KAS Newsletter, Issue 58, Autumn 2003

Issue number 58 Autumn 2003 www.kentarchaeology.org.uk Archaeological Trust. The excavations uncovered the remains of a Late Neolithic – Early Bronze Age burial landscape and the interior of the Iron Age enclosed settlement or Hill fort. The Late Neolithic – Early Bronze Age features included a causewayed barrow containing two central burials, and the crouched burial of a child cut into the base of the barrow ditch. The child’s grave had been capped orth Foreland Hill is situated on the North Eastern tip of the Isle of Thanet, with clear views northward across the mouth of the Thames Estuary and eastward towards the English Channel. The archaeological potential of the site is documented in Archaeologia Cantiana with references in 1877 to huge flint foundations that are probably Roman and in 1957 to a crop mark of a Bronze Age Barrow. Rescue excavations carried out in 1979 and 1993 during the construction of houses on North Foreland Avenue indicated that at least one barrow and Iron Age settlement features survive beneath the North Foreland Estate. By the mid 1980s the extent of settlement at North Foreland was recognised. Routine aerial photography by Thanet Archaeological Society exposed crop marks of Bronze Age Barrows and a settlement enclosed by ditches, possibly an Iron Age Hill fort. Small scale excavation by Thanet Archaeological Society in 1995 proved a Mid – Late Iron Age date for the enclosing ditches. In 1999 an excavation in advance of a housing development at the former St Stephen’s College Site was carried out by the Trust for Thanet Archaeology and Canterbury Autumn 2003 1 with a large fragment of whale rib. Two other barrows were excavated, one of which contained further human burials. This barrow had a large grave cut at the centre with a smaller secondary burial and is associated with a small cemetery of five flat graves containing crouched burials. The interior of the enclosed settlement provided evidence of Early to Late Iron Age activity including part of a small Middle – Late Iron Age rectangular enclosure with at least six fourpost structures. To the east of the enclosure was a concentration of large pits probably used to store grain but later backfilled with midden material, while to the north west a small pit was excavated containing a hoard of 64 Late Iron Age coins. The Trust for Thanet Archaeology Inside 2-3 Wealden Archaeology 4-5 Library Notes & New Books 6-7 Lectures, Courses, Conferences & Events 8-9 Notice Board 10-11 ‘Ideas & Ideals’ The Eighteenth Century Church: Latitudinarians, High Churchmen and Non-Jurors. 12-13 Bayford Castle, Corpus of Romanesque Sculpture, BAA Scholarship 14-15 Letters to the Editor National Archaeology Day, Public Catalogue Foundation 16 Jill Eddison news l e t e r K E N T A RC H A E O LO G I C A L S O C I E T Y N O RT H F O R E L A N D , B R O A D S TA I R S Above: Crop marks facing east across North Foreland and left: Iron Age burial found in rubbish pit. continued on page 2 Autumn 2003 2 WEALDEN ARCHAEOLOGY WEALDEN ARCHAEOLOGY WEALDEN ARCHAEOLOGY WEALDEN ARCHAEOLOGY WEALDEN ARCHAEOLOGY WEALDEN ARCHAEOLOGY WEALDEN ARCHAEOLOGY WEALDEN ARCHAEOLOGY WEALDEN ARCHAEOLOGY WEALDEN ARCHAEOLOGY WEALDEN ARCHAEOLOGY WEALDEN ARCHAEOLOGY WEALDEN ARCHAEOLOGY WEALDEN ARCHAEOLOGY WEALDEN ARCHAEOLOGY WEALDEN ARCHAEOLOGY WEALDEN ARCHAEOLOGY two jet and a single faience bead at her neck. The discovery of human remains at North Foreland can provide insight into both the sacred and secular aspects of Iron Age life, death and regeneration. This evidence is further supported by the discovery of a horse bridle bit and an inverted bovine skull within other smaller pits nearby. Such discoveries have commonly been interpreted as representing ceremonial offerings at other contemporary settlement locations. In another large pit tool marks on the sides have suggested that a metal implement, possibly an adze, was used to cut these deep features. Similar tool marks have been found in pits on sites such as Danebury. Due to the importance of this discovery casts have been taken which will enable further research to be conducted. The discovery of a large post hole at the base of the pit appears to be unparalleled at North Foreland and may have contained a structure linked to some totemic purpose. Further work is expected on this important site and research will continue to provide more information on the organisation and activities of the North Foreland settlement. Emma Boast Director, Trust for Thanet Archaeology returned to the site again in 2003 to excavate a previously unexposed area of the settlement and to strip and map most of the remaining portion of the sub rectangular enclosure ditch and its immediate vicinity. A number of pits and postholes were excavated to the west and south of the enclosure. One large pit may have been used for mixing daub for use within wattle structures. The remains of clay and chalk silt with rod impressions were excavated from the bottom of this pit. This same pit was partially backfilled with midden material and then used for the burial of an adult female with continued from page 1 suggest that these sites were a continuation of Pre-Roman settlements, for example, complete examples of Iron Age annular glass beads of Hanging Langford and South Harting types from the interior floors of 2nd century AD Roman timber buildings. It is interesting to note that both sites have also produced Iron Age features associated with metalworking. In February 2002 a small test trench excavated within a dark patch in an Ulcombe field south of Jubilee Corner (NGR 83854660), revealed no fewer than 6 Iron Age smelting hearths set into a large ditch thus showing the possible future potential for prehistoric Wealden archaeology in this area. In Benenden the well-known ctive archaeo l o g i c a l r e s e a r c h continues in the We a l d with the Wealden Archaeological Fieldwork Group, with old sites being re-investigated and new ones recorded. Finds range in date from Pa l a e o l i t h i c implements to Second World War debris. The area of interest extends from Ulcombe in the north to Sandhurst in the south. The Ro m a n roads and associated sites in the area are a source of continuing interest, particularly the iron working sites both prehistoric and Roman. Figure 1 shows the principal Wealden sites discovered and recorded by our small fieldworking group. Site 1 is the amended route for Margary Road 131 with a possible branch road to an ironworking site at Romden, Smarden. Sites 2 and 3 are a new Roman rural settlement found at Ulcombe and a Roman site in Headcorn both dating to the 2nd –3rd centuries AD. A possible branch road leaving the Roman road south of Staplehurst is also a possibility. Site 4 is the Little Farningham, near Cranbrook, Roman iron working site reported on in Arch. Cant. CXXI 2001, where the first evidence for iron smelting hearths was recorded as well as the correct line of Margary Road 13. Site 5 is Benenden School where a possible crossroads formed by the eastwest and north-south Ro m a n roads was found in the grounds, (NGR 801337), which may explain the finds made here in the 1970s. Finally, 6 is the impressive section of iron slagged Roman road exposed in a stream between Sandhurst and Bodiam. The Ulcombe parish historic sites are shown in Figure 2, which gives an impression of what can be revealed with a survey of a virtually unexplored part of Kent. The exploratory excavations at the Roman rural settlement at Ulcombe and the Headcorn Roman sites have produced a large amount of pottery and other material and this is yet to be fully reported on. A number of the finds W E A L D E N A R C H A E O L O G Y The section of Roman road exposed after erosion of the river bank near Sandhurst. assumed to be the earliest road. The first road may have been c2.4m wide and bounded by possible road ditches 1 and 2. It is unfortunate that a modern cable trench cuts the road surface, however, the section drawing does appear to suggest that the road surface could have been one continuous feature. There is a total slag road surface width of c9.5m. Ditch 3 contained fragments of slag and charcoal, perhaps suggestive of nearby iron working. A metal detector survey of nearby fields revealed a slag spread more extensive than would have derived from the road. This may point to a Ro m a n o - B r i t i s h industrial site in the vicinity, possibly associated with a port in the valley here? It is perhaps only a matter of time before other Roman sites are found to help to explain how the Wealden area worked. Why is there a lack of evidence for significant occupation after the mid third century AD? Is it entirely connected to the rise and fall for the demand for iron? It is also difficult to account for the total lack of Anglo-Saxon sites so far in our surveys, or are all of the present day villages overlying these? Several short reports of our group’s fieldwork are awaiting inclusion in Arch.Cant. when space permits. Neil Aldridge more difficult country close to the Sussex border and surely point to the military mind behind them. Many of the later landscape features, hedgerows and tracks, do not appear to correlate particularly closely with the Roman roads. At Sandhurst, close to the Kent Ditch, is the well preserved section of road first noted by Battle and District Local History Group and later published in Arch. Cant. 79 1964 in an article by Alec Miles (NGR 785 267). The principle features evident in a section recorded after the winter floods of 2001 were uncovered after the riverbank had been eroded away. These are shown in the plan, Figure 3, and in the colour photo of the north bank of the stream. The Roman road actually continued beneath the modern road bridge, which cuts through it. It is a longer and more complex section than had been seen and recorded in the 1960s. All of the features are buried under a deep layer of hill wash. It appears that there are actually two road surfaces with a ‘new’ slagged surface at a slightly higher level to the west of what is course of the Rochester-Hastings Roman road leading south down to the possible Roman Ford site has produced an interesting discovery. The writer has known the deeply sunken road for some 25 years; however, it is only recently that it has been possible to see that part of the slag metalling of what may be the original Roman alignment was seen to exist in the fields close alongside the sunken road (NGR 802330). The road, which continued to be in use up until the 19th century, has over the years evidently moved away from its earlier original course. In Uppergate Wood, Benenden (NGR 829347), a section dug across the apparent ‘agger’ of the east-west road, Margary road 130, showed that it was in fact largely part of a recent woodland boundary with only a small layer of iron slag from the road itself still in-situ. A continuing problem to resolve is the apparent lack of new Roman iron working sites in the High Weald to account for the volume of waste material used in road construction. The excavation of a heavily slagged and rutted Roman Road at Bishopsden (NGR 8445 3485), to the west of Uppergate Wood shows how variable the road construction was. Despite this the actual routes chosen by the Roman surveyors themselves show how well they were planned across the Autumn 2003 3 WEALDEN ARCHAEOLOGY WEALDEN ARCHAEOLOGY WEALDEN ARCHAEOLOGY WEALDEN ARCHAEOLOGY WEALDEN ARCHAEOLOGY WEALDEN ARCHAEOLOGY WEALDEN ARCHAEOLOGY WEALDEN ARCHAEOLOGY WEALDEN ARCHAEOLOGY WEALDEN ARCHAEOLOGY WEALDEN ARCHAEOLOGY WEALDEN ARCHAEOLOGY WEALDEN ARCHAEOLOGY WEALDEN ARCHAEOLOGY WEALDEN ARCHAEOLOGY WEALDEN ARCHAEOLOGY WEALDEN ARCHAEOLOGY fig 2 fig 1 fig 3 Autumn 2003 4 LIBRARY AND BOOKS LIBRARY AND BOOKS LIBRARY AND BOOKS LIBRARY AND BOOKS LIBRARY AND BOOKS LIBRARY AND BOOKS LIBRARY AND BOOKS LIBRARY AND BOOKS LIBRARY AND BOOKS LIBRARY AND BOOKS LIBRARY AND BOOKS LIBRARY AND BOOKS LIBRARY AND BOOKS LIBRARY AND BOOKS LIBRARY AND BOOKS LIBRARY AND BOOKS LIBRARY AND BOOKS 1999/2001(2003). Bygone Kent. Vol. 24, No.7. Archaeology International. 