ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY
3 1833 00731 0375
GENEALOGY COLLECTIOl^
I
Digitized by
the Internet Archive
in 2014
https://archive.org/details/proceedingsdorse37dors
OF THE
DOKSET RflTQKflL HISTORY
AND
ilDTIQaaKWR FIELD gMB
EDITED BY
HENRY SYMONDS.
VOLUME XXXVIL
Dorchester :
PRINTED AT THE "DORSET COUNTY CHRONICLE" OlFTCK
1916
1413086
CONTENTS.
V
List of Officers of the Club since the Inauguration
Rules of the Club
List of Officers and Committees
List of Members . .
List of New Members elected since the Publication of Vol.
XXXVL
Publications of the Club ; Societies and Institutions in Corres-
pondence with the Field Club
The Proceedings of the Clttb from May, 1915, to May, 1916
First Winter Meeting . .
Second Winter Meeting
Annual Meeting
The Hon. Treasurer's Statement of the Club's Receipts and
Expenditure . .
The Hon. Secratary's Account
Club Notes
Anniversary Address of the President . .
" The Man in the Wall " at Wimborne Minster, by the Rev. Canon
J. M. J. Flstcher, M.A., R.D.
List of Dorset Barrows opened by Mr. E. Cunnington, or described
by him, compiled by Captain John E. Acland, F.S.A.
The Stratigraphical Distribution of the Inferior-Oolite Vertebrates
of the Cotteswold Hills and the Bath-Burton Bradstock
district, by L. Richardson, F.R.S.E., F.G.S. . .
Sundry Folk-lore Reminiscences relating to Man and Beast in
Dorset and the neighbouring Counties, by E. A. Rawlence
The Silk Industry in Wesstx
I. The Throwing-mills at Sherborne and their Owners
II. Domf'stic Economics in the Eighteenth Century,
by Hi-nry Symonds, F.S.A.
Australian Trees and Shrubs, by Sir Daniel Morris, K.C.M.G.,
M.A., D.Sc, D.C.L., F.L.S.
In Memoriam, the late Henry Colley March, M.D., F.S.A., by
Nelson Moore Richardson, B.A. . .
In Memoriam, the late Rev. Wm. Miles Barnes, B.A., by Nelson
Moore R'chardson, B.A.
Ancient Memorial Brasses of Dorset, by W. de C. Prideaux, F.S.A.
Edge-Tools in Early Britain, by the Rev. Wm. Barnes, B.D.
(Edited by Captain J. E. Acland, F.S.A.) . .
Phenological Report on first appearances of Birds, Insects, &c.,
and first flowering of Plants in Dorset during 1915, by
W. Parkinson Curtis, F.E.S.
Notes on some Dorset Land Shells, by E. W. S want on . .
Returns of Rainff ll in Dorset in 1915, by the R3v. H. H. Tilney
Bassett, R.D.
Pre-Saxon Civilization in Dorset, bv Ellen E. Woodhouse
Old Portland, by thp Rev. Herbert Pentin, M. A.
Index to Volume XXXVn., by H. Pouncy
Page
v.
vi.
xi.
xii.
xxiv.
XXV.
xxvi.
XX vi.
xxxii.
xxxvii.
xlii.
xliii.
xliv.
1
26
40
48
56
66
85
94
116
121
124
133
137
194
198
210
228
254
iv.
INDEX TO PLATES AND ENGRAVINGS.
page oh to
pacp: pack.
Rev. William Miles Barnes, B.A. . . . . Frontispiece
A Doctor's practice, 1623 .. .. .. .. xxxiii.
Anthony Ettrick's Tomb . . . . . . . . 36
Indenture securing payment for a burial plot in the Minster . . 37
Dr. Colley March, M.D., F.S.A. .. .. 116
The Ancient Memorial Brasses of Dorset —
Margaret Mohun . . . . . . . . 125
Francis Mohxm . . . . . . . . 126
Maximilian Mohun . . . . . , . , 126
First Appearances of Birds, Insects, Etc. —
The Tree Creeper . , . . , . . . 146
The Greater Spotted Woodpecker . . . . , . 159
The Nightjar or Goatsucker .. .. .. 172
The Kestrel .. ., .. 178
Plans of Flight of Bird .. .. .. .. 185
Old Portland —
I. General View of Weymouth and Portland . . 229
II. Rufus Castle . . . . . . . . 230
III. The Ruins of Old S. Andrew's Church .. 233
IV. The Pre-Reformation Chapel . . . . 238
V. The Tudor Castle (" Portland Castle ") .. 240
VI. Stone-Quarrying . . , . . . 240
VII. The Old Method of drawing the stone down the
hill .. .. .. 242
VIII. The Jacobean House (" Girt House ") .. 243
IX. The Old Lighthouses at the Bill . . . . 244
X. Easton . . . . . . . . 244
XI. The Clerk's House . . . . . . 245
XII. The Verne and Fortune's Well . . . . 246
XIII. Fortune's Well from the Verne Yeates . . 246
XIV. A Pastoral Scene at Southwell .. .. 247
XV. Pennsylvania Castle . . . . . . 248
XVI. The Snaring of the " Snalter " .. .. 251
XVII. The Common and Chesilton . . . . 252
XVIII. The Royal Portland Legion , . . . 252
V.
Ubc Dorset
IRatutal Ibistor^ an^ Hnttquanan jfielb Club.
Inaugubated Majich 2Gth, 1875.
Presidents :
1875-1902— J. C. Mansel-Pleydell, Esq., B.A., F.G.S., F.L.S.
1902-1904— The Lord Eustace Cecil, F.R.G.S.
190-i * Nelson M. Richardsou, Esq., B.A.
Vicc-Preside7its :
1875-1882— The Rev. H. H. Wood, M.A., F.G.S.
1875-188-4— Professor James Buckman, F.S.A., F.G.S., F.L.S.
1880-1900— The Rev. Canon Sir Talbot Baker, Bart., M.A.
1880-1900— General Pitt-Rivers, F.R.S.
1880-1917—* The Rev. O. Pickard-Cambridge, M.A., F.R.S., F.Z.S.
1885 * The Earl of Moray, M.A., F.S.A. Scot., F.G.S.
1892-1904— Nelson M. Richardson, Esq., B.A.
1904*^^^^ } * The Lord Eustace CecU, F.R.G.S.
1900-1909— W. H. Hudleston, Esq., M.A., F.R.S., F.G.S., F.L.S., Pasi Pr«.
Geol. Societi/.
1900- 1904— Vaughan Cornish, Esq., D.Sc, F.C.S., F.R.G.S.
1900 * Captain G. R. Elwes.
1902-1916—* H. Colley March, Esq., M.D., F.S.A.
1904 * The Rev. Herbert Pentiu, M.A.
1904-1916—* The Rev. W. Miles Barnes, B.A.
1904 * The Rev. Canon J. C. M. Mansel-Pleydell, M.A.
1904- 1908— R. Bosworth Smith, Esq., M.A.
1905- 1909— Henry Storks Eaton, Esq., M.A., Past Pres. Roy. Met. Society.
1909 *The Rev. Canon C. H. Mayo, M.A., Dorset Editor of Somerset
and Dorset Notes and Queries.''^
1909 * E. R. Sykes, Esq., B.A., F.Z.S., Past Pres. Malacological Society.
1911-1912— The Rev. C. W. H. Dicker, R.D.
1912 * Alfred Pope, Esq., F.S.A.
1913 * Henry Symonds, Esq., F.S.A.
1913 * His Honour J. S. Udal, F.S.A.
1915 * Captain John E. Acland. M.A., F.S.A.
1916 Sir Dauiel Morris, K.C.M.G., D.Sc, D.C.L., F.L.S.
Hon. Secretaries :
1875-1884— Professor James Buckman, F.S.A., F.G.S., F.L.S.
1885-1892— The Earl of Moray, M.A., F.S.A. Scot., F.G.S.
1892-1902— Nelson M. Richardson, Esq., B.A.
1902-1904— H. Colley March, Esq., M.D., F.S.A.
1904 * The Rev. Herbert Peutin, M.A.
Hon. TrcasKrers :
1875-1882— The Rev. H. H. Wood, M.A., F.G.S.
1882-1900— The Rev. O. Pickard-Cambridge, M.A., F.R.S., F.Z.S.
1901- 1910— Captain G. R. Elwes.
1910-1915— The Rev. Canon J. C. M. Mansel-Pleydell, M.A.
1915 * Captam John E. Acland, M.A., F.S.A.
Hon. Editors :
1875-1884— Professor James Buckman, F.S.A., F.G.S., F.L.S.
1885-1892— The Earl of Moray, M.A., F.S.A. Scot., F.G.S.
1892-1901— Nelson M. Richardson, Esq., B.A.
1901-1906— The Rev. W. Miles Barnes, B.A.
1906- 1909— The Rev. Herbert Pentin, M.A.
1909-1912— The Rev. C. W. H. Dicker, R.D.
1912 * Henry Symonds, Esq., F.S.A.
* The asterisk indicates the present officials of the Club.
RULES
OF
THE DORSET NflTURflL HISTORY AND flNTIQUARIM
FIELD CLUB.
Object and Constitution.
1. — The Club shall he called The Dorset Natural History and Antiquarian
Field Club, and shall have for a short title The Dorset Field Club.
The object of the Club is to promote and encourage an interest in the study of
the Physical Sciences and Archaeology generally, especially the Natural History of
the County of Dorset and its Antiquities, Prehistoric records, and Ethnology. It
shall use its influence to prevent, as far as possible, the extirpation of rare plants
and animals, and to promote the preservation of the Antiquities of the County.
2. — The Club shall consist of (i.) three Officers, President, Honorary Secretary,
and Honorary Treasurer, who shall be elected annually, and shall form the
Executive body for its management ; (ii.) Vice-Presidents, of whom the
Honorary Secretary and Treasurer shall be two, ex officio ; (iii.) The Honorary
Editor of the Annual Volume of Proceedings ; (iv.) Ordinary Members ; (v.)
Honorary Members. The President, Vice-Presidents, and Editor shall form a
Council to decide questions referred to them by the Executive and to elect
Honorary Members. The Editor shall be nominated by one of the incoming
Executive and elected at the Annual Meeting.
There may also be one or more Honorary Assistant Secretaries, who shall be
nominated by the Honorary Secretary, seconded by the President or Treasurer,
and elected by the Members at the Annual Meeting.
Members may be appointed by the remaining Officers to fill interim vacancies
in the Executive Body until the following Annual Meeting.
The number of the Club shall be limited to 400, power being reserved to the.
Council to select from the list of candidates persons, whose membership they may
consider to be advantageous to the interests of the Club, to be additional
Members.
Peesident and Vice-Peesidents.
3. — The President shall take the chair at all Meetings, and have an original and
a casting vote on all questions before the Meeting. In addition to the two
ex-officio Vice-Presidents, at least three others shall be nominated by the President,
or, in his absence, by the Chairman, and elected at the Annual Meeting.
Vll.
Hon. Seceetaet.
4. — The Secretary shall perform all the usual secretarial work ; cause a
programme of each Meetnig to be sent to every Member seven days at least
before such Meetuig ; make all preparations for carrying out Meetings and, with
or without the help of a paid Assistant Secretary or others, conduct all Field
Meetings. On any question arising between the Secretary (or Acting Secretary)
and a Member at a Field Meeting, the decision of the Secretary shall be final.
The Secretary shall receive from each Member his or her share of the day's
expenses, and thereout defray all incidental costs and charges of the Meeting,
rendering an account of the same before the Annual Meeting to the Treasurer ;
any surplus of such collection shall form part of the General Fund, and any
deficit be defrayed out of that Fund.
Hon. Teeasiteer.
5. — The Treasurer shall keep an account of Subscriptions and all other moneys
of the Club received and of all Disbm-sements, rendering at the Annual General
Meeting a balance sheet of the same, as well as a general statement of the Club's
finances. He shall send copies of the Annual Volume of Proceedings for each
year to Ordinary Members who have paid their subscriptions for that year (as
nearly as may be possible, in the order of such payment), to Honorary Members^
and to such Societies and individuals as the Club may, from time to time, appoint
to receive them. He shall also furnish a list at each Annual Meeting, containing
the names of all Members in arrear, with the amount of their indebtedness to the
Club. He shall also give notice of theii" election to all New Members.
Oedinaey Membees.
6. — Ordinary Members are entitled to be present and take part in the Club's
proceedings at all Meetings, and to receive the published "Proceedings " of the
Club, when issued, for the year for winch theii' subscription has been paid.
7. — Every candidate for admission shall be nominated in writing by one
Member and seconded by another, to both of whom he must be personally known.
He may be proposed at any Meeting, and his name shall appear in the programme
of the first following Meeting at which a Ballot is held, when he shall be elected
by ballot, one black ball in six to exclude. Twelve Members shall form a
quorum for the purpose of election. A Ballot shall be held at the Annual and
Winter Meetings, and may be held at any other Meeting, should the Executive
60 decide, notice being given in the programme. In the event of the number of
vacancies being less than the number of candidates at four successive Meetings,
the names of any candidates proposed at the first of such Meetings who have not
been elected at one of them shall be withdrawn, and shall not be eligible to be
again proposed for election for at least a year after such withdrawal. Provided
that if at any Meeting there shall be no vacancies available, it shall not be counted
in estimating the above named four Meetings.
Vlll.
8. - The Annual Subscription shall be 10s,, which shall become due and
payable in advance on the 1st of January in each year. Subscriptions paid on
election after September in each year shall be considered as subscnptions for the
foUowmg year, unless otherwise agreed upon by such Member and the Treasurer.
Every Member shall pay immediately after his election the sum of ten shilhngs as
Entrance Fee, in addition to his first Annual Subscription.
9. — No peifson elected a Member shall be entitled to exercise any privilege as
such until he has paid his Entrance Fee and first Subscription, and no Member
shall be entitled to receive a copy of the "Proceedings" for any year until his
Subscription for that year has been paid.
10. — A registered letter shall be sent by the Hon. Treasurer to any Member
whose Subscription is in arrear at the date of any Annual Meeting, demanding
payment within 28 days, failing which he shall cease to be a Member of the Club,,
but shall, nevertheless, be liable for the arrears then due.
11. — Members desiring to leave the Club shall give notice of the same in
writing to the Treasurer (or Secretaiy), but, unless such notice is given before the
end of January in any year, they shall be liable to pay the Annual Subscription
due to the Club on and after January 1st in that year.
HONOEAUT MeMBKES.
12. — Honorary Members shall consist of persons eminent . for scientific or
natural history attainments, and shall be elected by the Council. They pay no
subscription, and have all the privileges of Ordinary Members, except voting.
Meetings.
13. — The Annual General Meeting shall be held as near the first week in May
as may be convenient ; to receive the outgoing President's Address (if any) and
the Treasurer's financial report ; to elect the Officers and Editor for the ensuing
year ; to determine the number (which shall usually be three or four), dates, and
places of Field Meetings during the ensuing summer, and for general purposes.
14. — Two Winter Meetings shall usually be held in or about the months of
December and February for the exhibition of Objects of Interest (to which not
more than one hour of the time before the reading of the Papers shall be
devoted), for the reading and discussion of Papers, and for general purposes.
The Dates and Places of the Winter and Annual Meetings shall be decided by
the Executive.
15. — A Member may bring Friends to the Meetings subject to the following
restrictions : — No person (except the husband, wife, or child of a Member), may
attend the Meeting unaccompanied by the Member introducing him, unless such
Member be prevented from attending by illness, and no Member may take with
him to a Field Meeting more than one Friend, whose name and address must be
submitted to the Hon. Secretary and approved by him or the Executive.
The above restrictions do not apply to the Executive or to the Acting Secretary
at the Meeting.
ix.
16. — Members must give due notice (with prepayment of expenses) to tlie Hon.
Secretary of their intention to be present, with or without a Friend, at any
Field Meeting, in return for which the Secretary shall send to the Member a card
of admission to the Meeting, to be produced when required. Any Member who,
having given such notice, fails to attend, will be hable only for any expenses
actually incurred on his account, and any balance wiU be returned to him on
apphcation. The sum of Is., or such other amount as the Hon. Secretary may
consider necessary, shall be charged to each person attending a Field Meeting, for
Incidental Expenses.
17. — The Executive may at any time call a Special General Meeting of the
Members upon their own initiative or upon a Avritten requisition (signed by Eight
Members) being sent to the Honorary Secretary. Any proposition to be submitted
shall be stated in the Notice, which shall be sent to each Member of the Club not
later than seven days before the Meeting.
Papees.
18. — Notice shall be given to the Secretary, a convenient time before each
Meeting, of any motion to be made or any Paper or conxmunication desired to be
read, with its title and a short sketch of its scope or contents. The insertion of
these m the Programme is subject to the consent of the Executive.
19. — The Publications of the Club shall be in the hands of the Executive, who
shall appoint annually Three or more Ordinary Members to form with them and
the Editor a Publication Committee for the pui-pose of deciding upon the contents
of the Annual Volume. These contents shall consist of original papers and
communications written for the Club, and either read, or accepted as read, at a
General Meeting ; also of the Secretary's Reports of Meetings, the Treasurer's
Financial Statement and Balance Sheet, a hst to date of aU Members of the Club,
and of those elected in the current or previous year, with the names of their
proposers and seconders. The Annual Volume shall be edited by the Editor
subject to the direction of the PubHcation Committee.
20. — Twenty -five copies of his paper shaU be presented to each author whose
communication shall appear in the volume as a separate article, on notice being
given by him to the Publisher to that effect.
The Affiliation of Societies and Libeaeies to the Club.
21. — Any Natural History or Antiquarian Society in the County may be
affiliated to the Dorset Field Club on payment of an annual fee of Ten Shillings,
in return for which the annual volume of the Proceedings of the Field Club shall
be sent to such Society.
Every affiliated Society shall send the programme of its Meetings to the Hon.
Secretary of the Field Club, and shall also report any discoveries of exceptional
interest. And the Field Club shall send its programme to the Hon. Secretary of
each affiliated Society.
X.
The Mcmbei's of the Field Club shall not he eligible, ipso facto, to attend any
Meetings of affiliated Societies, and the Members of any affiliated Society shall
not be eligible, ijm facto, to attend any Meetings of the Field Clul). But any
Member of an affiliated Society shall be eligible to read a paper or make an
exhibit at the Winter Meetings of the Field Club a,t Dorchester.
Any Public Library, or Club or School or College Library, in England or
elsewhere, n;iay be affiliated to the Dorset Field Club on payment of an annual
fee of Ten Shillings, in return for which the annual volume of the Proceedings of
the Field Club shall be sent to such Library.
Sectionajl Committees.
22. — Small Committees may be appointed at the Annual General Meeting to
report to the Club any interesting facts or discoveries relating to the various
sections which they represent ; and the Committee of each section may elect one
of their Members as a Corresponding Secretary.
New Rules.
23. — No alteration in or addition to these Rules shall be made except with the
consent of a majority of three -fourths of the Members present at the Annual
General Meeting, full notice of the proposed alteration or addition having been
given both in the current Programme and in that of the previous Meeting.
XI.
XTbe Dorset
IRatural Ibiston^ anb Hntiquarian ffielb Club*
INAUGURATED MARCH IQth, 1S75.
Preside?! t :
NELSON M. EICHAEDSON, Esa., B.A.
Vice-Presidents :
The Lord EUSTACE CECIL, F.E.G.S. {Past Fresident).
The Rev. HERBEET PENTIN, M.A. {Hon. Secretary).
Captain JOHN E. ACLAND, M.A., F.S.A. {Hon. Treasurer).
HENRY SYMONDS, Esa., F.S.A. {Hon. Editor).
Captain G. E. ELWES, J.P.
The Eev. Canon J. C. M. MANSEL-PLEYDELL, M.A.
TheEev. Canon MAYO, M.A. {Dorset Editor of ''Somerset and Dorset Notes
and Queries ").
Sir DANIEL MORRIS, K.C.M.O., D.Sc, D.C.L., F.L.S.
The Earl op MORAY, M.A., F.S.A. Scot., F.G.S.
ALFRED POPE, Esq., F.S.A.
E. R. SYKES, Esq., B.A., F.Z.S. {Past Pres. JSLalacological Society).
His Honour J. S. UDAL, F.S.A.
Executive Body :
Nelson M. Richahdson, Esq., B.A. {President).
The Rev. Herbert Pentin, M.A. {Hon. Secretary), St. Peter's Vicarage, Portland
Captain John E. Acland, M.A., F.S.A. [Hon. Treasurer), WoUaston
House, Dorchester.
Ho 71. Editor :
Henry Stmonds, Esq., F.S.A., Roundhani, Bridport.
Publication Committee :
The Executive, The Hon. Editor, H. B. Middleton, Esq.,
Dr. CoLLEY Mauch, and E. R. Sykes, Esq.
Sectional Committees :
Dorset Photojraphic Survey —
The Members of the Exkcutivb
Body ex officio
C. J. Cornish Browne, Esq.
Colonel and ]\Irs. W. D. Dickson
(Hon. Directors)
The Rev. S. E. V. Filleul, M.A.
Dr. E. K. Le Fleming
C. H. Mate, Esq.
A. D. MouLLiN, Esq.
Miss Hilda Pope
The Rev. J. Ridley
Earthivorks-
Captain J. E. Acland (Chairman)
Chas. S. Prideaux, Esq. (Corres
ponding Secretary)
The President
F. E. Abbott, Esq.
J. G. N. Clift, Esq.
The Rev. W. O. Cockraft, B.A.
