KAS Newsletter, Issue 52, Spring 2002

JJ Issue number 52 Spring 2002 WARRIOR BURIALS FOUND I The excavation of a Late Iron Age and Early Roman site at Brisley Farm, Chilmington Green, Ashford, Kent. n 1999 Archaeology South East. the com­ mercial contracts divi­ sion of University College London Field Archaeology Unit, undertook an evaluation over an area c.350m by 250m in extent on a site (now known as "Chanfields") locat­ ed c.3km to the south of Ashford town centre to be developed for housing by Ward Homes. The location is shown overleaf. Archaeological work on the site has been funded by Ward Homes. The site is situated on Burial looking sourh wirh long sword, sheild boss, spear (benr) and bull beaker visible. which the latest (phases 3 and 4), pre-excavation plan of phases 3 and 4. Initial results indicate woodland clearance in the Bronze Age followed by a series of separate enclosures of Late Iron Age date, defined by curving ditches and gullies and encompassing a number of possible roundhouse sites. During the Is1 century BC and into the I si century AD the boundaries of some of these 'enclosures' were re-defined, sometimes as many as four times, until the neighbouring enclosure was reached and no further space was available. Into this Late Iron Age settled and cultivated land­ scape two high status extend­ ed inhumation burials were placed. The first of these 'war­ rior-burials' was that of a young adult male with head to poorly drained Weald Clay soils at 38m OD, (TQ 9920 4020). There are no rivers in the immediate vicinity, though it lies at the watershed between the rivers Medway and Stour. Immediately to the north-west of the site is a significant hill formed from an outlier of Greensand. The land has been ploughed during the last 50 years. The Westhawk Farm early Roman cross-roads settlement site, also with evidence for Late Iron Age activity, lies c.750m to the east of this site. Pour separate excavations (phased with the development programme) have been carried out by Archaeology South East at the site since 1999, of STOP PRESS Your AGM information (and Annual Report) is inside - we hope to see you there! completed on the I51h of February 2002 following eight months of field­ work covering an area of c.250m by 80m, is the largest so far. The machine stripping revealed a spatial­ ly extensive, intensively developed and relatively short-lived Late Iron Age site with evidence for activity continuing into the early Roman period. Initial pottery dating sug­ gests occupation and activity on the site from c.200BC to IO0AD with evi­ dence for a possible Bronze Age field system beneath. Fig. I shows the Close-up of rlre b1111 beaker seen above, a plate and cup. the south, within a possible 'coffin' and accompanied by a sword, spear, shield, brooch, butt beaker, cup, plate and pig's head. This grave was enclosed by a square ditch and possibly covered by a mound. The second square-ditched burial was also of a young adult male, head to the north, also within a possible 'coffin' and accompanied by a long sword, spear and shield with one butt beaker, (dated I0-30AD). It appears that this second grave, the more monumental of the two, became the focal point for the cre­ ation of a rectangular ditched enclo­ sure with an entrance way onto a lin­ ear ditched trackway to the south. Large quantities of broken pottery, cre­ mated and unburnt animal bone were deposited in the re-cut south ditches of the two burials and within the ditches that fom1ed the sides to the rectangu­ lar enclosure. Other significant deposits of cremated animal bone, some within whole vessels have been co11ti1111ed 011 page z co111i1111cJ from pagt I WARRIOR BURIALS FOUND round outside this rectangular enclo­ sure and it is probable 1ha1 much or these •offering' depo its dale 10 1he early Roman period when se11lement activity in the immediate vicinity may have been significantly reduced. Work on 1he pos1-excava1ion assessment has commenced. The assistance or Ward Homes and 1heir staff (both from the main omce and on site) is grateruUy acknowledged, as is the advice and assistance or Kent County Council Heritage Conservation Un.it and Dr. Sue Hamilton or UCL lnstiture or Archaeology. Brisley Farm, Ashford, Kent 1111mm Rqxm. Febniary 1002 CASPER JOHNSON INSTITlITE OF ARCHAEOLOGY, UNIVER­ SITY COLLEGE LONDON r Do you know your fstops, focal lengths and filters? housands or listed buildings in Kent are being photographed this summer for English Heritage's Images of E11gla11d project. By the end or 2002, a comprehensive collection or up­ to-the-minute images or Kent's built heritage will form one or 1he world's largest free on-line picture libraries. The project is run by the National Monuments Record, the public archive or English Heritage, and aims to make information and images or England's 370,000 listed buildings accessible via the internet. Listed buildings in Kent to be pho­ tographed include: Cannon on plinth, Maidstone Hubert Fountain, Victoria Park, Ashford The New Metropole, Folkestone e The Royal Oak Hotel, Sevenoaks Kl Telephone Kiosk, Nevill Gate, Tunbridge Wells Monument to 41 Kentish Martyrs, Canterbury Some or the early images taken for Images of £119/and are currently displayed on the project's prototype website, www.imagesofeng­ land.org.uk. This seeks reedback from website visitors which will help 10 rur- 1her develop the digital database. o--===--==-50-m The plan of the area Visitors can send their comments 10 the project directly through an on-line reed­ back form. Could you help? Volunteers are needed in Ashford, Canterbury, Dover, Maidstone, Shepway, Swale, Thane! and Tunbridge Wells. You will be are asked 10 a11end a briefing ses­ sion held at a venue dose to where you live, where you will be given advice on photographing listed buildings and identirying them in the field. You will photograph buildings in your local parish using a 35mm camera, taking one shot or each. You will receive a lis1 of buildings 1he project would like pho- 10graphed and a manual wi1h all the 'do's and don'ts', also a pho10-ID card enabling homeowners 10 iden1iry you. The project covers the cost of all reason­ able travel expenses and maps and also supplies ftlm & processing. You receive a set of prints and maintain copyright of your work, while English Heritage maintains usage of the digital images for the website. For more details contact Jan Fosler on O1793 414643 or email ioevolun­ teers@rchme.co.uk or write 10 her al: Images of England Project, English Heritage, NMR. Kemble Drive, Swindon SN2 2GZ Belo,v. left and right: some of the fasci11ati119 subjects already in the collectio11. W More mysteries e had a fantastic response 10 one of the ·mystery' photos in the last Newsle11er. The 'church' was of course, the Archbishop's Palace 1 at Charing, as many of you, either through personal experience, or through reading Sarah Pearson's excellent article in Archaeologia Cantiana, pointed out. Sarah writes "the blocked window lies in the west wall of the hall, the wing coming off the hall is the porch, all of this of early 14 h cen­ tury date. The octagonal brick turret with white stone quoins is a late 151h century stair rurret and the low buildings (some of which I have never seen photos of before) are post-medieval farm buildings; those in the fore­ ground have gone". We were not so lucky identify­ ing the other image; many of you have remarked on the 'sign' and tables with seating provided, ask­ ing if it could have been a pub. W Bill Penn remembered in Gravesend e were very lucky in Gravesend 10 have the services of a remarkable man who dedicated a tremendous amount of his time and energy to the excavations at Springhead. William S Penn, or Bill to his loyal band of amateur archaeologists, came on the scene in 1950 and showed tremendous interest in the excavations at that site. Bill, a member of the KAS and Gravesend Historical Society, soon took up the challenge of sci­ entifically excavating the site and did so in a very thorough manner until his untimely death in 1968. As manager of the Milton Chantry Heritage Centre and cus- todian of some of the artefacts from that time, I decided that it would be appropriate to name one of the rooms after him. And so on the 12th November last year a number of eminent archaeologists and historians were gathered together to cele­ brate the dedication of the plaque. I would like to thank those members of the KAS who came to Gravesend and partic­ ularly to thank the Society for the contribution it made towards the bronze plaque. Alan M Ridgers The Heritage Centre is open from March to December on weekends and Wednesday to Sunday from April to September. Located in the Fort Gardens, Commercial Place, Gravesend. SmaLI entrance charge. A visit also affords the opportunity to visit the New Tavern Fort, also open during the summer months. The photo is ofMrs W Gee, (married to Bill at the time ofhis death), taken at the dedication. New Books ing already produced two success­ ful histories of the parishes of Borden and Bredgar. 