2002/2003. University College London. Sussex Mills Newsletter 119 July 2003. Sussex Industrial Archaeological Society Newsletter 119 July 2003. 3 publications from Potsdam Landesmuseum. Canterbury’s Archaeology 2001/2002 (2003). Southern History Vol. 24 2002 (2003). A Research Framework for London Archaeology 2002. Museum of London. Prehistoric Society Newsletter ‘Past’ No. 44. July 2003. ‘Travellers Tales from Sandwich’. T.L.Richardson. ‘Hollingbourne’. Helen Allinson. Suffolk Records Society Vol. XLVI ‘Past and Present’ newsletter No.100. 2003. Essex Archaeological Society Transactions Vol. 33. (2002). Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society Vol.124 2002 (2003). Archaeometry Vol.45 p.3. (2003) The Library has also acquired a copy of ‘Textus Roffensis’ (Thomas Hearne). This volume fills a gap in the KAS’s collection of Antiquarian Kentish Books as listed by J.R.Smith. According to Smith, “Besides the affairs of the Cathedral of Rochester, the Textus Roffensis furnishes us with the laws of several Saxon kings (four Kentish kings omitted by Lambard), together with the Saxon forms of oaths, etc..........”. Textus Ro f f e n s i s also contains a description of ‘Antiquities of Oxford’. numbered shelves, and will also list books to be found in the Bradbourne House and Marsham Street stores. A Guide on Safety Precautions to be observed by people working in the Library has been prepared, and equipment and materials are being checked for safety and suitability. Cataloguing the Gordon Ward files is now complete, and work will begin on the Hussey material. Addition of the index of both will be added to kentarchaeology.ac as soon as possible. Cataloguing of Visual Records will continue as now, but in addition, an attempt will be made to assess the quantities of different types of records in order to draw up a plan with costs for their conservation. The time scale on which these issues can be tackled depends on the number of members volunteering for work in the Library. A recent questionnaire has produced a few members volunteering their services, and these, together with those stalwarts that are just finishing work on the Gordon Ward Files, should enable a start to be made. More volunteers would be most welcome; please contact the Hon. Librarian if you have a mind to assist. The following books, periodicals and newsletters have been received and added to the Library in July- August 2003 ;- Independent Archaeology Newsletter, Summer 2003. Archaeologie in Vlaanderland VII An independent expert has, on commission from the KAS, recently surveyed the Library and its operation, and has produced a ‘Report relating to Issues of Collection Maintenance’. While some of the points raised are not relevant to the conditions under which the KAS as a voluntary body with no permanently employed staff has to run its Library, and, while some of the issues discussed are already the subject of attention by the Library, a number of valid points call for, and are the subject of, a concerted plan of action. The implementation of the plan will include work in areas such as Health and Safety, indexing, caring for and refurbishment when necessary of the book stock, conserving visual and other records, making the use of the Library easier for visitors, and improving the temperature and humidity conditions in the Library. Work proceeding, or planned to proceed, includes the following areas;- Cleaning of Books and shelves throughout the Library, noting the condition of each book, making recommendations for replacement or refurbishment, and reporting any vol - ume missing. A Book Guide is being produced for use in the Library which will indicate the location of books on L I B R A RY NOTES ADDITIONS TO LIBRARY STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN AT O P O G R A P H I C A LD I R E C T O RY O F ENGLAND BY S A M U E L L E W I S ( 1 8 3 1 ) The Genealogical Pu b l i s h i n g Company has done the historical world a very great service in making available the first edition of this splendid work which every serious local historian and genealogist should have on his or her shelf. I was very lucky some twenty-five years ago to purchase a copy of the fifth edition printed in 1844 (although I see from the British Library the fifth edition first appeared in 1842) but it doesn’t include maps, which appear to have been placed in a separate supplementary volume in the later editions. The original editions have now become extremely scarce and the topographical maps removed and framed. (The last edition appears to be 7th edition in 1849). Arranged in alphabetical order, practically every county, city, borough, market town, post town, parish, chapelry, township, hamlet, and some tythings in England are accurately recorded and described. For counties the information normally includes the situation, extent, and population of the county; statistics and history of all civil and ecclesiastical jurisdictions; and accounts of the courts of assize and quarter sessions. With respect to cities, boroughs and market towns, information given includes: situation and bearing from nearest county town; population and local institutions; and markets, municipal government, courts, and religious establishments. Concerning parishes, data provided covers the townships and chapelries, which the parishes comprise, their archdeaconries and dioceses, and, if of exempt ecclesiastical jurisdiction, the peculiar court to which the parish belongs, extremely important information to track down probate and associated records. The first edition has a distinct place in that it records parishes before the great changes at the beginning of the nineteenth century. For instance I looked up Blean. The first edition gives ‘Bleane, county of Kent, see Cosmus (St) & Damian’, whilst the 1844 edition omits the county of Kent. ‘ COSMUS (ST.) and DAMIAN in the Blean, a parish in the hundred of Whitstable, lathe of St Au g u s t i n e , county of Kent, 21/4 miles (NW by N) from Canterbury, containing 438 inhabitants. The living is a vicarage, LIBRARY AND BOOKS LIBRARY AND BOOKS LIBRARY AND BOOKS LIBRARY AND BOOKS LIBRARY AND BOOKS LIBRARY AND BOOKS LIBRARY AND BOOKS LIBRARY AND BOOKS LIBRARY AND BOOKS LIBRARY AND BOOKS LIBRARY AND BOOKS LIBRARY AND BOOKS LIBRARY AND BOOKS LIBRARY AND BOOKS LIBRARY AND BOOKS LIBRARY AND BOOKS LIBRARY AND BOOKS Autumn 2003 5 The Millennium Book on All Saints Church, Foots Cray by David Vi c e r e y-We e kes & Sheila Schnaar. Published by Bexley Archaeological Group. £10.00 inc. p&p. All Saints Church has been an important factor in local peoples lives for over 1000 years. Its story is told against the social and historical background which caused the development and on occasions the decline of what is a wonderful example of an Old English Church. Contents include The Interior, Rectors of the Church, Early Christian Evolvement, The Hundreds System, Foots Cray Manor and Holders of the Manor, Foots Cray Place Estate and Owners. This is followed by the Phases of Development of the Church, starting at Phase 1 – AD410 to 1050 and AD1050 to 1200, right through to Phase 11 – 1950 to 2000. A definition of terms and phrases used in the book appears at the end, together with a full index. Available from David Vi cerey-We ekes (to whom cheque payable), 10 Hamilton Road, Sidcup DA15 7HB. Tel: 020 8302 9229. Letters to Sturry, June 1940 to November 1940 from Patricia Askew to Monica Risdon-Brown. Edited and published by K H McIntosh. 0-9544789-08 £9.95 During her evacuation to Keynsham near Bristol, Pat Askew wrote to her friend Monica (now Headley) whose father was then Vicar of Sturry. Both girls were just fifteen and had been at Simon Langton Girls School together. Monica kept those letters carefully for sixty years and they are now seen for the first time. A charming and entertaining book which will not only give rise to much reminiscing amongst those who lived through the wartime years, but will also interest those who never experienced the difficulties of separation and constant sirens. Available from Mrs Monica Headley, 2 McCarthy Avenue, Sturry, Canterbury CT2 0PE, the Albion Bookshops and the Fa v e r s h a m Heritage Centre (£10.50 by post). A History of Davington Priory by John Burke and Laurence Young. £3.50 Founded in Faversham in 1153, substantial elements of the original Priory complex have survived in Davington Parish Church, the oldest building in the town. This 50 page book has been produced as part of the celebrations of the 850th anniversary of the foundation. Using documentary and other evidence, particularly from a late 1970’s archaeological exc a v a t i o n , the book reconstructs much of the medieval life of what was one of the largest, most impressive and dominant buildings in north Kent. The later years of the priory buildings, after they passed by default to the crown when the sole remaining nun simply walked out in 1535, is also sketched out, with their conversion to a private house and their glorious renaissance at the hands of the Victorian Thomas Willement, whose exquisite stained glass still graces the church. Available at the Fleur de Lis Heritage Centre, Preston Street, Faversham or by post for £4.00 