denny, Bart., Rector of West Wickham, reports that the panelling in question was in an upper room and probably in its original position. The date 1529 appears repeatedly. Most of the panels have medalHons in the middle and conventional designs and grotesque animals above and below. In the medallions are carved heads which may be portraits of Royal personages of the period, and the following Royal badges appear : Tudor Rose, Prince of Wales' Feathers, Lily of France, and Pomegranate of Aragon. The carving is very good and for the most part in excellent condition. There is a tradition that the house was once a Royal hunting lodge. The removal of the panelHng was practically accomplished before any useful action could be taken. Progress has been made in arranging the Library. Mr. Walter Ruck, Librarian, has completed a loose-leaf Catalogue of the books, and has lately been engaged in repairing and arranging the collection of brass-rubbings. The Society has now 350 from Kentish Churches, including fifty recently received from Mrs. Brodie and eighteen elsewhere. There are also some twenty-five un-named and many duplicates. Several scarce volumes which were wanted for completing sets of archaeological pubhcations have been obtained and there are now not many gaps to be fined. The Hst of gifts to the Library is smaUer than usual. The most important are the brass rubbings from Kentish churches given by Mrs. Brodie and a parcel of flint implements and flakes from the chalk downs in the Dover district sent by Dr. Downes of Martock. Other gifts include books by Sir John Twisden, a map of lands in Shorne by Mr. L. 0. Eagleton, and sundry documents and photographs. The problem of the destruction, disposal, and transfer of ancient documents is increasing in importance and County Archaeological Societies are urged to interest themselves and to assist in the proper storage and preservation of deeds of historical 1 REPORT, 1928. and genealogical value. The papers read by Mr. E. A. B. Barnard, F.S.A. before the Congress of Archaeological Societies in 1927 and 1928 and letters in the Times supply clear evidence of the losses actually incurred by intentional destruction of deeds as waste or disposal for conversion into various articles for sale. The principal difficulty is to provide a suitable depository with expert supervision and access for research. In July, 1922, a circular was issued by this Society inviting the possessors of ancient documents relating to Kent and now of no use for legal purposes to send them to the Society at Maidstone for examination and preservation. The Society has at present sundry documents, and others are offered which are being examined by Capt. H. W. Knocker, Honorary Registrar, on behalf of the Society. Capt. Knocker is at present arranging and mounting documents of value in special albums, so that they shall be readily available for reference. In the event of this work of preservation attaining large proportions the question of a central depository or muniment room for the County can hardly be avoided. The number of AffiHated Societies has been increased to six by the election of the Greenwich and Lewisham Antiquarian Society. Their proceedings appear in their Annual Reports. The Ashford Society which has not been so active since the death of its chief organiser, the late Mr. Lamprey, is in process of being reconstituted and promises to resume its former useful series of meetings. The Dartford District Antiquarian Society has issued a very full Report of the numerous meetings and outings which were carried out during the year. Contrary to expectation it was found impossible to issue Vol. XL of Archceologia Cantiana before the end of the year, but it is not so late as its predecessor. It will be found to contain exceUent and varied archaeological matter, and much credit is due to the Hon. Editor for his labours in compiling it. The hst of members has been corrected to October 31st. Members are earnestly requested to notify changes of address to the Hon. Secretary in order to avoid delay in deUvery of notices and pubUcations. Members will note with satisfaction the improvement in the Society's finances during the last two years under the able management of Mr. Stokes, Hon. Treasurer. With the increase of income arising from economies and an enlarged membership