To the Society, for the "Lichen Flora of Chicago and Vicinity", by W. W. Calkin.

for "The Archæological Journal", vol. liv, No. 214. for "Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland" vol. vii, Parts 2 and 3.

for "Journal of the Royal Institute of British Architects", vol. iii, Part 1, New Series.

for "Transactions of the Bristol and Gloucestershire Archæological Society", vol. xx, Part 1.

for "Archæologia Cambrensis", 1897, Parts 3 and 4. for "Transactions of the Essex Archæological Society, vol. vi, Part 3.

for "Wiltshire Archæological and Natural History Magazine", vol. xxix, No. 87.

for "Annales de la Société d'Archæologie de Bruxelles." for "Mémoires de la Société de la Morinie; Les Chartes de Saint-Bertin".

The Rev. J. Cave-Browne exhibited a curious earthenware jar, in the shape of an Amphora, but with one ear, or handle, missing. After some discussion, the members present agreed that it was probably of medieval or Spanish workmanship. The remaining handle had a boss marked like a screw at the junction with the body of the jar; and at the neck, in the centre between the handles, there was a mouth-piece such as is used by the peasants in Spain for drinking from.

Mr. I. C. Gould exhibited numerous examples of James the Second's base coinage, and read the following notes upon

IRISH GUN-MONEY AND PEWTER COINAGE.

89

It will be in the knowledge of all that after the collapse of the cause of James II in England, in December 1688, he retired to France, but in March 1688 landed in Ireland with some 5,000 troops, and soon after entered Dublin. What followed is matter of history-for our purpose it is sufficient to recall the various expedients resorted to by James to raise money to carry on the war.

First, a proclamation was made increasing the value of English and other coins in circulation: the English guinea became 24s., the half-guinea 12s., the crown piece 5s. 5d., the half-crown 2s. 8d., shilling 1s. 1d., sixpence 6d.

In addition to English coins, the proclamation increased the value of foreign coins, French, Spanish, Portuguese, etc., showing incident

ally that commercial transactions involving the coins of those countries existed to some extent.

Failing by this means to procure enough money, James next caused sixpenny pieces of brass and copper to be made; these not being suffi cient, shillings and half-crowns followed. These coins carry the month of issue in addition to the year-a peculiarity of some interest to collectors. Old brass cannons, bells, copper vessels, pots, kettles, etc., were melted down for the manufacture. It will be seen that the half-crown die was bold and striking, making a not-unhandsome coin.

Next has to be recorded the issue of penny and halfpenny pieces of pewter, with the head of James on the obverse, the harp and crown on the reverse. These had a piece of Prince's metal affixed in the centre of the design. In April 1690 crown pieces were made of white metal, having the figure of the King on horseback on one side, and a crown with arms on the other, a piece of Prince's metal being inserted. Very few of these white-metal crowns seem to have got into circulation; it has been said that none did. A fine specimen in the coin room of the British Museum shows a large piece of the yellow metal in centre of one side, two plugs of the same showing on the other. This coin is dated 1690.

Another expedient adopted was the reduction in weight of the shilling and half-crown pieces of brass and copper, without decrease of their nominal value.

Now we come to that which may be described as the crowning expedient for raising the King's exchequer the half-crown brass and copper pieces were called in and re-stamped with the crown dies, thus raising at a stroke this bit of base metal to the value of 58. The obliterating process was in many cases so imperfectly carried out that we can still see traces of the original half-crown design.

Ruding's Annals of the Coinage puts the issue of James's base money at no less than £2, 163, 237, coined out of metal estimated to be worth only £6,495.

The question may well be asked, how all these wretched coins maintained their nominal values even for the few months of James II's struggle in Ireland. The answer is twofold: first, the people were assured by proclamation that all coins would be redeemed hereafter (that "hereafter" never came); second, that the proclamation of the various issues implied that the penalty for high treason would be inflicted upon those who counterfeited the coins, and the ProvostMarshal and others are said to have declared that those who refused them would be hanged. Ware's History and Antiquities of Ireland, translated from the Latin by W. Harris (edition 1764), says :

"In this wretched sort of money the Popish soldiers were paid their subsistence, and the Protestant tradesmen and creditors obliged to receive it for their goods and debts; and it was reasonably computed that they lost upwards of £60,000 a month by this cruel stratagem."

Of course, the triumph of William III at the battle of the Boyne, on July 1st, 1690, put an end to this forced circulation. James' halfcrown passed for a penny, and his other coins for less. It should, however, be noted that for some time after this event, some of James II's followers continued to issue coins from Limerick, or to re-stamp older issues; some are said to have been dated so late as 1693.1

Mr. C. H. Compton read a paper on "Rhuddlan", which has been printed at p. 266. The Chairman made some remarks on the architecture of the castle, pointing out that it was the earliest of the Edwardian fortresses in North Wales, and exhibits this fact in its formation, which is of the simplest kind, consisting merely of the great Keep, with lofty curtain walls, and six corner towers, two on the north-west corner and two on the south-east, with the great gateways between, and one on each of the other corners, loopholed for enfilading, and thus preventing any attempt at undermining the walls on the part of an attacking force. A deep moat surrounded the castle. The marsh, leading down to the river, lay 30 ft. below. Another tower on the outer defences, guarding the approach from the river, exhibits a very early form of building. Mr. Patrick, Hon. Sec., Mr. Worsfold, and others, took part in the discussion.

