MAY 17TH, 1899. C. H. COMPTON, Esq., V.-P., IN THE CHAIR. Thanks were ordered by the Council to be returned to the donors of the subjoined presents to the library :— To the Société des Antiquaires de la Morinie, for "Proceedings," vol. xxv, 1899; "Les Chartes de Saint-Bertin," vol. iv, 1899. Smithsonian Institution for "Annual Report," 1897. Cambrian Archæological Association for "Archæologia Kent Archæological Society for "Archæologia Cantiana," Society of Antiquaries, Scotland, for "Proceedings," 1897-8. Mr. Patrick, Hon. Secretary, announced that the Marquess of Granby had accepted the office of President of the Congress and of the Association for the ensuing twelve months. Two very interesting rubbings of incised designs on the headstone of the piscina in the south wall of the Templars' Chapel at Garway, Ross-on-Wye, were contributed by the Rev. Dr. Minos, the vicar of Garway. They were discovered late last year on removing plaster. On the left side of the piscina is a fish, representing the baptized, and on the right a horned adder, representing the unbaptized. In the middle is a cup marked with a triangle, and raised a little above the top is a cross within a circle. The cup has two wings. Dr. Minos considers this to be emblematical of the exaltation of the consecrated wafer. The second rubbing was of incised work on the inside face of the broken tympanum of the west door of the Templars' Chapel. the left side is a spear, and near it a ladder; on the right a cup with a cover, and near it a reed and a sponge. In the middle is a Tau cross with a crown over it, three nails and a sword beneath the arms. These clearly represent the instruments of the Passion and the crown of glory. The work is rude in character and of early date, probably pre-Norman. On Mrs. Collier exhibited a rare volume of the early part of the seventeenth century, entitled, A History of the Gospel, in fine condition; and Mr. Grimsdale photographs of a pair of hand-mill stones recently dug up in a brickfield, near Uxbridge. The stones are 14 ins. in diameter, and were found under about 4 ft. 6 ins. of brick earth. A paper contributed by Dr. Russell Forbes, " On the Cremating of Cæsar and the recent discoveries in the Forum at Rome," was read, in the author's absence, by Mr. Patrick. JUNE 7TH, 1899. T. BLASHILL, ESQ., HON. TREASURER, V.-P. IN THE CHAIR. Mr. Hornblower exhibited a fine Roman cameo, dug up in Worship Street at a depth of 18 ft.; also some Flemish and other pottery found in Curtain Road, Shoreditch, at a depth of 8 ft., in excavating for foundations of a new factory. Mrs. Day exhibited an original description of the First Aërial Voyage in England, by Vincent Lunardi in 1784. Mrs. Pears contributed some notes npon a curious discovery recently made on the Scarisbrick estate in Martin Mere, between Southport and Rufford. This consisted of a canoe or "dug-out." The canoe is 16 ft. 6 ins. over all, the greatest breadth being 4 ft., the inside width 3 ft. 9 ins.; it is made out of the trunk of an oak tree. The wood having warped at the stern, a boomerang-shaped piece of wood has been used to hold it together with wooden pegs. This remedy apparently failed, and a sheet of lead about the thickness of a sixpence was placed over the warp and attached with pegs or nails, which, from the analysis of the dust from the peg-holes, appear to have been of iron. The vessel was discovered whilst ploughing, and the obstacle to the plough was thought at first to have been a stump, but on carefully digging away the soil the canoe was unearthed. It was lying slightly on one side and tilted upwards. The position in which it was found was about 200 yards from the old bank of the lake. Mrs. Collier read a paper "On the Châteaux and Domestic Dwellings of France in Medieval Times," which was profusely illustrated by drawings, photographs, and engravings. Mr. Andrew Oliver read a paper on "Ancient Customs;" and a short paper contributed by Dr. Russell Forbes, in continuation of his account of the discoveries in the Forum at Rome, was read by Mr. Patrick, Hon. Secretary. Obituary. MR. ROBERT FERGUSON, F.S.A. THIS gentleman died