KENT ARCHEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. Cash Account from January 1st to December 31st, 1879.

J. Smith, drawings of crypt capitals, etc.... 5 0 0

Rent of Rooms at Maidstone, one year
Curator's Salary, three quarters only, and small payments
Petty Cash
Mr. Smallfield, London Secretary's expenses

382 14 3

THE

Kent Archaeological Society.

ABSTRACT OF PROCEEDINGS, 1878-80.

Ar the Annual Meeting held at Bromley, on July 31st and August 1st, 1878, the programme, printed in Vol. XII., pp. xliii., xliv., was satisfactorily carried out. The papers read during the two days are, for the most part, printed in the present volume.

THE COUNCIL met on Sept. 25th, 1878, at Canterbury, in the Library of the Dean and Chapter; seven members were present, and the Dean of Canterbury presided.

THANKS were voted to EARL SYDNEY for presiding at the annual dinner at Bromley, on July 31st; and to the Earl and Countess Sydney for the very graceful hospitality with which they received the Society at Frognal upon the same day, when they entertained the Members at luncheon in a tent on the lawn, and conducted them through the rooms of the Mansion.

To Dr. and Mrs. Broom for admitting the Society, on August 1st, to inspect the ancient portions of their house, Orpington Priory, which was in mediæval times the house of the Rector of Orpington. The members much appreciated Dr. Broom's kindness in permitting them to see his fine collection of china, and the tapestry hangings in his drawing-room. In the handsome Tudor Hall of the house, refreshments were hospitably served, for which, also, the Council voted their thanks to Dr. and Mrs. Broom.

For the very generous hospitality of Sir John and Lady Lubbock, who entertained the Society at luncheon on the 1st of August, in tents upon the lawn, at High Elms, the thanks of the Council were likewise voted. Sir John and Lady Lubbock kindly explained the contents of Sir John's Museum, and the members were permitted to see the glass hives of ants in his study.

To Colonel and Mrs. Farnaby Lennard, thanks were voted for admitting them to inspect Wickham Court, on August 1st, when Mrs. Lennard kindly entertained the Members at tea on the lawn.

Thanks, for much help in preparing for the Meeting, were voted to Mr. Geo. Warde Norman, Dr. Beeby, Mr. Cecil Brent, Mr. Acton, Mr. Ilott, and Mr. Archibald Hamilton.

For Papers read during the Meeting, thanks were voted to Mr. Roach Smith, Mr. G. B. Wollaston, Mr. Flinders Petrie, Dr. Beeby, Rev. F. H. Murray, Colonel Lennard, and Mr. F. C. J. Spurrell.

To Mr. Spurrell and to Mr. George Payne thanks were accorded for superintending the carriage arrangements during July 31st and August 1st.

To the Bromley Local Board for use of their Board Room; and to Mr. Stanford, of Charing Cross, for a supply of maps of Bromley and its neighbourhood, thanks were likewise voted.

ROMNEY MARSH was selected as the locality to be visited at the Annual Meeting in 1879.

James Edward Hall, Esq., was elected a Member of the Council. Seven gentlemen were elected Members of the Society.

On Friday, Dec. 20th, 1878, the Council met at the Society's rooms in Maidstone; five Members attended, and the Earl Amherst presided.

Fifteen gentlemen were elected Members of the Society.

On Wednesday, March 26th, 1879, the Council met at the Deanery, in Canterbury. Ten Members attended, and the Earl Amherst presided.

Eleven gentlemen were elected Members of the Society. The Societa Romana di Storia Patria was received into association for exchange of publications.

The following letters were read and discussed,—

No. I.

Deanery, Canterbury,

November 26th, 1877.

My dear Canon,

The Chapter, at this our first day of Audit, both give permission, with pleasure, to your request to have the frescoes in St. John's (?) Chapel copied for publication in the Archæologia Cantiana; and promise aid, to the extent

at least of £20, on condition that a competent artist be employed, and that the drawings, after use for the Arch. Cant., be suspended in the Cathedral Library, and entrusted thereby to us for preservation. We will also give all other aid in the way of scaffolding, &c.