H. Le Jeltne, Esq.
Lieut.-ColonelF. G. L. Mainwaring
Vere L. Oliver, Esq.
Alfred Pope, Esq., F.S.A.
W. DE C. Prideaux, Esq., F.S.A.
The Rev. W. Rhyddergh
Miss E. E. Woodhouse
Numismatic —
H. Symonds, Esq., F.S.A. (Corres- i Canon J. C. M. Mansel-Pleydell,
ponding Secretary) M.A.
Captain John E. Acland, F.S.A. Vr. de C. Prideaux, Esq., F.S.A.
Captain G. R. Elwes H. F. Raymond, Esq.
Lieut. -Colonel F. G. L. Mainwaring i
Restored Churches —
The Rev. A. C. Almack, M.A.
(Corresponding Secretary)
J. Allner, Esq., A.R.I.B.a!
R. Barrow, Esq.
H. W. Crickmay, Esq.
The Rev. James Cross, M.A.
Rev. Canon Fletcher, M.A., R.D.
G. W. Floyer, Esq.
The Rev. H. Hawkins
R. HiNE, Esq.
The Rev. Canon Mayo, M.A.
W,. B. WiLDMAN. Esq., M.A.
The Rev. A. C. Woodhouse
Xll.
Eist of iEcmb^rs
OF THE
©orset jUatural Sjistorp anti ;iluttquarkn
Fear 0/
Election. ( The initials " O.M." signify " Original Member.")
o.M. W. Cajbeuthees, Esq., Ph.D., F.K.S., F.G.S., F.L.S., Bntish Museum
(Nat. Hist.), South Kensington.
1889 A. M. Wallis, Esq., 29, Mallams, Portland.
1900 A. Smith Woodwaed, Esq., LL.D., F.E.S., F.G.S., British Museum (Nat.
Hist.), South Kensington, London.
1904 Sir Wm. Thiselton Dyee, K.C.M.G., C.I.E., LL.D., Sc.D., Ph.D.,
E.R.S., The Ferns, Witcombe, Gloucester.
1904 Sir Feedeeick Teeves, Bart., G.C.V.O., C.B., LL.D., Thatched House
Lodge, Richmond Park, Kingston-on-Thames.
1908 Thomas Haedy, Esq., O.M., D. Litt., LL.D., Max Gate, Dorchester.
For the Year 1916.
Honorary Members :
Members :
1903 The Most Hon. the Marquis of
SaUsbury, M.A., C.B.
1903 The Most Hon. the Marchioness
of Salisbury
O.M. The Right Hon. the Earl of
The Manor House, Cranborne
The Manor House, Cranborne
Moray, M.A., F.S.A. Scot.,
F.G.S. ( Vice -President)
Kinfauns Castle, Perth, N.B
1911 The Right Hon. the Earl of
Ilchester
Melbury, Dorchester
Xlll.
1902 The Eight Hon. the Earl of
Shaftesbury, K.C.V.O.
188-4 The Eight Hon. Lord Eustace
Cecil, F.E.G.S. ( Vice-President)
1903 The Eight Hon. Lady Eustace
Cecil
1904 The Eight Eev. the Lord Bishop
of Durham, D.D.
1892 The Eight Eev. the Lord Bishop
of Worcester, D.D., F.S.A.
1912 The Eight Eev. the Lord Bishop
of Sahsbuiy, D.D.
1889 The Eight Hon. Lord Digby
1907 The Eight Hon. Lord Wynford
1907 The Eight Hon. Lady Wynford
1910 Abbott, F. E., Esq.
1893 Acland, Captain John E., M.A.,
F.S.A. ( Vice-President and Hon.
Treasurer)
1892 Acton, Eev. Edward, B.A.
1907 Alhier, Mrs. George
1908 Almack, Eev. A. C, M.A.
1906 Atkins, F. T., Esq., M.E.C.S.,
L.E.C.P. Edin.
1907 Atkinson, George T., Esq., M.A.
1902 Baker, Sir- Eandolf L., Bart.,
M.P.
1912 Baker, Eev. E. W., B.A.
1906 Bankes, Mrs.
1912 Bankes, Jerome N., Esq., F.S.A.
1902 Barkworth, Edmund, Esq.
1904 Barlow, Major C. M.
1894 Barnes, Mrs. John lies
1917 Barrett, W. E. Cowdell, Esq.,
M.A., LL.M.
1906 Barrow, Eichard, Esq.
1895 Bartelot, Eev. E. Grosvenor, M.A.
1904 Baskett, Mrs. S. E.
1913 Bassett, Eev. H. H. I'ilney, E.D.
(Hon. Editor of the Dorset
Rainfall Reports)
1910 Baxter, Lieut. -Colonel W. H.
St. Giles. Wimbome
Lytchett Heath, Poole
Lytchett Heath, Poole
Auckland Castle, Bishop's Auckland
Hartlebuiy Castle, Kidderminster
The Palace, Salisbury
IMinteme, Dorchester
Warmwell House, Dorchester
Warmwell House, Dorchester
Shortwood, Christchurch, Hants
WoUaston House, Dorchester
Wolverton Eectory, Basingstoke
National Provincial Bank, Sturminster
NcAvton
The Eectory, Blandford St. Mary
Cathay, AlumhurstEoad, Bournemouth
Durlston Court, Swanage
Eanston, Blandford
The Eectory, Witchampton
Kingston Lacy, Wimborne
63, Eedclitfe Gardens, London, S.W.
Hillymead, Seaton
Southcot, Chai-minster
Blandford
The Cottage, Weymouth
Sorrento House, Sandecotes, Parkstone
Fordington St. George Vicarage,
Dorchester
Evershot
Whitchurch Vicarage, Blandford
The Wilderness, Sherborne
xiv.
1910 Baxter, Mrs. W. H.
1917 Beameut, W. O., Esq., B.A.
1888 Beckford, F. J., Esq.
1908 Benett-Stanford, Major J.,
F.R.G.S., r.z.s.
1910 Blackett, Rev. J. C, B.A.
1917 Blathwayt, liev. F. L., M.A.,
M.B.O.U.
1903 Bond, Gerald Denis, Esq.
1906 Bond, Nigel de M., Esq., M.A.
1903 Bond, Wm. Ralph G., Esq.
1910 Bond, F. BHgh, Esq., F.R.I.B.A.
1913 Bone, Clement G., Esq., M.A.
1889 Bower, H. Syndercombe, Esq.
1900 Bower, Rev. Charles H. S.,
M.A.
1898 Brandreth, Rev. F. W., M.A.
1901 Brennand, John, Esq.
1895 Brymer, Rev. J. G., M.A.
1907 Bulfin, Ignatius, Esq., B.A.
1900 BuUen, Colonel John BuUen
Symes
1907 Bury, Mrs. Henry
1905 Busk, W. G., Esq.
1905 Busk, Mrs. W. G.
1901 Bussell, Miss Katharine
1903 Butler -Bowden, Mrs. Bruno
1911 Butlin, M. C, Esq., M.A.
1891 Carter, William, Esq.
1905 Chadwyck-Healey, Sir C. E. H.,
M.A., K.C., K.C.B., F.S.A.
1913 Champ, Miss Edith
1897 Chudleigh, Mrs.
1894 Church, Colonel Arthur
1904 Clapcott, Miss
1905 Clark, Mrs. E. S.
The Wilderness, Sherborne
Beaminster
Witloy, Parkstone
Hatch House, Tisbury, Wilts
Compton Rectory, Winchester
Melbury Osmond Rectory, Dorchester
Holme, Wareham
Hasler House, Crowborough, Sussex
Tyneham, Wareham
454, Gloucester Road, Bristol
6, Lennox Street, Weymouth
Fontmell Parva, Shilhngstone, Bland-
ford
Childe Okef ord Rectory, Shilhngstone^
Dorset
Buckland ISTewton, Dorchester
Innisf alien, Rossmore Avenue, Park-
stone
Ilsington House, Puddletown
The Den, Knole Road, Bournemouth
Catherston Leweston, near Charmouth
May field House, Farnham, Surrey
Wraxall Manor, Cattistock, Dor-
chester
Wraxall Manor, Cattistock, Dor-
chester
Thorneloe School, Rodwell, Wey-
mouth
Upwey House, JTpwey
7, Westerhall Road, Weymouth
The Hermitage, Parkstone
Wj^phurst, Cranleigh, Surrey
St. Katherine's, Bridport
Downshay Manor, LangtonMatravers,
Dorset
St. Alban's, Rodwell, Weymouth
The Cottage, Bradford Peverell, Dor-
chester
St. Aldhelm's. Wareham
XV.
1895 Clarke, R. Stanley, Esq.
1912 Clift, J. G. Xeilson, Esq.
1883 Colfox, T^Iiss A. L.
1878 Colfox, Colonel T. A.
1905 ColHns, Sir Stephen, M.P.
1904 Collins, \Vm. W., Esq., R.I.
1905 Colville, H. Iv., Esq.
1912 Cooke, Rev. J. H., M.A.,
LL.D.
1903 Cornish-Browne, C. J., Esq.
1891 Cother, Rev. P. L., M.A.
1909 Crickmay, Harry W., Esq.
188-1 Cross, Rev. James, M.A.
1914 Cross, Miss Florence
1885 Cui-nae, Decimus, Esq.,
M.R.C.S.
1896 Curtis, C. H., Esq.
1897 Curtis, WHfi-id Parkinson, Esq.,
E.E.S. {FIo7i. Editor of the
Dorset Phenological Report)
1903 Dacombe, J. M. J., Esq.
1914 Dalton, Mrs. E. E.
1907 Daniell, G. H. S., Esq., M.B.
1904 Davies, Rev. Canon S. E., M.A.
1894 Davis, Geo., Esq.
1904 Deane, Mrs. A. M.
1910 Devenish, Major J. H, C.
1907 Dicker, Miss Eleanor H.
1912 Dickson, Colonel ^Y. D.
1912 Dickson, Mrs. W. D.
1911 Dillon-Trenchard, Miss Margaret
1908 Dominy, G. H., Esq., M.R.C.S.,
L.R.C.P.
1912 Dru Drury, G., Esq., M.R.C.S.,
L.R.C.P.
1904 Dugdale, J. B., Esq.
1905 Duke, Mrs. Henry .
1907 Duke, Miss M. Constance
Trobridge House, Crediton, Devon
8, Prince's Street, Westminster,
S.W.
Westmead, Bndport
Coneygar, Bridport
Elm House, Tring, Hertfordshire
Stoborough Croft, Wareham
North Cerney House, Cirencester
Shillingstone Rectory
Coryton Park, Axminster
1, Clearmount, Wejonouth
49, St. Mary Street, Weymouth
Bailhe House, Sturminster Marshall,
Wimborne
Stock Gaylard Rectory, Sturminster
Newton
Balma Howe, Terrace Mount, Bourne-
mouth
Blandford
Aysgarth, Longfleet, Poole
27, Holdenhurst Road, Bournemouth
Cerne Abbas, Dorchester
Dale House, Blandford
Wyke Regis Rectory, Weymouth
West Lodge, Icen Way, Dorchester
Badbury, Park Road, Bournemouth
Springfield, Weymouth
Brook House, Upwey, Dorchester
Southill, Dean Park, Bournemouth
Southill, Dean Park^^ Bournemouth
The Ridge, Durlston Park Road,
Swanage
Milton Abbas, Blandford
Corfe Castle, AVareham
Sandford, Wareham
Manor House, Godmanstone, Dor-
chester
The Limes, Dorchester
xvi.
1908 Duke, Mrs. E. Bariiaby
1896 Dundas, Ven. Archdeacon, M.A.
191C Eaton, Eev. A. E., M.A., F.E.S.
1913 Edwards, Aubrey, Esq.
1916 Edwards, The Eev. E. D. St. G.,
M.A.
1913 Ellis, Henry, Esq., F.E.A.S.
1885 Elwes, Captain G. E. (Vice-
President)
1913 Facey, C. S., Esq., M.B.
1886 Falkner, C. G., Esq,, M.A.
1884 Farley, Eev. H., M.A.
1913 Farrar-Eoberts, W., Esq.
1903 Farrer, Colonel Philip
1912 Ferguson, Miss E. M.
1912 Ferguson, Miss Constance
1904 Ffooks, Mrs. E. Archdall
1904 Fielding, Thos., Esq., M.D.
1892 Filleul, Eev. S. E. V., M.A.
1896 Filliter, Eev. W. D., M.A.
1910 Filliter, Mrs. W. D.
1911 Fisher, Eev. J. Martyn, M.A.
1890 Fletcher, W. H. B., Esq.
1907 Fletcher, Eev. Canon J. M. J.,
M.A., E.D.
1914 Fletcher, Walter T., Esq.
1885 Floyer, G. W., Esq., B.A.
1895 Forbes, Mrs.
1897 Forde, Henry, Esq.
1910 Forder, B. C, Esq.
1893 Forrester, Hugh Carl, Esq.,
B.A.
1893 Forrester, Mrs. James
1910 Freame, Major B. E.
1895 Fry, Edwaxd Alexander, Esq.
1903 Fry, George S., Esq.
1896 George, Mrs.
Maen, Dorchester
Milton Abbey Vicarage, Blandford.
Eichmond Villa, Northam, North
Devon
The Pinetum, Wellington Eoad, Park-
stone
Longbredy Eectory, Dorchester
Boat Close, Lyme Eegis
Bossington, Bournemouth
The Elms, Chickerell, near Wey-
mouth
Ireton Bank, Eusholme, Manchester
Overbury Eoad, Parkstone
Plas Lodwig, St. John's Eoad,
Bournemouth West
Binnegar Hall, Wareham
Elwell Lea, Upwey, Dorchester
Elwell Lea, Upwey, Dorchester
Kingscote, Dorchester
Halford House, West Hill Eoad,
Bournemouth
All Saints' Eectory, Dorchester
East Lulworth Vicarage, Wareham
East Lulworth Vicarage, Wareham
St. Paul's Vicarage, Weymouth
Aldwick Manor, Bognor, Sussex
The Vicarage, Wlmborne Minster
Icen Way, Dorchester
West Stafford, Dorchester
Culverhayes, ShilLingstone, Bland-
ford
Luscombe, Parkstone
Whatcombe, Blandford
St. John's Cottage, Shaftesbury
Westport, Wareham
The Chantry, Gillingham
Thornhill, Kenley, Surrey
Chesham, The Grove, Nether Street,
Finchley, London, N.
Fleet House, near Weymouth
1916 Gill, Macdonald, Esq.
1890 Glyn, Captain Carr Stuart
1912 Glyn, Mrs. Carr
O.M. Glyn, Sir R. G., Bart.
1895 Godman, F. du Cane, Esq.,
E.R.S.
1906 Gowrmg, Mrs. B. W.
1888 Greves, Hyla, Esq., M.D.
1904 Groves, Major Herbert J.,
1906 Groves, Miss S. J.
1912 Groves, Miss
1906 Gundry, Joseph, Esq.
1896 Haggard, Rev. H. A., M.A.
1912 Haines, F. H., Esq., M.R.C.S.,
L.R.C.P.
1903 Hambro, Sii- Everard, K.C.V.O.
1913 Hamilton, Miss
1893 Hankey, Rev. Canon, M.A., R.D.
1910 Harbin, Rev. Prebendary E. H.
Bates, M.A.
1894 Hawkins, W., Esq., M.R.C.S.
1903 Hawkins, IVIiss Isabel
1908 Hawkins, Rev. H.
1893 Hayne, R., Esq.
1905 Heath, F. R., Esq.
1911 Hellins, Rev. E. ^Y. J., M.A.,
LL.B.
1911 Hellins, Mrs. E. W. J.
1899 Henning, Mrs.
1910 Hewgill, Chas. W., Esq.
1912 Hichens, Mrs. T. S.
1910 Hill, IVIiss Pearson
1902 Hme, R., Esq.
1902 Homer, Miss E. C. Wood
1907 Homer, Mrs. G. Wood
1888 Huntley, H. E., Esq.
1903 Jenkins, Rev. T. Leonard, M.A.
1912 Jordan, Miss
1915 Kentish, G. C. A., Esq.
1895 Lafontame, A. C. de, Esq., F.S.A.
1876 Langford, Rev. Canon, M.A.
Tonerspuddle
Wood Leaze, Wimbome
Wood Leaze, Wimborne
Gaunts House, Wimborne
Lower Beeding, Horsham
49, High West Street, Dorchester
Rodney House, Bournemouth
Clifton, Weymouth
Thickthorne, Broadwey, Dorset
Blackdown, Weymouth
Red House, Queen's Avenue, Dor-
chester
Molash Vicarage, Canterbury
Winfrith, Dorchester
Milton Abbey, Dorset
Affpuddle Vicarage, Dorchester
Lambert House, Dorchester
Newton Surmaville, Yeovil
Hillfield, Broadwey, Dorchester
Ryme, Elwell Street, Upwey
1, Westerhall, Weymouth
Spring Bottom, Osmington
The Woodlands, Weymouth
Marnhull Rectory, Dorset
MarnhuU Rectory, Dorset
Frome House, Dorchester
Encombe, Dorchester
Flamberts, Trent, Sherborne
Rax, Bridport
Beaminster
Bardolf Manor, Puddletown
Bardolf Manor, Puddletown
Charlton House, Blandf ord
Leigh Vicarage, Sherborne
The Ridge, Durlston Park Road,
Swanage
Longcroft, Windsor Road, Park-
stone
Athelhampton, Dorchester
Southbrook, Starcross, S. Devon
XVill.
1907 Lees, Eear- Admiral Edgar, R.N.
1907 Lees, Mrs, Edgar
1910 Le rieming, E. K., Esq., B.A.,
M.B.
1900 Legge, Miss Jane
1902 Lewis, Rev. A., M.A.
1S90 Lister, IVIiss Gulielma, F.L.S.
1905 Llewelliu, W., Esq., M.A.
1900 Lock, Mrs. A. H.
1892 Lock, His Honour Judge
B. Fossett
1911 Long, Rev. H. R., B.A.
1910 MacCormick, Rev. F., F.S.A.
Scot., M.R.A.S.
1888 MacDonald, P. W., Esq., M.D.
1902 Mainwaring, Lieut. -Col, F, Gr, L,
1899 Mansel-Pleydell, Rev, Canon
J. C. M., M.A, (Vtce-
Fresident)
1883 Marriott, Sir W, Smith, Bart.
1904 Marsh, J. L., Esq.
1907 Mate, C. H., Esq.
1879 MaunseU, Rev. F. W., M.A.
o.M. Mayo, Rev. Canon, M.A.,
( Vice-President)
1912 McDowall, A. S., Esq., M.A,
1914 Mead, Colonel
1907 MicheU, Theo., Esq.
O.M. Middleton, H. B., Esq., M.A.
1890 MHne, Rev. Percy H., M.A.
1905 Morgan, Mrs.
1911 Morris, Sir Daniel, K.C.M.G.,
D,Sc., D.C.L., F.L.S. rVice-
FresidentJ
1914 Moule, Rev, A. C, B.A.
1897 Moullin, Arthur D., Esq.
1905 Nicholson, Captain Hugh
1906 Oke, A. W., Esq., B.A,, LL.M.,
F.S.A., F.G.S.
1886 Okeden, Colonel U. E. Parry
White Cross, Wyke Regis
"White Cross, Wyke Regis
St. Margaret's, Wimhorne
AUington Villa, Bridport
Chardstock Vicarage, Chard
High CUff, Lyme Regis
Upton House, Poole
53, High West Street, Dorchester
The Toft, Bridlington, East Yorks
Tolpuddle, Dorchester
Wrockwardine Wood Rectory, Wei
lington, Salop
G^asmere, Spa Road, Weymouth
Wabey House, Upwey
10, Clarence Terrace, Regent's Park
London, N.W.
The Down House, BlandJord
White Cliff Mdl Street, Blandford
Elim, Surrey Road South, Bourne
mouth
Lansdovme Villa, AVeymouth
Gillingham, Dorset
Warmwell Mill House, Dorchester
Chescombe House, near Blandford
Trewirgie, 37, Christchurch Road
Bournemouth
Bradford Peverell, Dorchester
Hornblotton Rectory, Castle Cary
The Vicarage, Yetminster
14, Crabton Close, Boscombe
Brent Knoll, Somerset
Fermain, Cranbourne Road, Swanage
Nettlecombe, Melplash
32, Denmark Villas, Hove, Sussex
Turnworth, Blandford
xix.
1908 Oliver, Vere L., Esq.
1908 Oliver, Mrs. Vere L.
1904 OUver, Weston, Esq., M.A.
1908 Orel, W. T., Esq., M.E.C.S.,
L.E.C.P., F.G.S.
1911 Ouless, W. W., Esq., E.A.
1911 Ouless, Miss Catherine
1914 Pass, Alfred Douglas, Esq,
1890 Tatey, Miss
1908 Patterson, Mrs. Myles
1907 Paul, Edward Clifford, Esq.,
M.A.
1894 Payne, IVIiss Florence O.
1906 Pearce, Mrs. Thos. A.
1909 Pearce, Edwin, Esq.
1901 Peclt, Gerald E., Esq.
1894 Penny-Snook, S., Esq., M.E.C.S.,
L.E.C.P.
1907 Penny-Snook, Mrs. S.
1901 Pentin, Eev. Herbert, M.A.
{Vice- Pres'i dent and Son.
Secret art/)
1894 Peto, Sir- Henry, Bart.
189G Phillips, IVIiss
1908 Phillips, Eev. C. A., M.A.
1898 Pickard-Cambridge, A. W., Esq.,
M.A.
