Annual Report and Accounts for the Year 1939

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR 1938. 3B ^he imt %vt1xmb%hul ^mity. REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER, 1938. THE Council present herewith their eightieth Report, together with the Accounts for 1938. MEMBERSHIP. There was a gratifying increase in the number of members during the year, as will be seen from the following figures : January, 1938. December, 1938. Honorary Members Affiliated Societies Other Societies and Institutions Life Members Ordinary Members Total, Members .. Societies in Union 4 8 73 72 789 946 34 4 9 72 66 829 980 34 Although the goal of 1,000 members was not quite reached, with the continued co-operation of all existing members of the Society there should be no difficulty in passing that figure during the year 1939. CHANGES. It is with deep regret that the Council record the death, on 21st January, 1939, of the President of the Society. Sir Reginald Tower became a member in 1921 and was elected to the Council in 1926. In 1937 he succeeded Lord Conway as President, an office for which he was well fitted by his geniality and personal qualities. During his term of office he presided regularly over meetings of the Society and the Council, and was ever alert to advance the best interests of the Society. xxxviii REPORT, 1938. The Council also note with regret the death of the Right Hon. The Earl Beauchamp, K.G., a Vice-President of the Sooiety, and of Surgeon-Captain Kenneth H. Jones, F.S.A., a well-known member of the Council, whose addresses at Excursion meetings in East Kent have always been received with much appreciation. During the year Field-Marshal the Right Hon. Lord Birdwood, G.C.B., and the Right Rev. Ernest M. Blackie, Dean of Rochester, were elected Vice-Presidents, and Mr. Frank Godwin filled the vacancy on the Council caused by the death of Dr. Jones. Among the Local Secretaries Mr. J. Herbert Bolton has taken charge of the Rochester district in succession to Mr. I. H. L. King. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING. The Annual General Meeting was held on 21st April, in Maidstone Museum, by permission of the Museum Committee. The President was in the Chair and the morning attendance was about forty. After the Minutes had been confirmed, Sir Reginald Tower drew attention to the principal features of the Report for 1937, mentioning specially the desirability of increasing the membership, and commending the appeal for funds to enable excavations to be undertaken on Oldbury Hill, Ightham. He also spoke of a munificent bequest to the Society by Sir John R. Twisden, Bart., who had died on 7th November, 1937, of historical family papers, and subject to a prior right of selection by the National Portrait Gallery, of a number of family portraits. He expressed the confident hope that it would be possible for the portraits to remain on the walls at Bradbourne Hall, and stated that further developments would be made known in due course. In presenting the Accounts, Mr. Stokes pointed out the good value that was given for the membership subscription of ten shillings, the current volume of Archazologia Cantiana alone having cost the Society 8s. 4d. a copy. He stated that the small credit balance for the year 1937 was attributable mainly to the increased cost of printing. The Report and Accounts were adopted. The six retiring members of Council, Sir Thomas Colyer- Fergusson, Bart., Mr. F. C. Elliston Erwood, Dr. F. W. Hardman, Mr. R. F. Jessup, Surg.-Capt. Kenneth H. Jones and Mr. F. W. Tyler, were unanimously re-elected, as were the Hon. Auditors, who were cordially thanked for their services. REPORT, 1938. xxxix Ten new members were admitted, and the Right Rev. Ernest Blackie, Dean of Rochester, and Field-Marshal the Right Hon. Lord Birdwood were elected Vice-Presidents of the Society. The proposals for the Summer and Autumn Excursions were outlined by Mr. R. W. Strickland and by Major T. M. Usborne and Dr. F. W. Hardman respectively. In connection with the Summer Excursion a discussion took place about the proposed use of the ancient Tithe Barn at Maidstone as an air raid decontamination centre. Apprehensions that the building might suffer were allayed by assurances given on behalf of the Corporation of Maidstone that the structure would not be damaged, and a motion expressing regret at the contemplated action was lost. The President explained the circumstances in which the Council had decided to bring before the Meeting the question of selling, or lending to the British