says that "Gregory Rocksley, Mayor, and the Barons of the City of London, granted to Robert Kelwarby, Archbishop of Canterbury, two ways or lanes next to the street of Baynard's Castle, and also the Tower of Montfitchet to be destroyed, in place of which the said Robert built the new church of the Black Friars. This was a large

portant. The ancient monastery of the Dominicans-or "Black Friars" was transferred to this site in the year 1276, previously to which the friars had a residence in Holborn. Walford says that this building was founded by Hubert de Berg, Earl of Kent; but Maitland

church, richly furnished with ornaments, to which Edward the First and his Queen, Eleanor, were very liberal benefactors." From this it would appear that although de Berg built the monastery, Kelwarby, with the assistance of the King and Queen, erected the church. Parliaments were frequently held in the building, and several of them have become historically important. In the year 1450, the Parliament which commenced its sittings at Westminster was adjourned to the Black Friars. In 1524, Henry VIII held a Parliament here for granting a subsidy of eight hundred thousand pounds. This was adjourned to Westminster, where it sat until nine o'clock in the evening, and was, from that circumstance, called "The Black Parliament." In 1529, the question of the King's marriage to Catharine of Aragon was tried here, and the divorce pronounced. In the same year a Parliament held here condemned Wolsey in pramunire. Charles V resided at the Blackfriars when on a visit to Henry VIII. Although the monastery was suppressed at the Reformation, the right of sanctuary was continued, which soon converted the place into an undesirable locality.

In 1578, Burbage erected a theatre upon part of the site of the Blackfriars house, and Shakespeare is supposed to have taken a share in the speculation. The arches brought to light evidently date from the thirteenth century, and are probably part of Kelwarby's work (1276). They are very good Early-English architecture, much resembling the arches of the choir of St. Saviour's, Southwark. The vaulting is very fine, and the whole fragment probably formed a portion of the north aisle of the church. It should, if possible, be preserved, as there are few remains of old London in this part of the City.

ERRATUM.-Page 32, line 3 from top, for 6 ft. read 2 ft.

Obituary.

ALDERMAN CHARLES BROWN.

By the sudden death of Alderman Charles Brown, J.P., of the Folly, Chester, on April 12th, the Association has lost an Honorary Correspondent. Mr. Brown was deeply interested in the antiquities of his native city, and rendered valuable help to the Chester Antiquarian Society, of which he has been a member since 1850, and was on the Council. He hospitably received the Association when they visited Chester on August 22nd, 1887, during the Liverpool Congress. Mr. Brown was born in Chester eighty-three years ago, and during his early years devoted himself entirely to his work as a partner in the firm of Messrs. W. & C. Brown (later Messrs. Brown, Holmes and Co., when our member, Mr. J. Goodie Holmes, joined the concern); but in 1871 he entered the City Council, and was Sheriff (1875-6), and six times Mayor (1880-1, 1883-4, 1884-5, 1890-1, 1891-2, 1892-3), and an Alderman at the time of his death. With patriotic spirit, he recently purchased the famous Bishop Lloyd's house, which was judiciously restored under his direction. He held every public office of importance in connection with the city. He was a bachelor. At the Meeting of the Royal Archæological Institute at Chester, in 1886, he read a most interesting Paper on the fine series of Chester Charters. He exercised an affectionate care over objects of antiquity which came under the control of the City Council. In addition to hospitality, Mr. Brown made several contributions to our Meetings, e.g. :—

(1) On November 19th, 1890, he exhibited photographs of a column found erect on his property in Watergate Street, Chester. (2) On March 1st, 1893, he read a Paper on Pemberton's Parlour

Chester.

T. CANN HUGHES.

THE JOURNAL

OF THE

British Archaeological Association.

SEPTEMBER 1900.

ON MR. MICAH SALT'S DIGGINGS AROUND BUXTON.

BY JOHN WARD, ESQ., F.S.A., CARDIFF.

T is with extreme pleasure I accede to the wish of your Honorary Secretaries that I should write about Mr. Micah Salt's diggings in the neighbourhood of Buxton. The pursuit of Derbyshire archæology brought Mr. Salt and myself together some nine years ago, and it has resulted in what, I trust, will be a lasting friendship. During these years he has constantly kept me informed of his doings, and I have frequently joined him in his expeditions. At his request, I have sent full accounts of his more important operations to the Journals of the Derbyshire Archæological and Natural History Society, the Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries, and the Reliquary. Others have also engaged their pens in his behalf. The Rev. J. C. Cox, LL.D., contributed two papers on his discoveries in the Deep Dale cave to the first-mentioned journal; and, at the present time, Mr. William Turner, a Cardiff gentleman, who spends much of his time in Buxton, is having these papers reprinted, with additions from his own pen relating to such of

1900

14

Mr. Salt's diggings as have not yet been put into print. Mr. Turner's book will be well illustrated, and it promises to be a valuable addition to the archæological literature of the county.

Mr. Salt is, before all things, a digger-careful, observant, patient. If I were asked to suggest him a motto, it should be: "I dig for facts; let others theorise." But because he has preferred the spade to the pen, it must not be thought that he is unmindful of the study of this branch of knowledge. He takes a keen interest in prehistoric archæology, and his comments on the drafts of my papers have always been worthy of careful consideration.

I must add that Mr. Salt's eldest son, W. H. Salt, has from the first been associated with the father in his archæological work, and takes as keen a delight in it.

THIRST HOUSE.

Mr. Salt's first and unquestionably chief work was the excavation of Thirst House. This cave is situated in Deep Dale, a wild and trackless ravine, about three miles south-west of Buxton. Its conspicuous portal is in the lower part of the bold escarpment of carboniferous limestone, which, with the grassy slope at its foot, forms the east-north-east side of the valley. The well-turned elliptical arch, of some 26 ft. span, of this portal has a singularly artificial look, an effect heightened by the walllike character of the escarpment. Climbing the grassy slope, the visitor finds himself in the entrance of a tunnellike cavity, about 90 ft. in length, with a tolerably level floor, and a roof varying from 6 ft. to 12 ft. in height. The sides have little stalagmite upon them, yet it exhibits several old and well-defined inscriptions. The most interesting of these is adated one-" T. E., 1661”— on the left-hand side.

At the end of this length, the roof and floor make a sudden descent into a lower chamber, which, unlike the former, has a very irregular floor, and is somewhat shorter, being about 72 ft. long. At the lowest point of this chamber was a small aperture, now blocked with