from A History of Davington Priory c/o 3 Dark Hill, Davington, ME13 7SP. Cheque payable to The Brents & Davington P C C. Proceeds from sales go to Davington parish funds. A Court Lodge Century – Horton Kirby & South Darenth Local History Society. £6.00 inc. p&p. A collection of old photographs from Court Lodge, Horton Kirby, produced in memory of Ralph Ro g e r s . Available from K H Saunderson, ‘Appledore’, Rays Hill, Horton Kirby, Dartford DA4 9DB. N E WB O O K S in the archdeaconry and diocese of Canterbury, rated in the king’s books at £10: and in the patronage of the Master of Eastbridge Hospital. The church is dedicated to St. Cosmos and St Damian. There are four parcels of land within this parish, which are reputed to be within the ville of Christ Church, the inheritance belonging to the Dean and Chapter of Canterbury’. The 1844 entry starts much the same although it is now given as 11/2 miles NW by N from Canterbury and from the 1841 census gives a population of 606. ‘This parish, which includes some lands belonging to the Master of Eastbridge Hospital, and others held under the Dean and Chapter of Canterbury, all tithe free is intersected by the Canterbury and Whitstable railroad and comprises 2260a. 1r. 15p. of which 704 acres are arable, 347 pasture, 657 wood and 26 hop grounds. The living is a vicarage, endowed with the rectorial tithes, valued in the king’s books at £10; and in the patronage of the Master of the Hospital: the tithes have been commuted for £537 and the glebe comprises 3 acres. There is a place of worship for Wesleyans. Mrs Leggett, in 1827, bequeathed £75 three percents., the dividends of which are distributed among the poor. The union of Blean comprises 16 parishes or places, and contains a population of 13,745.’ In producing the 5th edition he was able to draw upon the results of the 1841 census and also upon the Ti t h e Commutation surveys. For most of the cities and towns the arms and seals are illustrated. The original edition was published in quarto, this reprint is 230mm x 150mm case bound, and rather easier to use. The reduction has naturally made the printing smaller but since the publisher has used good quality paper each page is clear and easily readable. Lewis also published similar volumes for Wales, Scotland and Ireland; the latter two have been reprinted, but only Scotland is currently available. A Topographical Dictionary of England by Samuel Lewis (1831) originally in four volumes reprinted in two, includes maps of the different counties, a plan of London and its environs and a map of England showing principal towns, roads, railways etc. ISBN 0-8063-1508-3. Originally $150.00, the promotional price for the set is currently $105.00 and can be obtained through Clearfield Company Inc. 200 E. Eager Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21202 USA via their web site, www. Genealogical.com Duncan Harrington Autumn 2003 6 LECTURES EVENTS CONFERENCES & COURSES LECTURES EVENTS CONFERENCES & COURSES LECTURES EVENTS CONFERENCES & COURSES LECTURES EVENTS CONFERENCES & COURSES LECTURES EVENTS CONFERENCES & COURSES LECTURES EVENTS CONFERENCES & COURSES LECTURES EVENTS CONFERENCES & COURSES LECTURES EVENTS CONFERENCES & COURSES LECTURES EVENTS CONFERENCES & COURSES Booking forms for these KAS events appear on the opposite page. They can be photocopied if you do not wish to cut up your Newsletter. KAS Christmas Lunch Saturday 29th November To be held in the festive White’s Restaurant at the popular Hop Farm Country Park, Paddock Wood. Vegetarian and diabetic menus can be arranged. Bar will be open from 11am, with lunch served at 12 noon. Members will have the opportunity during this hour to browse the second-hand bookstalls and gift stall and to bring their own publications for sale. The after lunch amusement at 1.30 will be presented by the The Peter Street Singers, rendering ‘Songs on an Historical Theme’. Charge is £21.00 per person. This will be followed by a visit at 2.30 to the private house of Dukes Place, West Peckham, by kind permission of Mr and Mrs Haynes. The house was a major estate centre for the Knights of the Order of St John of Jerusalem. The dating of this timber framed hall house falls between 1460 and 1500. The guided tour by Jonathan Fenner of Sevenoaks will last about 11/2 hours. As this is a private house Mr and Mrs Haynes would like numbers kept to 30 – so book early to avoid disappointment! Charge is £3.00 per person. Afternoon refreshment will be available at the Swan Inn on West Peckham Green. This needs to be pre-booked, but payment can be made on the day. KAS Churches Committee Outing 1st November The Churches Committee invites you to visit St Peter’s Church at Oare, followed by Davington Priory. We meet at Oare Church at 1.45pm for 2pm. The charge for the talks & tours is £2.00 per person. Tea & biscuits will be served at Davington - £1.00 per person. Money for both visit & tea should be paid in advance by October 25th. Before this ‘official’ visit there is an opportunity for enthusiasts to see the ruined Stone chapel from 1 – 1.45pm, when Clive Foreman will explain its origins and history. The chapel is 3/4 mile west of Ospringe on the A2 (TQ 992 612). KAS ‘Lectures in the Library’ series. All held on Saturdays in the KAS library in Maidstone Museum at 11am. Tickets £2.00 each; reservations can be made to pay on arrival by telephoning Denis Anstey on 01634 240015 or email d@degian.demon.co.uk, or can be prepaid using the form opposite. Reservations are held until 15 minutes before the advertised start of each lecture. Members are reminded that they will be asked for their membership card at the museum reception and should sign in and out. 25th October Researching the History of a Parish by Dr Jacqueline Bower 8th November Using Outlook Express for Email by Miranda Rix 22nd November Using Internet Explorer to Browse the Internet by Miranda Rix 24th January ‘04 History and Archaeology Research on the Internet by Dr Jacqueline Bower 14th February ‘04 Writing up your Research by Dr Jacqueline Bower. How to approach writing up, whether for an academic essay, a published article or just for pleasure. 13th March ‘04 Tonbridge People in the Seventeenth Century by Dr C W Chalklin British Archaeological Association lectures. All on Wednesdays at 5pm in the rooms of the Society of Antiquaries, Burlington House, Piccadilly. Non-members welcome but are asked to make themselves known to the Hon. Director on arrival and to sign the visitors book. 8th October Christina of Markyate and the St Albans Psalter by Dr Jane Geddes (lecture is preceded by the Association’s AGM) 5th November ‘Sant’ Andrea in Vercelli and the beginnings of Gothic Architecture in 13th century Italy by Dr Martina Schilling 3rd December ‘De profundis: an Archaeology of the Medieval Funeral by Barney Sloane 7th January ‘04 Woodcuts to Wallpaintings: some New Discoveries by Dr Miriam Gill 4th February ‘04 Gothic remodelling itself: Restoration and Intention at the Outer North Porch of St Mary Redcliffe, Bristol by Jon Cannon 3rd March ‘04 The Colonia Family and the Flamboyant Gothic Style in Burgos, 1440-1540 by Dr Steven Brindle 7th April ‘04 English Responses to Italian Architecture during the High Renaissance Period by Dr Jonathon Foyle 5th May ‘04 The Vatican Rotunda, a Severan Building and its Afterlife by Dr Richard Gem Lenham Archaeological Society . Wednesday 26th November 7.30pm ‘The Ringlemere Gold Cup’ by Keith Parfitt. Lenham Village Hall, Lenham Square. Entrance for non-members £2.00. Parking available in Lenham Square and in the car park on Maidstone Road behind the Dog & Bear. Farningham & Eynsford Local History Society Friday 20th February ’04 Lullingstone Roman Villa by C P Ward in Eynsford Village Hall at 8pm. Horton Kirby & South Darenth Local History Society . Monday 10th Novembe r Memories of School Days by Marion Baldwin Monday 12th January ’04 Buzz Bombs & Bicycles by Martin Lloyd Monday 8th March ’04 The History of Silk by Janet Hearn-Gillham All talks held in the Village Hall, South Darenth at 8pm. Shoreham & District Historical Society Wednesday 29th October Timber Framed Houses by Robin Hart Dyke Friday 16th January ’04 Shoreham in Australia by Ed James & Joy Saynor All talks held in the Village Hall, Shoreham. Contact Ed James 01959 522835 to check programme times. L e c t u res, Conferences, Courses and Events LECTURES KAS EVENTS OTHER EVENTS FROM AROUND THE COUNTY Autumn 2003 7 Tonbridge Historical Society Thursday 30th October 7.45pm The History of Policing in Kent by Roy Ingleton Saturday 22nd November 2.30pm A History of Apples & The Four B’s (brickmaking, brewing, barges & the big bang) by Marian Wheal & Margaret Burns. Booking is necessary for this particular event – ring Shiela Broomfield 01732 838698 Thursday 8th January ’04 7.45pm Nelson’s Navy by David Fowdrey Thursday 26th February ’04 7.45pm The Road to Compostela by Mark Hassall Thursday 22nd April ’04 7.30pm AGM followed by The Growth of the English Town by Dr Christopher Chalklin Meetings take place in the Adult Education Centre. Discovering our Saxon Past ~ Council for Kentish Archaeology on Saturday 1st November from 2 – 5.30pm at Christ Church University College, North Holmes Road, Canterbury. Speakers: * New Work from Sutton Hoo by Angela Care Evans, British Museum * The Discovery of Saxon Dover by Brian Philp, Ke n t Archaeological Rescue Unit * Investigating Dark Age London by Bob Cowie, London Museum and Birkbeck College Tickets £3.00 (cheque payable to CKA with s.a.e. please), available from CKA, 7 Sandy Ridge, Borough Green TN15 8HP. ON GUARD! EN GARDE! Defending the South-East, Council for British Archaeology South East’s annual con - ference & AGM on Saturday 15th November in Tonbridge. Speakers: * The Roman Shore Forts by Andrew Pearson (author of book of the same title) * The Diversity of Henry VIII’s defences by Andrew Saunders (author of English Heritage’s ‘Channel Defences’) * Napoleonic Defences in the Eastbourne Area by Richard Callaghan (curator of the Redoubt Fortress Museum, Eastbourne) * Comparing & Contrasting the Naval Defences of Portsmouth, Dover & Chatham by Jonathan Coad (English Heritage) * 18th Century Defences at Brimstone Hill on St Kitts in the Caribbean by Victor Smith (author of ‘Front-Line Kent’) * The Vauban Defences by Professor Philippe Bragard (Leuwen University, Belgium) The day also includes a visit to the newly restored Tonbridge Castle gatehouse to hear about its history from local historian Pat Mortlock and about the work that lay behind the accuracy of its restoration from David Martin, Institute of Archaeology. Tickets £7.00 (payable to CBA South East) from Debbie Wood, 81 Birch Grove, Hempstead, Gillingham ME7 3RE. More information on www.cbase.org.uk. Farningham and Eynsford Local History Society. 