Museum the gold armillae purchased by the Society, many years ago, stressing the point that owing to the absence of facilities for protecting these valuable relies it had never been practicable to place them on exhibition. It was common ground that if it were decided to part with these ornaments, replicas, which should be exhibited, would be made and retained. A lively discussion followed, led by Mr. Walter Day, who urged strongly that the armillae should not be allowed to leave the County. Other views were also expressed and the question was considered in all its aspects. Finally, on the proposal of Mr. A. C. Bossom, M.P., it was agreed to postpone a decision until further information had been obtained. A vote of thanks was accorded to the Corporation of Maidstone for the use of their rooms. In the afternoon a much larger gathering assembled to hear the lectures which had been placed on the programme. Mr. Leopold A. Vidler described his work in excavating a Medieval Pottery and Tile Factory at Rye, which had extended over five years, and threw on the screen illustrations of early floor tiles, pots and drawings on pots, that excited a great deal of interest. Perhaps the most fascinating illustration was that of a drawing of an animal which had been identified by Mr. G. C. Druce as an elephant, the first known appearance of the elephant in this country dating back to 1254. The lecture was further illustrated by the exhibition in the gallery adjoining the lecture room of many of the original objects from the kiln. xl REPORT, 1938. Dr. Armstrong Bowes, who thanked the lecturer, drew attention to the tendency among potters to follow inherited traditions, traceable, in some cases, as far back as the Bronze Age. The second lecture, by Mr. G. C. Druce, dealt with the stallcarvings in Faversham Church, but the lecturer in fact covered a much wider range and showed his audience a remarkable series of slides of carvings of fabulous men and beasts, to be seen in churches in this country and abroad, as well as drawings from early manuscripts illustrating the subjects of bestiary and demonology. Surgeon-Captain Kenneth Jones expressed the general feeling when he referred to Mr. Druce's profound knowledge of his subject and his wonderful photography. The company were once again entertained to tea by Mr. Richard Cooke. COUNCIL. Five meetings of the Council were held during the year for the transaction of current business. The bequests to the Society by the late Sir John R. Twisden, Bart., of family portraits and papers were gratefully accepted, it having been found practicable to leave the portraits on the walls at Bradbourne Hall, on loan to the East Mailing Agricultural Research Station, the present owners of the mansion, under arrangements which will secure access to the collection of portraits by members of the Society. A report was received from the Sub-Committee on the preparation of a list of historic buildings and antiquarian sites within the County, following which it is hoped to make a start with the work. A special meeting of the Council was held in April to consider action to expedite the completion of the General Index to Volumes XX to XLV of Archceologia Cantiana, with the result that the Index is now in the hands of the Society's printers. OLDBURY EXCAVATIONS. The Committee appointed to conduct the excavations in the Iron Age fort on Oldbury Hill, Ightham, was enlarged by the addition of representatives of the Society of Antiquaries of London, the Royal Archseological Institute, the British Archjeological Association and the Prehistoric Society. An appeal for funds met with a good response for which the Committee desire to REPORT, 1938. Xli express to contributors their warm thanks. The receipts (to the nearest pound) totalled £276, and the expenditure to date includes Director's fee £26, Wages and Insurance of Labourers £173, Equipment £18, Printing and Postage £11, Photography, Drawings and Reconstructions of Pottery Vessels £19, Sundries £5. Payments still to mature, including costs of pubhcation are hkely to absorb the present credit balance of about £24. A note on the excavations appeared in Archosologia Cantiana, Vol. L. and a full account of the work, by the Director, Mr. J . B. Ward Perkins, is promised for the succeeding volume. LIBRARY AND COLLECTION. The following books have been presented to the Library by their respective authors : Tunstall, its Church and Village, by the Rev. A. A. Midwinter ; Staplehurst Church, by the Rev. A. J. Walker ; The Church of St. Clement, Old Romney, by