WEDNESDAY, 17TH NOVEMBER, 1897.

C. H. COMPTON, ESQ., V.P., IN THE CHAIR.

Thanks were ordered by the Council to be returned to the respective donors of the following presents to the Library :

To the Society, for "Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries", 2nd Series, vol. xvi, Nos. 3, 4, with Title and Index to vol. xvi.

for "Transactions of the Bristol and Gloucestershire

Archæological Society", vol. xix, Part 2.

for "Transactions of the Society of Antiquaries, Stockholm", a large parcel, containing copies from the commencement of the Society.

1 Those who care to look further into this matter will find information in Ware's History and Antiquities, 1739, etc.; Simon's Essay, 1749; Ruding's Annals of the Coinage, 1817, etc., Aquilla Smith's Papers in the Journal of the Kilkenny Arch. Soc., 1854; and in the Numismatic Chronicle, 1870.

Mr. Earle Way exhibited some antiquities from Egypt: two bronze figures representing Osiris, and Isis and Horus, of about 700 B.C.; also a specimen of cloth from a mummy recently unrolled, probably of the date of 1300 to 1500 B.C. The fine texture of the cloth was remarked upon, and the Chairman mentioned that a manufacturer once said to him: "I wish we could make cloth of such fineness with our machinery to-day".

Mr. Way also submitted two ancient bronze sheep-bells, and some Roman coins of Carausius, Constantius, and Constantine, found lately in excavating for a sewer in Union Road, Southwark, and a shilling of Charles I.

Mr. T. Blashill then read a paper entitled "Some Illustrations of Domestic Spinning". He said that spinning, except in its modern revival, might be considered a lost art, and although it went out in England only some fifty or sixty years ago, it is as completely forgotten by the world as if it had for centuries been unknown. From time to time spindle-whorls, discovered in deep excavations, had been exhibited at meetings of the Association, and implements used in spinning were to be seen in the most ancient Egyptian sculptures, and spindles with the whorl attached were found in Egyptian excavations. As regards hand-spinning with spindle and distaff, there had been no progress through all the ages, and the most ancient specimens extant might be used by women who in remote countries practise handspinning to-day. Mr. Blashill very graphically described the mode of spinning with the fingers only, without distaff, practised by the women of Southern Italy up to quite recent years, and the use of the spinning and wool wheels he had brought for exhibition. The great wool wheel was in use as early as the fourteenth century, and lingered on in Wales down to recent times. The ordinary spinning-wheel was known as early as the middle of the sixteenth century, being at first turned by hand and afterwards by a treadle. The earliest spinning-wheel extant in this country is believed to be in the British Museum, and is of the fourteenth century. In former times the art of spinning was a necessary accomplishment for women and girls, and perhaps its use was rendered more popular by the idea that it promoted grace in the female form. In the year 1721 an aged lady left considerable property for the purpose of endowing a school for spinning. The art was practised in this country in the drawing-rooms and servants' halls of country houses as late as 1830. In the museum at Constance there are several good examples of spinning-wheels, but their use is now forgotten. Rabbit wool is spun at Aix, in Savoy, at the present time. A large number of engravings and drawings illustrated the paper.

1897

21

An interesting discussion followed, in which Mrs. Collier remarked. that the Sutherland folk still use the spinning-wheel, and Mr. Way said that "homespun" is made in the Isle of Lewis at the present day. Speaking of Egypt, Mrs. Marshall said that the Bedouin use their fingers only and no distaff.

Mr. Gould mentioned that in pulling down a house in Essex twentyeight years ago a distaff was found, but its use was utterly unknown. Mr. Astley pointed out that the articles most frequently found in Anglo-Saxon sepultures are the spindle-whorls, without one of which apparently no respectable woman could be decently buried. These whorls are small roughly-spherical objects of stone or bone, about an inch or more in diameter, and pierced with a hole for the spindle; and they continued in use at least as late as the sixteenth century, for they are mentioned by Sir Thomas More as being in the hands of every maid-servant. He also mentioned that the wheels used in the Princess of Wales's schools at Sandringham were just the same as those upon the table.

Mr. Patrick announced that during some recent alterations at the Bishop's Palace at Peterborough, part of the great drain of the monastery had been laid open, the line of which was previously unknown.

WEDNESDAY, 1ST DECEMBER, 1897.

T. BLASHILL, Esq., Hon. Treasurer, IN THE CHAIR.

Mr. Patrick, Hon. Secretary, stated that the Council that afternoon had considered the letter of a correspondent referring to the threatened demolition of the ancient and interesting "Whitgift Almshouses" at Croydon, and it had been resolved that a letter should be addressed to the Mayor and Corporation, and the governors of the charity respectively, asking them carefully to consider whether it is not possible to preserve these useful and picturesque historical buildings, which are in good repair, and apparently fulfil their purpose, and at the same time add so much to the attractiveness of the town.

The second portion of a most interesting paper was read by Mr. Andrew Oliver on the buildings of "Vanished London". Mr. Oliver commenced by paying a tribute to Mr. Walford for his investigations into the past conditions of London, and spoke of him as the "Stowe" of the nineteenth century. He then reminded the Society that, in a previous paper he had shown them something of London in the time of George IV and Beau Nash. To-night he wished to exhibit something