has a walk along the top the whole way round the city, being accessible from below by flights of steps at suitable intervals. In reconstructing a portion of the North Wall, near the Phoenix Tower, in 1887, a large number of inscribed and sculptured Roman stones were discovered, which are now in the Grosvenor Museum. For description of Walls and inscribed stones, see J. P. Earwaker's Roman Remains in Chester; W. Thompson Watkin's Roman Chester; C. Roach Smith in Journ. Brit. Arch. Assoc., vol. xliv, p. 129; E. P. Loftus Brock, Ibid., p. 39; and Transactions of Chester Archæological Society. Amongst the objects of interest seen in the city may be mentioned Bishop Lloyd's house (date 1615) in Watergate Street, with its curious carvings of Scripture subjects; the Rows and other specimens of domestic architecture; a fourteenth century merchant's cellar with groined vaulting; the celebrated Roman hypocaust and sudarium, beneath a shop in Bridge Street, described by Pennant in his Tours in Wales; and the base of a Roman column recently discovered, and preserved in situ by Alderman Brown. The Grosvenor Museum.-The day's proceedings terminated with a visit to the Grosvenor Museum, where the Curator, Mr. G, W. Shrubsole, F.G.S., explained the various antiquities preserved there. The collection of Roman remains is particularly good. When first started, it possessed an unusually large number of inscribed stones1 from the ancient city of Deva, the home of the Twentieth Legion ; and since the discoveries made in pulling down part of the North Wall in 1887, the building has become too small to hold all its treasures. The greater part of the available space in the middle of the room is blocked up with cases of art-objects lent by the South Kensington Museum, which are utterly out of place here, and might surely be removed with advantage. A Roman pig of lead (A.D. 74) excited considerable discussion amongst the members. It was dug up in making the foundations of the Gas Works, near the Roodee, and is inscribed JMP VESP AVG VT IMP C The final L had been previously read 1; and instead of one word, DECEANGL (the equivalent of Tegeingl, the ancient name of the county of Flint), the last word had been made into two, de ceangi (of the Ceangis). The Grosvenor Museum possesses two sculptured stones of the Saxon period,-(1), a cross-head found at Hilbre Island ; and (2), portion of a cross-shaft found at Chester. The similarity of the ornament on the latter to that on the Maen y Chwyfan is remarkable, and seems to indicate that there must have been an intimate 1 See "Illustrated Catalogue of Roman Altars and Inscribed Stones in the Grosvenor Museum," compiled by the Hon. Curator. 2 Engraved in Hume's Hoylake. connection between the Saxon monasteries of Cheshire and those of North Wales at the time that these crosses were made. Amongst the latest acquisitions to the Grosvenor Museum, and not the least valuable, are the Penmaenmawr urns of the bronze age, described in Mr. J. P. Earwaker's paper printed in Arch. Camb., 5th Series, vol. viii, p. 33. EVENING MEETING, THURSDAY, AUGUST 21ST. The General Annual Meeting of members of the Association for business purposes was held in the Town Hall at 8.30 P.M. Killarney, in Ireland, was fixed as the place of meeting for the year 1891, at the invitation of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland. The Committee submitted the following Annual Report, which was accepted by the general body of members : ANNUAL REPORT OF THE ASSOCIATION FOR 1890. The papers contributed to the Archæologia Cambrensis during the past year are quite equal in literary merit and general interest to those published in the Transactions of the leading antiquarian societies in England, Scotland, or Ireland. From the nature of the contributions promised there is every reason to believe that this high standard of excellence will be maintained. The Meeting of the Association in London, in the spring of 1889, was the means of opening the eyes of members to the vast storehouses of documents relating to Wales which are to be found at the British Museum and Her Majesty's Public Record Office. The very valuable papers by Mr. W. de Gray Birch and Mr. Arthur Roberts give a good idea of the treasures relating to the Principality to be seen at these institutions. The London Meeting also resulted in drawing from Mr. J. W. Willis-Bund a somewhat controversial article on Religious Houses in Wales, which shows that there are two sides to most questions. It is gratifying to find that Mr. Bund proposes to continue his studies in the same direction. Welsh historians who take an opposite view should furbish up their arguments in order to make an effective reply. Whilst on the subject of religious houses it is impossible to pass over Mr. R. W. Banks' original description of Brecon Priory, its suppression and possessions. Mr. Stephen Williams, after a slight rest from his labours at Strata Florida, has been able to take up the Welsh effigies, beginning with the fine specimens seen during the Cowbridge Meeting. The subject is well worth pursuing further, and a series of such papers, if afterwards made into a book, would form good companion volumes to Cntts' Sepulchral Slabs and Boutell's Christian Monuments. Mr. Griffith's paper on the Llandaff effigies is another step in the same direction. Every one will be glad to find that our veteran member, Professor Westwood, still continues to write as ably on inscribed stones as he did nearly half a century ago, when the Cambrian Archæological Association was in its infancy. Professor Rhys, too, has a word to say on the important discoveries of Ogam inscriptions made by the Rev. Canon Collier and Mr. G. G. T. Treherne. Whilst we welcome new contributors of literary matter, it is with the greatest regret that we have to record the death of those who have helped to raise the Archeologia Cambrensis to so high a position amongst its contemporaries. During the past year Mr. David Jones of Wallington has been taken from us. His knowledge of Glamorganshire history was almost unrivalled, as must have been apparent to every one who was privileged to listen to his lecture on the social condition of this country during the Tudor period, delivered at Cowbridge. His loss will be deeply felt both by personal friends and archaeologists generally. An exceedingly interesting paper on the "Gift of Hanmer to Haughmond Abbey" was submitted by the Rev. Canon H. Lee to the Editors of the Arch. Camb. ; but after much consideration it was decided that, owing to its great length, it could not be published immediately. The Shropshire Archæological Society, having more space at its disposal, has published the first instalment in its Transactions for 1889-90. Every endeavour has been made to keep up the character of the illustrations of the Journal, which have all been executed by Messrs. Worthington G. Smith and A. E. Smith. Owing to there having been no local fund to fall back upon for the illustrations of the Report of the Brittany Meeting, it would have been impossible to give so many Plates had it not been for the liberality of Mr. Wood of Rugby and our Hon. Treasurer, each of whom subscribed £10 towards defraying the necessary expenses. The thanks of the Association are due to Sir Henry Dryden, Bart., and the Rev. W. C. Lukis for allowing their drawings of the megalithic remains in Brittany to be reproduced, as also to Mr. Banks and Mr. T. M. Franklen for placing their admirable photographs at the service of the Editors. Several works on subjects of interest connected with Welsh history and antiquities have been submitted to the Editors for review, amongst which may be mentioned Archdeacon Thomas' History of the Diocese of St. Asaph, Mr. Stephen Williams' Strata Florida, and Mr. Gwenogvryn Evans' The Red Book of Hergest. The "Archæological Notes and Queries" might be made more readable if members would contribute to this portion of the Journal with greater frequency, and use it as a means of intercommunication. It is particularly desirable that new discoveries should be noticed as early as possible. The Local Secretaries are, therefore, earnestly requested to keep the Editors au courant with what is going on in each county. Something has already been done to bring the Cambrian Archæological Association into closer contact with the Societies in England |