Miss Anne Roper ; Soman Remains, by Norman Cook ; The Little Guide to the Parish Church of St. Mary, Northiam, Sussex, by A. S. Harper ; The Invaders' Shore, by W. P. D. Stebbing, F.S.A. ; The Richborough Hoard of Radiates, 1931, by Messrs. Mattingly and Stebbing ; History and Description of the Church of St. Andrew, Buckland-in-Dover, by the Rev. Ingram Hill; Ironworks and Communications in the Weald in Roman Times, by Ivan Margary and E. Straker; Whitstable, Seasalter and Swaleclijfe, by R. H. Goodsall. Other gifts include : Minutes of the Cinque Ports Brotherhood and Guestling, October, 1937 (Donor, Major M. Teichman Derville); the first fifteen volumes published by the English Place-Name Society (Donor, Mr. B. W. Swithinbank) ; Papers relating to the Parish of Smarden, accumulated by Halford Mills (Donor, Mr. Charles Stokes) ; Papers of Charles Roach Smith, afterwards owned by Martin Mowll, presented by Mr. John Mowll to Mr. W. P. D. Stebbing and by him to the Society; A Yeoman of Kent (Donor, Dr. Gordon Ward) ; History of the Parish Church of West Mailing, by the Rev. A. Lawson (Donor, Capt. H. Lewis); The Elements of Heraldry, by M. A. Porny, 1795 (Donor, Mr. J. H. Airworthy). Among the books and papers included in the Twisden Bequest and now at Maidstone are the following : (1) Historical Vindication of the Church of England, by Sir Roger Twysden, Ed. C. E. Corrie, Cambridge, 1847; (2) another copy, London, 1657; (3) Miscellanies: or a Mathematical xlii REPORT, 1938. Lucubration of Mr. Samuel Foster, translated by Sir J. Twysden ; (4) Autograph MS. of Certayne Considerations upon the Government of England, by Sir Roger Twysden, Kt. and Bt.; (5) Certayne Considerations of the Government of England, by Sir Roger Twysden, Camden Society, with MS. Notes ; (6) Memories of Mailing, by the Rev. C. H. Fielding—interleaved with notes ; (7) MS. History of the Twysden Family, and other notes ; (8) A commonplace book—" Theologia "—in the hand of Sir Roger Twysden ; (9) MS. Diary of a Miss Twisden, illustrated with watercolour sketches by the writer, c. 1852; (10) Canones et Decreta Sacrosancte ; (11) Marshall's Ladies'1 Elegant Pocket Souvenir for 1831, of Mary Matilda Twisden; (12) Historian Anglicanaz Scriptores X, 1652, folio bound vellum ; (13) A Journal in eight MS. Books, 1863-1879 (there should be 10, but 2 are missing) ; (14) A Pedigree showing the connections of the Twysden Family with other County families ; (15) A smaller Pedigree ; (16) Ovid's Semis Amatoria, Paris, 1541 ; (17) Explanation of Terms in the Manner of a Dictionary, a quarto MS. Book ; (18) Catalogue of Bradbourne Library, in Manuscript; (19) MS. Extracts from Mediaeval Chronicles in the Cottonian Library, made for Sir Roger Twysden, 1649-50 ; (21) Bradbourne Estate Map, 1687 ; (22) Dame Jane Twysden's Note Book, with needlework cover (6| by 5 ins.) ; (23) Lands in the Parish of E. Mailing in the occupation of Edward Browning and others (Foolscap MS.); (24) Church Government, a MS. by one of the Twysden Family; (25) List of wood, arable and pasture-land apparently in Mailing ; (26) Sir Roger Twysden's Diary, 1638 ; (27) An early Plan of the Twisden Estate in East Mailing. The Society have obtained by exchange with Uppsala University, Sweden, Pre-Conquest Personal Names of Domesday Book, by Olof von Feilitzen, 1937, and Old English By-names, by Gosta Tengvik, 1938. The Council have received on loan to the Society, from Mr. and Mrs. Mackeson-Sandbach and Capt. H. R. Mackeson, a manuscript translation from the Latin of the Custumal of New Romney, dated 1559, and a gift of deeds and papers. A portion (over 1,000 pages) of the manuscript of Hasted's History of Kent, has been acquired by the Society, free of cost, by the generosity of several members. The gift described in the 1937 Report as Ancient Glass Paintings should have read Hints on Glass Painting, by Charles Winston, 2 vols. (Donor, the Rev. E. J. Nash), REPORT, 1938. xliii ACCOUNTS. The Accounts show an excess of income over expenditure of £132 12s. 9d. and a credit balance at the bank of £764 9s. lOd. This latter sum has been accumulated largely to meet the heavy cost of the new General Index to Volumes XX to XLV of Archaologia Cantiana, which is now in the hands of the printers, and, consequently, will be heavily reduced in the near future. The finances of the Society, taken as a whole, are in a satisfactory state. Arrears of subscriptions are negligible in amount. ARCHMOLOGIA CANTIANA. The new volume was issued to members early in March, 1939. Owing to a substantial