Annual Report and Accounts for the Year 1933

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR 1933 SB mu %txi\ ^rrftaflkgiral Jlarkig- REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31ST DECEMBER, 1933. THE Council presents herewith its Seventy-fifth Report and Statement of Accounts for 1933. The membership at the close of the year totalled 908, and consisted of six Affiliated Societies, four Honorary, eighty-seven Life, and 811 ordinary members. This compares with 916 a year ago. The decline is much smaller than has been the case for the last two years, and it is to be hoped that some of the lost ground may be regained in 1934. Life members are eighty-seven against eighty-nine. • Twenty-six deaths were notified. First, among those who passed away the name of the Hon. H. Hannen should be mentioned. He was well known for his public work and activities in Maidstone and neighbourhood, and was a Member of the Council of the Kent Archaeological Society from 1911 to the time of his death. An obituary notice appears in Vol. XLV of Archazologia Cantiana. Other deaths include Lord Brabourne and Lord Romney, both Vice-Presidents ; Mr. W. G. Klein, F.S.A., who was much identified with the work at Richborough Castle ; Mr. Bruce Bannerman, F.S.A., of Parish Register and Harleian Society note and for long a Member of our Council; the Bishop of Ely ; and lastly Mr. E. C. Youens, who was Local Secretary for Dartford and Hon. Photographer to the Society. Mr. Youens was a well-known resident of Dartford and had a great knowledge of its antiquities. He represented the Society there for a long period, was always ready to undertake commissions often at short notice, and did much valuable work. Reference should also be made to the regretted death of Lady Conway, wife of the President, who, although no.t actually xxxviii REPORT, 1933. a member of the Society, frequently received the Council at AUington Castle. The gracious and liberal manner in which she entertained on the occasion of the June Council Meetings will be long remembered. The Annual General Meeting was held on 6th April in Maidstone Museum, the rooms being placed at the Society's disposal by the kindness of the Museum Committee. Lord Conway, President, was in the chair, and about forty-five members were present. The Minutes of the preceding Annual General Meeting were read by the Secretary and signed. The President moved the adoption of the Report and Accounts for 1932, and commented on the decline in the membership which, although much to be regretted, did not compare unfavourably with the experience of other Societies. He mentioned that the Society had lost three Vice-Presidents, viz. Lord Harris, Lord Northboume, and Mr. Augustus A. Arnold, F.S.A. The last-named had been a member for seventy-two years and had played an important part in his time in the Society's affairs. The President remarked on the numerous references to excavations in the Report, a branch of archaeology which he regarded as very important. He paid a tribute to the excellent volume of Archceologia Cantiana which had been issued for 1932. This was largely due to Mr. Alec Macdonald, who unfortunately would be obliged to relinquish his office of Editor shortly, as he was moving to a distant part of the country. The members would wish to signify to him their appreciation of the work he had done. The Hon. Treasurer spoke on certain items of the Accounts, and explained that the large sum appearing as Refund of Income Tax covered several years and would not recur. The motion for the adoption of the Report and Accounts was seconded by Mr. F. J. East and carried unanimously. The six retiring Members of Council were re-elected, viz. Sir Hugh Jackson, Mr. Ralph Griffin, Major Teichman-Derville, Major Powell-Cotton, Mr. H. W. Plumptre and Captain H. W. Knocker. Mr. F. C. Allwork and Mr. A. G. B. Chittenden were re-elected as Hon. Auditors for the ensuing year, and were thanked for their services. Mr. Leslie N. Watts and Dr. Ivan F. W. Edwards were elected members of the Society. REPORT, 1933. xxxix The Secretary, on behalf of Major Usborne who was abroad, and Mr. Frank Godwin briefly explained their proposals for the Summer and Autumn Excursions. Mr. Charles Powell invited the assistance of the members in compiling a list of ancient timber and other houses in Kent, which was asked for by the South-West Kent Town Planning Committee ; and Mr. Smetham drew attention to the danger threatened to Temple Manor, Strood, by the construction of a railway siding. At the request of the President, the Secretary informed the members of the difficulty which had arisen in connexion with the re-assessment of the Maidstone Museum and which had led the Corporation, very unwillingly, to give the Society notice to quit. This was a serious matter after seventy years' occupation of the rooms. However, as a result of a conference at