14th November Display of Farningham photographs from the archives in Farningham Village Hall. Isle of Thanet Archaeological Society Saturday 15th November ~ Meet the Local Archaeologists Displays, slide shows, make a mosaic, bookstall & refreshments. St Peter’s Church Hall from 2.30-4.30 Admission £2.00 on the door. EVENTS CONFERENCES KAS CHRISTMAS LUNCH on Saturday 29th November Whites Restaurant, The Hop Farm, Paddock Wood £21 per person. Drinks pay on the day. Please supply…………...tickets for the Christmas Lunch Name/s………………………………………………………………................. Address………………………………………………………………................ ……………………………………………………………………….................. Postcode………………………......tel…………………………………............. I need help with transport………(please tick) I would like to visit Dukes Place and enclose £3 per person…………........ (or members may spend the afternoon at the Hop Farm at no extra cost) Cheques payable to the Kent Archaeological Society together with SAE to Mrs M Lawrence, Barnfield, Church Lane, East Peckham, Tonbridge TN12 5JJ tel: 01622 871945 email: margaret.society@virgin.net KAS CHURCHES COMMITTEE OUTING on Saturday 1st November £2 per person for visit, £1 per person for tea. I would like to meet at Oare at 1.45 for 2pm. Name/s…………………………………………………………………............. Address…………………………………………………………………............ …………………………………………………………………………............... Postcode………………………..tel……………………………………............. I enclose £ …………..for the visit I enclose £…………….for tea Cheques payable to the Kent Archaeological Society & sent to Philip Lawrence, Barnfield, Church Lane, East Peckham, Tonbridge TN12 5JJ Tel: 01622 871 945 KAS ‘LECTURES IN THE LIBRARY’ SERIES All tickets £2 per person. Please indicate number required 25th October Researching the History of a Parish by Dr Jacqueline Bower ............ 8th November Using Outlook Express for Email by Miranda Rix ............ 22nd November Using Internet Explorer to Browse the Internet by Miranda Rix ............ 24th January ’04 History and Archaeology Research on the Internet by Dr Jacqueline Bower ............ 14th February ’04 Writing up your Research by Dr Jacqueline Bower ............ 13th March ’04 Tonbridge People in the Seventeenth Century by Dr C W Chalklin ............ Name/s……………………………………………………………………………........... Address………………………………………………………………………….............. ……………………………………………………………………………………............ Cheque payable to the Kent Archaeological Society together with SAE to Denis Anstey, 86 Malling Road, Snodland, ME6 5ND ANCESTRAL CELEBRATION Autumn 2003 8 NOTICE BOARD NOTICE BOARD NOTICE BOARD NOTICE BOARD NOTICE BOARD NOTICE BOARD NOTICE BOARD NOTICE BOARD NOTICE BOARD NOTICE BOARD NOTICE BOARD NOTICE BOARD NOTICE BOARD NOTICE BOARD NOTICE BOARD NOTICE BOARD NOTICE BOARD NOTICE BOARD NOTICE BOARD NOTICE BOARD MEMBERSHIP MATTERS You and Your Society On 30th August, members of the Fieldwork Committee left their usual meeting place to gather in East Kent, at the house of Committee Chairman, Chris Pout. This meant that members had only a short distance to travel to see the progress of the latest season of excavation at the Abbey Farm Villa. However, there was also a little piece of coincident history to ‘celebrate’. Archaeologia Cantiana, Volume I, records the first AGM of the Society held on 30th July 1858. In those days the formal business of the AGM was followed by visits to sites of archaeological and local historical interest. Thus, in 1858…”During the afternoon, various parties, by the kind courtesy of Mr Pout and SOCIETY EXCURSIONS 31 Society members enjoyed this June’s 5 day e xcursion to Herefordshire, based in the pleasant town of Ross on Wye. Our daily visits covered a variety of sites and buildings, both secular and ecclesiastical. These ranged from Kilpeck Church to Hereford Cathedral with its unique chained library and Mappa Mundi, from Berrington Hall to Francis Kilvert’s village (finding in this latter the origins of the Hound of the Baskervilles!), and from the fine castles of Goodrich and Chepstow to the peace of Tintern Abbey’s ruins. An excellent hotel and the opportunity to browse amongst the bookshops of Hay on Wye completed our enjoyment. Next June’s KAS excursion will probably be to Somerset/Dorset. The former 3 short summer visits in Kent are to be replaced by a one-day event when a specially chosen expert will discuss the most recent research regarding our chosen site, which members will then have the opportunity to visit. The date for this event will be during August. Joy Saynor Intricate sculpture from the corbel table at Kilpeck Church Mr Wood, visited the Chequers Inn, mentioned in Chaucer as the resting place of pilgrims visiting the shrine of Thomas a Becket”. It transpires that this greatgreat- great-great uncle of the present committee chairman, was a Mr John Pout, the son of a mayor of Canterbury in the 1820’s and the owner of an upholstery business on the Chequers Inn site. He appears to have achieved some later notoriety when the source of a major fire in Canterbury was traced back to his workshop (with the implication that the fire had been started by the owner as some sort of early insurance fiddle!!). In the early days of the S o c i e t y, the AGM was also rather well attended. The report in AC Vol I goes on…”At 4.30pm the dinner took place, three hundred and ten were accommodated at the tables, above one hundred more were disappointed of seats”. Thank you to those of you who have renewed your subscription for 2003 since I sent the reminder letters out in early August. If you have not received your copy of Archaeologia Cantiana for 2003 please let me know as soon as possible. Some banks/building societies seemed to have omitted to pay in January of 2003 which is why I contacted some of you who normally pay by bankers order. I shall keep a careful eye on the situation in 2004 and contact you in the spring if no payment has been received. I am pleased to say that we continue to attract new members but there is always room for more! An idea for a Christmas present – why not arrange for a subscription to be given to your friends and/or relations – maybe grandchildren? This year I have had several copies of Archaeologia Cantiana and the Newsletter returned, marke d ‘gone away’. Please let me know if you move! Please note that if you send membership matters other than to me it causes a delay. Shiela Broomfield The address for all correspondence relating to membership is: Mrs Shiela Broomfield, KAS Membership, 8 Woodview Crescent, Hildenborough, Tonbridge, Kent TN11 9HD. Tel: 01732 838698. E-mail: membership@kentarchaeology.org.uk or s.broomfield@dial.pipex.com. Membership & Publicity Committee After 6 years as Lectures Secretary, Denis Anstey has given notice of his intention to stand down but will continue until a satisfactory replacement can be made. He was thanked for his outstanding devotion. A programme of Lectures in the Library is already prepared for the coming season (see page 6). The Information Officer/ Newsletter Editor reported that she has sent most senior schools in Kent, both private and state, a letter of introduction regarding the KAS together with 2 back copies of the Newsletter and application forms. A mobile KAS display has also been produced. North Downs Young Archaeologists’ thanked the KAS for their generous financial support for the National Archaeology Day event. Ted Connell reported everincreasing use of www. ke n t a rc h a e o l o g y.org.uk from all over the world, with the Research section continuing to grow. The website now contains over 3,850 individual web pages. Hon. Gen. Secretary Andrew Moffat Three Elms Woodlands Lane Shorne Gravesend DA12 3HH Email: secretary@kentarchaeology.org.uk Hon.Treasurer Robin Thomas 1 Abchurch Yard Abchurch Lane London EC4N 7BA Email: treasurer@kentarchaeology.org.uk Autumn 2003 9 NOTICE BOARD NOTICE BOARD NOTICE BOARD NOTICE BOARD NOTICE BOARD NOTICE BOARD NOTICE BOARD NOTICE BOARD NOTICE BOARD NOTICE BOARD NOTICE BOARD NOTICE BOARD NOTICE BOARD NOTICE BOARD NOTICE BOARD NOTICE BOARD NOTICE BOARD NOTICE BOARD NOTICE BOARD NOTICE BOARD CONTACT ADDRESSES KAS COMMITTEE ROUND-UP You and Your Society Publications Committee The Committee last met on 26 July and will next meet on 6 December. Its membership is currently being looked at. The Hon. Editor was congratulated on the timing and quality of Archaeologia Cantiana, Vol.123 (2003); likewise the Book Reviews Editor for seeing through fifteen Book Reviews. Regarding future publications, work is still in hand on the Historical Atlas of Ke n t ; Faversham Town Council have agreed a grant of £200 towards the publication of the Faversham Town Books c.1382 to 1581 and the Committee is giving thought to possible publications for 2007 to celebrate 150 years of the Society. John Whyman (Chair) Churches Committee On Monday 28th July, the KAS evening churches visit, by both members and non-members, commenced at the revised location of the Tilden Strict and Particular Baptist Chapel, Smarden. Norman Hopkins shared his detailed and extensive knowledge of the Wealden Baptist foundation, currently meeting in a plain nineteenth century brick chapel, but originally holding illegal non-conformist meetings in the nearby farmhouse. The influence of specific beliefs on both the form of worship and the building were explained. The medieval parish church of Pluckley provided a contrast in scale, building materials, ornament and in its prominent location. Philip Lawrence outlined the development of the building, drawing attention to its various features, including adaptations associated with the local Dering family. Not least of these was the forgery of monumental brasses to substantiate a fictitious pedigree for Sir Edward Dering. It was evident that the main benefactors of each of the churches visited had achieved m a r kedly different effects in the existing church buildings. Deborah Goacher Fieldwork Committee Abbey Farm Excavation This year’s dig on the Roman Villa complex, which is done in conjunction with the Trust for Thanet Archaeology, began on the 24th August. Jack Clifton, the farmer, has kindly allowed us to excavate the site for seven seasons. The project began in 1996. Four archaeologists led the dig: Keith Parfitt (Canterbury Archaeological Trust), Emma Boast (T. T.A), Tim Allen ( C. A . T.) and Ges Moody ( T. T.A.). Around 40 people attended, there being a greater proportion of young people than in previous years. The work was carried out on an area called building 6 and