1908 Pickard-Cambridge, IMiss
Catherine
1903 Pike, Leonardo., Esq.
1903 Pitt-Eivers, A. L. Fox, Esq.,
F.S.A.
1904 Plowman, Eev. L. S.
1896 Pond, S., Esq.
1894 Pouting, Chas. E., Esq., F.S.A.
O.M. Pope, Alfred, Esq., F.S.A. (Tice-
President)
1906 Pope, Major Alfred Eolph, M.A.
1906 Pope, Mrs. Alfred Eolph
1909 Pope, Francis J"., Esq.,
F.E.Hist.S.
Whitmore Lodge, Sunnmghill, Berks
Whitmore Lodge, Sunninghill, Berks
Castle House, Weymouth
Greensted, 14, Madeira Eoad, Bourne-
mouth
12, Bryanston Square, London, W.
12, Bryanston Square, London, W.
Wootton Fitzpaine, Charmouth
185, Oakwood Court, Kensington,
London, W.
Cony gar, Broadmayne, Dorchester
Eastbrook House, Upwey
Eydal, Wimborne
Ivythorpe, Dorchester
Fore Street, Taunton
Muston Manor, Puddletown
Is etherton House, Weymouth
Netherton House, Weymouth
St. Peter's Vicarage. Portland
Chedington Court, IVIisterton, Somer-
set
Walton House, Bournemouth
Walton House, Bournemouth
St. Catherine's, Headington Hill, Ox-
ford
Picardy, Eodwell, Weymouth
KijDgbarrow, Wareham
Eushmore, Salisbury
Ibberton Eectory, Blandford
Blandford
Wye House, Marlborough
South Court, Dorchester
CulHford House, Dorchester
CuUiford House, Dorchester
17, Holland Eoad, London, W.
XX.
1914 Powell, H. Bolland, Esq.,
A.M.I.C.E.
1896 Prideaux, C. S., Esq., L.D.S.
1900 Prideaux, W. de C, Esq., L.D.S. ,
F.S.A., F.R.S.M.
1905 Pringle, Henry T., Esq., M.D.
1905 Pringle, Mrs. Henry T.
1888 Pye, William, Esq.
1905 Ramsden, Mrs.
1912 Rawlence, E. A., Esq.
1886 Reynolds, Mrs. Arthur
1904 Rhydderch, Rev. W.
1887 Richardson, N. M., Esq., B.A.
(Fresident)
1911 Robson, Colonel H. D.
1911 Robson, Mrs.
1886 Rodd, Edward Stanhope, Esq.
1907 Roe, Miss M. M. E.
1909 Roe, Rev. Wilfrid T., M.A.
1912 Romilly, Geo., Esq., M.A.
1907 Roper, Freeman, Esq., F.L.S.
1889 Russell, Colonel C. J., R.E.
1910 Russell -Wright, Rev. T., M.A.
1905 Sanderson -Wells, T. H., Esq.,
M.D.
1905 Saunt, Miss
1905 Saunt, Miss B. V.
1910 Schuster, Mrs. W. P.
1904 Seaman, Rev. C. E., M.A., R.D.
1883 Searle, Alan, Esq.
1906 Shephard, Colonel C. S., D.S.O.
1903 Sheridan, Mrs. A. T. Brinsley
1884 Sherren, J. A., Esq., F.R. Hist. S.
1914 Sherring, R. Vowell, Esq., F.L.S.
1913 Shields, Rev. A. J., M.A.
1897 Simpson, Jas,, Esq.
1912 Smith, Rev. A. Hippisley
1916 Smith, Rev. Edward, M.A.
1915 Smith, Mrs. Hamblin
Hillsdoii, Springfield Road, Parkstone
Ermington, Dorchester
12, Frederick Place, Weymouth
Ferudown, Wimborne
Ferndown, Wimborne
Dunmore, Rodwell, Weymouth
The Dower House, Lew Trenchard,
Devon
Newlands, Salisbury
Wyndcroft, Bridport
Owermoigne Rectory, Dorchester
Montevideo, Chickerell, near Wey-
mouth
St. Oswald, West Lulworth
St. Oswald, West Lulworth
Chardstock House, Chard
Trent Rectory, Sherborne
Trent Rectory, Sherborne
The Grange, Marnhull
Forde Abbey, Chard
Clavinia, Weymouth
92, Richmond Park Road, Bourne-
mouth
16, Victoria Terrace, Weymouth
The Cottage, TJpwey
The Cottage, Upwey
LuUingstone, Wimborne
Stalbridge Rectory, Blandford
Hawkmoor, Paignton, S. Devon
Shortlake, Osmington, Weymouth
Frampton Court, Dorchester
Helmsley, Penn Hill Avenue, Park-
stone
Hallatrow, Bristol
Thornf ord Rectory, Sherborne
Mmterne Grange, Parkstone
Knowlton House, Surrey Road,
Bournemouth
Hazelbury Bryan Rectory, Blandford
Medical Officer's House, The Grove,
Portland
xxi.
1899 Smith, Howard Lyon, Esq.,
L.R.C.P.
1909 Smith, Nowell C, Esq., M.A.
1908 Smith, Mrs. Spencer
1888 Solly, Rev. H. Shaen, M.A.
1901 Sotheby, Rev. W. E. H., M.A.
1905 Stephens, J. Thompson, Esq.
1908 Stephens, A. N., Esq.
1900 Storer, Colonel, late R.E.
1895 Sturdy, Leonard, Esq.
1896 Sturdy, Philip, Esq.
1907 Sturdy, Alan, Esq.
1905 Sturdy, E. T., Esq.
1914 Sturrock, J., Esq., CLE.
1898 Sturt, W. NevHle, Esq.
1898 Suttm, H. S., Esq.
1905 Suttill, John, Esq.
1913 Swaffield, A. Owen, Esq.
1912 Swinburne -Hanham, J. C,
Esq.
1893 Sykes, E. R., Esq., B.A., F.Z.S.
( Vice-President)
1889 Symes, Colonel G. P., M.A.,
B.C.L., M.V.O.
1904 Symonds, Arthur G., Esq.
1904 Symonds, Henry, Esq., F.S.A.
( Vice-President and
Hon. Editor)
1912 Symonds, F. G., Esq.
1913 Symonds, Wm. Pope, Esq.
1901 Telfordsmith, Telford, Esq.,
M.A., M.D.
1906 Thomson, Chas. Bertram, Esq.,
F.R.C.S.
1907 Towers, Miss
1913 Trousdale, Mrs. E. M.
1898 Troyte-BuUock, Mrs.
1905 Truell, Mrs.
O.M. Udal, His Honour J. S., F.S.A.
iyice -President)
Mount Pleasant, Inkberrow, Wor-
cestershire
School House, Sherborne
Vine House, Sturminster Newton
Southcote, Alexandra Road, Parkstone
92, Banbury Road, Oxford
Wanderwell, Bridport
Haddon House, West Bay, Bridport
Keavil, Bournemouth
Trigon, Wareham
The Wick, Branksome, near Bourne-
mouth
Linden, East Lul worth
Norburton, Burton Bradstock, Bridport
12, Greenhill, Weymouth
9, Lansdown Crescent, Bath
Pymore, Bridport
24, West Street, Bridport
Rodwell Lodge, Weymouth
106, Goldhurst Terrace, N.W.
Longthorns, Blandford
Monksdene, Dorchester Road, Wey-
mouth
10, South Street, Dorchester
Roundham, Bridport
The Firs, Sturminster Newton
Newton House, Sturminster Newton
The Knoll, Parkstone
Romansleigh, Wimborne
Talbot Cottage, Roslin Road, Bourne-
mouth
Coniston, Bridport
Silton Lodge, Zeals, Bath
Onslow, Wimborne
2, Marlborough Hill, London, N.W.
xxu.
1908 Udal, N. H., Esq., B.A.
1890 Usherwood, Kev. Canon T. E.,
M.A.
1910 Vivian, S. P., Esq.
1887 Walker, Eev. S. A., M.A.
1916 Ward, The Ven. Algernon, M.A.
1905 Ward, Samuel, Esq.
O.M. Warre, Eev. Canon F., M.A.
1904 Warry, Mrs. King
1904 Warry, Wm., Esq.
1917 Waterson, C, Esq.
1905 Watkins, Wm., Esq., F.E.G.S.
1893 Weaver, Eev. F. W., M.A.,
F.S.A., F.E.Hist.S.
1908 Whitby, Mrs. J.
1914 Widnell, Edward, Esq.
1904 Wndman, W. B., Esq., M.A.
1903 WiUiams, Captain Berkeley
C. W.
1884 Williams, Colonel Sir Eobert,
Bart., M.P.
1908 Williams, Miss Ehoda
1906 Williams, Miss Meta
1912 Williams, Mrs. Arthur S.
1906 Winvs^ood, T. H. E., Esq., M.A.
1910 Woodd, A. B., Esq., M.A.,
M.E.I.
1916 Woodd, Eev. C. H. B., M.A.
1913 Woodhouse, Eev. A. C.
1913 Woodhouse, Mrs. A. C.
1898 Woodhouse, Miss
1903 Woodhouse, Miss Ellen E.
1906 Woodhouse, Frank D., Esq.
1906 Woodhouse, Mrs. Frank D.
1911 Woodhouse, Miss A. M. E.
1902 Wright, Eev. Herbert L., B.A.
1910 Yeatman, H. F., Esq., M.A.,
B.C.L.
Gordon College, Khartoum
Bagdale, Parkstone
22, Eoyal Avenue, Chelsea, S.W.
Charlton Manor, Blandford
Sturminster Newton Vicarage
Ingleton, Greenhill, Weymouth
Bemerton, Salisbury
39, Filey Avenue, Clapton Common,
London, N.
Westrow, Holwell, Sherborne
Bucknowle House, Corfe Castle
62, London WaU, E.C.
Milton Vicarage, Evercreech, Somerset
Preston, Yeovil
Eoyston, Wimborne
The Abbey House, Sherborne
Herringston, Dorchester
Bridehead, Dorchester
Bridehead, Dorchester
South Walk, Dorchester
Hill House, Yetminster
Syward Lodge, Dorchester
Heckfield, MUford-on-Sea, Hants
Toller Vicarage, Dorchester
Winterborne Monkton Eectory, Dor-
chester
Winterbome Monkton Eectory, Dor-
chester
Chilmore, Ansty, Dorchester
Chilmore, Ansty, Dorchester
Old Ford House, Blandford St. Mary
Old Ford House, Blandford St. Mary
Norden, Blandford
Church Knowle Eectory, Corfe Castle
28, CecU Court, Hollywood Eoad,
London, S.W.
XXlll.
Affiliated Libeaeies (Eule XXI.).
1911 Central Public Library Bournemouth
1915 Sherborne School Library Sherborne
The above list includes the New Members elected up to and including the
February meeting of the year 1917.
(Any omissions or errors should be notified to the Hon. Secretary.)
m
xxiv.
Elected since the Publication of the List contained
IN Vol. XXXVI.
Proposed Feb. 16th, 19L5.
Nominee. Proposer. Seconder.
The Mayor of Poole (Mr. G. C. A. Mr. R. Barrow Canon Usher-
Kentish), of Windsor Road, wood
Parkstono
Pboposed Dec. 7th, 191i
Nominee.
The Rev. R. D. St. G. Edwards,
M.A., of Longbredy Rectory,
Dorchester
Charles W. Hewgill, Esq., of
" Encombe," Dorchester
The Rev. Edward Smith, M.A., of
Hazelbury Bryan Rectory,
The Rev. C. H. B. Woodd, M.A.,
of Toller Vicarage, Dorchester
Proposer.
Miss Rhoda Williams
Alfred Pope Esq.
Archdeacon C. L.
Dundas
C. S. Prideaux, Esq.
Seconder.
The Rev. A. C.
Moule
Dr. P .W. Mac-
donald
The Rev. J.
Ridley
Alfred Pope,
Proposed Feb. 8th, 1916.
Nominee. Proposer. Seconder.
The Ven. Algernon Ward, M.A., Canon Mansel-Pley- Mr. F. G.
Sturminster Newton Vicarage, dell Symonds
Dorset
XXV.
PUBLICATIONS.
Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Antiquarian Field Club.
Vols. I. — XXXVII. Price lOs. Gd. each volume, post free.
General Index to the Proceedings. Vols. I.— XXVI. Price 6d., by post 7d.
The Church Bells of Dorset. By the Eev. Canon Eavbn, D.D., F.S.A. Price
(in parts, as issued), 6s. 6d., post free.
By the late J. C. Mansel-Pleydell, B.A., F.G.S., F.L.S.
The Flora of Dorset. 2nd Edition. Price r2s.
The Birds of Dorset. Price 5s.
The Mollusca of Dorset. Price 5s.
By the late Kev. O. Pickaed-Cambridge, M.A., F.E.S., F.Z.S.
Spiders of Dorset. 2 vols. Price 25s., post free.
The British Phalangidea, or Harvest Men. Price 5s., post free.
British Chernetidea, or False Scorpions. Price 3s., post free.
By the President :
Second Supplement to the Lepidoptera of the Isle of Purbeck. Compiled
from the notes of Eustace R. Baiikes, M.A., F.E.S. Price Is.
The Volumes of Proceedings can be obtained from the Hon. Treasurer
(Captain John E. Acland, Dorset County Museum) ; Mr. Mansel-Pleydell's
works, from the Curator of the Dorset County Museum, Dorchester ; the
Lepidoptera of the Isle of Purbeck, from the President ; and the General Index,
from the Assistant- Secretary (Mi-. H. Pouucy, Dorset County Chronicle Office,
Dorchester).
SOCIETIES & INSTITUTIONS IN CORRESPONDENCE
WITH THE FIELD CLUB.
Bodleian Library, Oxford.
Bournemouth Natural Science Society, Municipal Technical and
Art School, Bournemouth.
Bristol and Gloucestershire Arch^ological Society, Gloucester.
British Museum, London.
British Museum of Natural History, South Kensington, London.
British Association, Burlington House, London.
Cambridge Philosophical Society, Cambridge.
Devonshire Association for the Advancement of Science, Literature.
AND Art (the Hon. General Secretary, care of Messrs. W. Brendon
and Son, Plymouth).
Essex Museum of Natural History, Stratford, Essex.
Geological Society of London, London.
Hampshire Field Club (care op Messrs. Gilbert, Southampton).
National Library of Wales (Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymeu),
Aberystwyth .
Royal Society of Antiquaries, Dublin, Ireland.
Society of Antiquaries, London.
Somerset Arch^ologioal and Natural History Society, Taunton
Castle, Taunton.
University Library, Cambridge.
Wiltshire Aroh^ological and Natural History Society, Devizes.
OF THE
(From May, 1915, to May, 1916.)
In consequence of the War no Summer Meetings were held
in the Year, 1915.
WINTER SESSION, 1915-16.
The first meeting of the session Avas held at the Dorset
County Museum on Tuesdaj^, 7th December. The President,
Mr. Nelson M. Richardson, occupied the chair, and was sup-
ported b}^ Lord Eustace Cecil, the Rev. H. Pentin, Captain
J. E. Acland, Captain G. R. Elwes, and Mr. Alfred Pope.
The Hon. Secretary announced the nomination of four
candidates for election as members of the Field Club. The
ballot would take place at the meeting in February then next.
Sir Daniel Morris had attended the meeting of the
British Association at Manchester as the delegate of the
Club, and had forwarded the official report of the meetings
held by the Corresponding Societies, which ran as follows : —
CORRESPONDING SOCIETIES AT THE BRITISH
ASSOCIATION.
The first meeting of the Conference of Delegates was held on Sept. 8th,
and it was announced that the General Committee of the British
Association had altered the titles of officers of the Conference from
Chairman and Vice -Chairman to President and Vice-President, tliereby
giving them the same status as those of the Sections. Sir Thomas
FIRST WINTER MEETING.
XXVll.
Holland delivered his opening address, entitled " The Classification of
Scientific Societies," which was printed in " Nature " of September 16th.
The first siioject for discussion was " Local Museums," suggested by
the Sclborne Society/, and introduced by Dr. W. E. Hoyle. He laid it
down that the first and fundamental function of a museum was to
preserve. Museum officials are nowadays given so much advice about
the desirability of making our exhibits testhetically attractive, of
compiling explanatory labels Mhich shall at the same time instruct the
specialist and interest the casual visitor, and of catering for school
children, that they are, he said, in danger, perhaps, of forgetting that
their paramount duty is to see that "neither moth nor rust doth
corrupt " and that " thieves do not break through nor steal."
He gave a definition of a local museum, the first duty of which, he
maintained, was to preserve the things of interest pertaining to the
locality. Then he touched upon the important and delicate question
of the relations which ought to exist between the local museum and the
natioiial museum. Difficulties arose when it was required to determine
in particular cases what objects were of national importance and should
be preserved in a national museum.
After the first function of a local museum had been adequately
discharged. Dr. Hoyle thought that, if means and opportunities allowed,
collections should be provided which gave the visitor a preliminary
sketch of some department of knowledge. He alluded to "index"
collections, though he thought the term "introductory" collections
would be more appropriate. Dr. Hoyle had something to say with
regard to the coming into touch of the museum with the educational
system of the locality; and he saw nothing out of place in a local museum
developing a special subject quite disconnected with the locality if it
had the power to do so without interfering with its proper work.
In the discussion wliich followed, Dr. Bather touched upon principles
which should guide local curators in their selection of what should be
considered of national and local interest. Type specimens should be
placed in museums where they would be well looked after. Moreover,
researchers, though they would naturally seek for local objects, such
as fossils, in a local museum, ought not to have to look for, say, New
Zealand fossils, through all the museums of the British Isles.
Dr. Marie C. Stopes thought that there might be a balance of good
in decentralising collections, even of type specimens ; for the visiting
of local museums brings a stimulus to the local people, and widens and
humanises the interests of specialists.
It seemed evident from other remarks that if local museums are to
be properly educational, in the general sense of the word, there should
be special institutions or special sections of existing museums with their
own organisation, so as not to burden curators unduly.
XXVlll.
FIRST WINTER MEETJNO.
Prof. Geddos directed attention to the survey of Greater London
now being carried out by the Architects' War Committee, which
deserved the co-operation of museums and natural history societies.
The second meeting was held on Friday, September 10th. As a
result of the importance of the presidential address, and the interest
which had been taken in its suggestions, the vice-president, Mr. William
Whitaker, moved a resolution in the following terms : — " That this
conference invites the attention of the Corresponding Societies' Com-
mittee to the President's opening address, in which suggestions are
made for reforming the existing, varied, and unorganised practice of
publishing original papers." An outline was given of ways in which
this might be done, and the resolution was carried.
The second subject for discussion was " Colour Standards," suggested
by the British Mycological Society, and introduced by Mr. J. Rams-
bottom. He described and illustrated a number of the schemes which
had been formulated with the object of obtaining some uniformity of
colour description in the many branches of natural science. Recent
attempts at colour standards have each something against their general
adoption, and, except for horticulturists, mycologists, and possibly
ornithologists, they are much too full. It would seem best to have a
well-arranged list of two hundred well-named colours for ordinary use,
which colour scheme could be amplified in those branches of science
where needed.
In this case, also, a good discussion was aroused, and as it was pointed
out that the work of preparing such a series of colour standards for
scientific and commercial uses, though of interest to many of the com-
mittees of the Association, was not the province of any one of them,
a resolution was passed referring the matter to the Corresponding
Societies' Committee.
In many ways the Conference of Delegates at Manchester was the
most successful that had been held in this country for a considerable
time.
The report of the Earthworks Committee of the Congress
of Archaeological Societies was laid upon the table, but it
contained nothing relative to Dorset. Copies had been
circulated among the members of the Club. In this
connection Captain Acland m.entioned that reports had been
made to him as to probable damage to ancient earthworks
near Blandford, but he had been assured by the officer in
command of the troops that the greatest care would be taken
and that anything found would be preserved.
FIRST WINTER MEETING
xxix.
The President read a letter from the Mayor of Bourne-
mouth inviting the assistance of the Club on the occasion
fo the visit of the British Association to that town in 1917.
It was resolved to render all assistance that was possible.
Mr. W. de C. Prideaux had written to call attention to
a pre -Reformation altar-slab which was built into the south
wall of the church-yard at Broadmayne, and to suggest
that the Club should give financial help towards removing
the slab from its present position. Mr. C. E. PoxVting, the
diocesan surveyor, had also written to the same effect, saying
that he had first noticed the stone about five years previously.
The Hon. Secretary observed that it was believed there
were only four pre-Reformation stone altar-slabs in Dorset,
namely, at Arne, Bere Regis, Corton and Stock Gaylard,
and all of them were now used for their original purpose.
It was decided that the Executive should communicate
with the Rector of Broadmayne and that a grant in aid
should be made.
The President then referred to the delay in the production
of the volume of Proceedings which was due in July, 1915.
He had been informed by the printers that the absence of
many men on military service had necessarily hindered the
work. A discussion followed, in which suggestions as to
the future were made, but the general feeling was that under
the existing circumstances the dela}^ was unavoidable.
The Hon. Secretary mentioned that Canon C. H. Mayo
had consented to act as general receiver of the reports on
restored churches in Dorset.
J\Ir. W. Parkinson Curtis had written to the President
saying that the statutory rules and order of 1915 (No. 909)
had created a protected area of considerable extent in the
Trough of Poole and had made additions to the list of birds
protected in the surrounding district. Mr. Curtis and other
ornithologists thought that it was desirable to appoint a
watcher for the newly protected area, as shooting had
practically ceased ; but the meeting was unable to suggest a
suitable person.