rise in printing costs it is less bulky than its immediate predecessors, but the Editor hopes that it will be found up to the usual standard in quality. Donations to the Illustrations Fund totalled £7 9s. 3d., as compared with £19 9s. in 1937. Additional support from members for this useful fund would be welcome. RECORDS BRANCH. The Records Branch have received during the year a large quantity of deeds and other documents which were bequeathed to the Society under the will of Sir John R. Twisden, Bart., of Bradbourne. About 900 documents have been received from other sources, the majority from the British Records Association (Records Preservation Section). Mr. W. P. D. Stebbing has presented the Branch with thirty-four volumes of " Surrey Records ". Nothing has been published by the Branch during 1938, but the First Part of Feet of Fines for Kent, covering the period 1182 to 1236, is in the hands of the printers. PLACE-NAME WORK DURING 1938. The Hon. Secretary of the Place-Names Committee (Mr. Frank W. Jessup, Autumn Cottage, Ditton, Maidstone) reports as follows : " Most of the place-name work undertaken during the year has been connected with the collection of field and other minor place-names not shown on the 6 inch O.S. map. Some useful work has been done in this direction, especially by the schools, but much xliv REPORT, 1938. more remains to be done. It is work which requires local knowledge rather than philological learning, and it is hoped that further offers of help in carrying out this survey of the county's minor place-names will be forthcoming. " I t . i s still impossible to forecast when the English Place- Name Society's volume on Kent will be published." EXCURSIONS. On 30th June, the opening day of the Summer Excursion, over 100 members and their friends assembled at The Friars, Aylesford, by the courtesy of Mr. Copley D. Hewitt, and Captain Robert Laycock. After a preliminary inspection of the exterior of the house the company were led by Mr. V. J. B. Torr to an upper room, reconstructed after a recent fire, which in its original state represented the refectory of the Carmelite Friars, who established themselves at Aylesford in the year 1240. Mr. Torr's address covered not only the history of the building, but also the subject of the Monastic Orders in this country, and there was time for a leisurely examination of the group of buildings after their features had been pointed out. The excursion was centred on Maidstone, where Mr. A. C. Bossom, M.P., a Vice-President of the Society, joined the luncheon party and delivered a stimulating address on the urgent need for close co-operation between Archaeological Societies, Public Authorities and interested members of Parliament in preserving the buildings, antiquities and amenities which are such a treasured part of our heritage but are suffering so grievously under the conditions of modern life. The afternoon was spent at East Peckham. Mr. R. M. Cook and Mrs. Cook welcomed the Society at Roydon Hall, which was thrown open for their inspection, and Mr. Torr described the building and spoke of its successive owners, dwelling particularly on the hardships endured by Sir Roger Twysden during the period of the Civil War and the Commonwealth. The approach to the church on the hill was up a steep lane, too narrow for the coaches. The Rector, the Rev. F. W. Bennitt, received the company and passed on to Mr. Torr the task of speaking on the building, the Twysden monuments and other features. The journey from East Peckham to the Wool Hall at Loose, the last place on the day's programme, was made by way of Yalding, where the Medway was passed. At the Wool Hall, REPORT, 1938. xlv Mr. J. E. Ray, F.R.Hist.S., took over the duties of lecturer and described the house to small sections of the party, it being impracticable for large numbers to visit the interior at the same time. As, however, tea was served in a roomy barn in the grounds, which is also a museum, no inconvenience was caused to waiting members, and in spite of the difficulties of parking cars and coaches at Loose, the arrangements worked with great smoothness. The morning of 1st July was spent in All Saints' Church, Maidstone, and the immediate neighbourhood, the Archbishop's manor house and its adjuncts furnishing ample material for a lengthy visit after the church had been seen. The Vicar, the Rev. A. 0. Standen, M.A., received the Society and Mr. Torr described the church and also the neighbouring buildings. A minor feature of interest was the wreck of a little seventeenth century