within 5 trenches sited on the southern side of the villa. The trenches revealed a possible Bronze Age enclosure, Iron Age features and a likely 4th century sunken building. Brian and Carole Mc- Naughton continued with the resistivity survey of the field and they also surveyed a portion of the field on the northern side of the Abbey. A metal detecting survey was carried out by the following clubs: ‘White Cliffs’, ‘Thanet & Wantsum’ and ‘Royal Phoenix’. Over the last two seasons the surveys have considerably increased the number of coins recovered from the site. David Bacchus (Sec) he Revolution settlement of 1689, following the overthrow and exile of the Catholic James II the previous year, led to a fundamental change in the relationship between the Church of England and English society as a whole. It led to an official acceptance of some measure of religious pluralism and ended the Church’s attempt to impose ecclesiastical conformity upon the entire nation. Between the restoration of Charles II in 1660 and the passage of the Act of Uniformity in 1662, more than two thousand former Puritan clergymen had refused to conform to the restored church and its prayer book, and were ejected from their livings or college fellowships as a result. They and many members of their congregations formed the first institutional separation of Dissent from the Church, as distinct from a Puritan (usually Presbyterian) tendency within it. They included men such as Samson Horne at Chilham and John Osborne of Benenden. In Kent they were sustained by a much older nonconformist tradition, especially in the Wealden area. Only with the Toleration Act of 1689, one of the first measures passed by Parliament under the new monarchy of William and Mary, were these Dissenters granted limited freedom of worship. The Toleration Act was restrictive in its provisions: it excluded Catholics and those Dissenters who denied the doctrine of the Trinity; it left unrepealed all the persecuting laws of the 1660s and 1670s; it gave no relief from the obligation to pay tithes to the Church and it did not allow non-members of the Church of England to hold public office. In effect, the Toleration Act amounted to a measure of parliamentary indulgence, more durable and more acceptable than the Declarations of Indulgence by prerogative issued by James II. Most Dissenters were of a moderate Presbyterian disposition, Autumn 2003 10 although during the years of tension over the succession during Anne’s reign (1702-14) the organisation of the main bodies of opinion had a `party’ appearance. The dominant group in the Church after 1689 might be described as Latitudinarian, consisting of men who were distinguished by their endorsement of the post-1689 and post-1714 régimes and who initially owed their positions to the favour of William III and the politicians whom he appointed to high office. A feature of Latitudinarianism was an aspiration towards a union of moderate Protestants in the face of a perceived international and internal Catholic threat. The success of the Counter-Reformation by 1700 had driven Protestantism to the northern fringes of Europe, while Charles II and James II had sought - the former by subtle, the latter by more direct means - to re-impose Catholicism upon England. A leading exemplar of Latitudinarianism was John Tillotson, Archbishop of Canterbury from 1691-94. His sermons, published in large numbers and much imitated during the following century, emphasised moderation, together with disapproval of anything redolent of religious fanaticism. Latitudinarians appealed to reason as reinforcement for revelation in defence of Christian truths, accommodated themselves to the theories of Locke and Newton and played down the more mystical elements of the Church’s teaching. They identified themselves in politics with the Whigs, although they were prepared to resist attempts by Whig ministries, such as that of Lord Stanhope in 1719, to abridge the privileges of the Church. Edmund Gibson, bishop of London from 1723-48 and a favourite of Sir Robert Walpole’s ministry, broke politically with his patron in 1736 when he successfully opposed Walpole’s bill to ease the tithe laws as they affected Quakers. Benjamin Hoadly (bishop, successively, of Bangor, Hereford, Salisbury and Winchester between whose most representative figure was Richard Baxter. They were willing to consider a re-union with the Church if their concerns over liturgy and ceremonies could be met. Such a re-union was known to contemporaries as `comprehension’, and was also favoured by some leading members of the Church hierarchy. Schemes for the comprehension of moderate Dissenters were accordingly devised; the Toleration Act was designed for that minority of recalcitrant Dissenters who, it was supposed, would not accept re-union. The failure of comprehension in 1689-90, explained partly by Anglican anxiety about the Dissenters’ political ambitions and by the memory of the regicide and the attacks on the Church in the 1640s, meant that, contrary to the original intention, the Toleration Act applied to all Dissenters. It became embedded, nonetheless, as a central feature of the post-1689 régime, in which a privileged national Church with a near-monopoly of public life co-existed with Protestant denominations outside it. In the early eighteenth century Dissent as a whole formed only about seven per cent of the English population; it has been estimated, for instance, that of all the English counties, Kent contained the highest proportion of General Baptists, yet those General Baptists constituted only 1.88 per cent of the county’s population. However, Dissenters exerted influence beyond their numbers in the world of commerce, and especially in the financial institutions of the City of London. Their political importance, accordingly, could not be overlooked. The need to adapt to the new conditions following the Revolution of 1688 and the accession of George I after the death of the last Stuart monarch, Queen Anne, in 1714 strongly influenced the development of opinion and `party’ groupings within and beyond the Church. It is probably more appropriate to speak of mentalities or tendencies of opinion rather than organised parties, THEEIGHTEENTHCENTURY CURCH: LATITUDINARIANS, HIGHCHURCHMEN ANDNON-JURORS THEEIGHTEENTHCENTURY CURCH: LATITUDINARIANS, HIGHCHURCHMEN ANDNON-JURORS THE EIGHTEENTHCENTURY CURCH: LATITUDINARIANS, HIGHCHURCHMEN ANDNON-JURORS THEEIGHTEENTHCENTURY CURCH: LATITUDINARIANS, HIGHCHURCHMEN ANDNON-JURORS THEEIGHTEENTHCENTURY CURCH: LATITUDINARIANS, HIGHCHURCHMEN ANDNON-JURORS THEEIGHTEENTHCENTURY CURCH: LATITUDINARIANS, HIGHCHURCHMEN ANDNON-JURORS THEEIGHTEENTHCENTURY CURCH: LATITUDINARIANS, HIGHCHURCHMEN ANDNON-JURORS ‘IDEAS and IDEALS’ This is the eighth of a series of articles describing formative movements and ideas in the history of the church. These were the crises of thought and conviction which brought us to where we are. THE EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY CHURCH: LATITUDINARIANS, HIGH CHURCHMEN AND NON-JURORS Autumn 2003 11 deprived of their positions in the aftermath of the Revolution included the Archbishop of Canterbury, William Sancroft and six of his fell o w-diocesans; ironically, five of these seven bishops had been among the `immortal seven’ who famously had opposed James II over his Declaration of Indulgence in 1688. Some 400 lower clergy followed them into internal exile. The Non- Jurors, believing that they were the rightful holders of their offices, and reinforced by those who refused to take oaths of loyalty to George I in 1714, maintained a shadowy episcopal succession throughout the eighteenth century. A prime example of the non-juring tradition was the Brett family of Wye, one member of which, Thomas Brett, formerly Rector of Betteshanger, became a non-juring bishop. A natural resort for Non-Jurors was the Jacobite movement, to which they contributed substantially in terms of propaganda; but the Catholicism of the Jacobite claimants to the throne was a serious obstacle to the prospect of a Stuart restoration. By 1800 the Non-Jurors as a body had almost ceased to exist. The Latitudinarian and the High Church mentalities still existed and could still engage in mutual antagonism. However, the challenges posed by the threat of revolution, both internal and external, the lengthy wars with revolutionary and Napoleonic France, the rising numbers of Dissenters and the threat to the parish clergy posed by the spread of unlettered evangelical preaching led to an enhanced sense of defensive unity within the Church which was to characterise the first half of the nineteenth century. G.M. Ditchfield Reader in Eighteenth-Century History University of Kent Suggestions for further reading: G.V. Bennett, The Tory Crisis in Church and State, 1688-1730. The Career of Francis Atterbury, Bishop of Rochester (Oxford, 1975) J.C.D. Clark, English Society 1660- 1832. Religion, Ideology and Politics dur - ing the Ancien Régime ( C a m b r i d g e , 2000) Jeremy Gregory, Re s t o r a t i o n , Reformation and Reform, 1660-1828. Archbishops of Canterbury and their Diocese (Oxford, 2000) G.M. Ditchfield and B. Ke i t h - Lucas (eds), A Kentish Pa r s o n . Selections from the Private Papers of the Revd Joseph Price, Vicar of Brabourne, 1767-1786 (Kent County Council, 1991) suspension of Convocation in 1717 (when the Tory majority in the Lower House threatened a prosecution of Bishop Hoadly). A few, notably Francis Atterbury, bishop of Rochester from 1713-23, resorted to the desperate expedient of Jacobite conspiracy, in the hope of protecting the Church from the designs of a secularising Whig state. Atterbury was deprived of his see and exiled in 1723. Thereafter, high churchmen concentrated upon moral reformation and pastoral efficiency; some of them, notably John Wesley and his brother Charles, reacted against the apparent worldliness and `dry’ sermons of the Church’s leadership by embarking upon campaigns of popular preaching, often in the open air. It was no coincidence that many early Methodists were products of Oxford University. During the second half of the century, there was something of a high church revival, as the importance of the traditional values of obedience and respect for authority became increasingly apparent in an age of revolution. High Churchmen could rally around George III, the first English-born Hanoverian king, a devoted Anglican and a symbol of stability, after his accession in 1760. Important high church leaders in Kent included William Jones, Rector of Pluckley from 1765-77, and George Horne, who went to school in Maidstone, and was appointed