255 pages The Bootshoe Boys - Betty Coton £9.95 + postage of 87p 0- Canterbury - 2000 Years of History - Marjorie Lyle \J Tempus Publishing £ I5.99 0- �'{ 7524-1948-X O 1?, P- long, the book is illustrated wi th a mix of pho­ tographs and 9502423-9-X A fascinating account of the history of the Elham Charity School from its of this archaeological f'--\. ,,"' to the present day. ;.,__\ \ � I,,,,,,, A revised edition history of Canterbury C has been launched. The book takes the city's story ""� C P- , ,no0 Y drawings foundation in the I 720's Illustrated with many b&w photographs and fully indexed. from its origins around 50BC to the Big Dig in 2001. It is illustrated by 88 b&w maps, diagrams and pic­ tures, mostly from the Canterbury Archaeological Trust's collections. Its 27 colour plates provide an overview of this unique city's Roman, Saxon, Norman, medieval, post-dissolu­ a n d is fully Available from Betty Coton, I O Kirby's Lane, Canterbury CT2 SAG or from all good book­ sellers. (Also now held in the KAS Library - see page 14). tion, wartime and modern phases. indexed. The history For today's visitors there is a walker's map and guide by period and an up-to-date reading list. But as they enter the Cathedral they will surely remember one colour plate showing the window­ of the village is traced from the earliest times to the end of the 20th century. Topics include life on the medieval manor, paper mills and water mills, education, the struggle for survival in the Community and Disunity - Kent and the English Civil Wars 1640-1649 Jacqueline Eales 1-904163-00-9 Keith Dickson Books £4.99+£2.00 p&p, less nave piled pulpit-high with face of motorway and 0 ,\ll''�� 4 local history lec­ earth in September 1939 as Channel Tunnel ...., "'"'o '· tures: I) The Civil War ordered by Dean Hewlett Johnson Ra1"l lin.k . There ui"'' �,,f.'-" ,.,, in Kent 2) Tonbridge to cushion the crypt and monu­ are chapters on � '"..�,,<$-'...,. and the Outbreak of ments against bomb damage! KAS members can buy the book at a £2 discount either at the AGM or by communication direct with MarjorieLyle@care4free.net tel: O 1227 76 5745 or 25 Rough Common Road, Canterbury CT2 9DL the Culpeper family who lived at Hollingbourne Manor, also the Thomas and Duppa families. Available from Synjon Books, 5 \OC �\\., i:t.'C�.1 -��\,•'' the English Civil War 3) Thomas Wilson and the 'Prophane Town' of Maidstone 4) The Most Hated Man in K e n t ? Ri c h a r d C u l m er Hollingbourne The History of a Kentish Parish Helen AJlinson Synjon Books £14.00 inc p&p. 0-904-37306-1 T he author is an estab­ lished local historian, hav- The Victoria History ofthe Counties ofEngland All available backlist volumes in this series, renowned for its Homes t ead View, Borden, Sittingbourne ME9 SJQ C h e q u e s payable to H .All inson . reputation as a work of reference for English local history, are now being distributed by Boydell & Brewer Ltd. Begun in 1899, the publicaLion of about 3 new vol­ umes each year is gradually creat­ ing an encyclopaedic history of the counties. For each county there is, or is planned, a set of volumes, containing general chapters on subjects such as prehistory and ecclesiastical and economic histo­ ry, and topographical chapters giv­ ing a comprehensive, fully refer­ enced account of each city, town and village in the county. 14 coun­ ty sets have been completed; work (cl597-1662): A Reconsideration. Available from Keith Dickson Books, Unit 9, The Shipyard, Upper Brents, Faversham ME13 7DZ tel: 01795 597800 is in progress on a further 13. The backlist volumes on Kent 1-3 (0712906061/07X/088) are £35, as are all the other available counties volumes. From the beginning of this month volumes currently distributed by Oxford University Press will be available. A complete list, including the transferred volumes and forth­ coming new titles is available from: BoydeU & Brewer Ltd, PO Box 9, Woodbridge, Suffolk IP 12 3DF Tel: 01394 411320 e-mail: boydell@boydell.co.uk website: www.boydelJ.co.uk 'Well you were right Alan, you said there would be letters to the I1 AjllfA,in 1001 i'l:flOflal rornmunicauon leucr from 1he Unil'ersil)' of \\�la, Cardiff. To whom thanks are tMended. 1996 llilmtmna �J,.s,.,, fn31JrJ. 1998 /066ThtYo,rofThrtt8J11l1S 19TI ThtA51efAri/r,r 1980 Bnluh Hrstil1)'anJ 1h1 Wrlsh Ann.ih icd,J. Morris) 1999 Brolrnlf in Krol: ltllrt Bnluh AlrhJA>k�. N,41 100I ltue- personal rommunica1ion 1001 Lcuer 10 the Editor. Kmi ArrlwA>/,�"''5,tl(ly//1111/ni,r N,,49 1008 Lost Roman Town Disro1c1ed al West Wickham. Kmi AnlwA>l�ica/ R1111w. No 141 1001 Varus and 1he Great Roman Defeat, Kmi ArthaA1/,�11al Rll1111J No /43 1001 1'1:11onal communica1ion kuei from the Unil'mi1yof Wala, Bangor To whom thanks arc c,1cnded I988 My R.•11u11 Bnwn, With apologia 10 Richard Rctcc lor ropring ihc format or his book. a work 1001 nl'Ctlsaril) romcl} th.11 should bt rompulso�• readmg for all archaeologists. 1%9 Thi R.1nun V!I/J /If BniJllf. Mythanks go 10 myrollcague Chri11ophcr Sp,rei·· Grrtn for pointing ou11hc mosaic from Thnmon. Hampshire ponrartd 11ithin Ri1e11 book. P�1e J.9. Chrislophe(s knm1ledge of an11hing Roman is far greater than m1 own and his l'ie11 is thal !his 11�rJ is mdira111·e of a group of people. ll'e both a11ai1 thnie111 or 1host 11iih superior linguil1ic t.nm,lcdge. 1008. An lmmk,ryofR.•11wn,.Bnluh Com Hi\lrJs 1998 ThtN111•G!mJllll••n M i/ttLr/1TJIU!r1'{ll�/,s 1001 CKA Spnng Confcrenct, KmiA!rlt.rr.>/i��•/ Rll1t11, N,> /4-1 1001 The Roman lmasion. Kmi Anlut\,(�ralS.my//11111tf11r f/,1-IS I9i9 ThtR.wn /mJfflliArnrJ 1998 Findmg Bro1111lf in Krn1'1 landscape, BntuhAlrhJA,(� N,>J9 1001 ltncr 10 Anhur Pcrmal, rommunlca1cd to the 11111er Conferences, Lectures, Events a Find?' Further details, dates and times available on 01227 452943 Mari lime Medway - A Conference on lhe Maritime Hislory of the Chatham Dockyards on Saturday 25th Mai• from 9.30am at Bridge Wardens' College, The Historic Dockyard, Chatham. Organised jointly by the Greenwich Maritime Institute and the University of Kent at Medway. Programme includes: Introduction to the History of the Dockyard - Richard Holdsworth Shipbuilding in the Dockyard - Brian Lavery Pre-Napoleonic History of the Dockyard - Clive Powell Nineteenth Century Development - Jim Preston Twentieth Century Development - Chris Ware Gender in the Dockyard - Joan Ryan Managing Dockyard Labour - Ann Coats Trade Union Acrivity - Philip McDougall Issues in Dockyard Preservation over the last 30 Years - Jonathan Coad Conference fee £10 (to include buffet lunch) Contact Sarah Megson, Maritime Medway Conference, Bridge Wardens' College, The Historic Dockyard, Chatham, ME4 4TE. Tel: 01634 888938 e-mail: ukm-conferences@ukc.ac.uk 50 Years of Rescue Archaeology - a celebration by the Council for Kentish Archaeology at Queen Elizabeth's School, Faversham on Saturday 27th April from 2.00-5.30pm Stories of Discovery & Rescue • excava- Grants Research and Publication Grants from Canterbury Archaeology Society The Society has limited funds available with which to support indi­ viduals researching the archaeology and local history of the Canterbury district. It is envisaged that grants would not normally exceed £500 and would be awarded annually. Preference will be given to work which will lead to early publication. Please apply in writing to the Honorary Secretary by Saturday I 5th June 2002. Your letter should mention your qualifications, the nature and length of your research, the amount you are asking for, any other funding antici­ pated and proposals for publication. You may be asked to name a referee whom the sub-committee m aking the grants could consult. If success­ ful you would be expected to account for the money spent and give a copy of any article or pamphlet etc... to the Society's library. Por further details contact: Mrs Jean Crane, Honorary Secretary CAS, Dane Court, Adisham, CT3 3lA lion in Kent 1952-2002 Brian Philp Digging in Kent: the Early Days Jonathan Home 'Rescue·, Rescue Archaeology & London Harvey Sheldon Tickets £3 from C.K.A. 7 Sandy Ridge, Borough Green TN 15 8HP (with sae please) The British Association for Local History 2002 Phillimore Lecture - Local History and Landscape History - People and Places by Christopher Taylor FBA at the British Library, London on Saturday 1st June at 1.30pm. Tickets £12 BALH mem­ bers, £8 non-members, available from BALH(L) PO Box 1576 Salisbury SP2 8SY. Cheques payable to BALH. Hands on for the Big Dig Canterbury's Big Dig re-opened in March to great excitement, with a NEW exhibi­ tion, an aerial walkway and a special events programme! Closing on Friday 2nd August, you've only 15 weeks left to visit one of the largest urban archaeological sites in Britain. Open daily from l0am- 4pm, admission £2 adults, £l conces­ sions. Booked groups welcome. Special events (all free!) include: Craft displays • Medieval & Roman Craft Days and 'Time Warp' Roman & Saxon spinning & weaving Talks • 'So You Wanna be an Archaeologist?' and The Director's Cut Other events Environmental Archaeology Workshops and 'Fuddled by Courses Fancy studying archaeology or history locally? Archaeology and History can be studied at the University of Kent on a part-time basis at 3 different centres. Applications are very welcome from anyone who wishes to study at university level. On offer: t Certificate in Archaeological Studies (Tonbridge) t Diploma and BA in Archaeological Studies (Canterbury and Tonbridge) t Certificate in the Theory and Practice of Local History (Canterbury and Chatham) t Certificate in Modern History (Canterbury) t Diploma in Kentish History (Canterbury and Tonbridge) t Diploma in Modern and Medieval History (Canterbury and Tonbridge) t BA History (Canterbury and Tonbridge) Mature students need not have formal academic qualifications if they can demon­ strate commitment to the discipline and the aptitude to study al the appropriate level. Degree programmes in Classical & Archaeological Studies, History & Archaeological Studies are run in the day­ time on the University's Canterbury Campus. They can be followed on a full­ time basis, and also by part-time students. For further information, please contact the Unit for Regional Leaming, Keynes ParaJJels: Personal Visual Partners - an exhibition of artworks from the Bentliff Collection, Maidstone Museum and private lenders. Selected by the Bentliff Trustees, (of which KAS President Paul Oldham is one), these stimulating objects and pictures wiJI be on view until 5th May in the