Please let me know when you have chosen your artist.

I respectfully forward you specimens of the Canterbury paintings. None of the subjects are completely finished-two you will see are in an advanced state; two more in pencil outline, ready for the colour; the remaining four are partly in outline.*

I have looked through my items of expenditure, which amount to £48 11s. 11d., up to the present date.

Although I expressed to you, the other day, that I thought the expense would far exceed the originally suggested cost of £65, on examining the account I find the cost is not so much as I expected. Although they are copied the real size, and fac-simile, on the spot, yet I do not now think the original suggested cost will be far exceeded.

I need hardly say the work has been done thoroughly carefully, and in every way with the object of preserving faithful copies of these unique paintings, as they appeared at the time.

The fixing of the plaster is successful (so far), and in about three weeks I shall again be able to continue the colouring. I have every hope that the work, when completed, will give every satisfaction.

I have carefully considered the subject of the publication of the drawings of the Chapel of St. Gabriel. I entered upon the work with a very sanguine estimate as to the time it would take, and have found the task seeming to grow larger as I progressed with it. I consider that on the very moderate rate of remuneration at first contemplated, in round numbers £200 should be due to me

*Thus Eight Drawings were in progress when this letter was written.W. A. S. R.

for my personal labour, lodgings, and travelling expenses, up to the present time. SEVEN DRAWINGS ARE NOW FIT TO BE PUT INTO THE HANDS OF THE LITHOGRAPHER FOR REPRODUCTION. As I understand the intention of the Council of the Kent Society, they wish to pay a very liberal proportion of the cost of making the fac-simile of the paintings, but would probably consider the payment of the £200 more than I ought to ask from them.

I have wished to hit on some arrangement which would give the Council and the Subscribers of the Kent Society no cause to complain of me, but rather the reverse, and suggest the following:-" The Naming of St. John" to be reproduced in chromo-lithography (measuring about 14 inches by 7 inches) in a really superior style. The six other drawings, viz., 1, The Annunciation to Zacharias; 2, Our Saviour; 3, Two Angels; 4, Single Angel; 5, Angel with Eyes (standing on wheel); 6, Angels of the Seven Churches; to be reproduced by the autotype process. Eleven hundred copies of each of these seven drawings to be supplied by me to the Kent Society. All copyright and the originals to remain with me, the Kent Society having no right to make or permit any further reproduction. I should, however, be happy to set aside stones used in a chromo-lithographic reproduction of the fellow subject to "The Naming of St. John," namely, "The Annunciation to Zacharias," and superintend the reproduction of 1100 copies next year or the year after. If this arrangement is agreed to, I propose that the Kent Society should pay me £228 at once, and a further sum of £65 when the second chromo is produced. The advantage of this arrangement will be that the whole scheme of the paintings will be made quite clear at once to the subscribers of the Kent Society-the autotypes being of a good scale and taken direct from the original drawings. The real character of the work will be shewn by the chromo-lithograph, which will be as good as it can be made-in fact, a work of art of considerable beauty. No reproduction of the drawings to a smaller scale will do them fair justice, or make so interesting a contribution to the transactions as that which I propose.

You have helped me and encouraged me so kindly all along in this rather tedious business, that I do not think I need say any more or put alternative schemes before you. You will, I feel sure, be disposed to do all you can to fall in with my wishes, especially as they do not run counter to what I understand to be the real wishes of your Council.

In my letter of March 17th, I stated "I propose that the Kent Society should pay me £228 at once." I intended by this that they should pay me the balance yet unpaid of that amount, namely £179 9s. Od. I do not think this at all unfair, but I have no wish to be, or even to seem, exacting as to the immediate payment of the whole amount; any agreed on fair balance may be left until the Society can be supplied with the copies, according to the arrange