on September 1st, 1898, at his residence, Morton House, Cummersdale, Carlisle : he was in his eighty-second year. He was the senior partner in the firm of Ferguson Brothers, silesia merchants; he was twice Mayor of Carlisle, and its member of Parliament as a Liberal from 1874 to 1885, when he became a Liberal Unionist. He was cousin to Chancellor Ferguson, F.S.A. He was, on January 11th, 1883, elected F.S.A. He joined our Association on April 27th, 1864, and was a life member. He made a contribution to the Journal on December 22nd, 1863, through Mr. J. B. Greenshields, on "Some Roman Remains found at Carlisle." He was for many years secretary for Cumberland to the Society of Antiquaries. He was author of The Northmen in Cumberland and Westmorland, and an original member of the local society, and one of its vice-presidents. MR. GEORGE MCGUIRE. WHEN the Association held its Congress in York, in 1891, the then Town Clerk of that city (Mr. George McGuire), very efficiently held the office of Local Secretary, and contributed a most interesting paper on the "City Insignia." He unfortunately died on May 8th of the present year, at an early age. Mr. McGuire was a municipal lawyer of very considerable eminence. He was son of a gentleman who formerly resided at London House, Lancaster, and was articled to Sir George Morrison, the well-known Town Clerk of Leeds. Hence he passed to the position of Deputy Town Clerk of Oldham. He held this appointment until 1887, when he was chosen Town Clerk of York, and filled the post most efficiently until he was chosen Town Clerk of Bradford in 1896. He held this position until his lamented death. He was on the Council of the Association of Municipal Corporations for more than ten years. There is a portrait of him, and a brief record of his career, in the Municipal Journal for February 23rd, 1899. MR. JOSEPH STEVENS, M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P. THE Association has lost a valuable friend by the death, on April 7th, 1899, at his house, Alexandra Road, Reading, of the above-named gentleman. He was born on April 14th, 1818, at Stanmore. He was the son of a farmer, and was trained first as a pharmaceutical chemist, and acted for some time as a dispenser to a firm at Brighton. He proceeded to London in 1841, studied medicine at the Middlesex Hospital, was awarded the Arnott and Erasmus Wilson Prizes, and became M.R.C.S. in 1843, and L.R.C.P. and L.S.A. in 1844. In the latter year he settled at St. Mary Bourne, Andover, Hants, and practised there till his retirement in 1879, when he went to live at Reading. He was Hon. Curator of the Reading Museum from 1884 to 1898. He joined the Association on June 12th, 1867, was made Local Member of Council for Hampshire on May 16th, 1877, and for Berkshire on November 16th, 1881. He contributed numerous papers to the Society. The following is a list, with dates of reading : 1871, August 26th.- "On newly-discovered Roman and Saxon Remains at Finkley, near Andover." 1872, January 10th.-" Letter on Investigations of Shallow Pits at St. Mary Bourne." 1877, May 16th.-" On a Scold's Bridle from Vernham." 1877, December 5th.-" On a Stone Coffin at Soberton, Hants." 1877, December 5th.- "On Roman Remains at Itchen Abbas." 1877, December 5th.-"Roman Remains recently discovered at Preston, Sussex." 1878, December 4th.- -" Discoveries at Silchester and Old Sarum." 1878, December 4th.-"The Font at St. Mary, Bourne." 1880, February 18th.-" Roman Remains at Basingstoke." 1880, March 3rd.-" A Romano-British Interment found at Firgrove, near Longparish, Hants." 1880, May 19th.-"Report of the Discovery of Paleolithic Flint Implements in the Reading Drift." 1880, June 2nd.-Romano-British Remains at Corton, Wilts." 1880, August 19th. -"Paleolithic Flint Implements, with Mammalian Remains, in the Quaternary Drift at Reading." 1881, March 16.-"Remains found at Reading Gas Works." 1882, April 19th.--" On a Bronze Sword and an Iron Spear-Head found at Henley-on-Thames." 1882, April 19th.—“ British Urn-Burials at Basingstoke." 1883, April 4th.-" The Reading Brank." 1883, June 6th.-"Stone Implements found in the Thames." |