Bentliff Gallery, Maidstone Museum. Romney Marsh Research Trust Events: East Guldeford Study Day with Maureen Lovering & Jill Eddison, Saturday 4th May at 10.00am. Tickets £7 Lydd Field Trip Sunday 15th September at 10.00am, Wainway & Bretts. Tickets £10 from Mrs Dorothy Beck 27 Station Road Lydd TN29 9ED becklydd@euro­ bell.co.uk The London Archaeological Archive and Research Centre (LAARC) opened in February, giving students and local society members the opportunity to study artefacts and records from over 4000 excavations around Greater London over the last IOOyears. Open Days are held on the first Saturday of every month, (4th May, 1st June, 6th July) involving tours and object handling. The 6th July concentrates on 'Waterfront & Riverbank'. l.AARC is situated at Mortimer Wheeler House, 46 Eagle Wharf Road. For events information con­ tact Museum of London on 020 7814 5777. College, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NP. Tel 0800 9753777 (24 hours). part-time@ukc.ac.uk Or perhaps you prefer to study in the comfort of home? The National Home Study College runs Archaeology and History courses though distance learning. Courses include: t Introduction to Egyptology t European History and Marine Archaeology t The Rise & Fall of the Roman Empire t The Making of Britain t The World at War (I & II) t Ancient Greece Further details from the National Home Study College, History Dept., 7 High Street, Pinner, Middlesex HA5 5PJ • 020 8868 5328 www.homestudyzone.co.uk And if you want something practical ... The Kent Archaeology Field School have courses on: t Discovering Archaeological Sites t Geophysical Survey t Castles of Kent t Bones & Burials t The Study of Roman Roads I Place-names in the Landscape I Excavation at Roman Durolevum .... all happening during May, June and July. Further details from KAFS, School Farm Oast, Graveney Road, Faversham ME13 SUP 'Studying and Sharing Kent's Past' is the title of the Report of the Working Party on the future role of the Society, following the suggestion by an ordinary member. The Working Parry acknowl­ edges considerable assistance from the members who commented in writing or at meetings. The themes of the Report emerged in the opening statement, headed The Challenge, and this is printed below. Comments from members are most welcome. The Challenge to the Society Our Society is challenged by the increasing specialisation of interests in the study of the past, which is resulting in isolation in research, diversity of organisations, fragmentation of resources and inadequate advocacy of our discipline. Co-operation and infor­ mation sharing must be the way for­ ward. The suength of our generalist approach is reflected in the use, in our title, of the word archaeology in the tra­ ditional sense. covering all aspects of the study of the past. We exist 10 serve, represent and include all, reconciling different interests wherever possible. Our membership list testifies to the tradition of open recruitment of ama­ teurs and professionals, forming a meeting place for mutual support and I have now passed the first major milestone/hurdle since taking over as membership secretary- the membership renewals due on Ist January 2002! Things appear to have gone reason­ ably smoothly but I recognise that including a renewal form with the January Newsle11er caused some confu­ sion. In future years I intend 10 send renewal leuers only 10 those or you who renew by cheque. If you have not yet renewed for this year please do so as soon as possible otherwise reminder let­ ters will be sent. at additional cost to the Society, in April/May. If you have not yet completed a Gift Aid form please do so now as this gives valuable income 10 the Society without any extra cost 10 members. (Everyone received a Gift Aid form a11ached to the renewal le11er enclosed with all the January Newsle11ers) If you pay by standing order please involvement. We must promote access 10 our discipline through information. rrain­ ing, facilities, advice, contacts and encouragement. Participation in our affairs must be promoted for another rea­ son: the expertise, time and contacts of our members are our greatest srrength. We are dependent on voluntary effort and the amount of member participation is the main limit on our activities. or course, the income from inherited assets maintains our independence and fmances desirable projects. Access through publication has been the backbone of our Society, whether the long series of Archaeologia Camiana. our research repons or our record series. However, the future of publication nationally is facing great change due to the volume of material, advances in tech­ nologi: greater specialisation and differ­ ing user requirements. Given diversity of organisations. 1he ease and speed of availabili1y of information, including news of events and ac1ivi1ies for member and public participation is a major chal­ lenge and role. Our Society derives new responsibil­ ities from the grea1er involvement of pub­ lic institutions, universities, local govern­ ment, na1ional quangos and archaeologi­ cal uni1s in our discipline. We must be alert 10 pioneer new ideas or ac1ivi1ies that might be neglec1ed by public ins1i1u- 1ions. We must use our independence 10 check that this is a1 1he correct amount and only paid once a year (preferably in January) as some banks delight in taking your money monthly! I am very pleased 10 report that I have recently received over 40 applications 10 join - please urge your friends, colleagues and/or relatives 10 join as 1he Society is its membership. I have plenty of application forms if you would like some 10 distribute to local societies etc. The address for all correspondence relating to membership is - Mrs Shiela Broomfield, KAS Membership, 8 Woodview Crescent, Hildenborough, Tonbridge, Kent TNll 9HD. Telephone 01732 838698. E-mail - membership@kentarchaeol­ ogy.org.uk or s.broomfield@dial.pipex.com. act as cheerleader and champion for the interests of archaeology. his!OT} and her­ i1age 1vi1hin and 11ithou1 those organisa- 1ions and we must be the cri1ical friend seeking impro,ement, a pro1ec1or of pub­ lic interest. Gi1·en the diversi1y of in1eres1 . the Socie1y is well placed to promote a research agenda for Kentish studies through con.sul!ation, re1�e1v, ad1'ocacy and ac1i1�1ies. Research priori1ies and requirements should be identified, co­ ordina1ion between studies assisted, new or neglec1ed areas of research highligh1- ed. As a learned society we mus! be corn­ mined to research and publication, or we are nothing. We are also 1he coun1y soci­ ety, covering the historic county of Kent and, as such, the guardians of the Kentish dimension 10 the study of archaeology. Kent has had a distincti1·e pas1 bu1 its Kemish charac1er is under 1hrea1. We must ensure 1ha1 our inheri1ed rradition.s, adap1ed as necessary 10 meel modem requirements, are passed on 10 future generations. Paul Oldham Presidelll The contact addresses of the Hon.Membership Secre1ary and the Newsletter Editor appear \vithin this publication. Other useful addresses include: Hon. General Secretary, Andrew Moffat, Three Elms, Woodlands Lane, Shorne, Gravesend DAI2 3HH Email secre1ary@kentarchaeology.org.uk Hon. Treasurer, Robin Thomas, l Abchurch Yard, Abchurch Lane, London EC4N 7BA Email treasur­ er@kentarchaeology.org.uk The positive response that the 'new­ s1yle' Newsle11er engendered was very encouraging; thank you for all your le1- 1ers, e-mails and phone calls! A couple or comments about the difficulty or smaU print size have been addressed - I hope that this issue is easily legible to all. Guidelines with regard 10 articles for inclusion are now available (illustrations, word leng1h, copyright etc. ..). Contributors wishing to submit articles please contact the edi1or for a copy. The Editor -Yo1.1 ���_Your Society Thi summer we shaU concentrate upon the architectural and literary history of three very different Kentish houses, dating from the 16th to the 19th centuries. Chevening House on Thursday 4th July A unique opportunity to appreciate the interior of a building not easily available for public viewing. This is nor an official KAS visit; those attending will do so as guests of the Shoreham Historical Society and at a cost of £12.50 per person. Time to be advised. Restoration House, Rochester on Friday 261 h July at 2.30pm 'The most important town­ house historically in Rochester' (John Newman). Essentially 161h century in date, with sub­ stantial alterations made to welcome Charles II home in 1660 and chosen by Charles Dickens as Miss Havisham's decrepit residence. Guided tour - £4.50. Gad's Hill Place, Higham on Sunday 4th August at 2.30pm Dickens realised h is child­ hood dream when he was able to live here for the last years of his life from 1856 to 1870. The house was built in the late 131h century. Guided tour - £2.50 or with cream tea in the gardens if fine, £5.00. To attend or for furth er information on any of these events please contact Joy Saynor, Excursion Secretary, 28 High Street, Shoreham, Sevenoaks TN14 7TD. *Women in An glo-Saxon and Medieval Society on Saturday 4th May from 10am. You will find details and a booking form inserted into trus issue for this joint KAS and Canterbury Christ It Church University College conference - an exciting list of speakers and subjects makes trus an event not to be missed. *Also - don't miss the last lecture in the KAS Odyssey season - Victor Smith on Kent's Historic Defences from the 14th to the 20th Centuries, on Saturday 1st June at 2 .30pm in the Ramsey Lecture Theatre, Christ Church University College, North Holmes Road, Canterbury. Tickets £2 KAS members, £3 non-members, available until 11.30am on the day from the Visitor Information Centre, 34 