Somerset House, in which Lord Conway and the Hon. H. Hannen represented the Kent Archaeological Society, the matter was adjusted on the basis of allowing the public access to the Society's collections, which was equivalent to placing them on permanent loan to the Corporation. The Secretary said that this did not involve any redistribution of the Society's collections ; and the meeting decided to leave the settlement of any details in the Council's hands. The Society was greatly indebted to Lord Conway for the assistance he had given in the negotiations. The business of the meeting was concluded with a hearty vote of thanks to the Museum Committee for lending the rooms. A general meeting was held in the afternoon, which was well attended. Two papers were read : the first by Mr. W. P. D. Stebbing, F.S.A., on " Richborough as a Coin Site, with some questions relating to Provincial Coinage of Roman Types," which was illustrated with slides ; and the other by Dr. Gordon Ward, F.S.A., on " The Kentish Yoke." At the conclusion the President contributed some remarks, and thanked both the lecturers. The Secretary said he had been asked by a member to obtain the names of those who would assist in making a complete hst of scratch and other dials on Kent churches. Tea was provided by the kindness of a Member of Council. The regular quarterly meetings of the Council were held, the Council being entertained to lunch by the President at the House of Commons in June. At the March meeting a letter was read from Mr. Macdonald resigning his position as Editor, as he was xl REPORT, 1933. moving to Worcester, but he agreed to see Vol. XLV of Archazologia Cantiana through the press. Much regret was expressed, as it was recognized that he had edited his volumes with great ability. The vacancy caused by the death of Mr. A. Moore, Local Secretary for Tenterden, was filled by the appointment of Mr. G. S. Elgood, R.I. The Hon. Treasurer presented the area maps which he had prepared for the use of Local Secretaries, and was thanked for the same. At the June meeting it was decided, at the request of the Records Secretary, to renew the subscription of £10 towards the cost of 1he room at Hawks Lane, Canterbury, the Chancery Lane room having been given up when the Secretary moved to Canterbury. A subscription of £2 2s. 9d. was also voted from the research fund towards the preliminary work of exploring Bigbury Camp. Mr. W. H. Hobday was elected Local Secretary for Bromley in place of Mr. Duffield who was moving to Ightham. At the September meeting Mr. W. P. D. Stebbing, F.S.A., was elected Editor in place of Mr. Macdonald, resigned. This created a vacancy on the Council, another being caused by the death of Mr. Hannen. These were filled by the election of Mr. R. F. Jessup and Sir Edward Harrison. Dr. F. W. Cock was elected a Trustee in place of Mr. Hannen. At the December meeting Mr. A. Cumberland was elected Local Secretary for Dartford in place of Mr. Youens, deceased. The Hon. Secretary attended the Annual Meeting of the Congress of Archaeological Societies at Burlington House on 14th November. As will be seen from the Accounts, the finances of the Society continue to be in a sound state, although the decline in membership causes much concern to the Hon. Treasurer. The size of the volume of Archmologia Cantiana is directly dependent on the income from subscriptions. Although the accounts show a deficit, it should be noted that the sum of £69 10s. has been paid during the year on account of the new General Index. The Council decided that a part of the cost of this Index should be paid out of capital, but the expenditure so far amounting to nearly £120 has been met out of current income. The Hon. Librarian reports that the members do not consult the books in the Society's Library so much as could be wished. A few books have been presented or purchased. The principal acquisition has been a MS. copy of Lambarde's Perambulation, Symondson's Map of Kent, 1596, and a mass of papers belonging REPORT, 1933. xii to the late Mr. Hannen. These have all been presented to the Society by Mrs. Hannen. The papers have been sorted and indexed by Dr. Gordon Ward and comprise much material for a history of West Farleigh, including a transcript of the Registers from 1558 to 1812 ; documents and records relating to Cobham College and Boughton Monchelsea ; and miscellaneous papers and correspondence covering Place-names, the White Horse of Kent, the Medway, etc. An arrangement has been made with the Museum Committee by which the screen which divides the two rooms has since been moved, giving increased space for meetings in the inner room. The Report of the Records Branch is printed in Archceologia Cantiana. The address and headquarters of the Branch is now 6 Hawks Lane, Canterbury. Mr. Frank W. Jessup, Hon. Secretary of the Place-names Sub-committee, says that there is nothing