Archæological SURVEY OF LANCASHIRE, AND TRANSACTIONS OF THIS SOCIETY.— As there are but few copies of the Survey on hand, those members who desire to possess copies of this valuable work would do well to secure them without delay. Members who wish to complete their sets of the Transactions can now obtain most of the volumes at the reduced price of 7s. 6d. each. Application for either the Survey or the Transactions may be made to the Hon. Secretary.

the

OBITUARY.—We have lost four members by death during viz.:year,

:

Mrs. George Linnæus (Isabella) Banks, who was elected an honorary member of the Society on November 3rd, 1893, died in London on May 4th, 1897, aged seventy-six. She was born at Manchester on March 25th, 1821, and published her first work, Ivy Leaves, a volume of verse, in 1843, two years before her marriage. Her first novel was not published until 1865. This was God's Providence House, a tale of old Chester, and was followed by other novels, the most famous of which was The Manchester Man, a graphic picture of Manchester in the early years of the nineteenth century. She took a keen interest in local antiquities, which she showed not only in her books, but in a large number of contributions to the Manchester City News, and other papers. Her election as a member of this Society gave her great delight, and she made several communications to its proceedings.

Mr. Edmund J. Baillie, F.L.S., who joined the Society at its foundation in 1883, died at Upton, near Chester, on 18th October, 1897, in his forty-seventh year. He was of Scotch descent, but was born at Waverton, Cheshire, and during the whole of his working life was connected with the firm of F. and A. Dickson, subsequently Dicksons Limited, seedsmen and nurserymen, of Chester. He was a man of varied interests, a writer and speaker on botany and horticulture, a deep student and admirer of John Ruskin, a competent artist and musician. He was honorary secretary

and treasurer of the Grosvenor Museum, Chester, treasurer of the Kingsley Memorial Trust, and secretary of the Chester Arts and Crafts Gulld. For many years he had been a vegeterian, and a paper by him, entitled "A Guild of Good Life,” was read on the very day of his death before a vegeterian conference at Manchester.

Mr. James Henry Johnson, F.G.S., who died on 21st June, 1897, at his residence at Hallgarth, near Carnforth, joined the Society in 1883. He was born at Wincham, Cheshire, in 1829. and worked from the age of thirteen with a salt and coal shipper at Runcorn. In 1860 he settled at Wigan, and ultimately became a chief proprietor of the Abram Coal Company. He took great interest in literary and historical subjects, and collected a large and valuable library. In 1887 he gave £5,000 to the Wigan Mining School, and built a wing of the Wigan Infirmary.

Mr. William Smith, M.D., of Eccles, medical inspector of factories, and one of the first elected members of the Eccles Town Council, died during the year. He was chairman of the Eccles Junior Conservative Club, and a prominent Freemason. He joined the Society on 7th October, 1887.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.-The cordial thanks of the Society are given to the Feoffees of Chetham Hospital for their kindness in continuing to grant the use of the meeting rooms of the Council and the Society; and also to the Rev. Addison Crofton, M.A., and Mr. Joel Wainwright, J.P., for valued assistance on the occasion of the visits of the Society to Settle and Marple.

The thanks of the members are again due to Mr. C. W. Sutton, the Editor of the Transactions; Mr. T. Letherbrow, Hon. Treasurer; and Mr. G. C. Yates, F.S.A., Hon. Secretary; and also to the Auditors.

Archæological Congress :

£178 16 11

Examined and found correct, January 27th, 1898.

J. BURGESS,
J. R. FAITHWAITE.

RULES.

Revised January, 1897.

I. PREAMBLE. This Society is instituted to examine, preserve, and illustrate ancient Monuments and Records, and to promote the study of History, Literature, Arts, Customs, and Traditions, with particular reference to the antiquities of Lancashire and Cheshire.

2. NAME, &C.-This Society shall be called the "LANCAshire and Cheshire AntiquARIAN SOCIETY."

3. ELECTION OF MEMBERS.-Candidates for admission to the Society must be proposed by one member of the Society, and seconded by another. Applications for admission must be submitted in writing to the Council, who shall, as soon as possible after the receipt of the application, determine the election or otherwise of the candidate. Each new member shall have his election notified to him by the Honorary Secretary, and shall at the same time be furnished with a copy of the Rules, and be required to remit to the Treasurer, within two months after such notification, his entrance fee and subscription; and if the same shall be thereafter unpaid for more than two months, his name may be struck off the list of members unless he can justify the delay to the satisfaction of the Council. No new member shall participate in any of the advantages of the Society until he has paid his entrance fee and subscription. Each member shall be entitled to admission to all meetings

of the Society, and to introduce a visitor, provided that the same person be not introduced to two ordinary or general meetings in the same year. Each member shall receive, free of charge, such ordinary publications of the Society as shall have been issued since the commencement of the year in which he shall have been elected, provided that he shall have paid all subscriptions then due from him. The Council shall have power to remove any name from the list of members on due cause being shown to them. Members wishing to resign at the termination of the year can do so by informing the Honorary Secretary, in writing, of their intention, on or before the 30th November, in that year.

4. HONORARY MEMBERS.-The Council shall have the power of recommending persons for election as honorary members.

5. HONORARY LOCAL SECRETARIES.—The Council shall have power to appoint any person Honorary Local Secretary, whether he be a member or not, for the town or district wherein he may reside, in order to facilitate the collection of accurate information as to objects and discoveries of local interest.

6. SUBSCRIPTIONS.—An annual subscription of ten shillings and sixpence shall be paid by each member. All such subscriptions shall be due in advance on the first day of January.

7. ENTRANCE FEE.-Each person on election shall pay an entrance fee of half a guinea in addition to his first year's subscription.

8. LIFE MEMBERSHIP.-A payment of seven guineas shall constitute the composition for life membership, including the entrance fee.

9. GOVERNMENT.-The affairs of the Society shall be conducted by a Council, consisting of the President of the Society, not more than six Vice-Presidents, the Honorary Secretary and Treasurer, and fifteen members elected out of the general body of the members. The Council shall retire annually, but the members of it shall be eligible for re-election.