St.Margaret's Street, Canterbury or on the venue door. Kent Historic Buildings Committee (a joint committee of the Kent Archaeological Society and the Council for the Protection of Rural England, Kent Branch) has a new Hon. Secretary. Charles Friend, who took office in the mid-eighties, stood down at the January meeting. At an informal pre­ sentation, the Chairman Ramon Higgs thanked Charles warmly and wished him well. Having been Hon. Secretary to the Committee for so long - as well as Secretary to no less than four Parish Councils, surely Charles should be in the running for an award. The new Hon. Secretary is Every year in midsummer, National Archaeology Days take place. Over the weekend of 20th & 21st July, many different venues, units and museums will be opening their doors to the public and holding special events. What are you planning? The editor would love to hear about any tours, talks or practi­ cal workshops being held around Kent, for inclusion in the Newsletter due out at the begin­ ning of July. Michael H Peters of Sittingbourne, who can be con­ tacted at Coldharbour Farm, Amage Road, Wye, Ashford, Kent TN25 5DB tel: 01233 813 172 fax: 01 233 813 475 info@cprekent.org.uk. The committee is keen to hear from all members who are concerned about the condition of any rustoric building in the county (or any damaging or unsuitable activities nearby). The Committee acts within Kent for the Council for British Archaeology, one of the bodies statutorily consulted on plan­ ning applications involving listed buildings. : - -.:Ev�nts and Diary � -- - PPEALS TI T The Publication Committee needs volunteers he Kent Archaeological Society, the learned County Society of the historic county of Kent, with over 1,600 members, is commit­ ted to the research and publication of 'archaeology', interpreted in the traditional sense as embracing all aspects of the study of the past. Publication has been a major function of the Society from its inception, embracing an annual journal, Archaeologia Cantiana, and record volumes and mono­ graphs. Archaeologia Cantiana, dating from 1858, is a hard-back volume with over 400 pages, available only to members and institu­ tional subscribers, including Universities, and is published annually in July. It has devel­ oped and commands a good academic reputation, offering a wide range of articles, many containing illustrations, plans and tables, followed by book reviews. The Honorary Editor, Mr Terry Lawson, and the Book Reviews Editor, Dr Elizabeth Edwards, well deserve the Society's grati­ tude for building on the strengths inherited from Dr Detsicas and earlier editors. To date, 121 volumes have been published since 1858, the most recent volume, cxx1 (2001), being a memorial vol­ ume to Dr Alec Detsicas, Honorary Editor I 970-1999, and Mr Kenneth Gravett, President of the Society I 988- 1998, containing papers on Romano-British Kent and on Kentish Historic Buildings, with lists of their published works. Six volumes have been published in the Monograph Series, the most recent being The Bishops and Monks of Rochester 1076-1214, by Colin Flight, running to 320 pages, with 29 figures and 16 plates, which appeared in 1997. The Kent Records Series runs to 29 vol- umes, one appearing in each of the last three years, begin­ ning with xxv11: Religious Worship in Ken/: !he Census of 1851, Edited by Margaret Roake (1999), Pp. lii+460, with 9 plates and 7 maps. November 2000 saw the pub­ lication of xxvrn: The Survey of Archbishop Pecham's Kentish Manors 1283-85, Edited by Kenneth Witney, with a Foreword by Dr Joan Thirsk, Pp. lxxxiv+390, with 2 maps and I figure. The most recent volume appeared in June 2001, xx1x: Ken/ Hearlh Tax Assessmenl Lady Day 1664, Edited by Duncan Harrington, with an Introduction by Sarah Pearson, Pp. cxiv+687, with 11 plates, 5 tables, l figure and 13 maps. These and other publications can be ordered from Mr Duncan Harrington, Ashton Lodge, Church Road, Lyminge, Folkes tone, Kent CT18 8JA. It can be seen imme­ diately that these publica­ tions are substantial works of reference and more are planned. The Society has been fortunate in attracting historians whose scholarship is well known. Above all, the volumes exist to stimulate further research, nowhere more clearly stated than by Dr Thirsk in her Foreword to the Pecham volume: 'This volume will doubtless stimu­ late further research on this survey, which is so rich in allusions and clues to the making of thirteenth-century Kent society and landscape'. A review of the Roake volume which appeared in Soulhern History, vol. 22 (2000), pp.261-62, concluded: 'Kent Archaeological Society are to be congratulated on making available the Kentish returns of the Religious Census of 1851... There is much materi­ al here for further work'. Seventeen members serve on the Publications Committee, several of whom assume onerous responsibili- ties within the overall func­ tioning of the Society: the President, the Honorary General Secretary, the Honorary Treasurer, the Honorary Librarian, the Honorary Editor, the Book Reviews Editor and the Committee's Chairman and its Secretary, Miss E. Melling, who oversees the smooth running of the Society's Kent History Fund, which is administered by the Publications Committee. The Publications Committee, with a budget in excess of any other Committee within the Society, is heavily reliant on long-term expertise and pro­ fessionalism in a variety of skills: archaeology, local his­ tory, archives, education, research and publications. Archaeologia Cantiana does not present a problem distributed as it is only to members and institutional subscribers. The Committee has a problem with other publications: quality Monographs and Record Volumes, where sales are slow and disappointing and storage facilities within the Society are limited. Personally I would like mem­ bers to purchase more of these publications, given preferential pricing as between members and non­ members. This article fin­ ishes, however, by appeal­ ing for one or more volun- teers to join the Committee, solely to advise on and promote publicity and sales. There will be no requirement for editing or refereeing future publications. If any member of the Society with marketing expertise would like to assist the Publications Committee in this important area, please write to me at 52 Langdale Avenue, Ramsgate, Kent CTll 0PG. Dr John Whyman Chairman, Publications Commi11ee r 0 M E M B E s The KAS website at www.kentarchaeology.org.uk is expanding he Society's website now has a new . section entitled 'Research' , in which will be put up the results of members researches in all its forms. ject. Leland Duncan's Notes. Following my appeal in the Newsletter almost all of Leland Duncan's notes on Churchyard M.l.'s from around Kent have now been typed up and are being checked before being put up on the Society's Website. A special thank you to Frank & Zena Bamping, Margaret Broomfield, Christine Pantry, Dawn Weeks and the other members of the Society that have assisted with this pro­ Archaeologia Cantiana on­ line. We are embarking on a scheme in which, first, the Contents pages of some 123 vol­ umes of Archaeologia Cantiana are put on the Society's website. The next stage will be to put up the Index Volumes, starting with Vol. 52, published in 1940 and a using a 'search engine' located on the website. The major job will be the checking and correcting of page scanned and OCR'd. All each could Would you be willing to help? If you have access to a computer, a 'floppy disc' and photocopied pages of the index be posted to you for checking. The resound­ ing success of the Leland Duncan M.l.'s has demonstrated that there are many members of the Society, who, whilst perhaps not able to undertake archaeological or historical research themselves, are willing to help in enabling the hard work of others to be prepared for the Society's website. In this way, the whole world will benefit. this work would be possible for you to carry out at a place, i.e. your home, and at a time and pace suitable to you. Training would be available to help you get started. If you are willing to help please contact Ted Connell, 11O Manor Forstal, New Ash Green, Longfield, Kent DA3 8JQ. Tel 01474 872763, email ted.con­ and colour slides held there . A database of over 11,000 entries has been made to date. It is pro­ posed that a start is made to put some of them on the Society's website. Each image is being scanned into a computer for achiving purposes. These images, greatly reduced in size in terms of computer memory, i.e. kilobytes (kb) will be put up in the form of Parish Galleries where 'thumb­ nail' sized pictures can be selected, and so enable all K.A.S. members and others to have a glimpse of the great treasure trove of visual information we have in our Library. On the second and fourth Tuesday morning of each month work on this project will be carried out in the Society's Library using at least three computers. Training will be given. If you are willing to help please contact Ted Connell,- address as before. Visit www.kentarchae­ ology.org.uk now to see the Leland Duncan rare volume to own. This will involve the scanning of over 400 neU@btinternet.com Visual Records online. For M.I.'s and Wills,. double column pages into the computer and using computer software called 'optical character recognition' (OCR) to produce a text, which can then be searched Library Notes Your Help Needed! Many members will already be aware of the considerable collection of topo­ graphical and other Kent material that comprises a major part of the Library stock. Much of this material relates to individual Kent places, many volumes over seven years a team of volun­ teers have met in the Society's Library on Wednesday mornings, to