fresh to report for the year, and that the publication of the Kent volume is so far ahead that it is too early to begin intensive preparatory work for it. Vol. XLV of Archceologia Cantiana is on the point of being issued for 1933. With so many contributors to marshal, the Editor has found it impossible to complete it by the end of the year. Mr. Macdonald has unfortunately been obliged to relinquish the work, owing to his departure from Kent. The next volume will be in the hands of Mr. W. P. D. Stebbing, F.S.A. The sum of £8 17s. 3d. was subscribed in 1933 to the Illustrations Fund, a considerable reduction on last year. The work on the new General Index to Vols. XX to XLV of Archceologia Cantiana is proceeding, and the Council has decided to place the compilation of the Index to Illustrations in the first forty-five volumes also in the hands of Mrs. Bowring. The Summer Excursion was held on 25th and 26th July in the Elham Valley. Excellent arrangements were made by Major Usborne, and the weather was propitious. Starting from Canterbury on the first day a large party of members and friends visited Barham and Kingston, where they were received by the respective Rectors who described their churches. After lunch a halt was made on Barham Down to hear an address by Mr. G. P. Walker on " Some Sidelights on East Kent ", and then the members proceeded to Patrixbourne and Bekesbourne churches, the architectural features of the former being described by Canon Livett and the Hon. Secretary, and the glass by Mr. N. E. Toke. xlii REPORT, 1933. Bekesbourne was dealt with by Rev. R. B. Pyper, who also spoke on the Old Palace. Tea was served in the Village Hall, and the programme was completed with an address by the Vicar on the old Chapel of Well. On the second day, starting from Ashford, the first halt was at Elham where the Vicar, Rev. A. de Bourbel, spoke on the history and architecture of the church. After lunch at Lyminge the church was visited, its early work and associations being explained by Canon Livett. The members then moved on to Brabourne Church, which was described by Surgeon-Captain K. H. Jones; and to Horton Priory, opened by permission of Mr. J. J. Cairns, where Mr. Councer contributed a few remarks on the ancient buildings. The proceedings came to a close with a visit to Westenhanger Castle, which was described by Mr. Stebbing, tea having been served at the racecourse. The Autumn Excursion took place on 23rd September in about the worst weather on record which did not, however, affect the attendance, which was unusually large. Members gathered at Tonbridge and drove to Ightham Mote, which was opened to them by the kindness of Sir Thos. Colyer-Fergusson. Mr. Aymer Vallance, F.S.A., gave a short account of the house and its history in the Courtyard. After lunch at Sevenoaks, Chevening Church was visited, the architectural features of which were pointed out by Mr. Torr. Ide Hill and its view had to be omitted on account of the weather, and the day's programme terminated at Sundridge, where tea was provided, the church visited, and historical notes contributed by Dr. Gordon Ward. More detailed references to places visited will be found in Archceologia Cantiana. A fair number of Reports have been sent in by Local Secretaries and others, which can only be briefly mentioned here. The Rev. 0. H. Brasier writes that the Abbey gatehouse at Minster, Sheppey was officially opened by the Archbishop of Canterbury on 4th November, after its recent restoration. Over £1,000 has been raised and expended during the last five years, and another £200 is needed before the building can be regarded as safe and sound. Mr. Amos of Dover has sent notes and a photograph of an effigy thirty-eight inches high, which was dug up long ago and now stands in the garden of Place House, Shepherdswell. It is supposed to represent a Saint Sibert, but is much weathered. It has been inspected by several members, who agree in dating it REPORT, 1933. xliii in the thirteenth century but cannot otherwise identify it. Mr. Amos also sends his usual report on works in progress at Dover Castle and other local operations, which will be more fully dealt with by the Editor. Mr. Sydney Wilson notifies that the sorting of the Borough Records of Faversham up to the year 1800 is being undertaken, and that the Charters, which are numerous, are being attended to and placed in a suitable cabinet. As to excavations and finds, Dr. Littledale of Charing has sent in a full report on some human remains dug up on the Pilgrims Way at Dunn Street, Westwell. Mr. Norman Cook, Curator, supplies a budget of notes relating to the various investigations in which he has assisted, and which he has classified according to their age. His hst includes finds at Swanscombe, Ightham, Bearsted, Walderslade, Warden Bay, Bigbury Camp, Barham Down, Thurnham, Ruckinge, Snodland, Ryarsh, and along the