XXX
FIRST WINTER MEETINC.
Exhibits.
By tlio President (1) A copy of Tyndale's New Testament,
153G, known as " the mole " edition. Three editions N\ere
published in that year, and they may be distinguished by
the stone in the woodcut of St. Paul at the beginning of
several Epistles. On one stone there is engraved an animal
generally accepted as a mole ; on another, the surface is not
engraved, this variety being known as the " blank stone "
edition ; on the third, there are the letters A.B.K. in mono-
gram, whence it is known as the " engraver's mark " edition.
The first edition of Tyndale's New Testament was issued in
1525, and is represented in the British Museum by a fragment
of 31 leaves which were printed in Cologne, but Tj^ndale
was forced to fly before his work was finished. The second
edition was probably printed by Peter Schoeffer at Worms
in 1525, and is represented by a fragment at St. Paul's and
by a copy at Bristol which is complete except for the title.
(A facsimile of the Bristol copy was sent for exhibition by
Mr. A. N. Stephens.) A title page, but nothing more, exists
of the third edition in 1532, and there are copies extant
of 1534 and 1535 ; indeed, it is quite possible that there
were other issues before " the mole " edition. The woodcuts
which illustrate " the mole " edition of 1536 are very
remarkable, especially those in Revelation. The latest
issue of Tyndale's translation was in 1566.
(2) A finely engraved hehnet of the sixteenth century,
said to be of Spanish origin.
By Captain Elwes — A " Venetian dog," or pistol, of the
period 1650-80.
By Mr. E. A. Rawlence — Objects connected with a pre-
historic burial recently found in Low Hill quarry, Nether
Compton, Sherborne, consisting of fhnt flakes, a boar's tooth,
a roe-deer horn, &c. Captain Acland thought that the
interment probabl}^ belonged to the Bronze Age.
By Mr. Alfred Pope — A bond for £2,500 given by the
fourth Marquis of Winchester, who had embarrassed his
FIRST WINTER MEETING.
xxxi.
estate by extravagance and the lavish entertainment of
Queen Ehzabeth at Basing House. The document pledged
the farm, &c., of Portesham.
By Captain Acland — A Bradshaw's railway map of 1851,
showing the South Western railway with its terminus at
Dorchester. At that date there was no line to Weymouth,
3s the Great Western railway did not extend beyond Frome.
Papers.
Mr. Rawlence read a paper on Folk-lore reminiscences
concerning man and beast in Dorset.
Canon Fletcher told the history of " The man in the wall
at Wimborne Minster.
Captain Acland read selections trom liis notes on ]Mr. E.
Cunnington's records of barrows opened in Dorset between
1879-1890.
Mr. L. Richardson's paper on the stratigraphical distri-
bution of inferior-oolite vertebrates was read in part by the
President.
The four papers are printed on later pages of this volume.
XXXIJ .
SECONJ) WJI^TER MEETING.
SECOND WINTER MEETING.
Tuesday, 8th February, 1916.
The President, Mr. Nelson M. Richaedson, took the
chair, and among those present were Lord Eustace Cecil, the
Rev. H. Pentin, Captain J. E. Acland, Mr. Alfred Pope, and
Sir Daniel Morris.
Four candidates, who had been proposed at the previous
meeting, were balloted for and declared to be elected.
One nomination for membership was announced.
It was decided that £2 15s. should be contributed to defray
the cost of the removal of the altar-slab at Broadmayne from
its present position of danger. The subject had been dis-
cussed at the first meeting of the m inter session, and the Rector
of Broadmayne had written to say that the stone would
be placed within the church porch.
The President invited expressions of opinion as to whether
the outdoor meetings should be resumed during the coming
summer, and added that the executive were in favour of a
postponement of such meetings until after the end of the
war. Lord Eustace Cecil concurred in this view. Mr. E. S.
Rodd hoped that when the outdoor meetings were resumed the
Field Club would again visit Chardstock and the neighbourhood
of Forde Abbey. At the suggestion of Mr. Alfred Pope it
was agreed to defer the question of postponement until the
general meeting in May.
It was resolved to transfer to the librar}^ of Sherborne
School four documents concerning the endowments of the
school, which had been found in the collection of papers
relative to the silk industry. A letter of thanks for the gift
has since been received from Mr. W. B. Wildman.
A Doctor's Practice, 1623.
SECOND WINTER MEETING.
XXXIU.
Exhibits.
By Captain Acland — a manuscript by William Barnes,
entitled " Edge Tools in Early Britain," which had been
presented by Canon Mansel-Pleydell to the Dorset County
Museum. The manuscript wUl be printed in full on a later
page of this volume.
By Mr. Henry Symonds. (1) A photograph of a carved oak
panel, dated 1623, representing incidents in a doctor's prac-
tice. This panel, which is reproduced in the annexed plate, was
formerly owned by a medical man at Poole and had been
in the possession of liis family for eighty years, during which
time the 3^ had lived in that town. It was bought in the
" seventies " by Mr. Wilham Fenwiek, of Arlington, New
Jersey, U.S.A., who sold it through an agent to an unknown
purchaser. Since the foregoing note was written the editor
has been informed that the original panel was acquired by
the Royal College of Surgeons and is now in their house in
Lincoln's Inn Fields. (2) A little booklet containing six
stanzas written by William Barnes in 1872 "for the benefit
of the Bridport School of Art." The lines are now reprinted
as they do not appear in the collected editions of the poet's
works. The exhibited copy — given to Mr. Symonds by our
member, Mr. J. T. Stephens, — contains a contemporary
photograph of the ship-bnilding ys^rd, from which the last
new vessel was launched in 1879.
*' Bridport Harbour,"
Hill-warded haven, creek well found
To sailors on thy stormy shore ;
When 'midst the waters' deaf 'ning roar
They step on this thy peaceful ground,
As blest with happy homes at hand
Or strangers on a foreign land.
xxxiv.
SECOND WINTER MEETING.
2.
As softly sinks from fear to rest
The hunted stag, at last hound free,
The ship that ploughs the storni}^ sea
Here stills her billow-beaten breast
And yields her welcome freight, to fill
Her hold with works of Bridport skill.
3.
Here, fair from ev'ry shipwright's tool.
The new ship plunges from the stocks
And chafes her first white foam ; and rocks
On heaving waters of thy pool,
Now soon to waft her crest in hope
O'er longsome tracts of sea -wide scope.
4.
The birds, *^ where lay Prometheus bound,
Still ate with everlasting bills
His growing lungs, and these two hills* ^
So yield to eating waves their ground
That wastes in this receding shore.
But wastes, alas, to grow no more.
5.
How many untold years have run
Since those two now half -hills were whole,
And man beheld the waters roll
Where they sank, grassy to the sun,
Long ere the sea had cast the sand
And far -borne pebbles on this strand.
* 1 The Eagles. See the mythos of Prometheus.
*2 The east and west cliffs.
SECOND WINTER MEETING.
XXXV.
6.
May ev'ry ship that commerce sends
From thee, O peaceful Httle creek,
Come back full-rigged, without a leak,
With men to wives and friends to friends ;
May Heaven speed both to and fro
All ships that here may come and go.
Wm. Barnes.
29 July, 1872.
By the Rev. E. F. Linton — (1) A small holy-water stoup
of white marble, found at Westworth, in the parish of
Edmondsham. (2) A pipe-stoj)per mounted on a medallion
bearing the portraits of Charles I. and Henrietta Maria, found
at Edmondsham.
By Mr. G. S. Fry — A manuscript volume of sermons
preached by Aldrich 8wan between 1686 and 1694, wiien he
was minister of Kington Magna and Wimborne Minster.
The Hon. Secretar^^ said that he had read the sermons with
much appreciation, but as Greek, Latin, and the early
Fathers were freely quoted he feared that the discourses were
over the heads of the congregations. Aldrich Swan was one
of the three ministers of Wimborne who signed the receipt
for the books given b}' William Stone to the Minster library
(c/. S. and D. N. and Q. xv., 11).
By the President — Some little flowers given to him by
Lieutenant Chaytor, of the Canterbury Mounted Rifles,
New Zealand, who had picked them on Lallababa Hill,
GaUipoh, in May, 1915. Sir Daniel Morris remarked that
the flow^er looked like a hairy-leaved vetch.
Two eighteenth-century deeds relating to land in Bingham's
Melcombe, which had been presented to the Field Club by
Mr. A. W. Marks, of Gray's Inn, W.C.
Papers.
Sir Daniel Morris read a paper on Australian trees and
shrubs acclimatised on the south coast, and illustrated
XXX vi.
SECOND WINTER MEETING.
his lecture with many specimens in flower or in fruit, some of
which had been kindly sent by Lord Ilchester from his sub-
tropical garden at Abbotsbary.
Captain Acland read extracts from a paper by Mr. Henry
Symonds on the silk industry in Wessex, more particular]}^
in Sherborne, during the eighteenth century. The Field
Club's collection of books, deeds, and papers relating to the
subject was laid upon the table.
The President read a portion of the paper by Mr. E. W.
S wanton on Dorset land-shells in the museum at Haslemere.
The Rev. 0. Pickard-Cambridge had been unable to finish
his paper on new and rare Arachnida noted in 1915, and
therefore it was taken as read.
Mr. W. de C. Prideaux discussed the Mohun brasses in
the old church at Fleet, and illustrated his notes with a
series of rubbings.
The foregoing papers are printed on subsequent pages
of this volume.*
* At a later date Mr. Pickard-Cambridge found it impossible, owing
to ill health, to complete his notes on Arachnida ; consequently the
printing of the paper is postponed until next year.
THE ANNUAI. BUSINESS MEETING. XXXvii.
ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING.
Tuesday, 9th May, 1916.
This meeting was held as usual at the Dorset County
Museum, the President, Mr. Nelson M. Richardson, being
in the chair.
One candidate was elected by ballot, and two additional
nominations for membership were read.
Mr. Richardson then delivered his presidential address,
which is printed at p. 1 of the second portion of this volume.
Captain Elwes moved that a hearty vote of thanks be
given to the President for liis excellent address, which
embraced much valuable knowledge set forth in a very lucid
manner. Mr. Alfred Pope seconded the proposal and it was
adopted amid applause.
The Hon. Secretary read the report, which ran as follows :
There is less than iisual to report tliis year, as owing to the u-ar there
were no Summer Meetings in 1915. The difficulty of obtaining motors
and brakes, the uncertainty of the train-service in Dorset owing to the
movement of troops, together with sentimental reasons, doubtless
influenced the members in their decision to abandon summer excur-
sions. The usual meetings were held in the winter, but the attendance
has been unusually small. The war is, without doubt, responsible for
this, as also for the fall in our membership. We now have slightly
less than 350 members.
As there were no receipts in the Hon. Secretary's accounts last year,
owing to there being no summer meetings, there is now only a small
balance in hand of 4s. 6d.
The Hon. Treasurer read the audited statement of accounts
for the year ending 31st December, 1915. The financial
position was satisfactory — the balance in hand being
£71 lis. 9d. as against £39 Us. 4d. at the end of 1914. The
accounts, together with that of the Hon. Secretarj^ are
printed on the adjoining pages.
XXXVlll. TJIE ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING.
The report of the Hon. Editor as to the contents of vol.
xxxvii, for 1916 was read. The members of the Field Club
were indebted to Mrs. Merrick-Head for kindly providing
the photographs and blocks used for reproducing the eighteen
old views of Portland, and to Canon Fletcher for giving two
blocks and the plates to illustrate his paper on " The man in
the wall at Wimborne Minster." The photographs for the
last named blocks w^ere taken by Dr. E. K. le Fleming.
Colonel and Mrs. Dickson were not able to report any
progress with the Dorset Photographic Survey, as photo-
graphy had ceased in consequence of the Avar.
The Earthworks Sectional Committee and the Restored
Churches Committee were unable, for similar reasons, to
make any reports.
The Numismatic Sectional Committee sent a short report
by Mr. Henry Symonds —
A few years ago a small hoard of Anglo-Saxon coins was found in the
county, but the precise locality was not disclosed for certain reasons.
A description of the find and a plate of the coins have been sent by me
to the Dorset County Museum library, through the kindness of the
author of the paper which appeared in Numismatic Chronicle, 4 Ser.
Vol. XV., p. 336. None of the coins were struck in Dorset mints, so far
as our present knowledge teaches lis. The practice of placing the name
of the town on the reverse of the coin was not adopted until later in the
Saxon period than the date of this hoard.
Captain Acland, as curator of the Dorset County Museum,
read the following notes on the objects acquired by the
Museum between May, 1915, and May, 1916 : —
During the past twelve months we have had many additions to the
various collections which need not be described individually. Some
other acquisitions have been exhibited and reported upon at the winter
meetings of the Field Club, and 1 will not therefore refer to them again.
In a different category, however, is the fine collection of corals presented
by Mrs. Merrick Head from Pennsylvania Castle, Portland. T am
informed that they were bought by her husband about the year 1872 at
a sale of the property of Mr. Wilson Saunders of Keigate. Mrs. Head
has not only given this beautiful collection to the Museum, but has
THE ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING.
xxxix.
defrayed the whole expense of the removal from Portland and provided
the three new cases in which they are exhibited.
We have also acquired by the gift of Sir George Meyrick, Bart.,
through the good offices of Mr. Henry Symonds, 25 British bronze coins,
a portion of those found during tlie excavations at Hengistbury Head
in 1911-1912. They are stated by Mr. Bushe-Fox in the Report of the
Society of Antiquaries to be of a type of exceptional interest, as it
represents the very last stage of the gold stater of Philip II. of Maccdon,
the liead and chariot Jiaving become nothing but meaningless dots and
lines. Nearly 3,000 jneces were found, and were subsecjuently examined
by Mr. G. F. Hill, of the British Museum, who described them as being
partly of the usual " South Western " struck class, and partly of the
peculiar cast class, now called tlie " Hengistbury " class, many of which
remained in mint condition. In some parts of the settlement masses
of coins, numbering 600 or 700, were found together, and had
evidently been deposited in bundles, possibly wrapped in basket work,
and it is therefore suggested that they were minted on the spot.
In view of the sad loss we have all sustained by the death of our much
respected and talented friend. Dr. Colley March, I must refer at rather
greater length to his last gift to the Museum. Within a very few days
of his death he sent to me a collection of bone, flint, and bronze objects,
and also broken pottery, which he had himself found near Portesham,
and which he considered a proof that the site had been occupied by
succeeding races through many centuries. I cannot do better tlian
give, in his own words, the notes that accompanied his gift, so that
they may be recorded in the Proceedings.
" At a distance of exactly six furlongs due west of St. Peter's Church,
Portesham, there is a deep valley hollowed by running water called
' Springs ; ' it is marked as it descends by a number of ' Vents,'
through which this water, as it gradually became subterranean, used
to escape. But the valley now is dry until its lower part is reached,
where tlie water, unable to penetrate a bed of clay, is turned out, and
flows on to the Fleet.
In former days, when streams flowed from the Vents, this valley was
a good place for sheep-folds and cattle pens, and, under a favourable
light, there can be seen on its sloping sides, the lines of ancient en-
closures.
To the west of this valley there is a wide shelf of meadow land, 350ft.
above the sea, protected from the North by the slope which rises to a
height of 600ft.
On this charming spot, about 15 years ago, a gamekeeper's house was
built, and when the preliminary trenches lift, deep were made, I care-
fully inspected them and the excavated earth. I discovered evidence
that this very site had been selected for a dwelling-place all through
xl.
THE ANNUAL BUSlx^ESS MEETINO.
tho ages, from, early neolithic to late Romano -Brit isii times. Cliert,
flint, and perhaps good Portland stone chert from the Chesil-bank —
bone, bronze, and iron — had all been used in the making of implements
now indeed broken, while potsherds abound of every corresponding
period. Many of the flakes and several of the pieces of bone show
signs of use.
A bone implement, a saw of chert, an iron rod or pin (that 1 have
varnished to check the corrosion of rust), and four small implements
respectively of bone, flint, horn, and bronze (but all of them broken),
I have fastened to a card."
The whole collection is now presented to the Museum.
The President announced that the Mansel-Pleydell medal
and prize had been awarded to Miss Ellen E. Woodhouse,
of Chilmore, Ansty, for her essay on pre-Saxon civilisation
in Dorset. Mr. Richardson then presented the medal and
congratulated the successful competitor. Miss Woodhouse's
essay is printed in this volume.
The question of holding the suramer meetings had been
postponed from the 8th February to tliis meeting. It was
now proposed by Mr, Richard Barrow, and seconded by
Captain Acland, that no out-door meetings be held during
1916. This resolution was carried.
The Hon. Secretary reported that the Rector of Broad-
mayne had written to him saying that the stone altar-slab
had been safely placed in the church porch.
The Rev. A. C. Woodhouse proposed and the Rev. H.
Hawkins seconded a resolution that the Club deprecated the
laying flat of old tomb stones which were intended to be
upright, as that practice tended to a rapid obhteration of the
inscriptions. The resolution was adopted.
Election of Officers and Committees.
Mr. F. E. Abbott proposed that the President, the Hon.
Secretary, the Treasurer, and tlie Editor should be re-elected
to their respective offices. This was seconded by Mr. R.
Barrow and approved by the meeting. The Hon. Secretary
again nominated Mr. H. Pouncy as Assistant Secretary.
THE ANIS'UAL BUSINESS MEETING.
xli.
The Sectional Committee of the Dorset Photographic
Survey was re-elected.
The Earthworks Committee was also re-elected, with the
addition of Captain Acland and Mr. F. E. Abbott.
Captain Elwes was added to the Numismatic Committee,
which was re-elected.
The Rev. H. Hawkins, Mr. R. Barrow, and Mr. G. W. Floyer
were added to the Restored Churches Committee, which
was re-elected.
The President nominated, for the ensuing year, the retiring
Vice-Presidents, with the addition of Sir Daniel Morris in
place of the late Dr. Colley March.
Mr. Alfred Pope was asked to act as the delegate of the
Field Club at the meeting of the British Association at
Newcastle-on-Tyne.
Mr. Nigel Bond and Mr. E. A. Fry were nominated as
representatives of the Club at the Congress of Aixhseological
Societies in union with, the Society of Antiquaries of London,
if the Congress met in 191G.
It was announced that the Cecil medal and prize would
be awarded in May, 1917, for the best paper on " The more
recent applications of electricity in the present war, especially
in the treatment of diseases and wounds arising therefrom,"
and that the Mansel-Pleydell medal and prize would be
awarded in May, 1918, for the best paper on " The Kim-
meridge clay of Dorset and its industrial uses, past, present,
and future."
xlii.
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xliii.
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A Mediaeval Burial Custom in Dorset.
Among the Middleton manuscripts at Wollaton Hall,
Northamptonshire, is the probate of the will of Robert de
Bingham, county Dorset, an abstract of which is appended: —
To be buried in the cemetery of St. Andrew of Tolr'
(Toller) on the south side of the chancel of the
same church, near the tomb of Nichole de Tornay,
my wife, et ante corpus meum unum hovem.
Among the legacies are the following : For the fabric
of the church of Tolr', 2s. ; to the lesser friars
of Dorse tre (Dorchester), half a mark (6s. 8d.) ;
to m}^ chapel of Stafford, 4s. ; to Henry, rector
of the church of Tolr', four spoons (codearia)
of silver, and to the same, one mark of silver.
The rector to be one of the executors, wdth the
testator's son Ralph and " Johanna de Raleghe,
my wife."
Proved before the official of the Archdeacon of Dorset
in the church of the Blessed Mary of Bridport
quinto kalendas Mail (27 April) 1303. Admin-
instration granted to Henrj^, rector of Toller,
and Ralph, two of the executors, Joan being
released on account of weakness (Historical
Manuscripts Commission Report).
The instructions to bury an ox before the bod;/ of the
testator is so unusual as to be worth noting in these pages.
The custom seems to be near aldn to paganism and somewhat
reminiscent of Hittite burial practices. Through the kindness
of a friend at the Public Record Office, the puzzle was sub-
mitted to Mr. E. S. Hartland, of Gloucester, an authority
CLUB NOTES.
xlv.
on folklore. In reply, Mi\ Hartland said that the
circumstances were very curious, as it was not a case of
a favourite animal. He thought that it was probably a
mediaeval survival of an earlier stage of culture, but whether
the ox was for food purposes or for carrjang the deceased
man on his long journey was a matter of conjecture.* The
Grermans used to bury cattle, or metal figures of them, with
the dead. There was also a doubt as to the precise force
of the prejDosition ante.
Tliree other points arise in connection with this will.
There is, I think, no doubt that Great Toller, and not Toller
Fratrum, is the place indicated, as the Bingham family held
lands known as Wolcomb Bingham in the former parish
from the days of Edward I. until those of Queen Victoria.
If that is so, Henry, the rector of Great Toller, is the earliest
known incumbent, as the first institution in Hutchins's list
of rectors and vicars occurs in 1317. The patron saint of
Great Toller church is generally stated to be St. Peter, but
it should be noticed that the will mentions "St. Andrew."
Hutchins quotes another ofiicial document dated in 1345-46,
which also speaks of St. Andrew's church. For these reasons,
therefore, it seems probable that the original dedication
was not to St. Peter.
This will of 1303 is also interesting from the genealogical
point of view, as the names of the testator's wives and son
appear to be additions to the short pedigree of the Bingham
family as set out by Hutchins. The notes attached to the
pedigree confess that there is inextricable confusion in one
section of the chart, due in part to the use of one and the
same Christian name by successive generations. Perhaps
the will of this Robert Bingham may solve at least one of the
difficulties.