Dean of Canterbury in 1781 and bishop of Norwich nine years later. By the middle of the eighteenth century, it was fashionable in educated circles to praise the Revolution of 1688-89 as a peculiarly English triumph, balancing political stability and constitutional liberty in a manner unknown to the absolute monarchies of continental Europe. There were many, however, for whom the Revolution had been a disaster. They included the small Catholic minority, which gained no relief from the Toleration Act, was suspected of treason during the Jacobite rebellions of 1715 and 1745 and did not receive legal freedom of worship until 1791. They also included a body of clergy and laity whose loyalty to James II forbade them from taking the oaths of allegiance to William and Mary. These Non- Jurors, though relatively few in number, possessed considerable intellectual influence, through writers such as Jeremy Collier, Charles Leslie and William Law, and were privately supported by many high churchmen who, though equally dubious about the new régime, could not afford to relinquish their church livings and thus ruin their careers. The Non-Jurors who were 1716 and 1761), who favoured something approaching a state of near-equality between Church and Dissent, was an extreme case and untypical of Latitudinarianism as a whole. The principal figures in the Church during the middle years of the eighteenth century sought to preserve the Church’s established position, while adopting an eirenical approach towards Dissent and towards continental Protestantism. Indeed, two archbishops of Canterbury, John Potter (1737-47) and Thomas Secker (1758-68), came from Dissenting backgrounds. Moderation characterised the policy of these years. The laws against Dissenters were not regularly enforced; an Act of Parliament in 1749 allowed the Moravian Church to operate in the British North American colonies; trials for witchcraft ceased after the 1730s. A major challenge, however, was posed to these moderate attitudes by the wider repercussions of rebellion in America (1775-83) and, in the 1790s, by revolution in France. Although those broadly sympathetic to Latitudinarian values commanded the senior offices in the Church, a majority of the lower clergy retained high church loyalties, which in many cases corresponded to a Tory view of politics. Excluded by Whig ministries from most of the benefits of patronage, they nonetheless enjoyed considerable support from the Anglican gentry and looked to Oxford University, where many of them had been educated, as their spiritual home. To high churchmen, the legitimacy of temporal power rested upon divine sanction, not the rights of the people or Lockean contract theory. They regarded Charles I as a martyr for the Church and observed the anniversary of his execution, 30 January, as an occasion for preaching upon the evils of rebellion. In Tunbridge Wells the church of King Charles the Martyr became a centre of his cult. High churchmen had difficulty in coming to terms with the Revolution of 1688-89, since they regarded James II as a legitimate, divine right monarch; they accommodated themselves to it by arguing that God, and not human resistance, had providentially dethroned James II, as unjust kings in the Old Testament had met with divine retribution. Some high churchmen adopted a non- Newtonian interpretation, known as Hutchinsonianism, of the nature of the universe. Many of them were deeply disturbed by the spread of heretical opinions, notably deism and Arianism, following the nonrenewal of the Licensing laws in 1695, and by the Whig ministry’s THEEIGHTEENTHCENTURY CURCH: LATITUDINARIANS, HIGHCHURCHMEN ANDNON-JURORS THEEIGHTEENTHCENTURY CURCH: LATITUDINARIANS, HIGHCHURCHMEN ANDNON-JURORS THEEIGHTEENTHCENTURY CURCH: LATITUDINARIANS, HIGHCHURCHMEN ANDNON-JURORS THEEIGHTEENTHCENTURY CURCH: LATITUDINARIANS, HIGHCHURCHMEN ANDNON-JURORS THEEIGHTEENTHCENTURY CURCH: LATITUDINARIANS, HIGHCHURCHMEN ANDNON-JURORS THEEIGHTEENTHCENTURY CURCH: LATITUDINARIANS, HIGHCHURCHMEN ANDNON-JURORS THE EIGHTEENTHCENTURY CURCH: LATITUDINARIANS, HIGHCHURCHMEN ANDNON-JURORS Autumn 2003 12 BAYFORDCASTLE ANDBAYFORD COURT BAYFORDCASTLE ANDBAYFORD COURT BAYFORDCASTLE ANDBAYFORD COURT BAYFORDCASTLE ANDBAYFORD COURT BAYFORDCASTLE ANDBAYFORD COURT BAYFORDCASTLE ANDBAYFORD COURT BAYFORDCASTLE ANDBAYFORD COURT BAYFORDCASTLE ANDBAYFORD COURT BAYFORDCASTLE ANDBAYFORD COURT BAYFORDCASTLE ANDBAYFORD COURT BAYFORDCASTLE ANDBAYFORD COURT BAYFORDCASTLE ANDBAYFORD COURT valley, it is possible to see a definite break in slope at a higher level, which may well represent another, much ploughed, lynchet more or less in line with the terrace forming the supposed ‘fort ditch’. Whilst a ditch is undoubtedly present I can see no reason why it should not be later in date than this terrace and that the supposed rampart merely represents the natural ‘lie of the land’ in which a lynchet has developed. Whether a medieval motte, hinted at by Hasted, existed further south will probably never be known (Ward 1997). That Bayford Court superficially looks like a Roman fort cannot be the south. It also provides the easiest route for civilian traffic; further south, valleys dominate the countryside and to the north along the Lower Road inlets and creeks make travel more awkward. As JC states the Roman army would march about 16 miles a day before setting up camp and Sittingbourne is certainly that distance from Canterbury. On the other hand Ospringe is 16 miles from Rochester and might support the suggestion by the present writer that the Roman army constructed forts from west to east down to the coast rather than the other way around (Ward 2002). Whether such forts or marching camps existed has still to be positively shown at most of the sites mentioned in 2002. The supposed rampart and ditch on the slope overlooking the Syndale Valley at Ospringe looks (unfortunately), to the present writer, more and more like a lynchet, especially as there is another terrace at a lower level. Hasted tells us there were ‘several breastworks’ (by implication more than two) on the north side of Watling Street, likewise facing west (1798, p.503). Of these, one survives in line with the lower terrace to the south. From the opposite side of the n the last Newsletter John Clancy was brave enough to write an article on Bayford Castle. Many of you will know that over the years the present writer has been writing a series of articles for these pages on Kent castles. The latest, on Binbury Castle is already with the editor. I had no intention of writing anything on Bayford for, as JC points out, next to nothing is known about either the built-over castle site or Bayford Court. As so often, the present writer learns from other individuals and his article brings forth a number of points worthy of discussion. The statement that one of this country’s greatest cartographers Christopher Saxton was drawing maps of Goodmanston and Bayford in 1590 is of great interest. His county maps (or at least the writer’s own copy; Ravenhill 1992) do not show the sort of information that John Clancy has been able to identify. If other detailed Saxton maps exist the writer would be particularly interested in any of Thurnham and Rochester. John Clancy is quite right to regard the association of Castle Rough with the Vikings and Bayford Castle with the Anglo-Saxons as fable. The Chronicle tells us that the Vikings made a fort at Milton Regis which of course was a royal estate and would have produce within its storerooms. Why build a fort elsewhere and have to transport the spoils? The Chronicle makes no mention of an Anglo-Saxon fortification. The main thrust of John Clancy’s article is towards the Roman period. The position of St Michael’s Church is telling us that Watling Street was on its present site by the twelfth century and I can see no reason why it should have been too far distant a thousand years before that. There is no evidence for it being adjacent to Bayford Court, 300m to the north. For the Lower Road the presence of villas and burials implies that certain sections (at least) date to the Roman period and an Iron Age date would come as no surprise. This would allow access to the rich arable land to the south and perhaps marsh pasture and fowling areas to the north. The writer rejected the idea that the Roman army used the Lower Road (Ward 2000), partly because it is just as likely Watling Street was also originally an Iron Age track-way. Just as the Lower Road provided access to two diverse environments the same is true of Watling Street, arable land to the north and more difficult soils to B AY F O R DC A S T L EA N DB AY F O R DC O U RT C AV E R NC L U E S We asked if any readers could identify the whereabouts of this ‘cavern’ in the last issue. Several people, including Derek and Janet Midwinter, and Peter Dawson of the Lower Medway Group, thought that it could be one of the rock shelters at Oldbury, before the collapse of the overhang. A different interpretation was given by Bernard Worssam. “It looks like the face of a Kentish Rag quarry. It is quite likely that it shows, looking east, the entrance to a mineworking at Willington Street (TQ785541), briefly mentioned in the Geol. Survey Maidstone Memoir (1963) and in ‘Kent and East Sussex Underground’ by the Kent Underground Re s e a r c h Group (1991). The latter work shows a drawing of the face dated 1973. The figure of a man is too small to be recognisable, but suggests the height of the opening is about 10ft, which agrees with the drawing.” That drawing is reproduced here by kind permission of Terry Reeve and the K.U.R.G. Right: The original photograph and left: Terry Reeve’s drawing from 1973 stablished in 1994 from a bequest by Miss Maud Lilian Ochs, the scholarship is awarded annually for research projects which fall within the BAA’s fields of interest. These are defined as the study of archaeology, art and architecture from the Roman period until the nineteenth century, principally within Europe. Applications are invited from students who are completing theses for post-graduate degrees and who have access to no other sources of funding. It must be demonstrated that the award will enable a thesis to be completed satisfactorily within the period of the Scholarship. Applications where substantial amounts of fieldwork remain to be done are Autumn 2003 13 BAA SCHOLARSHIPS & CORPUS OF ROMANESQUE SCULPTURE PROJECT BAA SCHOLARSHIPS & CORPUS OF ROMANESQUE SCULPTURE PROJECT BAA SCHOLARSHIPS & CORPUS OF ROMANESQUE SCULPTURE PROJECT BAA SCHOLARSHIPS & CORPUS OF ROMANESQUE SCULPTURE PROJECT BAA SCHOLARSHIPS & CORPUS OF ROMANESQUE SCULPTURE PROJECT BAA SCHOLORSHIPS & CORPUS OF ROMANESQUE SCULPTURE PROJECT References: C l a n c y. J. 2003. The Enigma of Bayford Castle, KAS Newsletter, No 57 Hasted. E. 1798. The History of the County of Kent, Vol.iv Page.W. ed. 1974. Victoria County History: Kent(1908) Ravenhill.W. 1992. Christopher Saxton 16 century maps Ward. A. 1997. The Roman Site at Ospringe, Kent Archaeological Review, No 129 Ward. A. 2001. The Roman Invasion, KAS Newsletter, No 48 Ward. A. 2002. The Roman Invasion (part 2), KAS Newsletter, No 52 denied, but so do nearly all other medieval moated sites. It was also usual Roman policy to level fortifications once an area was pacified; there was not to be any further need of defences until the late second century. More evidence would be required to accept the identification of the court as a Roman military encampment even assuming the army had initially used the Lower Road. There appears to be no evidence for Watling Street having shifted by any appreciable amount, and hence the court would also be too far away to act as a waystation within a civilian settlement. The ‘low ramparts or banks’ that the VCH tells us extended from the church to the court have the ‘look’ of being flood defences. The church stands between the 10 and 15m contour but the land to the north of the railway is 5m or less. A stream is shown between the two short parallel banks and the longer bank perhaps provided a causeway out into the low lying areas, certainly part of its length appears to be so used on the VCH plan. The VCH when writing of the castle (but equally applicable to the court) reaches an interpretation that is still valid today, ‘like many other castles it was mainly a moat-defended enclosure’. There is no reason to believe that either are anything other than medieval moated manor house sites and the chances of learning anything more appear to depend entirely upon excavation. Alan Ward July 2003 T H EC O R P U SO FR O M A N E S Q U E S C U L P T U R EP R O J E C T his project has been set up to record and photograph all stone sculpture in these islands produced between c.1066 and c.1200. The research is made available freely over the Internet, and represents work carried out by a network of volunteer fieldworkers. Kent is a large county, rich in eleventh and twelfth century material and I suspect that there are more than 200 sites with some Romanesque sculpture. Would you be able to help? Volunteers to cover groups of sites in their own local areas would be especially welcome. Travel and photography costs would be met. Information about the project is available on our website – www.crsbi.ac.uk or you can write to Dr Ron Baxter, Courtauld Institute of Art, Somerset House, Strand, London WC2R 0RN or email ron.Baxter@courtauld.ac.uk. Ron Baxter B R I T I S HA R C H A E O L O G I C A LA S S O C I AT I O N 2004 OCHS S C H O L A R S H I P unlikely to succeed. A Scholarship is awarded for one year only and is not renewable. Applications are also invited from scholars unattached to universities. Their personal circumstances should be such as to prevent the completion of their research unless supported by a scholarship of this kind. Applications simply for publishing costs, or for writing up and publication of existing research fully funded by another body, may also be considered, but only in the event of there being few claims for funds from scholars applying to complete research work. Applications of this kind must also demonstrate that no other body could reasonably be expected to finance writing up. Projects should be capable of completion within the period of the Scholarship which, in this category, should be no shorter than two months but not necessarily as long as one year. Scholarships up to the value of £5000 are available annually. Application forms may be obtained by sending a stamped addressed envelope to: John McNeill Hon. Secretary BAA 18 Stanley Road Oxford OX4 1QZ Completed applications, together with any covering letter or enclosures, should be returned to John McNeill not later than 1st February 2004. most of us, provided there is the occasional ‘boot up the backside’, are perfectly capable of undertaking recording work, and a few (not I) have the artistic ability to draw tracery or other detail. For some churches, with structural phasing surviving in the vertical plane, elevation drawings may be as informative as a plan and can be completed to a considerable height without ladders. In my view it is the recording which should come first, the analysis can wait. How much has been lost from churches because no one could be bothered or for the fear of being ‘wrong’. I know of wall paintings in one Kent church which were whitewashed over not all that long ago and I have no doubt readers of this piece know of other examples of destruction. In archaeology we are all wrong some of the time, and some ‘talk out the backs of their heads’ nearly all of the time. We only have to look at the disagreements between ‘specialists’ to realise that there will always be different interpretations of the evidence, but without that evidence being recorded in the first place we have nothing. The recording of much of that evidence (buildings or below ground archaeology) depends upon local amateur archaeologists getting up off of their backsides and getting on with the work. There are some amateurs in Kent who have a reputation for good work, second to none in the country. One of the ‘red herrings’ in British archaeology (and another of my favourite rants) is that professional (paid sense) archaeologist have stopped amateur (unpaid sense) archaeologists from undertaking such work. What all responsible archaeologists want is to ensure that the work is actually undertaken and then com - pleted to professional standards. Alan Ward Dear Editor KENT CHURCH SURVEYS Mr Smith suggests in the Summer Newsletter that ruined churches such as Stone and Hope could be surveyed by amateurs. In 1988, whilst working for what is now Archaeology South-East, I Dear Editor KENT CHURCHES I suspect many of my ex-students were waiting for this. KAS members are well aware of Tim Tatton Brown’s published church surveys. However, I suspect that the majority of the audience at the conference on the 26th April were unaware that copies, of a much greater number of his surveys, were available for consultation or that his valuable work had been restarted in 2000. Certainly this was the case with all but one of my current or ex-students, who accounted for about 15% of the total audience. I freely admit I was aware of both factors, but I enjoy stirring Kentish archaeologists out of their complacency. Of course it worked. All KAS members are now aware that church surveys are continuing and more importantly who to contact (something I did not know). It is impossible to be sure after this length of time; I may have said that most amateur archaeologists can undertake such surveys, but what I certainly said was that amateurs can undertake recording surveys. There is subtle difference. The recording of standing fabric (i . e. measuring, drawing, photography and basic description of architectural detail) is relatively simple and, (where necessary) with guidance well within the capabilities of the interested amateur, of whom in this field I would consider myself one. I, as an individual, refuse to differentiate between ‘amateur’ and ‘professional’ (other than in the money sense) there are only good, average and bad archaeologists and historians. Detailed study of some, perhaps all, of the aspects listed by Leslie A Smith in the last Newsletter are within the capabilities of the interested individual. The word interested along with the much more important c o m m i t m e n t a n d less important enthusiasm are the key words; with o b s e r v a t i o n a n d then thought being the keys which unlock interpretation. The vast majority of individuals will not wish to study a theme to the analysis stage, but a few will. More importantly in the present context, Autumn 2003 14 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR AUTUMN 2003 surveyed Hope-all-Saints church for the Romney Marsh Research Trust. A discussion of the phasing, with ground plans of the church and surrounding earthworks together with a selection of elevation drawings, is published in Romney Marsh, The Debatable Ground (ed. Jill Eddison, OUCA 1995). The entire standing fabric was drawn at a scale of 1:10 as a record and is held by RMRT. These drawings could be provided to Mr Smith (with the permission of RMRT) at A3 size if wished – as he says, there must be effective coordination to avoid duplication. Maureen Bennell Archaeological Consultant Sevenoaks Dear Editor RE THE MANOR HOUSE, CHESTFIELD & THE ROPER FAMILY I am writing to you to see if the Kent Archaeological Society might be able to help. Since moving into The Manor House some five years ago, I have been struggling to trace the long and complex history of the property. Parts of the existing structure probably date from the C15, and it is possible that there has been something on the site from the C13. There appears to be little recorded history of rural properties from early times, so I have recently been concentrating on the associated families. One significant local family – the Ropers of St Dunstan’s, Canterbury and Well Hall, Eltham – were owners of The Manor House for around 300 years from the middle of the C15 to the middle of the C18. This period included such important family members as John Roper, Attorney General to Henry VIII, and William Roper (son-in-law of Sir Thomas Moore). I would be extremely grateful if any of your members were able to identify any possible sources of information which might throw light on the history of the association of this house and family. Chris Hughes Chestfield Whitstable LETTERS TO THE EDITOR LETTERS TO THE EDITOR LETTERS TO THE EDITOR LETTERS TO THE EDITOR LETTERS TO THE EDITOR LETTERS TO THE EDITOR LETTERS TO THE EDITOR LETTERS TO THE EDITOR TO THE EDITOR LETTERS TO THE EDITOR TO THE EDITOR LETTERS TO THE EDITOR TO THE EDITOR LETTERS TO THE EDITOR groups set up camp. Giles Guthrie, Keeper of Human History at Maidstone Museum, brought along artefacts relevant to the event’s theme of the late Iron Age and early Roman period. He even managed to display part of a hypocaust! The co-operation of so many ensured that over 300 visitors were provided with an enjoyable insight into their local archaeology. any different archaeological interests within Ke n t were represented at the National Archaeology Day event in July organised by North Downs Yo u n g Archaeologists’ at the Museum of Kent Life, Sandling. Contributors to the ‘Archaeology