Maidstone-Chatham road. Possibly the most interesting was a skeleton in a stone sarcophagus discovered at the works of the Lead Wool Company at Snodland. This skeleton was of great interest from a surgical point of view and was examined by Sir Arthur Keith, F.R.S., who has furnished a full report. Dr. Armstrong Bowes of Heme Bay has been active in viewing and reporting on remains found at Seasalter and Minnis Bay Bhchington. In the latter case (an inhumation burial) a pot was found of which a sketch has been made by Dr. Bowes. It is in the possession of Mr. Hawkes of Minnis Bay. Mr. Frank Godwin (Sevenoaks) reports the finding of a silver coin of Aethelbert in the churchyard of Shoreham at a depth of four feet; it is inscribed with the name of Dudda, an unrecorded moneyer. Further trial excavations have been made at Frog Farm, Otford, but without any buildings being found. Local members have been working on the section of the Roman road (London to Lewes) recently explored by the Surrey and Sussex Societies. The line assigned to the road between Tatsfield and Kent Hatch is not yet established, and further trials failed to locate it. A fresh start is to be made in the spring. Major Teichman-Derville (New Romney) reports that the Rev. Gordon Cuming has started excavating on the site of the ruined church of Eastbridge in the Marsh (vide Archceologia Cantiana, Vol. XXXVII, pp. 195-6), and that good progress has been made. xliv REPORT, 1933. The foundations of the outer walls have been laid bare. Operations are to be continued, and the Council has voted £2 toward the cost. Incidentally, Major Teichman-Derville is now Lord of the Manor of Eastbridge and holds the manorial rolls from 1356 to 1402, and others of later date. Dr. Hardman (Deal) reports that excavating by the Deal Waterworks undertaking has resulted in the exposure of two sections of a circular V-shaped trench cut in the chalk. This has been investigated by Mr. Cecil Knox. Little was found except a few fragments of very friable pottery. The find is evidently part of the series of Bronze Age circles found on the same plateau in 1928 and described in Vol. XLI of Archceologia Cantiana, p. xlvii. Mr. Stebbing sends information of the finding of a Jutish burial near Deal, with well-preserved bones, skull, and a spear. A short account by Mr. Stebbing appeared in the East Kent Mercury for 30th December. He has also inspected a cellar with groined roof at St. Nicholas-at-Wade, which he considers to be of early fourteenth century date. For fuller details of these Reports, members should consult the pages of Archceologia Cantiana. The number of Affiliated Societies has been increased from five to six by the admission of the Isle of Thanet Geographical Society. The Canterbury Archaeological Society maintains its membership at a satisfactory figure. It has had a successful year of summer excursions and winter lectures. The most interesting archaeological event in the city has been the uncovering of the foundation of St. George's Gate in the course of laying a new sewer in High Street of which a short account will appear in the next volume. Other items are the finding of the remains of a Roman building and of a medieval bridge. The City Council has agreed to invite the Hon. Secretary of the Canterbury Archaeological Society (at present Mrs. T. G. Gardiner) to serve ex officio on their Architectural Advisory Committee. The Gravesend and District Society, though small in numbers, holds its meetings regularly and its lectures embrace a good variety of scientific and archaeological subjects. The Hon. Secretary of the Greenwich and Lewisham Antiquarian Society writes that the transcription of the Parish Register of St. Alphege's, 1637-1660, referred to in the last report, is being continued. REPORT, 1933. xlv The Report of the Dartford Antiquarian Society is satisfactory. The membership has kept up. Five meetings have been held during the winter months, the lectures embracing such subjects as " Twelfth Century Houses in England ", " Dartford Priory " and certain Cathedrals. Similarly the excursions have been well attended, and included visits to Roydon Hall, Orpington Church and the Priory, Downe, and Penshurst. The year was marked by the issue of the long awaited book on Dartford by the President, Mr. S. K. Keyes ; also by the death of Mr. E. C. Youens, who was Chairman of the Council from the foundation of the Society in 1910 until October 1932. I t should be hardly necessary to remind members how much trouble and work is saved to the officers of the Society by prompt payment of subscriptions. The annual subscription of 10s. is due on 1st January, and if not paid by Bankers' Order should be remitted as early as possible to the Collector, Mr. A. J. Lancaster, 13 Oaten Hill, Canterbury. By order of the Council, GEORGE C. DRUCE, Maidstone, Kent. Hon. General Secretary. 15th March, 1934.