Editor.
♦Notes and Queries, 7th Ser. V. 466 and VI., 73, Animal sacrifices at
Christian burials.
xlvi.
CLUB NOTES.
A Rare Seventeenth-Century Token of Sherborne.
Ohv. : Richard Pounsfoot — A castle with three towers ;
in the centre a gateway.
Rev. : In Sherbon, 1667 —
As far as I am aware, no other example of this little piece
is at present known. The description in the list printed \>j
Hutchins (3rd. ed.) gives the place-name as " Sherborne,"
and the castle is said to have two towers. When Mr. J. S.
Udal wrote the Dorset section of the second edition of Boyne's
text book he had not seen the token, and was therefore
obliged to follow Hutchins's reading and description (Boyne,
2nd ed., p. 191, No. 171). Having regard to the rarity of
this farthing it seems most probable that two distinct
varieties were not struck, and that the specimen now described
represents the tokens issued in Sherborne by the occupier
of the Castle inn. I think that Hutchins examined, or heard
of, a worn specimen which was partly illegible, hence his
rendering of the legend on the reverse and of the architectural
details on the obverse.
An inn with this sign in Long-street, near the Market
Place, was advertised for sale in 1787 (Western Flying Post).
Possibly it was the building occupied by Richard Pounsfoot
in 1667.
Editor.
By NELSON MOORE RICHARDSON, Esq., B.A.
{Read May 9th, 1916.)
REGRET to say that the hope that I expressed at
the beginning of my Address a year ago that
the War might have come to an end before
this, our next Annual Meeting, has not been
realised, and we have continued our work in a
modified form by holding only indoor Meetings
for the reading of papers. Though we have
several of our younger members serving with our forces,
I am glad to be able to say that so far they have all been
spared to us, with the exception of Commander T. C. A.
Blomefield, R.N., who died nobly fighting for his country in
action in the Persian GuK. His naval duties rarely left
him free to attend our meetings, but both he and Mrs.
Blomefield took great interest in Antiquarian matters, and
I was always pleased to welcome them amongst us. And
here I feel that whilst spealdng of the War, I should like,
2
president's address.
on behalf of the Club, to offer our sympathy to those
of our members who have lost sons or near relatives, of
whom I fear the list would be a long one, and I will mention
no names, as I might omit some. Colonel J. Mount Batten,
C.B., H.M. Lieut, for Dorset, is in our list stated to have
joined the Club in 1909, but he was really a much older
member, having been elected in 1888, but owing to absence
abroad a break occurred in his membership. I recollect
him in early days as a frequent and interested attendant at
the meetings, and this interest he kept up to the last. One
of the earliest meetings at which I was present was held at
his house at Upcerne, when he entertained the Club, which
hospitality he repeated a few years ago. Mr. W. Bowles
Barrett was one of our older members, having joined in 1884,
and has always been one of our leading botanists, as well as
an authority on local history and records, both of Weymouth
and the neighbourhood generally, and also on the biography
of some of its more noted residents in former times. Numerous
papers from his pen will be found scattered through our
volumes, and it is much to be regretted that his professional
work, especially of late years, left him so little time for the
subjects which he delighted in. He had a large and valuable
botanical collection. Mr. S. R. Baskett, of Evershot, joined
in 1893, and, like his brother, who has also passed away from
us, was much interested in the subjects which our Club
embraces. I remember with pleasure our visit to his house
in 1895, where he exhibited his collections and entertained
the Club when we met at Evershot and Melbury. Mrs.
Selina Aldridge, who joined in 1899, used to attend our
meetings frequently. I have left to the last the greatest loss
the Club has sustained, namely, that of our Vice-President,
Dr. H. CoUey March. Elected in 1896, he soon came to
the front in the Antiquarian side, and besides contributing
many learned and valuable papers on a variety of subjects,
he acted as Hon. Secretary of the Club for two years and
for a much longer period as Chairman of the Earthworks
Committee, in which office he carried through with great
president's address.
3
success the very important excavations at Maumbury Rings,
and more recently the excavations at the Dewhsh Elephant
Trench, on which subject what has proved to be the last
paper written by him for our Proceedings is published in our
Volume XXXVI. lately issued. What I think he loved best
to study was the mythical lore of the past, especially perhaps
that of Scandinavia, but he was very versatile, and in the
last year or two I was helping him to map the prehistoric
monuments and other ^^ ork in his parish of Portesham as
part of a survey which it is hoped that the Club may in
course of time carry out for the whole county. He also took
great interest in Geology and Natural History generally, and
brought much evidence together to prove that the ice in the
glacial period extended over Dorset. As an In Memoriam
notice appears in the present volume, I will not do more
here than allude to his work before he came to this neighbour-
hood on retiring from his j)rofession, but he was then well
known in the Antiquarian world. In him I feel that I, with
others, have lost a valued friend, as well as a member of the
Club whom it would be hard to replace. Though Mr. Edward
Cunnington ceased to be a member many j^ears ago, having
retired from the Club the first time in 1885 and the second
time in 1902, he was associated with us for so long, and
was also one of our few surviving original members, to whom
we should alwaj^s feel specially grateful, that I could not do
otherwise than include his name in my list. The energy
and enthusiasm with which he made his antiquarian investi-
gations, chiefly with the use of the spade, and also maintained
the conclusions he drew from them, are still fresh in the
memories of all those who knew him, and I can only hope
that some of this energy and enthusiasm may descend upon
the present members of our Club and cause them to work
seriously at one of the many branches which it comprises
within its limits. Most of the results of Mr. Cunnington's
excavations in barrows and elsewhere are deposited in our
Museum, which is indebted to him for some of its best
antiquarian treasures. If there was a barrow to be opened
4
president's address.
or a Roman pavement to be uncovered, Mr. Cunnington was
always to the fore, and as lately as last winter we heard some
of his notes on his work, others of which are scattered through
our volumes.
Zoology.
The question of the advantages of inoculation for typhoid
has been put to the proof during the present war, and the
data given in Parliament and taken from reliable sources
show that not only is the mortality more than three times
as great amongst those attacked who have not been inoculated,
but the proportion attacked is about 14 times greater in the
case of the latter. On the island of Principe the Portuguese
have been remarkably successful in extirpating the tsetse
fly and sleeping sickness by a campaign against the fly, and
though a reward of 5 dollars per fly has been offered, none
have been caught since April, 1914. An interesting observa-
tion in the Panama Canal zone has been the fhghts of
Anopheles, the malaria mosquito, over a distance of 6,000
feet, from a marsh to an inhabited area, these flights being
of sufficient size to attract insectivorous birds. A report of
the Board of Agriculture on swine fever assigns the cause
to a microbe too small to be microscopically visible, and
gives various recommendations in connection with the disease,
including a method of vaccination against it. The address
of the President of the Zoological Section of the British
Association last year was on the evolution of the cell. The
subject was of course an abstruse and speculative one, and
I must refer my hearers to the Address itself for any details.
The Address in the Physiological Section was also on the
subject of cells, and was entitled " The Physiological im-
portance of Phase Boundaries." It also is too abstruse
and technical to be further dealt with here. There were
many interesting papers in the zoological section some in
connection with material collected on the visit of the
Association to Australia in 1914. The rearing and
PRESIDENT S ADDRESS.
5
observation of the larvae of Echinodermata and other
alKed marine groups has been successfully carried on at the
Plymouth Marine Station, and this has now been extended
to the Copepoda, which enables their development to be more
carefully studied than by isolated observations on them in
their natural state. In the cruise of the Albatross in 1906,
great quantities of Crinoids were met with, and a monograph
has recently been published on this group, shewing it to be
much richer and more important, as regards living species,
than had hitherto been thought to be the case, though the
fossil series is, of course, very extensive. In the Philippine
Islands it has been observed that the Crustaceans Atya and
Caridina have their chelae furnished with long hairs. Atya,
when feeding in a running stream, rests with these hairs
projecting up the stream so that they may catch any
organisms that are carried along in the water. Caridina
uses them as brushes to brush up any food on the bottom.
In regard to the number of growth rings on the shell of an
oyster as a sign of its age it has been lately shown that an
oyster of 18 months may have from two to five rings, one of
2| years the same, or six rings, one of 3| years (4 summers)
from three to eight. The test is not therefore very reliable.
It is to be regretted that two oyster-parasites, introduced
originally from America with oysters, a Venus shell, Petricola
pJioladiformis, and a slipper-limpet, Crepidula fornicata, are
spreading considerably, the former having now reached
the Dutch Coast. A good deal of information on the subject
of determining the age of fish by means of the growth rings
on their scales has been obtained from experiments near
Iceland and the Faroe Isles, in which marked cod were
liberated and more than haK of them captured again a year
or more later. Fish have been scarce owing to the war, but
a record catch for a single boat has been made of 280,000
herrings. In the Lake of Tiberias it has been found that
there are a certain number of genera and species which
are identical with Ethiopian forms, showing a former
connection. These forms are all fish, and none of them the
6
president's address.
lower forms of life, as one might expect. They mostly
belong to specially hardy genera which might more easily
adapt themselves to waters of different salinity. Investiga-
tion of the supposed destruction of salmon by cormorants
in the Gulf of St. Lawrence has proved that the cormorants
are wrongly accused, and that the small salmon are eaten by
large ones and by other enemies, so far unidentified. A
similar accusation was formerly made in regard to the
cormorants of the Murray river, Australia, but when the
cormorants were destroyed, the salmon disappeared, and it
was found that the birds preyed on the crabs and eels which
devoured the salmon fry and eggs. In the hot springs at
Buena Vista in Colorado, young toads have been found
plentifully in the water up to 93° Fah. and one specimen up
to 113°, after which any found were dead ones. The thrush
is not generally looked upon as a migratory bird, but a
specimen, ringed in Lancashire as a nestling on April 4, 1914,
was found at Pontillado in Spain on Nov. 18 last. An
interesting book on American bird migration has lately been
published by the U.S. department of Agriculture and gives
particulars of many American species. In June, 1915, immense
quantities of sea birds were killed on the E. Coast of Scotland
by masses of floating oil, probably the cargo of some torpedoed
ship, and those which survived had their feathers so coated
with it that they could neither fly nor swim. The sufferers
were chiefly guillemots, razorbills, puffins, and eiderducks.
Experiments in homing on the noddy and sooty terns, two
migratory birds, proved that they would return to their
summer haunts, when transported 1,000 miles in cages, over
ground which they did not cover in their migrations, being
north of their northerly limits, which suggests that other birds
besides pigeons probably possess this habit. The slaughter
of fur-bearing animals in America is enormous, and attempts
are made to breed silver foxes, skunks, &c., for the sake of
their sldns, with success, but not yet to any great extent.
Some animals have been exterminated, whilst of others,
such as the sea otter with a beautiful fur which less than 100
president's address.
7
years ago was taken by the thousand, only a few pairs survive.
Some of the American game fauna, such as the bison, are in
much the same condition, and nature reserves on a large
scale would seem to be the only cure. The difference in the
susceptibility of different animals to certain poisons is well
illustrated by some experiments with strychnine on squirrels
and quails, the squirrels succumbing to a dose of only 2*7
milligrams, whilst the quails could swallow 40 milligrams
with impunity. Two specimens of Guvier's whale {Ziphius
cavirostris), which was only known as British from a single
skull from Shetland, have been stranded on the coast of
Ireland and secured for the British Museum, which now
receives telegraphic information of the stranding of all
Cetacea. In Ireland, in the Dublin Zoological Gardens, is
the only living gorilla in Europe. Its health was a subject
of anxiety recently, but it is to be hoped that it will continue
to flourish. The survey of the Lake of Tiberias has already been
mentioned. Surveys have also been made of the fauna of
the Chilka lake in Bengal, and a complete regional survey
of Clare Island in the Coanty of Mayo, Ireland, in which no
less than 3,219 plants and 5,269 animals were recorded, of which
II plants and 109 animals, all however amongst very low
forms of life, were new to science. I have reserved to the
end of my zoological section my congratulations to our
distinguished member, my friend, Mr. Frederick D. Godman,
F.R.S., on the completion of the monumental work, " Biologia
Centrali Americana," dealing with all branches of the natural
history of Central America in detail in no less than 63 volumes
beautifully and fully illustrated, and altogether one of the
finest contributions ever made to scientific knowledge. Mr.
Salvin, his joint author, did not, unhappily, live to see the
end of his work.
Botany and Agriculture.
At present the more practical of the two heads of this
section is in people's minds owing to the war, and the Address
8
president's address.
of the President of the Agricultural Section of the British
Association deals with " Farming and food supplies in time
of war," giving many particulars of our food production at
different times, and especially during the periods in the last
120 years in which we were at war. Though something has
been don6 to increase our home-grown supplies, it will always
be necessary, with such a dense population, to import a great
part of our food, and without our Navy we should soon be
starved into submission. There were papers on various
branches of the same subject giving many useful hints for
increasing the food supply. Some experiments on feeding
calves, carried out at the W. of Scotland Agricultural College,
show that separated milk and crushed oats form an economical
food, very little behind whole milk in its results, and at
about half the cost. Through testing of the roots and careful
selection the sugar yield of beet has been increased from 10 '1
p. cent, in 1870 to 18'5 p. cent, in 1912, with occasional
individual roots yielding as much as 27 p. cent. The wheat
crop of the United States has been much damaged by the
attacks of the Hessian fly, which it is stated can be avoided by
delaying the autumn sowing until a short time after the flies
have emerged, as they would then find nothing on which to
lay their eggs. It has been believed that radium exercised
some effect on the growth of seedlings, but the most recent
experiments have shewn practically no result. Some races
of Bacterium suhtilis have shewn a remarkable vitality when
immersed in sterilising liquids and have survived in 5 p. cent,
phenol for 50 hours and in other similar liquids in which
their immediate destruction would have been expected ;
opening serious medical questions. A new electrical method
of testing the vitality of seeds has been discovered, the
electrical response being proportional to the seed's vitality.
The botany of the Philippine Islands is being well worked,
and 7,000 species of flowering plants are known, as against
about 2,500 15 years ago. The floras of different parts of
India have in many cases been published and are still being
worked out, that of the Nilgiri and Pulney Hill-tops being
PRESIDENT S ADDRESS.
9
the last issued ; 900 species of Crataegus from the United
States are now recognised, and in the Proceedings of the
Royal Irish Academy a Report on the Mosses of Ireland is
given, 118 new species having been added since 1872. The
immense number of so-called American species of Crataegus
reminds one of the great number of species of brambles and
roses which have been described by some of our botanists,
and which doubtless present points of difference amongst
themselves, but as to how far each so-called species would
permanently reproduce itself and remain constant is a
difficult question. Some of the low forms of life are very
uncertain in their appearance, for instance, a fresh water
Alga {Hydrodictyon reticulatum), which is rarely seen in
this country, was found in the autumn of 1914 in the
lake at Kew, in enormous quantities, so that it had to be
cleared from the water. It has been found that many of our
cultivated varieties of fruit trees, apple, pear, plum, &c.,
are self sterile and only produce fruit when fertilized with
pollen from some other variety. It is therefore necessary
to pay attention to this fact when planting orchards.
Geology.
A full report of the excavation of the Bewlish Elephant
Trench is published in our last volume of Proceedings, which
makes it clear that the trench was formed by natural forces
and not by human agency, though there are differences of
opinion as to the method, and some minor points, such as
the way in which the brilliant polish on many of the fhnts
was produced appear to me to require further elucidation.
I have specimens of extremely similar polished flints from a
fissure at Portland, but did not see them in situ.* I under-
*It had occurred to me whether the rubbing together of the flints
under pressure in the fissure could have produced the poHsh, and
Captain G. R. Elwes has now shown by actual experiment that a
brilliant polish can be produced on some pebbles by merely rubbing
them together for a considerable time.
10
PRESIDENT S ADDRESS.
stand, though I have not seen them, that flints arc found in
the Egyptian desert, brilliantly polished by the slight and
continuous friction of the dry sand, but such conditions
could hardly have been the cause either at Dewlish or Port-
land. It has been found that the observed epicentres of
earthquakes lie chiefly on two great circles cutting each
other at right angles. Some slight earthquakes have taken
place in this country, one in the Cumberland District on
Oct. 2, one in the neighbourhood of Loch Lomond on Dec. 19,
and one, the widest in area, on Jan. 14 last, the latter being
felt all over England, except in the extreme North and South.
Two much more serious ones took place, the one on June 22,
in California, the other on Jan. 14, 1916, in Australia and New
Guinea, but whether this had any connection with the English
earthquake of the same date is not clear, and also one on
Sept. 6, 1915, in Western America. Another severe one in
Nevada on Oct. 2, 1915, was recorded in England. On
Dec. 19, 1915, a great fall of chalk took place in the cliffs
over Folkestone Warren, burying the railway line and doing
considerable damage. "The Crust of the Earth" formed
the subject of the President's Address in the Geological
section of the British Association, and much of the evidence
available as to its formation and alteration was brought
forward. It was recently stated that the rare and valuable
metal platinum, the world's supply of Avhich nearly all came
from Russia, had been found in the Lower Rhine district of
Germany ; but this requires confirmation.
To turn to fossils. Fossil Bacteria resembling Micrococci
have been discovered in the ancient Newland limestone of
Montana in association with algse, which are the earliest
plant remains known. In the same district have been found,
in a higher bed, the remains of crayfish-like animals, which
are the earliest known animal remains. It is thought that
these bacteria may have been an important factor in the
formation of this deposit. A small camel [Stenomylus hitck-
cocki) from the Lower Miocene of Nebraska has been placed
in the British Museum of Natural History. It is slender and
president's address.
11
gazelle-like in build and was one of a herd of these animals
discovered. A Miocene dolphin has also been described
from California, and about 60 new species of insects, chiefly
beetles, have been obtained from the Miocene insect beds of
Florissant, Colorado. In the Lower Pliocene Snake Creek
beds, Nebraska, have been found a large number of fossil
animals, including about 12 species of horses, several camels,
three rhinoceroses, two mastodons, a new type of antelope, the
first of the bisons, and many others. To come nearer home,
a fine example of a gigantic fossil elephant ( Elephas antiquus)
has been excavated at Chatham and will be eventually set
up in the Natural History Museum. It is the first specimen
of this species which has been found in this country in which
the other bones have been associated with the skull, and
enough has been recovered to enable a complete restoration
to be made of the skeleton, which probably stood about 15
feet high, rather less than the height of the Dewlish elephant,
Elevlias meridionalis, but more than that of the mammoth.
Astronomy.
The President's address in the Section of Mathematics and
Physics in the British Association gave an outline of the
manner in which the present knowledge of " The Construction
of the Heavens " had been obtained. It contains a great
deal of information and is well worth reading by anyone
interested in the subject. T may say the same of the part of
the address of the President of the South African Association
for the Advancement of Science which is devoted to Astronomy.
In regard to certain methods of research, the photographic
determination of parallax is increasing in accuracy, the mean
probable error of some determinations at the Mount Wilson
observatory being less than -OOGin. A recent method of
measuring the motions of stars is to place two photographs
of the same portion of the sky, taken some years apart, in a
stereoscope, when the stars that have moved in the interval
12
president's address.
present a solid appearance to the eye. The so-called " blink "
method is a modification of this, and by this method a 12th
magnitude star with the large motion of 5'lin. per ann. has
been discovered. It is suggested that the sequence of
evolution of different stars can be deduced from the differences
in the spectra presented by them, which are also connected
with their temperatures and colours. About one -eighteenth
of the stars above 9*0 magnitude are found to be double. A
new complication has been introduced into the study of the
spectrum by the discovery that the wave lengths of the same
substance produced under different circumstances are subject
to slight variations, the cause being as yet unknown. The
variable star Mira Ceti has been displaying unusual varia-
bility, as its maximum brightness in 1915 did not nearly
reach the usual amount, though slight variations in the
maxima have previously been detected. Among many other
prizes offered by the Paris Academy of Sciences is one of
100,000 francs to anyone finding a means of communication
with any other planet except Mars. So many wonderful
discoveries have been made in recent years, that it is not
impossible that this prize may be claimed, though we are at
present quite in the dark. It is said that a green flash may
sometimes be seen at sunset, but I have never been successful
in seeing it, though I have sometimes looked out for it when
a clear sunset took place, which is not of very frequent
occurrence in these regions. I should be interested to know
if any of our members have been more fortunate. From
observations during the eclipse of August 21st, 1914, the
equatorial velocity of rotation of the sun's corona was found
to be about 3*9 kilometres per second, or rather higher than
previously supposed. The war has prevented the observa-
tion of the solar eclipse of Feb. 3, 1916, which was total over
parts of Columbia and Venezuela, by any but American
observers. It had been hoped to investigate the corona
further. Several meteors have been seen worthy of record.
One on July 5 at 8.30 p.m., seen in Dorset and several other
counties. Several about August 12th. A very fine one on
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13
Oct. 5th, in S. Wales and Cornwall, which left a luminous
track visible for from 2 to 20 minutes. One on Dec. 15,
seen at Bristol, and a very large one, accompanied by a
violent explosion, over the Chusan Archipelago and from
Shanghai, in the forenoon of Feb. 13, 1915. In con-
nection with this subject, I may mention that there is
or has lately been an interesting exhibit at the London
Library of early printed books on Astronomy, including the
" Poeticon Astro no micon " of 1488, a copy of which, with
its 47 curious and entertaining, but very inaccurate woodcuts
of constellations, I exhibited to the Dorset Field Club some
years ago.