catalogue the many paintings, prints, photographic glass plates having been acquired by donation or purchase since the foundation of the Society to the present day. A major problem for the Library is to keep abreast of the continuing pattern of publishing in Kent, which is expanding at an increasing rate. Some works will automatically come to the attention of the Librarian, but others may only be advertised and sold locally. The Librarian would therefore be most grateful to hear from members about Archaeologia Cantiana and perhaps pictures of your village church and surroundings. any newly published works which might be useful additions to the collec­ tion, and information on arrangements for purchase would be particularly use­ ful. And, of course, donations are most welcome, the more so when a member is the Author. In this way, members will be assisting the Library in main­ taining and adding to its collections, to the benefit of the interests and work of the Society's members. A form is print­ ed below for ease of use. Textile and Clothing 1150-1450 Elizabeth Crowfoot, Frances Maps. Diags, Bib. This valuable work has been pub• lished by KCC with funding from English Heritage & the European Union, as part of the Historic Fortifications Project between Kent, Nord-pas de Calais and Flanders. Three detailed volumes cover every Members might not be aware that the KAS now has books stored in three loca­ tions. The majority of the books, pamphlets and o her papers - and cer ainly those Pritchard & Kay StaniJand. Museum t t known defence site in Kent from of London A highly readable account of wide general interest. Dress historians and archaeologists will find new insights into the fashions, clothing and textile industries of medieval England and Europe. Knives and Scabbards T.Cowgill, M. de Neergaard and N.Griffiths. Museum of London Catalogues, discusses and illus­ trates over 500 items: knives, scab• bards, shears, scissors mid 12th to mid 15th century, found in the City of London. A work of reference for medieval artefacts and material cul­ ture and a useful reference book for excavators all over Britain. St.Gregory's Priory­ Excavations 1988-1991 Martin Hicks & Alison Hicks. Canterbury Archaeological Trust, Archaeology of Canterbury New Series Vol.!I Excavations by CAT on the site of St.Gregory's Priory within the Northgate area of Canterbury revealed the extensive remains of rwo ecclesi• astical establishments. The first, founded by Lanfranc in I 084, was a church with a single aisle-less nave and square chancel, dedicated to St.Gregory. Following the establish­ ment of a Prior and Canons on the site c.1133 the church was enlarged. After a fire c. I145, the Priory was rebuilt on a much grander scale, probably by Archbishop Theobald, and building work continued until well into the 13th century. The priory was dis­ solved in 1537. The report, a model of its kind, is profusely illustrated by over 250 fig. ures and drawings. In addition to drawing together the archaeological data and documentary evidence to derail the development of the ecclesi­ astical establishments, the report describes and examines the range of artefactual and other material recov­ ered, including architectural, structur• al and decorative fragments, pottery and domestic objects, mammal and human bones, and environmental remains. Kent's Defence Heritage Andrew Saunders & Victor Smith. Kent County Council 2001 Illus, Roman Limes up to the post-Cold War period. Each site is well illustrated with photographs and maps, and there are many other useful details regarding preservation, access and future potential. Apart from consoli• dating members existing knowledge, many users will be surprised to learn about sites which are in private own­ ership and therefore have hitherto been obscured to the everyday visitor. _p Historians' guide to early British maps; a guide to the location of re-1900 maps of the Bntish Isles preserved in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Wallis, Helen ed. London: Royal Historical Society 1994 A good text and directory for the serious researcher. Lists repositories by county and place, together with scope and access information. Kings, Currency and alliances: the history and coinage of Southern England in the ninth century. Blackbum, Mark A.S. & Dumville, David N. eds. Woodbridge: The Boydell Press 1998 An interdisciplinary collection by historians, numismatists and philolo­ gists. Contains much of use and interest to KAS members, especially the sections relating to the mints at Canterbury and Rochester. Royal Marines, Deal: a pictorial history. Lane, Andrew. Tiverton: Halsgrove 2000 Many unique pho­ tographs illustrate Royal Marine life in Deal. Useful for town and military history. The Bootshoe BQys: an account of the Elham Charity School. Coton, Betty. Canterbury: the author 2001 Local historical writing or a high standard. A useful source for any per­ son interested in the history of educa­ tion in Kent, as well as providing valu­ able insights into village life. more likely to be used by members - are held in the KAS Library in Maidsto11e Museum. St.Faith's Street. Here arc kept: t standard books on Kcntish archaeology, history and topography t monographs, pamphlets and ephemera on Kentish towns, villages and hamlets I a large accumulation or visual records or churches, buildings and Kentish life t copies of the Society's own publications, including Archaeologia Cantiana t publications and records of other UK archaeological and historical societies, including, for instance, Sussex and Surrey I journals and records of a num­ ber or important European archaeological and historical societies. There are also two computers in the Library, on which are stored the Library catalogue, a catalogue of visual records and databases relevant 10 fieldwork or the KAS. The Library also serves as a meeting room for KAS commi11ees and working groups, and is used for seminars and lectures of up to about two dozen people. Shelf space in the Library is now at a premium and therefore some of the col­ lections arc held in two other locations. At Bradbourne House. East Malling, are stored back runs or UK societies for archaeology and history, leaving the more recent 20 or so years of each society's publications more readily available in the Library. Then, in store rooms in the Maidstone Community Centre, Marsham Street. Maidstone, are back runs or some European journals, together with a collection or State Papers and vol­ umes of the 'Chronicles and Memorials' series published in the 19th century. Also in Marsh am Street are KAS Minute Books and other records or the Society. Complete records of what is held where are available in the Library in the Museum. Members may access the Library at any 1in1e the Museum is open, seven days a week, on production or a KAS mem• bership card and on signature or a register kept by the Museum staff. The Library is not permanently staffed, but KAS volun· leers are normally in the Library on Monday, Wednesday and Friday a[ter­ noons, ready to assist members in using the facilities. Non-members are welcome to visit the Library on these afternoons under the guidance of a KAS volunteer. Members requiring access to the stores at Bradbourne House or Marsham Street should apply to the Hon.Librarian, Dr Frank Panton. A note on J THE VILLAGE OF SEAL he name of Seal vil­ lage near Sevenoaks has been taken to be derived from the Old English Sele and this is correct. However, Lhe Old English word Sele had Lhree different meanings: the first was 'hall' (as in distin­ guished house), the second was 'a willow copse'2 and the Lhird was 'muddy pond'J or 'bog'.4 As the meaning was thoughL to be 'hall', local his­ torians have soughL some indication of the whereabouts of such a structure in the records and archaeologically, but no trace of il has ever been found. Whilst listening to Dr Margaret Gelling lecture on place-names the thought occurred chaL perhaps the wrong meaning had been attributed in this instance. The rendering as 'willow copse' can be discounted as these are too prevalent in the area to be used as a name to distinguish any one place; which leaves the 'muddy pond'. There is a muddy pond at Seal. Until the very recent pasL it has drawn attention to itself by regularly flooding the junction of two roads leading south just outside the village. Discussions wiLh Dr Gelling and Dr Paul Cullen, Anglo­ Saxon language expert work­ ing on the place-names vol­ ume for Kent, Hampshire and Surrey, have led to Lhe conclu­ sion that the village was named for this muddy pond, and not a hall. Another fact which has puzzled historians and has been attributed to an error on the part of the scribes compil­ ing the record,5 is that in Domesday Book this village is entered (as La Sela) under Ruxley (then called Helmestrei) Hundred lying adjacent Lo the north west boundary of Coddesheath Hundred which is where the village is actually situated. The reason for this has been revealed by a perusal of the list of assessments for a tax known as the Lay Subsidy. The Lay Subsidy tax was levied on land-holders within, and collected by, the Hundred. Copies of the lists naming those who pajd it in 1301/2 in the Hundreds of Ruxley and Sommerden are in Dr Gordon Ward's folio no tebooks deposited in Sevenoaks Library Archives. 