summer house, sometimes attributed to Inigo Jones, but which in Mr. Torr's opinion, bore more resemblance to the work of Wren. A heavy shower cut a little short the final part of the morning programme, but was over before the company set out for Boughton Quarries, after lunch. At Boughton Dr. Gordon Ward took over the leadership and pointed out the numerous features of interest of the very ancient workings in the Kent Ragstone, afterwards directing the Society to the timber-framed houses and cottages built in the great open quarry, the stream, and the old and newer roads, all of which added something to the story of the place. Mr. Ray was again in charge at Otham, where the Society found, at Wardes, one of the most instructive of hall houses, with Elizabethan and later additions, which it has been the privilege of members to visit. Mr. Ray's view that the fifteenth century hall house had been built on to an even ear her small house, was supported by visible evidence that appealed to many members of the party, even though he differed from so eminent an authority as the late Mr. P. M. Johnston. The courtesy of Mr. and Mrs. Duncan in opening the house and grounds to the Society was much appreciated. The visit to Wardes was the last important item on the programme, a short pause at Thurnham Mill, followed by tea, completing the excursion. Mr. R. W. Strickland, who organized the excursion, was congratulated on his very successful work and arrangements. xlvi REPORT, 1938. The Autumn Excursion, on 15th September, was very well attended, about 150 members and visitors meeting at Leaveland House, a late fifteenth century hall house with more recent additions. Close by was the small church of Leaveland which was open for inspection, but was not the subject of an address. The Norman Church of Badlesmere (Rev. U. L. Johnstone, Rector) with its square pews and two-decker pulpit was next visited, Mr. G. G. Culmer and Dr. Kenneth Jones each taking charge of a section of the party and sharing the burden of the addresses. Lunch was taken in Faversham, after which the company assembled in the parish church, where they were received by the Rector (the Rev. Canon P. A. L. Clarke) and addressed by Mr. Sydney Wilson. The mixture of architectural styles in this much-altered church was the subject of interested comment. The most sought for object in the church was the reputed tomb of King Stephen. Mr. Culmer again took up the task of lecturing in the afternoon, describing successively the next three places to be visited—the Elizabethan Grammar School at Faversham, Davington Court and Davington Church and Priory. The Rev. J. A. Osborne, Rector, received the party at the church, which was filled to overflowing. The last and perhaps the most appreciated item on the programme was a visit to Provender, a sixteenth century house of great charm, where the whole company were hospitably entertained by Mrs. McDougall. Mr. C. R. Councer described the building, through which members were afterwards taken in small parties. The thanks of the Society to their hostess were expressed by the President, after which the company dispersed to their homes. Once more Major Usborne was able to place to his credit a successful excursion held under pleasant conditions. REPORTS OI? LOCAL SECRETARIES. Reports from Local Secretaries for the year 1938 are meagre but the more important discoveries are chronicled in the Reports and Notes appearing in Archceologia Cantiana. Mr. A. Cumberland writes : By far the most important activity in the Dartford District has been the continued examination of the Saxon, or possibly Jutish, cemetery at Riseley, the Dartford Rural District Council's housing site at Horton Kirby. The work, as was noted in the last Annual Report, has been in the hands of REPORT, 1938. xlvii the Dartford District Antiquarian Society and was completed at the end of November, 1938. Copious notes, plans, and photographs have been made as the work proceeded and it is hoped to prepare a special report of this important discovery. Fragments of Iron Age pottery have been recovered from the County Hospital Grounds, West Hill, Dartford. The vessels were probably whole when found as most of the sherds have clean fractures. This adds another to the hill-top sites in this district showing Iron Age occupation. Roman pottery fragments found whilst digging foundations for Messrs. Potts' new premises in Market Street are further evidence of Dartford having been occupied in Roman times. The excavations for the basement of the new County Technical College