Meteorology.
Though the rainfall during the year 1915 over the whole of
the British Isles taken together was little more than the
average, the amount in certain parts, such as the S.E. and
much of the E. Coast, was considerably above the average,
whereas that of the N.W. of England and the W. of Scotland
was below. The fall at Montevideo, Chickerell, in 1915, was
35'72in. as compared with 29*63in., the average there for the
past 18 years, and the fall in December last, 8"74in., was the
greatest recorded there for 18 years in that month, being even
higher than the 7'31in. recorded for December, 1914. The
highest fall in 24 hours in the 18 years was also recorded in
1915, on October 23, and amounted to 1.98in. The adoption
of the millimetre for rain measurement by the Meteorological
office and the British Rainfall Organization marks a step in
decimal notation in this country. A thunderstorm took
place on May 6, 1915, marked by an unusual fall of rain,
which amounted to more than 3in. over an area estimated
to be about |-mile wide and 1| mile long, between the City
and King's Cross, between 8.30 and 10 p.m. ; the highest fall
actually recorded being 3'12in. Contrasted with these
figures, the rainfall at a station in Java has amounted in one
year to 398* lin. and the greatest fall in 24 hours to 20"lin.,
14
president's address.
and I believe that even these figures are exceeded in some
other parts of the world. Two waterspouts were seen on
August 16, 1915, at about 1.0 p.m. off Dymchurch, in Kent,
during a thunderstorm, consisting of a long narrow funnel
connecting a dark cloud with the sea at a point where the
surface was violently agitated. In one case the funnel was
seen to be in rapid rotation. Observations taken for several
years at Helwan in Egypt, 80 miles W. of Suez, shew nearly
half the days with a clear sky. On the rest, cirrus clouds are
the most frequent, other forms being more occasional. Fogs
occur sometimes in the early morning during the winter
months. During a thunderstorm near Gibraltar on May 25,
1915, a shower of frogs is said to have fallen, drawn up, it is
supposed, from a lake 20 miles distant. This is believed to
have been a genuine shower, but a sudden migration of small
frogs from a pond during a shower of rain might in some
cases furnish an explanation of such a phenomenon. The
month of January last w^as exceptionally warm, the mean
temperature at Greenwich being 7*2° above the average of
75 years and 2° higher than any year since 1841. The
highest actual reading recorded was 57° on January 1 and
17, which has only once been equalled in the course of the
past 75 years, viz., on January 28, 1843. For those interested
in upper air temperatures, a report has been lately published
of the results of about 60 ascents in Java. In the report of
the Australian Antarctic expedition lately published, the
extreme force of the wind is spoken of as one of the greatest
trials of the expedition in Wilkesland. Gusts are recorded
with a velocity of 200 miles an hour, and 180 miles was
common. On May 15 the mean for 24 hours was 90 miles
per hour, and the average speed of the whole year 50 miles,
a speed which would constitute a very severe gale in this
country. How anything could stand against these fearful
hurricanes, often with driving snow, one can hardly imagine.
There may have been a little uncertainty about the accuracy
of the anemometer in the higher records, as these instruments
are apt to be unreliable, but the force was in any case
president's address.
15
tremendous. A blizzard of unusual severity swept over this
country on March 27 and 28, and caused much damage,
the speed of the wind rising in some places to 80 miles an
hour. The barometer on March 27 fell below 29°, but on
March 29 had risen an inch in 24 hours. Gun firing has been
reported to have been heard during the present war at great
distances from the scene of action, at 125, 140, and in one
case, on somewhat more doubtful evidence, at 150 miles.
The distance is doubtless dependent to a great extent on
atmospheric conditions. A beautiful aurora was seen in
England in the evening of November 5 last. A luminous
arch variously described as pale rose-lemon or whitish green
or colourless by observers in different paits, was intersected
by bright streamers shooting up from the horizon and
receding and having a rotary movement towards the left.
It was seen in Yorkshire, Lancashire, Essex, &c. Swedish
observations of aurorae about 2,500 in number, have given
the most usual height above the eaith as from about 90 to
130 kilometres, none being below 90, whilst they occasionally
reach a height of 230 kilometres.
Electricity.
In experimenting with wireless telephony the great distance
of 2,500 miles has been covered by the United States Navy
Department, and if the results should prove to be reliable
under all conditions, a great advance will have been made
in this branch. Under the direction of the Royal Society
the magnetic re -survey of the British Isles is being continued
as fast as can be done owing to the war, and but few districts
remain to be surveyed. Much interference with the telegraph
service took place over a large area of N. America stretching
right across the Continent during a fine display of aurora on
the night of June 16, 1915, and a magnetic storm of consider-
able magnitude took place in this country on June 17,
beginning at 1.50 a.m., and followed by other less intense
16
president's address.
storms in the course of the next few days. A large group
of sunspots existed, but the connnection between them and
the storms, though suspected, is not certain.
Chemistry.
The year 1915 being the centenary of Davy's invention of
the miner's safety lamp, the President of the Chemical Section
of the British Association read an address on " The Ignition
phenomena of Gaseous Combustion." The war has brought
to our minds the great importance of being self-supporting
in the way of chemistry and not trusting to obtaining many
of the chemical products we require from Germany or else-
where, and great steps have been made in this direction, some
with a view to the provision of necessary munitions for the
war, and others for trade purposes, both during it and after
peace has been concluded. The salary and general status
offered to a chemist by many manufacturing firms is so
inferior that it cannot be expected that any good man would
accept such a post. This state of things it is hoped to remedy.
I think that the first desirable step would be to find a new
name for a scientific chemist, to distinguish him from a
tradesman whose accomplishments are limited to selling
drugs and making up prescriptions, as this is usually the
meaning of the word in the popular mind. A committee has
been appointed for the important purpose of standardising
chemical products with regard to their purity, and to
endeavour to obtain that reliability in respect to those of
English manufacture which is necessary for their success.
The Bureau of Standards at Washington has lately issued a
useful table of melting points of metals and other standard
temperatures, and it has also been shewn that in all the
solids which have been experimented upon, the melting
point rises regularly under pressure up to 12,000 kilogrammes
per square centimetre, the greatest pressure employed,
without shewing any maximum or critical points. The war,
president's address.
17
of course, whilst it lasts, must take the first place in regard
to chemical work as in all other matters, and explosives
claim perhaps the greatest share of attention, and consequently
also such substances as cotton and nitric acid, which is made
synthetically from the nitrogen contained in the atmosphere in
Norway and Germany, though I doubt if it is j^et manufactured
in this country. Nickel is another important munition metal,
and an attempt is being made to procure it refined from
Canada. And there are many others in this connection such
as that caused by the necessity of protection from and
retaliation with the poisonous gases so barbaroush" used by
the Germans against us. A new, cheap, and easily produced
disinfectant employed on board ship is electrolysed sea
water, which also seems to be effective. Mineral springs
have been discovered in Colorado in which so much radium
is present that it is hoped it may be extracted and produced
at a much lower cost than its present price. It has been found
that a very thin strip of mica, when exposed to the X-rays for a
week or so, is bent, the side exposed to the rays becoming
convex and displaying iridescent colours, and that the a
particles are deposited in the mica in the form of helium.
Engineering.
By far the most important and extensive movement in
engineering is due to the war, which has required so enormous
an output of munitions of all kinds and has converted numbers
of factories hitherto used for other purposes into places for
the manufacture of deadly or protective weapons. The
invention and use of new methods of attack by the enemy
have to be combated by similar means on our part, and though
secresy is at present desirable, there can be no doubt that
many inventions, great and small, have been made, for air,
earth, and water, of which we may hear later, but the benefit
of which we are already reaping. The great importance of the
work of scientists both in chemical and other inventions, and
18
president's address.
also in connection with manufactures of many sorts, has been
repeatedly insisted on during the present war, the advantages
which Germany held in many branches of manufacture before
the war having been shewn to be due in many instances to
her better appreciation of scientific men and their employment
in all her larger works and manufactories. An ingenious
apparatus for locating the direction and distances of other
vessels in a fog is dependent on the difference of time required
by a wireless signal and a sound signal to reach the same
point. A series of telephones is placed round the ship, and
each is so protected that it will only register sounds coming
directly towards it, the direction of the distant ship being
thus ascertained. The danger of fire in houses from aircraft
attacks has brought to the front the question of fire extin-
guishing apparatus, some varieties of which are unreliable
and limited in their action, water in buckets being more
effective. The occasional failure of tin plugs in boilers to
melt when the boilers were overheated has been traced to
the presence of zinc which formed a compound only fusible
at a much higher temperature. The restrictions on the
importation of papermaking material will cause a search for
home-grown substances which are suitable, and amongst
these straw will probably be used, as it used at one time to
be employed to a considerable extent for this purpose. In
regard to the very desirable coal economy, peat can be
employed to produce gas, and can in this form be used for
fuel under conditions in which in its raw state it would not
be available, and doubtless- many other substitutes will be
discovered, necessity being truly the mother of invention.
The cinematograph is beginning to be used for advertising
machinery, by shewing its actual working on the screen.
Submarines have lately been used for hydrographical
purposes, being so arranged that a diver can leave the
submarine for the purpose of investigating the bottom of
the sea near by. The Kensico dam, a work for the supply of
water to New York, has just been completed and has involved
the use of 880,000 cubic yards of concrete, the removal of
president's address.
19
2|-million cubic yards of earth, and the blasting of rock in
some parts to a depth of 65 feet. Three English dams on a
somewhat smaller scale have also just been completed for
the water supply of Bradford, of Leicester and other towns,
and of Birkenhead. Of these the first is the largest, being
1,200 feet long, and 130 feet high, but its capacity for storage
is 1,250,000,000 gallons, as against 3,000,000,000 gallons in
the Birkenhead dam. In the building of houses, the limit
of height has surely been reached in the Woolworth Building
in America, which contains no less than 55 stories. The
greatest height recorded by an unmanned balloon is 22
miles, and by a manned one nearly 7 miles. Above this height
no clouds occur. In surveying, the completion of the Indian
portion of the connection between the triangulations of
Russia and India should be noticed. Survey work in New
Zealand was curtailed by the splendid response to the demands
for the war made by its men, but the completion is announced
of the maps of that country on a scale of ten miles to an inch.
Geography.
The romantic adventures of Stefansson, the leader of the
Canadian Arctic Expedition, who with a few companions
was separated from his ship, which was afterwards crushed
by the ice and destroyed, have fortunately ended happily
by his return after having been given up for lost. In spite
of his separation he persevered in his explorations, travelling
many hundred miles and discovering some new land rising
to a height of 2,000 feet. More recently, somewhat dis-
quieting news has reached us of the Shackleton Antarctic
Expedition. The ship Aurora broke loose from her moorings
in May, 1915, and was damaged and drifted in the pack ice,
but has arrived in New Zealand. Unfortunately several of the
party were left stranded near Cape Evans, and the position
of the other ship, the Endurance, and Sir Ernest Shackleton's
party is uncertain. It is hoped, however, that they may
20
president's address.
all be able to sustain themselves until help arrives. A
Danish exploration is now being planned to Northern Green-
land. A Siberian expedition under the leadership of a Polish
lad}^, of which the object was chiefly Ethnological, has also
been accomplished, large collections of weapons, implements
and other native products having been made. Also an
expedition to the Karakorum range, aiming at a highly
scientific and full survey of that region, which appears to have
been carried out successfully The last exploration that I
have to refer to is one in the Amazonian country by Captain
Whiffen, of which the account has lately been published and
contains much information about the natives, their life,
language, and ways. The difficulties and dangers are of a
very different nature from those of the Arctic zone, but none
the less real, perhaps rather more so in that swampy forest
country.
Archeology and Anthropology.
It would certainly seem remarkable that the same drawings
by early Mexican artists, before the discovery of America by
Columbus, should be considered by some to represent elephants
and by others, macaws, but such is the case, and there certainly
seems to be some resemblance to both. In view of the
improbability of the former interpretation, and of the peculiar
characteristics of the drawings, my sympathies lean towards
the macaw. The antiquity of the burial mounds and ancient
pottery of Peru has been much discussed, with a great
variation as to their age, the last investigator, on the spot,
putting them at not more than 2,000 years, which sounds
more likely than some of the dates assigned. The absence
of any written records doubtless makes the ascription of any
date very uncertain. Some paintings have lately been
discovered in caves at Raigarh in India which are said to be
much older than any other known Indian paintings. They
are mostly of hunting scenes. A remarkable piece of
evidence of the existence of early man in Argentina, has been
president's address.
21
discovered in the bone of Toxodon, a fossil animal of perhaps
Pliocene times, in which an implement of quartzite was
ap]3arently imbedded during life, the bone having groAvn up
round it. A human lower jaw of Neanderthal type has lately
been described, which was found in 1887 at a depth of 5 metres
in a bed of tufa in Catalonia. The exact geological age
cannot be determined, but the jaw is completely fossilised
and retains all the teeth, which are large and much worn.
This is the second instance of Neanderthal man in Spain,
the other being a skull from Gibraltar, in 1848. The Talgai
skull, found in the Darling Downs, Queensland, Avas com-
pletely mineralised and belongs to the Pleistocene period,
and is specially interesting as having been brought into
notice, though found 31 years before, at the visit of the
British Association. It has been bought and presented to
the Sydney University. A portion of an early skull has also
been found at Boskop in South Africa, but its age seems to
require further confirmation. A valuable paper by Professor
Petrie, on ancient Egyptian worked flints, appears in " Ancient
Egypt " for 1915. CiviHzed man goes back so far in
that region that the prehistoric period there has perhaps
been somewhat overshadowed. The last report of the
xArchseological Survey of Nubia deals much with the history
of its inhabitants, and is most important, as the flooding of
the country will prevent any future investigations. Both
N. and S. of Port Durnford, on the E. Coast of Africa, have
been found quantities of ruins, which do not, however, go back
beyond the foundation of Mahommedanism. There are also
in Somaliland numbers of artificial mounds, probably
sepulchral of early date, some 30 feet high. A workshop
of Palieolithic fhnts has been discovered at Highfield,
Southampton, with great numbers of implements in various
stages. Excavations have been continued in the Palseolithic
cave site in Jersey, with numerous finds of implements and
bones. The address of the President of the Anthropological
Section of the British Association dealt with the early history
of the Sudan, alluding specially to the worked fhnts and
22 president's address.
ground stone axes of Neolithic date, which arc numerous.
There are also a few monoliths, but megalithic remains are
much more numerous in the peninsula of Sinai, where are
found beehive tombs, rock circles, and hut circles. The sale
of Stonehenge resulted in its purchase by a local landowner,
but in any case being included under the Ancient Monuments
Act, it would be protected. In excavations at Patna a vast
pillared hall of the 3rd Century B.C. has been unearthed,,
containing 8 rows of monolithic columns, 15 feet apart,
somewhat resembling the great hall at Persepolis. At
Caervoran, Northumberland, an officially certified Roman
bronze measure of the 1st Century has been found, with a
capacity of 17| sectarii, about 2 gallons. An analysis has
been made of some pomade in a Roman amphora excavated
near Lugano, which was found to be composed of a mixture
of beeswax and other fats added to styrax and turpentine
macerated in wine, with some henna. Our Vice-President,
Mr. J. S. Udal, has contributed to " Folk Lore " an interesting
account of the Obeah Cult in the West Indies, shewing its
immense influence and dire results. In these days of
collecting, when rare specimens in all branches fetch high
prices on account of their age or rarity, and not for their
intrinsic merit, fakes and imitations abound to deceive the
ignorant or unwary collector, and I see it stated that even
the Australian natives have taken to manufacturing imitations
of their ancient implements in considerable quantities. An
interesting collection of children's toys, ancient and modern,
has been presented lately to the Borough of Stepney, and is
exhibited at the Whitechapel Museum. There are many
such things still obtainable which should be collected and
preserved before they die out and are supplanted by new
forms.
General.
A great deal has been written since the war began about
the importance of utilizing science and scientific methods
president's address.
23
in connection both with the war itself and with our manu-
factures and in other ways. I think there can be no doubt
that the Germans owe much of their success both in war and
commerce to the employment of scientific men and methods
to an extent far beyond anything we have hitherto attempted
in England, and in so far we may take a lesson from them.
At the same time, in spite of this, it would seem from statistics
that Germany has been by no means so prolific of the new
inventions themselves as England, but she has been much
more ready in developing and making use of them without
regard to where they may have originated. In the matter of
scientific research the results may be apparently ver}^ small
for a long time and for a considerable expenditure, but it is
the only way to progress on a sure foundation, and the results
in the long run are well worth the labour and money expended.
It is said that " Art cannot be forced " — no more can science,
and if a larger number of competent men were put in such a
position that they could devote their lives to research work,
the nation would be the richer by it. This matter has been
discused in Parliament, and a scheme proposed constituting
an " Advisory Council on Industrial Research," which it is
hoped will meet the case and open the way to further im-
provements. Hitherto nearly all research work has been
done without payment or reward, and it is naturally the case
that the great bulk of those who are capable of this work
have to spend most of their time in earning a livelihood in
some more remunerative way. A point connected with the
above is the large number of products for which we have been
either chiefly or entirely dependent on Germany, but which
we are now by force of necessity trying to learn how to make
for ourselves. In so far as this can be accomplished it will
be for the financial benefit of the country, as large sums have
been annually sent abroad in payment. The shortness of
dyes has been much before the public, a shortness in which
America, and probably other countries too, have also suffered
greatly, and America, with no war on her hands, is using every
endeavour to overcome the difficulty and become self-
24:
president's address.
supporting. At the meeting of the delegates of Corresponding
Societies of the British Association, to which we send a
representative, the subject of Museums was dealt with, the
careful preservation of objects therein being rightly considered
of the first importance, and after that the educational, which
is I think more cultivated in our Dorset Museum under our
present Curator than formerly, and helps much to foster a
general feeling of the importance of science amongst the
community. Much stress is laid on the educational side of
Museums in America. The question of sending objects of
national interest to the national museum was discuseed, and
this point has lately been brought forward in regard to some
of our own treasures. There is much to be said in favour
of this plan as regards safety (except from Zeppelins in war-
time) and convenience for comparative study, but specimens
that will bring scientific men down to a local museum are not
to be ligthly given up by those who benefit by their visits.
Another subject was that of colour standards, it being con-
sidered that a scheme of 200 well named colours would best
meet the case. It would be desirable in preparing such a
series of colours to use only those, as far as possible, which do
not alter their relative shades when viewed by artificial light.
The war has put a temporary stop to many things, and
especially to many large schemes unconnected with it, but the
foundation stone has been laid of a new Hindu University in
our dominions beyond the seas, at Benares, for which purpose
the people of India have raised a sum equal to nearly two-
thirds of a million pounds sterling. Men, as well as plants
and animals when removed from their native country and
transplanted to a new one, seem to acquire a great access of
vitality, and flourish to an unheard of extent, and I cannot
conclude my address without referring to the Australian
contingent whose chief English Camp is just opposite to my
house, and with whom I have had the privilege of much
intercourse for many months. Without dwelling upon their
physical advantages, I have been much struck by the high
quality of general intelligence and knowledge which prevails
president's address. 25
amongst them in all ranks of life, and I have made many
friends whose acquirements and tastes would, to say the least,
make them very desirable acquisitions to our Club, and, in
some cases, to the more specialized learned Societies. It is
pleasant to think that the late visit of the British Association
to Australia has brought us into nearer scientific touch with a
people to whom we are under such a deep debt of gratitude
for their noble response and help in the ptresent war.
Jrijc JEan in tl)e Mali at ©Etimborne
By the Rev. Canon J. M. J. FLETCHER, M.A., R.D.
{Read 1th December, 1915.)
1"^— ^ —
MONGST the many objects of interest which,
attract more than ten thousand visitors during
the course of the year to the justly famed
Minster at Wimborne, there is one which is
probably sought for more frequently than
any other, unless it be the Chained Library
— and that is the sarcophagus of Anthony
Ettrick, often spoken of as " The Man in the
Wall." He is generally regarded as having been a mere
eccentric. I think that I shall be able to show that he was
both an eminent barrister and a distinguished antiquary.
There is a tradition in the family, possibly an authentic
one, that one Anthony Etterick, of Barford, who was born
about 1504, was Captain of Horse at the siege of Boulogne,
when that place surrendered to Henry VIII. in 1544.* And
* Burke's Commoners, Vol. III., pages 15-19.
THE MAN IN THE WALL.
27
there is a further tradition that he was a younger son of
Lord Ettrick, Earl of Dumbarton ; but that he had
expatriated himself owing to his being implicated in family
feuds.
Whatever may be the truth of these traditions, there is
no doubt that the Etterickes, or Ettricks, were settled at
Barford, in the parish of Wimborne Minster, in the sixteenth
century ; and William Ettricke, of Barford, whose will is
dated Nov. 28, 1575, was evidently a substantial farmer
there. He gave directions that his body was to be buried
in the church porch at Wimborne Minster, near to his
children. He mentioned his wife Elizabeth, and left bequests
of land, horses, and bullocks to his sons William, Giles, John
and Anthony. (P.C.C. 11 Carew).
It was probably this son Anthony who, by will, dated
March 1st., 1612, and proved Dec. 29, 1613 (in which he is
described as " Anthony Ettrycke of Barford, within the
parish of Wimborne Minster, gent."), left to the church of
Wimborne 20s., " to the poore people of the parishes of
Wimborne and Sturminster Marshall a quarter of corne to
be baked in bread and delivered them for their reliefe
according to the discretion of my executor." To his wife
Maud he left for her life the Mill (house) at Sturminster,
to his son Andrew £100 ; to his son William " The coppiholds
at Barford ; " and to his two daughters, Penelope and Lewis
(Louise), £200 between them " from the letting of the mills
at Sturminster." (P.C.C, 117 Capell).