6 The list for this year is the earliest, and Coddesheath Hundred is not shown. The later lists show both Coddesheath and its souther­ ly neighbour Sommerdenne Hundred, but not Ruxley. Wheth er this is selective edit­ ing on the part of the copyist, or whether the original lists were incomplete it is impossi­ ble at present to say. The record for Ruxley Hundred is incomplete. It is divided into six sections: Hever, Bexley, Bexley Foots Cray, Cudham, Chelsfield and Orpington. The two last have only four names shown out of a possible sixty-one ( they are all numbered) but this is enough. Under the Manor of Chelsfield the name Apsolon is present, and under the Manor of Orpington the name of John de la Zele (Seal). The latter speaks for itself and the name Apsolon, now rendered Absalom, is still present as a property at the then sou thernmost boundary of Seal Parish (now Underriver). This name is distinctive, and there is no duplicate in the records relat­ ing to northwest Kent. These entries indicate that even two centuries after Domesday was compiled some land holdings at Seal were outlying areas of Ruxley Hundred, and tha t implies the entry in that record was correct. It is rein­ forced by the fact that the owners of the various Ruxley Manors can be demonstrated from other records to have been in possession of land in the Seal area for several cen­ turies following I 086. All the assessments list­ ed under Ruxley appear Lo relate Lo holdings outside the Hundred itself, and this is certainly true of Hever (actually situated in Sommerdenne Hundred), named as a part of the grant of Bexley (lying within Ruxley Hundred), by I(jng Cenwulf of Mercia, then rul­ ing Kent, to Wulfred, Archbishop of Canterbury, in a charter dated AD814.7 Ann R. Elton References: I. Ekwall E. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place­ Names, 4th ed. p 409 Wallenberg J.K. The Place­ Names of Kent, p63 Smith A.H. English Place­ Name Elements, Part I I pl 17 Smith op.cit. Gelling Dr M. The Landscape of Place-Names, p63 and a personal commu­ nication Smith op.cit. Knocker H.W. The Valley of Holmesdale, A.C.XXX1 pl67 Ward Dr G. Lay Subsidies, Sevenoaks Library Archives Birch W de Gray. Cartularium Saxonicum No.346 Wallenberg J.K. Kentish Place-Names, pp I 33-5 For identification of place names Sawyer P.H. Anglo-Saxon Charters, p115 Witney K.P. The Jutish Forest, p2 I 9 'IDEAS and IDEALS' This is tire second of a �eries of articles describing formative 1110\'ements a11d ideas in tire liistorJ of tire clr11rclr. These were tire crises of tlro11glit and com•iction wlticlt brought 11s to where we are. W THE MONASTIC IDEAL riting at the end of his life Bede noted how young men were being drawn into the monastic life away from studying the arts of war: 'What the results of this will be the future will show.' Within less than a century the Danish raids had changed the picture drastically; but not just the raids. Asser pointed out in his life of Alfred that the monas• teries had brought some of this decline on themselves with their 'too great abundance of wealth.' Here, at its beginning, we already see the problem that beset mediaeval monasticism. In its very success lay the seeds of its failure. The history of the four and a half centuries between the Conquest and the Dissolution is a history of successive attempts to remedy this. And in the course of this, astonish• ing individuals made their indelible mark on European history with ideals of Christian living that would be an inspiration for all rime. It would be easy to write this account in terms of these individuals. Benedict, Odo, Hugh, Bernard, Dominic, Francis - all saints, all inspirers of monastic movements which changed the face of church history. But these movements aper• ated within a political context which like an ocean undertow was often pulling in the opposite direc• tion. It was this political current which finally overwhelmed the whole movement. Monasticism's origins lay in Egypt. St Anthony, a third century farmer, fled civilisation for the life of a desert hermit. He was emulated by his friends and the movement grew. Three centuries later Benedict of Nursia similarly escaped Rome, set up a community with twelve fol• lowers and later expanded it to other groups. The Rule Benedict wrote for them was his response to the eternal question, how 10 follow the spiritual life in a wicked world. II was not the first such Rule but it was the one that took root; and when successive refom1ers tried to bring the movement back to its first principles it was to this Ruic that they looked. It was accepted later that adjustments had to be made - after all, life in mediaeval society was a far cry from sixth century rural Italy. But therein lay the rub: what adjustments and how far? The prologue of the Rule enjoined absolute obedience: only by the 'labour of obedience' could man's first disobedience, the source of original sin, be redeemed . Poverty, absolute in personal terms ('naked we follow the naked Christ,' said St Bernard, echoed later by St Francis), humility, chastity - these were the cardinal principles that underlay monastic life. Monks were not to leave the monastery. Prayer, the Opus Dei • the six divine services prescribed • manual labour, reading, sleep (eight hours in winter, six in summer) • this was their life, a regime of intensely organised activity. 'Idleness is the enemy of the soul,' said the Rule. So the dor• mitory, the cloister, the field, the refectory, its simple fare and silence (most of the day) became the monks' world. They were not to be ordained; they were foot-soldiers rather than officers of Christ and as such humble symbols of the promise of salvation. The abbot's role was that of loving parent, guardian of their souls for which he would be answerable on the day of judgement; but unlike a parent he was to be elected by the monks. Th.is is a gross oversimplifica• tion of the inspired and powerful seventy-three chapter document which bound the forces of western Christianity into one organised whole and laid the foundations for the hugely important symbolic role monasticism held in mediaeval society. The monastery provided a passport to salvation: follow the Ruic and your soul would be saved. Thomas a Kempis, writing to a wid• owed mother who was lath to see her only son take vows, argued: 'Is it not safer for him to serve God in the cloister than to lose his soul with thee in the world?' Losing your soul meant going through 'the names of everlasting inextinguish­ able fire.' Christian ideology amply reinforced the legacy of fear from the pagan past. But as well as sav­ ing the souls of their inmates and of the departed, monasteries offered hope to those outside their walls. The Rule had prescribed mass once a week and on feast days. Inevitably, though, a mass industry developed, with accompanying donations. Gifts of goods, property, children (oblates) and the death• bed taking of vows - all these were the currency of salvarion; Bede him­ self had been an oblate and the sys­ tem survived into the I21h century. If you were rich enough you helped found an abbey. No wealthy man, wrote William of Malmesbury in the I21h century, but thought shame of himself if he had not contributed to the building of a monastery. There were just under fifty abbeys in England at the time of the Conquest (including eight nunner• ies). These were the old Benedictine abbeys like St Augustine's and Christ Church in Canterbury, large well endowed communities with established traditions of learning and important roles in their local economy. Then, within a century the number of religious houses had risen ten-fold. This was not a mere­ ly Anglo-Norman phenomenon: religious fervour was continent• wide. England's I0th century monastic revival had mirrored and drawn part inspiration from the Cluniac reforms in France. When Cluny, with its huge building pro• gramme and network of daughter houses seemed to be abandoning the purity of the Rule, the Cistercians were there to wrench it back to fundamentals; and at the end of the I Ith century a reforming papacy under Gregory VII fought to purge the church of abuses and push back the limits of secular power in a church-state confronta• tion that would soon have its paral• lei in England. The colonisation of England by successive monastic movements has been likened to tribal incur­ sions, but unlike earlier invasions these had the king's blessing: French monks were natural royal allies (interestingly, Hugh of Cluny . mistrustful of William's motives? - refused his offer of an annual fee in return for a regular supply of monks). But Lanfranc, horrified at the monks' spiritual laxness when he arrived at Christ Church from Bee, persuaded a group of Cluniacs to come to a priory at Lewes. Several other Cluniac houses were set up but the highly centralised nature of their organisation prevented it tak· ing off in the way of more autonomous later Orders. The Ci tercians who followed were an altogether different mailer. A formi­ dable force both in numbers and phy ical stamina, their foundations were spiritual powerhouses ( Rivaulx under Ailred, for instance). This could lead to dashes with older establishments. The first monks at Fountains (who initially had to sleep under a tree and sur­ vive on a diet of leaves) had left their original Benedictine abbey in York against the wishes of their abbot. Each side appealed to Canterbury and at one point an open fight broke out. But notwith­ standing such problems within less than a hundred years there were over forty Cistercian foundations, independent houses but linked by the General Chapter or annual gen­ eral meeting of abbots which was a Cistercian innovation. All save a handful of these houses were in areas that had once been within the domain of Celtic Christianity, the wilder parts of England suitable for the austere life and (as it soon tran­ spired) for the rearing of sheep. The transition from bare sur­ vival to large scale land owning was slow but inexorable. The wool trade was taking off. the population growing, towns and trade expand­ ing. St Bernard had lived in what a contemporary had likened to a leper's hut. But such days were over. With