Subscriptions through the following Local Secretaries and Bankers: W. E. Hughes, Esq. (London) W. H. Burch Rosher, Esq. (Walmer). J. E. Mace, Esq. (Tenterden) K. W. Wilkie, Esq. (Ramsgate) E. W. Fry, Esq. (Dover) J. D. Norwood, Esq. (Ashford) The Bankers :-Wigan and Co. 34 1 0 Hammond and Co. 30 12 0 298 6 6 #1149 3 8 London, Chatham, and Dover Railway, Special Train, Sheppey Meeting Congress of Archæological Societies Rev. C. H. Wilkie's Beaksbourne Registers. Rev. J. M. Cowper's Canterbury Marriage Licences Canon Routledge, St. Martin's Explorations Fire Insurance £ s. d. 12 10 0 200 0 0 10 13 62 10 0 16 14 9 26 0 0 20 0 0 50 0 0 6 12 0 3 13 0 2 7 3 Deficit Sittingbourne Meeting Cheques Stamps Petty Cash (including balance of £1 11s. 8d. from 1895)... Includes Journeys and Horse-hire, Sittingbourne We have Examined the Accounts for the Year 1896, compared them with the Vouchers and Pass Books, and find them to be correct. 13 February 1897. HERBERT HORDERN, } Auditors. CHAS. F. HOOPER, The Kent Archæological Society. ABSTRACT OF PROCEEDINGS, 1895-1896. THE Annual Meeting of the Society commenced at Cranbrook on Tuesday the 30th of July 1895. The Business Meeting was held in the Vestry Hall, the noble President, Earl Stanhope, in the Chair, supported by Earl Cranbrook, W. T. Neve, Esq., the Rev. J. Cave-Browne, F. F. Giraud, Esq., W. H. Burch-Rosher, Esq., The following Report was read by George Payne, Esq. (Hon. Sec.): etc. REPORT. As the Society is still in a highly flourishing state the Council have much pleasure in presenting to-day the Thirty-eighth Annual Report. The Twenty-first Volume of Archæologia Cantiana, being the first edited by Canon C. F. Routledge, is now completed, and a copy has already been forwarded to each member of the Council. The general issue of the volume will be made during the next few weeks to those who have paid their subscriptions. The Council feel confident that the new volume, which contains much valuable matter, will meet with unanimous approval, and be found as interesting as those which have preceded it. Upwards of two hundred pounds has been paid on account of its cost, and the balance at our Bankers at the present time is £704 11s. 5d. In the year 1873 the Society came to Cranbrook for the first time, and the remembrance of that pleasant visit is a guarantee that we shall spend two days of equal enjoyment on the present occasion. During the past twelve months we have lost by death and other causes many valued members and staunch supporters. Of those who have passed away we may especially mention the late Dean of Canterbury, Dr. Payne Smith, Mr. Granville Gresham Leveson-Gower of Titsey, Mr. Edward Hussey of Scotney Castle, and Mr. Ewen Christian, the well-known Architect to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. Dr. Payne Smith, the eminent Syriac scholar, became a member and VicePresident of the Society on his coming to Canterbury in 1871. From that date until his lamented death he took the warmest interest in our proceedings, and rendered the Society invaluable assistance at the meetings held at Canterbury in 1881 and 1890. On those occasions the late Dean and Mrs. Payne Smith dispensed at the Deanery kindly hospitality to the members, and also to the Council whenever they met in the Cathedral Library. The death of one of such sterling worth is a great loss to the Church, the County, and the Society. By the deplorable death, under the saddest possible circumstances, of Mr. Leveson-Gower, archæology has lost a learned and enthusiastic votary and this Society one of its best friends. He joined our ranks in 1861, and was elected a member of the Council in 1884. Mr. Leveson-Gower was a Fellow and Vice-President of the Society of Antiquaries, and continually appeared before that body with the results of his researches. The Surrey Archæological Society reaped a rich harvest from his labours, while the English Dialect Society and others received a share of his attention. Mr. Leveson-Gower's last contributions to archæology were given to our Society, as no less than five papers from his able pen will be found in the forthcoming volume of our Archeologia. The grief felt at the death of the beloved Squire of Titsey is intensified at this meeting, as he was to have described the Churches we are to visit to-morrow. By the death of Mr. Edward Hussey the Society loses one of its original members. We shall not readily forget his kindness to us and the hospitable way in which he entertained us in 1887, when the Society visited his beautiful house by the picturesque ruins of Scotney Castle. Mr. Hussey wrote a valuable Paper on the history of the latter for the Seventeenth Volume of Archæologia Cantiana. Mr. Ewen Christian was for twenty-seven years a member of the Society, and by virtue of his office was well known throughout the county, especially to the clergy, many of whose churches bear evidences of his skill as an architect. During the past few days we have also lost one of our most distinguished Vice-Presidents, the Lord Bishop of Winchester. Dr. Thorold joined our Society in 1878, the year after he was nominated to the Bishopric of Rochester. The details of his noble career since his ordination in 1849 are now being perused, through the agency of the Press, in every home, and all must admit that the Church of England has lost a bulwark and a faithful guardian. Since the last Annual Meeting twenty-eight new members have been elected, while four await election at your hands to-day. During the past eight months unusual interest has been aroused by the exploration at Darenth, near Farningham Road Station, of the largest Roman villa yet found in England, which has been accomplished by the liberality of Mrs. Rolls Hoare, aided by her son-in-law Mr. E. Arnott Clowes, of Sutton Place, Sutton-at-Hone. On the 21st of May two hundred and fifty ladies and gentlemen availed themselves of the Society's invitation to view the interesting discoveries, but in order that the dwellers in the Cranbrook district may be made acquainted with them it has been arranged that a limelight display shall be given this evening of the principal features of the villa. The operations at Darenth have been suspended for a time, but it is hoped that they may be continued later on. Your Honorary Secretary is preparing an exhaustive Paper on this important discovery for the Society's Transactions. At the Conference of Archæological Societies, held at Burlington House on July 4th, it was resolved: "That the Standing Committee be requested to take such steps as they think advisable to call the attention of the various Municipal, County, and other Authorities to the documents under their charge, pointing out their great historical value and interest, and how desirable it is that steps should be taken for their due preservation." Attention was also called to the present state of the Ancient Monuments' Act, and it was reported that the Government refused to accept charge of any more monuments under the Act. There was a general feeling expressed that such care as the Government did exercise was insufficient, and that the Act should be extended, and it was resolved: "That the County Societies be requested to urge upon the representatives of their Counties in the House of Commons the necessity of the Government more thoroughly carrying out the Ancient Monuments' Act, and the advisability of extending its provisions to monuments of Romano-British and early Christian periods." Both these subjects were introduced by your Honorary Secretary, who is a member of the Standing Committee. It is hoped that beneficial results will accrue from these important resolutions. |