William Ettrycke, mentioned in this will, married Anne,
daughter of William Willis of Pamphill. Their eldest son
Anthony is the subject of this sketch.
Anthony Ettrick was born at Barford on Sunday, Nov.
15th, 1622, f for which reason " his mother would say he was
a Sundaye's bird."
t Aubrey's Brief Lives, Sec, Edited by Andrew Clark, Oxford, 1898,
Vol. I., page 250.
28
THE MAN IN THE WALL
Residing as he did in the parish of Wimbornc, it is only
natural to assume that he received his early education at
the Grammar School in that town. We may well hope that
the experiences of his boyhood's days w^ere happier than were
apparently those of his contemporary and almost lifelong
friend John Aubrey, the Wiltshire antiquary, who wrote
in 1670 as follows :— f
" From the time of Erasmus till about 20 years past (1536-1650) the
learning was do\raright pedantry. The conversation and habits of
those times were as starcht as their bands and square beards ; and
gravity was then taken for wisdom. The doctors in those d&ys were
but old boys, when quibbles past for wit, even in their sermons. The
gentry and citizens had little learning of any kind, and their way of
breeding was suitable to the rest. They were as severe to their children
as their schoolmasters ; and their schoolmasters, as masters of the house
of correction. The child perfectly loathed the sight of his parents, as
the slave his torture. Gentlemen of 30 and 40 years of age were to
stand like mules and fools bare-headed before their parents ; and the
daughters (grown women) were to stand at the cupboard side during the
whole time of the proud mother's visit, unless (as the fashion was)
leave was desired, forsooth that a cushion should be given them to
kneel upon, brought them by the serving man, after they had done
sufficient penance in standing. . . At Oxford (and I believe at
Cambridge) the rod was frequently used by the Tutors and
Deans. And Dr. Potter, of Trinity College,* I know right well,
whipt his pupil with his sword by hia side, when he came to take leave
of him to go to the Inns of Court."
" Anthony Ettorick " matriculated at Trinity College,
Oxford, in September 1640, when he was in his eighteenth
year. The President of the College at that time was "the
wwthy but singular " Dr. Kettle, the predecessor of Dr.
Hannibal Potter, the flagellant above mentioned. A jea^v
and a half afterwards, John Aubrey became a student at
the same College. The two young men may have known one
another before their Oxford days, for Aubrey, although a
f Wiltshire. Topographical Collections by J. Aubrey, Edited by
Canon Jackson. Published by Wilts Arch. Soc. 1862, pages 16, 17.
* President of Trin. Coll. 1643-1648 and 1660-1664. cf. Walker's
Sufferings of the Clergy, Pt. 11., p. 133.
AT WIMBORNE MINSTER.
29
Wiltshire man by birth, had been at school at Blandford.
But whether they had first become acquainted in the days
of boyhood, or whether the acquaintance was first commenced
when they were fellow students at the University, it ripened
into a friendship which lasted for life. Aubrey had been
looking forward ^^ith eager anticipation to a University
career ; but these were troublous times, and Oxford had its
share of troubles. Aubrey writes as follows : — Peace
Atque inter sylvas Academi quaerere vzrum. But now did
Bellona thunder : and as a clear sky is sometimes over-
stretched with a dismal black cloud, so was the serene peace
by the Civill War through the factions of those times.
Amovere loco me tempora grato. In August following (1643)
my Father sent for me home for feare." He returned to
the University in February, though it was but for two or
three months, since owing to a serious epidemic of small
pox in Oxford in April and May, he left the University for
three years, and Ettrick was deprived of his companionship.
One event in their college life is narrated by Aubrey : —
" In my time f Anthony Ettrick and some others
frighted a poor young freshman of Magdalen Hall with
conjuring, which when the old Doctor (Dr. Ralph Kettell,
President of Trinity College from 1598 until his death in 1643)
heard of on the next Tuesday, sayd he, ' Mr. Ettrick,' who
is a very little man, will conjure up a jackanapes to be his
great-grand-father.' "
Aubrey and Ettrick were both keen archaeologists, and it
was perhaps this common pursuit which made them such
close friends. From time to time Anthony Ettrick is
mentioned in Aubrey's autobiography and other works ;
and an account of him is given in the volume of % Brief Lives.
It is here recorded that in the months of July and August,
* Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Magazine, Vol. IV»
(1858), pp. 101, 102.
t Aubrey's Brief Lives of Contemporaries, cfcc, Vol. II., p. 18.
% Ibid, Vol. I., p. 250.
30
THE MAN IN THE WALL
1660, the two friends went together for a month's visit to
Ireland, and that on their return journey they were very
nearly shipwrecked at Holyhead.
Aubrey gives Anthony Ettrick of Trinity College first
place in his list of amici, or special friends,* and at his death
he " left to the library of Jesus College, Oxford, such of his
books as Anthony Ettrick, or John Lydell,J also of Trinity
College, should think fit." f
On August 1st, 1650, he was married, at Gillingham, to
Anne, daughter of the Rev. Edward Davenant, D.D., Vicar
of Gillingham and nephew of the Bishop (John Davenant)
of Salisbury. Mrs. Ettrick's father was credited by Sir
Christopher Wren with being " the best mathematician in
the world." He was a man of vast learning, and had a
noble library — the aggregate of his father's, the bishop's,
and his own. According to Aubrey, Dr. Davenant had the
following "excellent way of improving his children's
memories " : — he would make one of them read a chapter,
or whatever it might be ; " and they were {sur le chmnp) to
repeat what they remembered, which did exceedingly profitt
them ; and so for sermons he did not let them write notes
(which faded their memories), but let them give an account
viva voce."* Mrs. Ettrick inherited to some extent her
father's mathematical gifts, and was an " excellent algebraist."
Anthony Ettrick had been admitted to the Middle Temple
on Nov. 26, 1641, and in course of time filled there almost
every possible position of dignity. He was called to the
Bar on Nov. 26, 1652 ; became a Bencher 22 Nov. 1672 ; a
Keader in Lent term 1674 ; and was appointed Treasurer in
1678.
The following references are extracted from the Records of
the Middle Temple :— f
* Ibid, Vol. I., p. 43.
X Walker's Sufferings of the Clergy, Pt. II., p. 133.
t Ibid, Vol. I., p. 52.
* t Middle Temple Records, by C. H. Hopwood, K.C., 1904.
AT WIMBORNE MINSTER.
31
1652. Nov. 26, Called to the degree of the Utter Bar, Ettoricke A.
1657. May 6, Mr. Antony Ettoricke of the Utter Bar to the chamber
of Messrs. John Stovvell and Edward Wallis, both of the Utter Bar, in
the S.W. corner of EJme Court, up one pair of steps, on surrender of
the latter ; fine £3.
1670. Nov. 25, Mr. Ettoricke's petition touching the beautifying of
the great gate is referred to the Treasurer.
1672. Nov. 22, Mr. Antony Ettricke is called to the Bench in order
to his reading, or depositing £50 in lieu of a Chamber till he has per-
formed his reading, and paying all arrears of duties. He shall continue
to be two years of the lower form at the Bench and read when appointed.
1673. Oct. 24, Mr. Antony Ettricke is elected Reader for next
Autumn.
1673-1684. During these j^ears Ettrick was constantly
chosen to act upon various committees which were appointed
to consider the erection of new buildings, alterations to
existing buildings, the beautifying of the Church, the alter-
ation of the seats, &c., &c.
1678. Oct. 25, Mr. Anthony Ettricke chosen as Treasurer.
His Coat of Arms, — -Argent a lion rampant and a chief
gules, — are, I believe, still to be seen in a panel at the Temple.
From 1662 until 1682 he was Recorder of the town of Poole.
From 1665 until 1687 he was one of the Church and School
Governors of Wimborne Minster.
He was one of the " barons " of Corfe Castle, for which
borough he stood as candidate for Parliament in 1677, in
the room of Sir Ralph Bankes, deceased ;* but he surrendered
it in favour of Lord Latimer, who was " chosen a Parhament
man." However, he was elected member of Parliament for
Christ Church, Hants, in 1685, and represented that place
until 1687.
Ettrick's friendship with Aubrey, the great Wiltshire
antiquary has been already spoken of. He was no mean
antiquary himself : —
Our County Historian, Hut chins, in the preface to his first
edition, writing of earlier Histories of Dorset, says " Mr.
* Domestic State PaperSy Charles II., 1677, Calendar page 81.
32
THE MAN IN THE WALL
Camden has given us a short but accurate account of it {i.e.,
the County of Dorset) in his Britannia, which, in Bishop
Gibson's edition, received considerable additions from
Anthony Ettrick, Esq., of Holt in this County, an eminent
lawyer." ;
In the Introduction to the 1st Edition of E. Gibson's
(afterwards Bishop of Limerick) Camden's Britannia,
published in 1695, it is stated that "Mr. Anthony Ettrick
returned what he thought most remarkable in Dorsetshire."
These additions were considerable ; for whereas the text
of the Britannia, so far as Dorset is concerned, is to be found
in pages 43 to 51, Ettrick's contributions occupy pages 51
to 56.
In the second edition of Gibson's Camden, Ettrick's additions
are incorporated in the text, although they are enclosed in
square brackets. And further additions are made by Mr.
Bennett.
But it appears as if the very existence of Hutchins' History
of Dorset may be indirectly due either to Anthony Ettrick
or to his father-in-law Dr. Davenant ; for, in his Introduction,
Hutchins writes as follows : — " About the year 1737. .
a friend in Oxford . informed me that there was a MS
collection containing inquisitions, extracts of records out of
the public offices, the Valor Beneficiorum of 1291, and other
curious particulars relating to the county which formerly
belonged to Dr. Davenant, vicar of Gillingham, and after-
wards to Anthony Etterick, Esq., who married a relation of
his, and was then in the hands of Mr. Sandford, B.D., senior
fellow of Baliol College. . . The perusal of this MS first
induced me to make further collections."
It could scarcely be considered an anachronism to say that
Anthony Ettrick was by birth and education " a Tory."
His father, three times at least in 1647 and 1648, was charged
with " delinquency," his goods were seized and secured, and
he himself was ordered to pay £24, " for lift and twentieth
part as by ordinance of Parliament injoyned," though the
charges brought against him were not at this time proved,
AT WIMBORNE MINSTER.
33
and he was " adjudged not sequestrable."* Eighteen months
later, on 21 February, 1649, he was reported to be worth
£200 a year, and was accused of having published a letter
from Sir John Bankes to his tenants, asking them to
strengthen Corfe Castle against the Parliament, and of f
having ridden at the head of a party of horse to a neighbour's
house, of having plundered it, and of having taken him
prisoner. Anthony's younger brother, Walter, who had
followed him to Trinity College, Oxford, was, with the
President of his College and more than 60 fellow members
of the University, expelled for his loyalty to the King, by
order passed on June 29, 1648, — the order with the names
being fixed to the doors of the University ChurchJ In early
life Anthony seems to have been more occupied with his
legal studies than with politics. As years passed on, his
'"Toryism" became more noticeable.
During the time that Anthony Ettrick occupied the position
of Recorder of Poole, one Samuel Hardy was appointed to be
Rector. This was in 1667. Hardy had been sent down
from Oxford in consequence of his unwillingness to take the
necessary oaths before proceeding to the degree of Master
of Arts. He had been Vicar of Charminster before going to
Poole. He was a Presbyterian at heart, and it is doubtful
whether he had ever been episcopally ordained. Poole w^as
a Peculiar, and so exempt from Episcopal and Archidiaconal
Jurisdiction. Amongst the Tanner MSS. in the Bodleian
Library at Oxford, are a number of letters written in 1681
in connection with this case. Hardy is accused of priding
himself on his impunity, as the Rector of an Exempt Peculiar
— " of Christening, Burying, and Administering the
* Minute Books of Dorset Standing Committee, Mayo, 1902, pages
296, 411, 422, 430.
f Calendar of Proceedings of Committee for Advance of Money, Pt. II.,
p. 1025.
X Gutch's Edition of Wood^s History and Antiquities of the University
of Oxford, 1796, Vol. II., Pt. II, pages 593,595. Walker's Sufferings of
the Clergy, Pt. II., p. 134.
34
THE MAN IN THE WALL
Sacrament his own way without the use of the Book of
Common Prayer." Ettrick took up the matter warmly.
And amongst the MSS. are letters from him to the Bishops of
Exeter and Chichester asking for an introduction to the
Archbishop of Canterbury, from the Bishops of Bristol,
Exeter, and Chichester to the Archbishop, recommending
Ettrick to him — and from Philip Traheron, one of the
Ministers of Wimborne, to the Archbishop, in which he signs
himself " Your Grace's most obedient son and most
affectionate servant," asking him to help Mr. Anthony
Ettrick. He states that " on Trinity Sunday, May 9th, 1681,
Hardy had left the Church destitute both of Sermon and
Divine Service, though it was also the annual Festival
established in commemoration of His Majesty's happy
Nativit}^ and Restoration."* Poole being a Peculiar, the
Bishop of Bristol, in whose diocese the County of Dorset
then was, could do nothing. Hardy had been presented
before the Officials of the Peculiar Courts of Poole and of
Canford without effect ; hence Ettrick's wish that the Arch-
bishop of Canterbury should intervene. Eventually a
presentment was made of Hardy to one of the judges of
assize, who was asked to beseech the King "in his princely
wisdom to think of some expedient for the redresse thereof."
As a result a commission was issued, and Hardy was deprived
of his benefice.
We pass on for three or four years. The battle of Sedge-
moor had been fought. A few days afterwards, on the eighth
of July, 1685, the Duke of Monmouth was discovered, dressed
as a shepherd, with a beard prematurely grey of several days
growth, hidden in a ditch. The place where he was captured
was beyond the village of Horton, and to this day it is marked
by an ash tree which is called Monmouth's Ash.f The nearest
magistrate was Anthony Ettrick, who resided at Holt Lodge,
* Tanner MSS., 129, Nos. 54, 55, 57, 59, 60, 61, 62, 73, &c.
t Quite recently the Earl of Shaftesbury has had a brass tablet
affixed to the tree, bearing an inscription.
1413086
AT WIMBORNE MINSTER. 35
in the parish of Wimborne. Before him was the Duke
brought for preHminary investigation of the charges brought
against him ; and just a week later he was beheaded on Tower
Hin.
In the Churchwardens' Accounts for Wimborne Minster
is the following entry : — (1685).
" pd to the Ringers for Ringing wn Monmouth was taken
. . 00.02.06."
We read in the second edition of Hutchins that, towards
the close of his life, Anthony Ettrick
" grew very humoursome, phlegmatic and credulous, of an impulse of
spirit, insomuch that having once (as I have been credibly informed)
a share in a ship and cargo, and receiving ad\'ice that the same was
safely delivered in Portland load, he was so far persuaded that the same
ship would be lost before she could arrive at the port of London, to
which she was consigned, that he sold his share therein, though at a
considerable discount. He had, however, the good fortune to be a
gi-eat gainer in the end, for (agreeably to his forebodings) the ship was
lost in her passage. Whether these or other accidents in life gave
him occasion I cannot say ; but he afterwards remained fully per-
suaded that he should die in the year 1691,* and accordingly procured
his tomb to be made, and had that date cut on as may be plainly seen,
the same being altered to 1703, in which year he died and was buried."
Report says that Anthony Ettrick, being offended with the
inhabitants of Wimborne, made a solemn protest that he
would never be buried within their church or without it —
* The Rev. R. Grosvenor Bartelot has pointed out to me that there
was a common impression that some remarkable event would happen
in the year 1691, the number being the same when read upside down ;
and he has given me the following extract from the Parish Register
of West Stour in Gillingham. It is to be found in the volume commenc-
ing in the year 1653 : —
" When numbers four turned upside downe
Makes numbers even and numbers years y*" same
Downe goee y*^ f rentch men and their crown
Together with their fame 1691."
It might be noticed that West Stour must have been well known to
Anthony Ettrick, seeing that his wife was daughter to the Vicar of
Gillingham. Will there be the same superstition about the year 1961 ?
36
THE MAN IN THE WALL
neither below their ground or above it — that is to say, neither
in their churoh nor yet in their churchyard ; f hut that, after
his anger had cooled down, he had a great longing for his
body to; be laid, after his death, beside the bodies of his
ancestors. With the skill of a lawyer, he endeavoured to
evade breaking his oath by obtaining permission to make
the recess in the wall where his coffin is placed — neither
within the church nor yet in the churchyard, and where the
surface of the ground outside would be neither above nor
below it.
An old writer, describing a visit paid to Wimborne on
Sept. 13, 1750, speaks of " The tomb of Mr. Anthony Etrick,
which is made like a stone coffin, half in the wall and half in
the church, which was made in his life time, this being his
fancy, like Nostre Dames at Salon between Aries and Aix,
to be buried neither in the church nor out of the church.
But his relations put him in a vault under ground directly
under the tomb."* And so the stone coffin does not contain
his body after all. For at the restoration of the Minster,
during the years 1855-1857, his remains w^ere found beneath
the coffin in a moist state. They were carefully replaced
where they were found. f
In the year 1692, writes Hutchins, " he obtained a licence
from the Rev. William Watkinson, Official of Wimborne,
for erecting this tomb, and for such liberty gave to the
Church for ever a rent of 20s., which is paid by the Corporation
of the town and county of Poole, out of the tithes of Parkston
near that town, being part of a fee-farm rent thereon."
Amongst the documents belonging to Wimborne Minster
is an indenture made between Anthony Ettricke of the first
part and Nicholas Mackrell and William Warham, the then
t cf. Hutchins' History of Dorset, 1st Edit., 1774, Vol. II., p. 95.
* Travels through England of Dr. Richard Pococke, Bishop of Meath
and of Ossory, in the years 1750-1.
f Salisbury Journal, October 3, 1857. (Account of the Restoration
and Re -opening of Wimborne Minster.)
AT WIMBORNE MINSTER.
37
Churchwardens of Wimborne Minster, of the second part, on
April 16th, 1703, from which we can learn a little more about
this gift : — John Titch of Henbury was in possession of a
certain fee farm rent of £12 16,^., " payable out of and for
the Rectory and Church of Poole." A portion of this,
amounting to the annual rent of £3, he sold to Anthony
Ettrick for £60, by indenture dated May 31st, 1693. A
yearly rent of twenty shillings Anthony Ettrick gave by the
above mentioned indenture to the Churchwardens and their
successors for ever in consideration of the sum of 5s. 'paid to
him by them, and because he had " obtained a grant to him
and to his heirs of and from the Officiall of the peculiar juris-
diction of Wimborne Minster of a certaine quantity or plott
of ground lying in the church of Wimborne Minster aforesaid
for a buriall place for himself e and his family." The remaining
£2 of the annual rent of £3 which he j)urchased from IVIr.
Fitch, Ettrick devised to the fellows of Trinity College,
Oxford (where he had himself been a student about 60 years
before) "to be spent on wines and tobacco on the fifth of
November, j'early." The remaining £9 16s. was apparently
sold by Fitch to William Stone who had been one of the three
" Presbyters," or Ministers of W^imborne Minster, and the
founder of the (chained) librar}^ there. It was by him added
to the income of St. Margaret's Hospital at Wimborne.
Anthony Ettrick died in the beginning of July, 1703. The
following is a copy of the entry in the Burial Register at
the Minster : —
" 1703, July, Anthony Ettricke Esquire, Buried ye 5."
His tomb is to be found in a recess in the south wall of
the Trinity Chapel. This chapel, before the great "restora-
tion," one is almost tempted to say " devastation," of 1855-7
was, so to speak, the " Westminster Abbey " of Wimborne,
w^here were laid the bodies of the more important inhabitants ;
and the walls, &c., were covered with their memorials. There
were the Hanhams of Deanscourt, the Fitches of High Hall,
the Constantines of Merly, the Warhams of Leigh, the Russells,
the Waytes, the Lanes, the Beethells, the Ettricks, &c.
38
THE MAN IN THE WALL
(though other Ettricks were interred in the N. porch). Here
too was the elaborate monument of Sir Edmund Uvedale, of
Horton, and in the centre of the floor was the altar tomb of
Dean Berwick, who died in 1312. And a portion of the
crypt just by was used as the burying place of the Bankes
of Kingston Lacy. Most of the memorials, such of them as
remain, have been scattered about in difierent parts of the
church ! Three of the Ettrick ones, of which that of Anthony
is one, still remain in their original positions.
The tomb in question is of slate, painted. Originally, it
was inclosed with iron rails. On the top are five coats of
arms : — Ettrick impaling Davenant, Ettrick impaling Bacon,
Ettrick impaling Hooper, Player impaling Ettrick, and Hody
impaling Ettrick. On the shields in front are the arms of
Ettrick quartered with Bacon, and of Ettrick impaling
Wyndham. Between these, in gold figures, is the date of his
death, 1703. This had been altered from the date of the year
in which he had expected to die, 1691, which had been painted
in silver.