the new wealth came more complex finances; and debts. Withal their huge incomes most abbeys, supporting inflated popula­ tions of lay brethren and hired labourers, lived beyond their means. Standards of living inevitably went up - as Giraldus Cambrensis noticed when he sat down to a six course meal with the monks of Christ Church Canterbury in the 1180s. Increasingly the old rules (and Rule) were having to be rethought. Christ Church is a good example of how impossible it was to keep worldly affairs out of the monastery. From the J01h century on it had been one of several cathedral prior­ ies, taking the place of the chapter of secular clergy. Successive kings had fought for this change; Lanfranc al first resisted then accepted it, but al least two later archbishops tried to set up colleges for secular clergy (one attempt was at Hackington), only lo be thwarted by their monks. Like its sister house, Sl Augustine's, Christ Church was a major centre of learn­ ing. supplying books to clergy and laity. Education - literacy - was seen as an important adjunct to the monastic ideal. Lanfranc had stipu­ lated monks should read one book a year, and he granted a charter to St Gregory's priory to set up a school for grammar and music for local cit­ izens. Meanwhile Christ Church, like St Augustine's, was a major landowner: by the 121h century it owned nearly half the houses in and around the town. But property could bring lawsuits; endowments, obligations - some benefactors looked on the priory as a future retirement home. Al no point, though, did the outside world intrude more brutally onto the monastic than on that grim December afternoon in 1170 when armed knights stormed in on the terrified monks and their archbish­ op. Becket's martyrdom then brought the priory still more wealth. Each of the eleven religious orders that set up houses in England during the 12 1h century sought its own way of dealing with the pressures of the world. While the Carthusians retreated further into the contemplative life of the cloister, the Augustinian canons and the Premonstratesians (taking their Rule from St Augustine of Hippo) embraced pastoral work as well as poverty and labour as the basis of the Apostolic life. The Gilbertines, founded by Gilbert of Sempringham, set up double hous­ es for men (Augustinians) and women (Benedictines). the latter meeting a social need for a women's establishment which did not carry the aristocratic overtones of the old Benedictine nunneries. The Cistercians too unwittingly con­ tributed to greater social mobility by bringing new classes of workmen and women into their domains. These changes were reflected in the gradually shifting emphasis in monastic culture that helped pave the way for the most radical of the new Orders, the mendicant friars. Backed by that most powerful of mediaeval popes. Innocent III, the Dominicans and the Franciscans opened a new phase in the monas­ tic movement. The life of Christ could only be lived in the world, in absolute poverty: this was their message, their method to prosely­ tise. The first friars arrived in 1224 and were welcomed by archbishop Langton. Arter spending two days in Canterbury they went on to London, establishing missions in those cities and Oxford - centres where more friar teachers would be trained. The infant university was already awash with the intellectual tidal wave from 121h century France where SL Bernard had clashed with Abelard's philosophy: 'by doubting we come to inquiry, and by inquiry we perceive the truth' The mendi­ cants too were to challenge existing thinking in many ways. whether in the form of barefoot monks walking through the snow in Canterbury ('all who saw it shuddered to see them go· wrote a contemporary) or of controversial thinkers like the great Franciscan teacher Roger Bacon who went to jail.. The convulsions of the 141h cen­ tury - the Hundred Years War, the Black Death and the Peasants' Revolt - added to the undermining of the old order. Monastic popula­ tions never recovered after those plague years. The schism in the Papacy, now based in Avignon on the borders of unpopular France, weakened religious loyalties (see Piers Plowman's derision of 'the robber Pope of France'). By the time of Chaucer the unravelling had gone far. His pilgrims may be carica­ tures but they were surely recognis­ able to contemporaries - the pri­ oress with her liule dogs and gold­ en 'Amor vincit omnia' brooch, the fat amiable friar and the hunting monk; and it is the monk who sounds the death-knell of monasti­ cism with his dismissive phrase: 'Lat Austyn have his swynk to him reserved.' So much for the 'obedi­ ence of labour,' he's saying, so much for Rules. The monastic ideal which had cemented society, kept learning and literacy alive and acted as spiritual safeguard for generations of believ­ ers was in decline. To someone like the 15th century Thomas a Kempis, quoted above, it had lost none of its redemptive power, but in England the groundswell against it was gathering. The impulse which gave rise to monasticism finds curious expres­ sion in the 2 Isi century. Those Protestant sects which emphasise separation from the world, as well as !alter-day Roman and Anglican coenobites join company with less disciplined escapists of every hue who look for reality away from Life as it is lived. Keble's 'trivial round' and 'common task.' E.Cairns. Bibliography Robert Bart/ell England under 1he Nonnan and Angevin Kings Clarendon Press 2000 G.C.Co11/to11 Five Cemuries of Religion Cambridge Universi1y Press 1923 D.K11ow/,s Chris1ian Monas1icism Weidcnfcld 1969 C.H1-awrnrct Medieval Monasticism. Longmans 1984 THE MONASTIC IDEAL THE MONASTIC IDEAL THE MONASTIC IDEAL ·THE MONASTIC IDEAL THE MONASTIC IDEAL THE MONASTIC E WEAL ;)�jj� .[:J! ONASTIC IDEAL __�•.:t., THE 0 ASTIC BAL HE SPRING 2002 Dear Editor Reference your article (Jan '02) on the WW! good luck token found by Mr Bristow. He may be interested in these details: 1242 was the number given in the First Sportsman Battalion to Private R.Stanley. I have the history of the Bn (my Grandfather was an early member) and Stanley does not appear on the casualty lists although many members of the Bn were commissioned into other Regiments and would not appear on the Bn Roll of Honour. Mrs Cunliffe-Owen con­ ceived the idea of raising a Bn of over the enlistment age men who, by their life as sportsmen, were still hard and fit. The result was a unique (for the time) Bn of volunteers of all classes. Many would normally have been commissioned straight into a Regt. The unit became the 23rd(Service) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers and was stood down in 1919. The casualty rate was terrible. Mrs Cunliffe-Owen became Mrs Stamford OBE. Yours sincerely A.J.Bruce Editor's note: Apologies to Maureen Benne/I, the original contributor of the article whose name was omitted in January. The article prompted a couple of people to contact me wish­ ing to find out information about their forbears who were Bn mem­ bers; I was pleased to be able to put them in touch with each other and with Mr Bruce. Dear Editor The following notes will be of interest to any member in pos­ session of Edwards Rowe Mores' History of Tunstall (Bibliotheca Topographica Britannica Vol I (1780) or the 'The Family of Twysden and 1wisden' ( 1939), or both. Twysden and Crawmer On page 77 of the account of the Twysdens we read that in 1511 Thomas Royden (a Twysden ancestor) married Margaret Whetenhall of East Peckham, whose mother was the daughter of Sir James Crawmer of Tunstall. A footnote reads: For the Pedigree of Crowmer see E.R.Mores' 'History and Antiquities of Tunstall...etc'. Mores does not mention any daugh­ ters of Sir James and makes Anne daughter to Sir William, the son of Sir James. This accords ill with the dates, and if it is true as stated by Mores that Sir James's wife was still unmarried at the death of her father in 1464, it is impossible. In fact Mores did not make Anne daughter to Sir William. Nichols (or his servants) did when preparing Mores' work for publication. The Pedigree on pages 22-24 of the published work have the names more or less as Mores wrote them. However, the lines linking them together are nothing like the original. In Mores' manuscript at the Bodleian Library (MS Gough Kent 17) James Crawmer and his wife Catherine are shown as having six children, including Anne and her sisters shown just below George and Willlam, and John shown just below them. The descent line from William and Alicia (nee Haut) goes down the side of the page to the bottom line of names who are the children of William and Alicia. There are similar errors regard- ing the lines in the Hales Pedigree on page 36 of Mores, but here it is easier to see what they should be. l need to check the MS for the Harlackenden and Tong pedigrees, which both have oddities in the published work. Other errors in the published history occur in the selected extracts from the first Church Register. The marriage of William Crawmer & Elizabeth Guildford is given in the book as I st October 1561, whereas in the Register it is 1560; the birth and baptism of twins James and Barbara is shown as 25th May 1562, when the Register has 1561. Since a daughter Jane was born 12th September 1562 (book & Register), the book dates do not make sense. I have yet to check the MS to see who was at fault - it might have been an agent of Mores in Tunstall who extracted the entries for him. A letter in the Mores' papers at the Bodleian makes clear that he wrote to Churchwarden Charles Stanley with queries. On the subject of Mores and errors, an error concerning Edward Rowe Mores himself is to be found in the book 'Equitable Assurances' by M.E.Ogbom. The author states that in his early years Mores Jived