in Kent’ exhibition included the KA S, Canterbury Archaeological Trust, Young Archaeologists’ Club – North Downs and Thanet branches, Otford & District Archaeological Group, Thanet Trust for Archaeology, The Roman Painted House at Dover, the University of Ke n t , Wealden Iron Research Group, Ke n t History Federation and Crofton Roman Villa. Andrew Richardson, Finds Liaison Officer for Kent, was on hand with a display about the Portable Antiquities Scheme, identifying finds brought in by members of the public. He also recorded finds made by metal detectorist Jill Davies, who combed the Museum grounds whilst talking to visitors. Young Archaeologist members and their families manned many different activity stalls, ranging from mosaic making to weaving and ‘living history’ Autumn 2003 15 COOPERATION & COLLECTIONS COOPERATION & COLLECTIONS COOPERATION & COLLECTIONS COOPERATION & COLLECTIONS COOPERATION & COLLECTIONS COOPERATION & COLLECTIONS COOPERATION & COLLECTIONS COOPERATION & COLLECTIONS COOPERATION & COLLECTIONS COOPERATION & COLLECTIONS COOPERATION & COLLECTIONS COOPERATION & COLLECTIONS COOPERATION & COLLECTIONS COOPERATION & COLLECTIONS COOPERATION & COLLECTIONS COOPERATION & COLLECTIONS COOPERATION & COLLECTIONS N AT I O N A LA R C H A E O L O G YD AY D O C U M E N T SAT I G H T H A MM O T E Documents found at Ightham Mote and included in its archive at CKS have recently been translated by Ms. Liz Fynn, Research Archivist. Anyone interested in having a copy of any these please send S.A.E., to A. Elton, Orchard Cottage, Pine Tree Lane, Ivy Hatch, Sevenoaks TN15 ONJ, stating which they want. 1. 1356 An indenture of the prior and convent of Canterbury Cathedral Priory as of their manor of Broke, lying in the denn of Denerden (Devenden) at Rolvenden. 2. 1473 A lease of 3 acres at Rolvenden (with boundaries). Master of Cobham College. 3. 1549 A quitclaim of 11/2 roods at Romney Town (with boundaries). 4. 1375 A grant of the manor of Stanpete at Isle of Sheppey. 5. 1342 Grant of lands etc., at Shadoxhurst, Orlestone and Warehorne. 6. 1382 Grant of rent for manor of Reyham at Isle of Sheppey. 7. 1375 Grant of manor of Stonpette Isle of Sheppey. The Kent volume will comprise 1800 oil paintings from over 50 locations across Kent. As many of these paintings sit in museum storerooms or civic buildings, this completely illustrated catalogue will publish photographs of paintings that have rarely, if ever, been on display to the public. The Kent volume will be the first in a national series. The price and purchase details will be outlined in the January 2004 Newsletter. For more information please ring Fred Hohler or Andrew Ellis on 020 7932 8424. Andrew Ellis bad in stacks and storage. More curio u s l y, very few galleries have published a comprehensive illustrated catalogue of their collections. In short, we have little idea of what we own. The Public Catalogue Foundation has been set up specifically to enable the public to learn for the first time what it owns and to be able to see an image of every painting in its national collection in a ‘Pevsner-like’ series of illustrated catalogues. he Public Catalogue Fo u n d - ation’s C o m p r e h e n s i v e Illustrated Catalogue of Publicly Owned Oil Paintings in Kent will be published at the end of the year. The United Kingdom holds in its public galleries and civic buildings arguably the greatest publicly owned collection of oil paintings in the world. Some 80% of these paintings are rarely, if ever, seen, being held for reasons good and Public Catalogue Foundation Visitors fascinated by pottery from Maidstone Museum. DO YOU RECOGNISE THIS SPOT? This idyllic scene is one of many images held in the KAS library collection which have no provenance. Do you recognise it? If you do know the location please contact the editor at 55 Stone Street, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 2QU J I L L E D D I S O N (Joint Founder of the Romney Marsh Research Tru s t ) Autumn 2003 16 also made her realise the tremendous challenge and potential of a locality close to home – Romney Marsh. Professor Steers encouraged her to write a paper for the Geographical Journal and ‘let her loose’ in the libraries at Cambridge. That led on to a lecture to the Royal Geographical Society in 1981, “a wonderful evening – I met a variety of specialists, all potentially interested in this fast moving coastline”. The destruction of exceptional medieval marshland landscape by ploughing prompted Jill to write to various academics. Professor Barry Cunliffe responded positively, “and, before we knew where we were, in 1983 we formed the Romney Marsh Research Group”. Initially a group of six, whose meetings were at the Society of Antiquaries, it expanded rapidly. Their first conference was at Oxford in 1986 and a monograph of the proceedings was published there, through the kindness of Barry. Three more conferences have followed, each resulting in a monograph. Jill edited one solely, and two jointly. Thus, i m p o r t a n t l y, the Romney Marsh papers, from whatever discipline, have been kept together. In 1987, a charity, the Romney Marsh Research Trust, was formed to support and co-ordinate the work of the Group, with Jill as Secretary. The advent of developer-funded archaeolo- BACK PAGE PEOPLE BACK PAGE PEOPLE BACK PAGE PEOPLE BACK PAGE PEOPLE BACK PAGE PEOPLE BACK PAGE PEOPLE BACK PAGE PEOPLE BACK PAGE PEOPLE BACK PAGE PEOPLE BACK PAGE PEOPLE BACK PAGE PEOPLE BACK PAGE PEOPLE BACK PAGE PEOPLE BACK PAGE PEOPLE BACK PAGE PEOPLE his issue introduces someone educated as a geographer and geologist, but whose recent book, ‘Romney Marsh, Survival on a Frontier’, takes a multi-disciplinary approach. Combining geography with history and archaeology, the book brings together recent work to tell the story of human occupation of a very difficult environment over the last 2000 years. Jill Eddison’s involvement in all three disciplines is exceptional; how had this come about? Growing up in Maidstone, Jill’s interest in history was sparked by her grandmother, who had read that subject at Royal Holloway College in 1903. She remembers poring over ‘Our Island Story’ and, later, ‘Encyclopaedia Britannica’. Geological interest began when exploring north of Maidstone, where differences in the underlying rocks became apparent, where the sand at Penenden Heath contrasted with the chalk of the North Downs. She began to think about the landscape in terms of its geography and g e o l o g y, and of its use by man. Perhaps ‘rocks’ were in the blood: a prospector great-uncle left her a box of 150 mineral specimens, and her early geology was self-taught. While still at school she considered a career in Archaeology. But, told by a local source that “there’s nothing there for women”, she turned towards History. A last-minute change of heart led to Geography, and Jill went up to Oxford in 1957. “But I found their geography out-dated, and I realised I wasn’t going to get a rowing blue, so I applied to change to Geology, ignoring a comment that they needed a woman to make the coffee…”. She was one of only 2 women in a year group of 25. After graduating, Jill left for Canada to work for a nickel mining company. Disliking the “concrete city” of Toronto, she asked to move north to a small mining town surrounded by bush on the Canadian Shield. After a variety of minor occupations, she eventually came to rest in a metallurgical laboratory, surrounded by colleagues from many different countries. Mostly recent immigrants fleeing the instability in Eastern Europe or the East Indies, their courage and intellect made a big impression on the young Jill… “These were people living on the edge of life, but with an enormous amount to give”. When Jill returned home, she w o r ked briefly for an oil company before becoming a school-teacher. Marriage followed, and bringing up her two sons meant a change of career, and a pause. “I really wanted to write…and eventually Faber took the bait”. The World of Changing Coastline appeared in 1979, combining Jill’s historical and geographical interests. It EDITOR : LYN PALMER 55 Stone Street, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 2QU Telephone: 01892 533661 Mobile: 07810 340831 Email evelyn.palmer@virgin.net or newsletter@kentarchaeology.org.uk gy in the early ’90s provided the opportunity to investigate the important zone between shingle and marsh in advance of gravel extraction, and altogether Jill was proud to have raised a quarter of a million pounds for the Trust during her 11 years. During that time, Jill also learnt something of archaeology ‘on the hoof’ from Dr Mark Gardiner, the medieval archaeologist, whilst her understanding of the medieval documents and their historical background was gleaned in summer schools in Cambridge. By 1998 she realised it was time to hand over to younger academics, and relinquished her role as Secretary and moving spirit. Jill had long recognised the need for a more general book on the Marsh, and she sent a synopsis to Tempus. Their response was to ask when it would be finished! Based on the work of numerous colleagues, not least Mark Gardiner, and geographer Dr Antony Long, Romney Marsh, Survival on a Frontier appeared in 2000. Jill’s belief in de-mystifying the jargon of academia proved a winner: over 1500 copies sold in the first year. The British Association for Local History honoured her achievement in founding the Trust and making the research results accessible to all, with a personal award in 2002. Her ‘Marsh expertise’ was needed more recently when she had ‘great fun’ with a TV crew filming ‘Mysteries in the Landscape’ for BBC2 (screening 6th November). Acquaintances re-met after some time express surprise that Jill is “still studying the Marsh!” But one thing leads to another. Her current research centres on monastic accounts, an untapped and particularly good source for 1270-1350, when the sea was most threatening. The battle between man and sea continues today, and Jill can’t resist admitting “I find it tremendously exciting when, as in the past, nature gets the upper hand!” The Editor Jill is to be the guest speaker after the 2004 KAS AGM, with the title ‘ Romney Marsh: Survival on a Frontier’. Copy deadline for the next issue in January is Monday 1st December. The editor wishes to draw attention to the fact that neither she nor the Council of the KAS are answerable for opinions which contributors may express in their signed articles; each author is alone responsible for the contents and substance of their work. Published by the Kent Archaeological Society, The Museum, St Faith’s Street, Maidstone, Kent. ME14 1LH www.kentarchaeology.org.uk