have been interesting, geologically, in disclosing sections of the peat bed laid down by the Cran pit stream, which exists under central Dartford. Footings of thick flint walls have been found in Chapel Field, Farningham ; these are possibly the foundations of the chapel belonging to the Manor of Charton (see Arch. Cant., Vol. XXIX, p. 235). Walling of Roman date has been discovered in an orchard near Farningham Woods. Permission to excavate these sites has been given to Mr. E. Greenfield, and they await further investigation. Just as these pages were going to the printer, Mr. S. Priest reported a find of pottery and bronze brooches at Kent Works, Stone, at the end of January, 1939. Further finds are expected and fuller particulars will be available later. Mr. J. Herbert Bolton reports the excavation of the Cloisters at Rochester Cathedral as the most important archaeological work in the district during the year. He states that the doorway to the monks' lavatory has now been completely exposed, including the bases of the supporting shafts, and also the tiled floor of the west side of the cloisters. Mr. Bolton also reports the discovery by Mr. Turner of a neolithic or earlier site at Twydall, representing what is considered to be a Magdalenian culture with well-formed blades and the most perfect round-nosed scrapers. Implements are stated to be very numerous and a representative collection has been made. Mr. Bolton has taken an active part in a local movement for the preservation of Temple Manor, Strood, otherwise Temple Stroude, a twelfth century dwelling of the Knights Templars, described in Arch. Cant., XXII, 251. The building is now the xlviii REPORT, 1938. property of the Corporation of Rochester, who, it is understood, are considering the question of the future of this historic place. Mrs. Selby notes, with regret, the demolition of several old houses in Milton-next-Sittingbourne. She also reports the discovery—some three years ago—of an old painted wall in the manager's house at Martin's Bank, High Street, Sittingbourne. The greater part of the wall was destroyed during alterations, but a single panel has been preserved. The wall was plastered and painted in panels about fifteen inches square. There is a central yellow boss with a frame of apparently late Tudor design. The building was part of the old Red Lion Inn, at which house Henry V is said to have stayed after Agincourt as well as Henry VIII and other celebrated travellers. AFFILIATED SOCIETIES. The Dartford District Antiquarian Society have forwarded their Transactions for 1937 and an advance copy of the Report for 1938. The Society carry through an extensive programme of winter lectures and summer excursions in addition to undertaking excavation and other archaeological work. With a subscription of only 3s. 6d. they are able to supply to their members a well got-up and well-illustrated little book of transactions. The membership is about 180. The Society this year record with regret the death of their President, Mr. S. K. Keyes, the compiler of two bulky volumes of Dartford Historical Notes and a wellknown member of the Kent Archaeological Society. If an enthusiastic desire for antiquarian knowledge counts for anything the South Borough (Maidstone) Central School History Club, the members of which are elementary schoolboys, deserves honourable mention. Many visits have been paid to prehistoric sites, churches, and other historic buildings, photographs, sketches and brass rubbings have been made and antiquarian objects collected. Kindly Rectors and Vicars and others have received and addressed their youthful visitors and the Maidstone Museum authorities have arranged loan exhibits for their instruction. Altogether the Club has enjoyed a very successful year and its work is full of promise. MISCELLANEOUS. The Summer History School of the Kent Council of Social Service was again linked up with the Summer Excursion of this Society, to the advantage of members of both bodies. The REPORT, 1938. xlix provisional arrangements for 1939 include the study of the Romney Marsh district by the History School and the holding of their meeting immediately after the Society's Excursion in the last days of June. The attention of members is once more drawn to the notices printed on the back of the title-page of " Archaeologia Cantiana ". They show when and how subscriptions should be paid, and contain other information designed to facilitate business and promote the convenience of members. By Order of the Council, EDWARD HARRISON. 9th March, 1939.