at Gore Court in Tunstall, which his father owned. He did not live there! They had a ten­ ant farmer at Gore Court, but themselves lived in the new Rectory which Edward Mores (senior) built in 1712, a year after his arrival in Tunstall, a picture of which as it was in 1760 is to be seen in Mores' book. Brian P. Turner Interested in Local History? Join the Britbh Association for Local Hbtory and receive 4 issues a year of The Local Historian. offering stimulating ideas and essential guid­ ance, and 4 issues a year of Local History News, with topical news, views and notices. Also available arc one-off publications at reduced prices, includ­ ing the best-selling 'Researching and Writing History' and a catalogue of books with titles relating to the sources, methods and approaches used by local historians. Further informa­ tion from: BAlH, PO Box 1576, Salisbury SP2 8SY or www.balh.co.uk lantlife, Britain's only nation­ al membership charily dedi­ cated exclusively to conserv­ ing all forms of plan! life in their natural habitat, is calJ­ ing for owners of ancient buildings in Kent to look after P the plants which may thrive on their external walls. Ancient buildings and churchyards are particularly impor­ tant places for finding lichens - plant­ like forms comprising two organisms, an alga and a fungus, rolled into one. While the alga supplies essential foodstuffs, the fungal partner provides anchorage. Plantlife is so con­ cerned about one such rare lichen, the Churchyard Lecanactis (Lecanac1is hemisphaerica), that it is currently advising those responsible for managing churches and castles on the best ways to look after these unusual plant communities. Found along the southern and south-eastern coast, grow­ ing on walJs where there is no direct sunlight and little rain, vives in dry shady places such as win­ dow tracery, weathered stone window frames, recessed mouldings and ren­ dered walls. ii is extremely slow 10 grow and therefore likes to be left alone. Dr Jenny Duckworth, Plantlife's Biodiversity Research Manager says "These ancient and historical build­ ings really take on a whole new dimension once you realise that they are extremely important wildlife habi­ tats." For more information, or to get a copy of the management leaflet 'Churchyard Lecanactis: Old walls Can Harbour Secrets' contact Plantlife on 020 7808 0100, e-mail enguiries@plantlife.org.uk or write to 21 Elizabeth Street London SWlW 9RP. the Churchyard Lecanactis sur- Some ofthe rare lichen 011 our church buildings. T Trying to get a project off the ground? ----�-:::. tion/set of rules What size grants are available? £3000-£25,000 Do I have to raise any cash? There is a minimum cash con- tribution of 5% Is there a closing date? No, LHI is open all year and is he Local Heritage Initiative Kentish Cobnuts Association to for the South East Region enable work with local communi- may be able to help! The ties and growers to interpret the LHI is a national grant history of this traditional scheme, managed by The industry and the 'Heritage Countryside Agency, Tales', which aimed to that helps introduce children to the local groups landscape heritage of to investigate, explain and !,����� the North Downs through a series of expected to run for at least I 0 years. A 3-month decision is care for their plays and perfor- local landscape, mances. landmarks, tradi- Who can apply? tions and culture. New or exist- Funding comes via ing community the Heritage Lot1ery ::�� and voluntary Fund and the :!J;l�.,,,. groups as long Nationwide. as they have an Some examples of o p e n recent grants include _.�!!I"'" •'f:f bank/build- the 'Kentish Plats' pro- � ing society ject, awarded to the •� account and a constitu- guaranteed between Sept-May. During the summer this could take a linle longer How can Ifind out more? Application pack - 0870 9000401 General advice - Kevin Haugh or Lisa Birch on 01622 765222 The Countryside Agency, Sterling House, 7 Ashford Road, Maidstone MEl4 5BJ Kevin.haugh@countryside.go v.uk or www.lhi.gov.uk A Director • The Trust for Thanet Archaeology vation of graves, Dave now appears somewhat blasc, stating that the first two or 1hree hundred arc the best! Alihough he leaves 1hc SIUcly of bones to the experts, working ou1 sta1ure, age and sex is of interesl, as is discovering Dave Perkins PhD, MSc, MIFA BACK PAGE PEOPLE BACJ(PAGE PEOPLE BACK PAGE PEOPLE BACJ(PAGE PEOPLE BACK PAGE PEOPLE BACJ(PAGE PEOPLE BACJ(PAGE PEOPLE BACK PAGE PEOPLE BACK PAGE PEOPLE BACK PAGE PEOPLE BACl�PAGE P.EOP.LE BACK PAGE REORLE BACJ(PAGE P. 0 1/J � reas of Britain have archaeolo­ gy which has become synony­ mous with one person - think of Francis Pryor and the Fens or John Coles and the Somerset Levels. 'Thanet' and 'Dave Perkins'are just such a combination; Kent's north-east­ ern outpost has benefited from 25 years of investigation by a man born and bred to the area, with a passion for his home landscape and the stories that its wealth of archaeological remains can reveal. I went LO meet him and hear his story ... Born in Ramsgate in 1938, Dave's interest in the past was stimulated by a father who read avidly within historical subjects and further fuelled b11 his maternal grandmother's tales. This remarkable woman, who came from generations of local "fishermen with ploughs", had a huge fund of memories and folklore and "could make the Sprackling murder of I 653 seem like only yesterday!" However, there was no chance of a working class lad pursuing his interest - the few University archaeology courses were peo­ pled by those that could afford to indulge their curiosity - moreover, a childhood blighted by brittle bones and much time in hospital had led to a lack of conventional schooling. So Dave followed his anistic bent and accepted a place at Margate Arl School, specialising in book and techni­ cal illustration, leading to work in the commercial art field. Settled into this life, he and a group of friends often spent Sunday afternoons exploring the locality; one Sunday in 1976 however, his life was changed forever following a suggestion that they visit a dig at the Lord of Manor, Ramsgate. On arrival, Dave saw "a hippy, with an aluminium corrugated hut and a pup tent and a series of holes in the ground." The 'hippy' ( Nigel MacPherson-Grant!) showed them round the site, where a small henge monument was being uncovered. A drive home, a quick on Roman & Saxon Dark Age glass from Kent. In 1987 the Trust for Thanet Archaeology ("not Thanet Arch Trust - we couldn't let it be TAT for short!") came into being, with Dave as Director. Based in Broadstairs since 1988, the Trust has worked on many projects, notably the Iron Age 'hill fort' settle­ ments at North Farland and South Dumpton and currently the fascinating shipwreck of Stirling Castle, sunk in 1703. When asked for his most memo­ rable site, Dave has no hesitation in naming the 'enthralling' Jutish cemeter­ ies at Ozengell, excavated from 1977 to I980. He asserts that there is nothing like a grave for learning the craft of field archaeology - they are a microcosm of the problems and challenges of the pro­ fession. And the Thaner Jutish graves, unique in their wide spectrum of differ­ ing grave structures, are especially chal­ lenging, both in their excavation and subsequent interpretation. Although still enthused by the exca- major trauma. It is the s1ory 1ha1 ihc buried individual can reveal which fas­ cinates. Prehistory is ano1her major interest, as his PhD, awarded in 2001, reveals, exploring the notion of Thanet as a ·gateway communi1y' during 1he Bronze Age to 1he mid Iron Age. Asked aboul 1he fu1ure of archaeology, Dave is despon­ dent that ama1eur archaeolo­ gy appears to be languishing, praising amateurs as the 'light cavalry' of the professionals, vital for relaying information and also for stimulating the interest of youngsters. At a local level, he is concerned that the lack of any facility for the display of material could lead to the archaeology and history of his area being ignored. An accident on site in 2001 fractured a femur and hospitalisation led to MRSA* - Dave can never get into the trenches with a trowel again. He remembers lying wairing for the ambulance, covered in coats, thinking "this isn't much like Time Team!" Many KAS members wiJI know Dave from the KAS­ funded Minster Villa training dig. Others will have listened to him talk animatedly at conferences, some will have been students in his field archaeol­ ogy classes. Due to retire in January 2003, he will be much missed by the archaeological community of Kent. This will be no restful retirement though - he plans to write up some of the interest­ ing excavations of the Trust and Thanet Archaeological Society, which, through lack of funding, went unpublished. He will also help the Trust in an advisory capacity. For the last 25 years archaeol­ ogy has ruled supreme in his life; it looks set to remain so! (* flesh eating bug) The Ed change and Dave returned LO the site. He was introduced Lo ditch sections and was hooked. Within 4 months he was a supervisor on the Manpower Services Commission YTS and has worked con­ tinuously in archaeology since. A BSc in Archaeological Science through part time study gave him the professional clout he felt he needed; the academic world appealed and he went on to self-fund his MSc, concentrated Copy deadli11es for the next thm issues are: July issue- Monday June J,J, October issue -MondaySeptrmber lrJ Januaryissue• Deumber 2nd. The editor wishrs lo draw a11m1ion to thefact that neither she nor the Cou,111/ ofthe MS are answmibltfor opinions which contributors /IIJJJ aprm in thtirsigntd aniclts; 01Ch 11J1thar is alont l'tSJ')nsibltfor 1114 Published by the Kent Archaeological Society, The Museum, St Faith's Street, Maiclstonc,t