Anthony Ettrick was not the only member of his family
who possessed eccentric ideas with regard to the method
of his sepulture ; for it is recorded of a certain Justice of the
Peace, one William Ettrick of High Barnes, Bishopwearmouth,
who died 22 Feb., 1808, at the age of 82, that, by his will,
(proved in the Durham Consistory Court 18 June, 1808), he
left the sum of £1,000 for a marble monument to be erected
in Bishopwearmouth Parish Church to his ancestors — Walter
(great grandfather), Anthony (grandfather), and William
(father). The will was proved by his son, Rev. William
Ettrick. It made provision for an eccentric sort of coffin
which was to be drawn to the grave in his dung cart.* This
William Ettrick was descended fromf Walter, above mentioned,
* (Newcastle) Monthly Chronicle of North Country Lore and Legend,
1870, pages 69 and 70.
t There is a full pedigree of Ettricke in Vol. XIII. of Visitation
of England and Wales, by F. A. Crisp, p. 195 ; cf. also Notes to the
Visitation of England and Wales, Vol. XI. pp. 61 — 68.
AT WIMBORNE MINSTER.
39
the younger brother of Anthony, who was, as stated above,
expelled from Trinity College, Oxford, in 1648, in consequence
of his loyalty to King Charles. He became, after the Restor-
ation in 1661, the collector of customs at Stockton and Sunder-
land, and Register of the Court of Admiralty. He purchased
the estate of High Barnes. He was born 26 April, 1628, and
died at Bath 2 August, 1700.
Of Anthony Ettrick — it is sad to feel that it is his
eccentricities alone which are now remembered, and that the
story of them is handed down from generation to generation
by means of the coffin in the wall at Wimborne Minster.
The position of eminence which he attained to at the Middle
Temple is a proof of the high esteem in which he w^as held by
his legal confreres ; and we are of the opinion that it will be
granted that there is sufficient evidence in this paper to show
that his antiquarian knowledge and researches have been of
no little service to later historians of his native county of
Dorset.
3Et$t of ©orset iSarrotos.
Opened by Mr. E. Cunnington, or Described by Him.
Compiled by Captain JOHN E. ACLAND, F.S.A.
{Read Ith Dec, 1915.)
>7i
SjpHIS list of Barrows opened by Mr. Cunnington
is compiled from his own MS. notes
contained in a volume, now in the library
of the Dorset County Museum, recently
presented by Miss Cunnington.
Although the list is given in an ab-
breviated form, care he^s been taken to
describe as far as possible the exact position
of each barrow, the contents and the date
of excavation ; for it is believed that these
details, pubHshed in a readily accessible form, will prove of
great advantage to those, in the future, who may contem-
plate similar work in the neighbourhood.
DORSET BARROWS.
41
With few exceptions they are all within a few^ miles of
Dorchester. One principal group lies on Ridge w^ay near the
two roads to Weymouth from Dorchester and from Martins-
town ; another group lies to the N.W. of Dorchester and
Poundbury. The " finds " from many of the barrows are
in the cases in the Dorset County Museum ; and in the
Library may be seen drawings of cinerary urns, and plans
connected with Mr. .Cunnington's investigations.
1 & 2. Two barrow^s under the Roman Vallum, S.E.
angle of Dorchester, i.e., East end of South Walks.
They were close together. An urn with ashes was
found, and also several skeletons. A.D. 1864.
3. On Conygar Hill, 1 mile South of Dorchester. At
7ft. from surface a skeleton, and close by a
cremation. Worked fhnts. 4th March, 1880.
4. Ditto, more to the East. At depth of 1ft. Gin.
cremation in urn, flower pot type. At 5ft. near
centre, 2 cremations ; at 9ft. a large block of
Portland stone 7ft. x 4ft. x 1ft. 6in. ; at 13ft. Oin.
contracted skeleton ; a cremation, urn and six
beautifully cut flint arrow heads near the knee
joint. There were many worked fhnt scrapers,
&c. (D.C.M.) 13th March, 1880.
5. Duddle Heath, 2| miles N.E. of Dorchester on right
side of road. This barrow had been disturbed, and
much soil carted away in 1872, when many urns
were destroyed. Two now in D.C.M.
August, 1880.
6. Herringston barrow. South of Dorchester. Skeleton
contracted. Ashes, worked flints, and fragments
of pottery. Several large sarsens. Sept., 1880.
7. Near Dorchester waterworks. At 8ft. from top, bronze
spear head 9in. long. Dagger, 3|ins. with rivets.
Urn and burnt bones. (D.C.M.) Jan., 1885.
-8. Frome Whitfield. On left of road to Bradford Peverell
1 1 miles from Dorchester. Contracted skeleton, below
ground level. Other cremated remains, fragments
42
DORSET BARROWS.
of pottery. Small bronze dagger 2Jins. with rivets
(Coin of Tetricus on surface). Aug., 1879.
9. Fro me Whitfield, in 2nd field from Farm House.
Six feet below ground level, skeleton in large oval
grave 8|ins. x 6ft. Oins.,with bronze dagger, Sins. ;
also other burials, worked flints, &c. July, 1879.
10. Fro me Whitfield. On right of road to Bradford
Peverell, 1 mile from Farm. Skeleton and a piece
of Samian pottery near top. Contracted burials
lower. Food vessel, with handle. Flint imple-
ments, &c. Aug., 1881.
11. Fro me Whitfield. Long Barrow. Next field to No.
10. 162ft. long, 62ft. wide. Trench cut throughout
the length, and also across. Some human remains
found. Sept., 1881.
12 & 13. Frome Whitfield, i mile from Farm, 300 yards
South- West of road. There are 3 barrows in a row.
In one, 2 drinking cups with skeleton ; in the other,
ashes. March, 1880.
14. Frome Whitfield. Barrow with trees on it. Had a
low bank round it. One cremation ; and lower,
much ashes. Sept., 1887.
15. Clandon Barrow, between Maiden Castle and Martins-
town. Composed of layers of sand, clay, and
grave]. 2ft. from surface, 2 graves 4ft. apart made
of rough flat stones, 6ft. long ; 17 stones used for 1
grave, nothing found with these interments. Four
feet lower, layer of fhnts 1ft. thick, and on the edge
of flints bronze dagger, and bronze ring attached
to remains of wood sheath ; diamond shape gold
ornament finely tooled ; jet sceptre head with gold
disks ; fragments of amber cup ; a little lower, an
incense cup ; also much black ash, and a crushed
cinerary urn. (D.C.M.) Sept. 15-20, 1882
16. Clandown — smaller barrow — 80 yards from No 15.
Remains of 14 burials. Skeletons, and cremations,
and a beaker. Aug., 1883.
DORSET BARROWS.
43
17. Maiden Castle. The large barrow N.W. When
opened for erection of flagpole, skeleton found near
surface, probably Roman.
18. The small barrow 200 yards west of No. 17, nearly
destroyed by plough — nothing found.
19. Fro me Whitfield, near No. 14. In small hollow at
ground level, part of inverted urn with burnt bones.
Feb., 1884.
20. Came Down, N.W. corner, nearest to Herringston.
A cremation, and good fhnt implements.
Aug., 1882.
21. Bridport Road. 2| miles from Dorchester, close to
road. S. side. Near top, skeletons, and a crema-
tion, and fragments of pottery. Aug., 1884.
22. Ditto, same field as 21. Cremation in small cist at
ground level — piece of stag's horn, and flint imple-
ments. No date.
23. Ditto If miles from Dorchester, South of road.
Contracted skeleton in cist 5ft. 6in. below ground
level. There was much burnt soil in the barrow.
Fine stag's horn pick. Now in D.C.M. Opened
by Mr. Sivewright and Captain Acland.
July, 1896.
Section through centre showed following sequence of soils,
from the top. 2ft. Gin. natural soil ; 2ft. of soft, rich, dark
soil ; 4ft. Oins. clean flints resting on old ground level. There
were also narrow seams of burnt earth.
24 & 25. Bridport road, near No. 23. Previously dis-
turbed and much worn down. August, 1885.
26 Down near Preston White Horse. Previously opened.
The primary burial, cremation in cinerary urn.
August, 1882.
27. Puddletown Heath on highest ground near boundary
of Colonel Brymer's propert3^ The most northern
of 3 barrows close together. Cremation. No date.
28. Lewell. Near side road to West Knighton. Cinerary
urn with bones and ashes. (D.C.M.) Sept., 1890.
44 DORSET BARROWS.
The following 13 Barrows, No. 29 — 41. are on Ridgeway,
and are shewn on the plan hanging in the Museum ; there are
a large number of barrows in the same locality.
29. (iVo.; 1 on plan), close to Weymouth and Martinstown
road. There was a stone circle, diameter 10ft.
composed of 22 stones, with an open space or
entrance of 8ft. Within this circle were 2 cists cut
in the chalk, and at a depth of 3ft. the capping
stones of 2 kistvaens were reached, which were lined
with thin stone slabs, and a large stone upright in the
centre to support the roof. With one skeleton
were two small vessels about 4 inches high, and in
the other kistvaen, the stones composing it were
carefully and exactly fitting, and it contained the
bones of a young person. Aug., 1884.
30. {No. 2 on 'plan). Contracted skeleton, with food
vessel, and near feet, a cremation.
March, 1884.
31. {No. 3 on plan). One cremation. Aug., 1884.
32. {No. 4 on plan). Contained a Idstvaen, 4ft. x 2ft.
lined with fiat stones, and covered wdth a large
stone. Contained some bones. (Nos. 2, 3, 4 are
close together.) August, 1884.
No. 5 on plan is the very fine example of a ringed
barrow, which appears not to have been opened by
Mr. Cunnington.
33. {No. 6 on plan) near Dorchester and Weymouth road.
Nothing of interest found. Sept., 1881.
34. Another barrow in same field, not shewn on plan ;
cremation in badly baked urn. Nov., 1888.
35. {No. 7 on plan). Near the top a cremation, with 2
bronze daggers, 6ins. long, one having 4 rivets and
the other 6, and decayed wood of sheaths ; also an
early type bronze celt with small portion of textile
fabric adhering, and a portion of another bronze
dagger. In addition to these objects, two gold
ornaments of oval shape probably fixed to a dagger
DORSET BARROWS.
45
handle, and carefully tooled. At 6ft. from top
was a floor of rough flat stones, a layer of flints,
and a 2nd floor under which, protected by 5 stones,
was a skeleton, and a bronze dagger 7 inches long
with 3 rivets. A cairn of stones 7ft. Oins. high
rested on the solid chalk, and here were found
a bone ornament with narrow opening, a 7 -sided
stone hammer with central hole, a bone needle,
and many flint implements. Under the cairn of
stones was a Idstvaen covered by a stone 5ft. Oin. by
4ft. Oin. supported by 6 upright slabs, which formed
a chamber 4ft. Oin. by 2ft. Oin. and 2ft. Oin.
deep. The sole contents were the decomposed
portions of a skeleton. Sept., 1885.
36. {No. 8 on plan). S.E. of Friar Waddon, and close
to boundary wall of the down, on South side. Near
the top a child's skeleton and a piece of black
Roman pottery. At depth of Oft. an extended
skeleton, laid between Portland stones, and near the
head a food vessel. At same level another extended
skeleton, with food vessel. Three feet below these
skeletons, a fine urn 16 inches high, 14ins. diameter,
half full of burnt bones, and close to it a small urn
4|ins. high. At the ground level, a contracted
skeleton which had been protected by large stones,
about 2ft. Oins. square and 4ft. thick ; they were
in a cist with the remains of a child. A fragment
of a saddle quern of Portland chert was found in the
barrow. Sept., 1885.
37. {No. 9 on plan). Used for many cremations, but
nothing found. August, 1886.
38. {No. 10 on plan). Near Nos. 7 and 9. Similar to
39. {No. II on plan). Like the last two, many cremations^
40. {No. 12 on plan). Bones of a skeleton, and a beaker.
No. 9.
August, 1886.
nothing found.
Oct., 1888.
Oct., 1884.
46 DORSET BARROWS.
41. ( No. IS on plan). At 2ft. from the surface a cremation ;
a fine cinerary urn full of ashes and burnt bones.
Oct., 1888.
42. The Down Wood, 2 miles from Blandford, on the left
of the road towards Wimborne. Opened in the
presence of the Field Club, Sept. 29, 1881.
At 3ft. 9ins. from surface, three cremations ; the
primary interments 3ft. Oins. below ground level ;
3 contracted skeletons. No pottery found.
43. Little Piddle. About 1 mile S.W. of Piddlehinton,
on Mr. C. Mayo's Farm. Five urns found with
burnt bones — 4 of them Dorset flower -pot shape —
8 cremations altogether in this barrow.
August, 1881.
44. Ditto close by the last. 1 cremation.
45. Ditto on Mr. C. Mayo's eweleaze. Five cremations ;
5 urns, 4 being the Dorset flower -pot shape.
Aug., 1881.
46. Plush. On the high ground above Plush. It was
levelled about 1871-2, when, it is said, 30 or 40
cinerary urns were discovered.
47. Plush. Near No. 46. Greatly reduced from its
original size. At the centre one urn with burnt
bones, protected by large stones.
August, 1879.
48. Plush. Between Nos. 46 and 47. An urn, and cre-
mation at ground level. No date given.
49. Worgret — 1 Mile west of Ware ham. Opened by Mr.
J. F. Pennie between 1825-1832, who sent an account
to the Dorset County Chronicle and Gentleman's
Magazine. He stated that 24 urns were found in
the upper part. The broken remains of one urn
were given to Mr. Cunnington, and were restored
and placed in the D.C.M. 19 inches high, 15 inches
diameter at top.
50. Fern Down, north of Eggardon, opened in XVIIth
century. Mentioned by Camden.
DORSET BARROWS.
47
51. Eggardon. Previously disturbed, and material taken
away. 6 bronze socket axe heads found early in
1882. NowinD.C.M.
52. Blackdown Hill. 100 yards north of the Hardy
Monument. Gravel, &c., had been carted away.
Nothing found. Sept., 1878.
53. Portesham. Near the Helstone cromlech (45 yards
S.E.). An urn containing burnt bones, and a stone
covering its mouth rested on the undisturbed soil.
August, 1894.
54. Gorwell, " Grey mare and colts." Mr. Cunnington
states that this " Long barrow " has been opened
at both ends, but gives neither date nor any details.
m
<0n ti)c ^tratt0rapt)i^^l ?Di0trtt)ution
OP THE
CnttesiDoli Skills anli tt)e Satlj-
By L. RICHARDSON, F.R.S.E., F.G.S.
{Read 1th Dec, 1915.)
a paper published in the Geological Magazine for
1910 I recorded all the vertebrate-remains
that I and Mr. Charles Upton had collected
from the Inferior Oolite of the Cotteswold Hills
and Bath-Doulting district. Since 1910 I
have completed my investigations of the
Inferior Oolite between Doulting and Burton
Bradstock, and therefore — in order that future
workers may know exactly what has been
found in the way of vertebrate -remains and the horizons
whence they came — the records are now tabulated.
Geol. Mag., dec. 5, vol. vii. (1910), pp. 272—274.
INFERIOR-OOLITE VERTEBRATES.
49
The late H. B. Woodward has written : —
" The Inferior-Oolite Series has yielded a rich and varied Invertebrate
fauna, but the remains of Saurians and Fishes are very rare.
The Reptilia that have been found include Megalosaurus and
Steneosaurus, and the Fishes are represented by Hyhodus, Sfrophodus,
etc."
At the end of the work from which the above quotation is
taken is a hst of the vertebrate-remains which had been
collected up to that year, namely, 1894.
In 1904 I gave a list of the vertebrate -remains which had
been recorded from the Cheltenham district and, except
for the insertion of a record of vertebrae and bones of ? Ichthyo-
saurus from Leckhampton and Sudeley Hills (on the
authority of James Buckman and H. E. Stickland), and the
more precise stratigraphical location of certain of the other
recorded remains, my list was the same as that mentioned
above as given in the Geological Survey Memoir.
List of Vertebrate-Remains from the Inferior-Oolite
OF THE COTTESWOLD HiLLS AND BaTH — BURTON
Bradstock District.
{Those distinguished by an asterisk were formerly in the
Author's collection, but are now in the collection of
the Natural History Museum, South Kensington.)
REPTILIA.
Dinosaur ia.
Megalosaurus bucklandi von Meyer. I have seen bones,
possibly belonging to this dinosaur, in the Truellei-'Bed of
Stony-Head Quarry between Bridport and Loders Cross on
the Dorchester Road.
^ " The Jurassic Rocks of Britain — The Lower Oolitic Rocks of
England (Yorkshire excepted) : " Mem. Geol. Surv., vol. iv. (1894), pp.
519—22.
3 " A Handbook of the Geology of Cheltenham " (1904), p. 230.
50 STRATIGRAnilCAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE
The fine remains of a Megalosaurus hucklandi secured })y
Mr. E. Cleminshaw (then of Greenhill, Sherborne, but at
the present time, 1915, of Birmingham), and now in the
Sherborne, School Museum, are stated by (Sir Richard)
Owen, who described and figured them ^^^^ to have come from
the " Inferior Oolite " of " near Sherborne." They came
from the Sherborne Building Stone of garantiance hemera.
Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc, vol. xxxix (1883), pp. 334—346, and pi. xi.,
figs. 1, 2, and 3. Casts of the specimens figured by Owen have been
made and are exhibited in the Natural History Museum, South Kensing-
ton, to which institution Mr. Cleminshaw presented the counterpart
of the large piece — that depicted in fig. 1.
Mr. Cleminshaw informs me
" I did not actually find the remains myself. A friend told me that
in some building -stone got out for building a new house in Cold Harbour,
Sherborne, what he thought were reptilian remains had been found.
From his description, in answer to my enquiries, I knew at once what
they were and secured them. The site of the quarry in which the
remains were found is very near the back of the houses on the north
side of Cold Harbour Road, but it is quite possible that the quarry,
which was only opened for building -stone, may not now be used. There
were many small quarries round Sherborne, which were worked for a
short time and then abandoned {in litt., 10th Sept., and 13th Oct.,
1914.)
" The middle part of the crown of a tooth : from the
Inferior Oolite of Selsl[e]y Hill, Gloucestershire " is in the
Natural History Museum (R. 497). It was figured by Owen
in his " Wealden and Purbeck Reptilia," pt. iii., pi. xii.,
fig. 5 (1). The precise horizon is not given.
Crocodilia.
Steneosaurus megistorhynchus (Deslongchamps). " Frag-
ment of maxillary rostrum, showing three dental alveoli."
" Gryphite-Grit " [shirhuirnice) . Bajocian.
( Vide R. Lydekker, Cat. Fossil Reptilia in the Brit.
Mus., pt. i. 1888, p. 116.)
1 Vide R. Lydekker, Cat. Fossil Reptilia in the Brit. Mus., pt. 1
(1888), p. 161.
INFERIOR-OOLITE VERTEBRATES.
51
*1Steneosaurus sp. (1) Reptilian jaw, perhaps Steneosaurus.
Witchellia-Grit {witchellice) . Bajocian. Cold Comfort,
near Cheltenham.
ICHTHYOPTERYGIA.
IchtJiyosauria.
? Ichthyosaurus sp. VertebrjB and other bones. ? Bajocian.
Leckhampton and Sudeley Hills.
Vertebrae and other bones, referred with a query to Ichthyosaurus,
are recorded by James Buckman and H. E. Strickland (2nd ed. of
Murchison's " Outline of the Greology of Cheltenham," p. 80) from
" Leckhampton and Sude][e]y Hills," but the record requires
confirmation.
Sauropterygia.
Plesiosauria.
*? Plesiosaurus sp. Tooth. Lower Trigonia-Grit (discitce).
Bajocian. Frith Quarry, near Stroud. Peclen-'Bed
(sauzei), Sunny-Hill Quarry, Cole, Somerset.
Professor S. H. Reynolds and Dr. C. W. Andrews
both state that the tooth from the Frith Quarry is
" Plesiosaurian in tj^pe."
The specimen from Sunny-Hill Quarry, broke during the process
of extraction, but was similar to that queried as plesiosaurian from the
Frith Quarry.
*? Pliosaurus sp. Two teeth. Top of Lower Trigonia-
Grit or bottom of Buchnani-Grit (discitce). Bajocian.
Tuffley's Quarry, near the Air Balloon Inn, between
Cheltenham and Birdlip, Glos.
Professor S. H. Reynolds states that these teeth " are
exactly like Pliosaurian teeth in the British Museum " —
an identification confirmed by Dr. C. W. Andrews.
A piece of bone 6 inches long was obtained from the
Gryphite-Grit [shirhurnice) of the west side of the Slad
Valley, Stroud, by Mr. Charles Upton.
52
STRATIGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE
PISCES.
Elasmobranchei.
Selachii.
Aster acanthus. See Strophodus.
Hybodus sp. Base of " The Limestone Beds " {zigzag).
Bathonian. East -Hill Quarry, Bradford Abbas, near
Sherborne, Dorset.
This tooth broke when an attempt was made to chisel it out.
Strophodus. General Note. — ^The teeth called Strophodus
include two species : one in which the crown is flat {S.
magnus Ag.), and the other in which it is considerably
elevated, and the tooth itself long and narrow {S. tenuis
Ag.). Satisfactory figures of these species will be found
in the " Catalogue of the Fossil Fishes in the British
Museum," pt. i (1889), pi. xv., figs. 2, 3, and 4-8. The
teeth which have been named S. reticulatus are now
definitely known to belong to Asteracanthus ornatissimus
Ag., and are very differently ornamented and keeled.
S . magnus Ag£issiz {=zS. favosus). Teeth. Aalenian, Bajocian
and Bathonian.
Records : Clypeus-Grit or Doulting Beds. — ^Harford
Bridge (near Burton-on-the-Water) ; *Birdlip Hill ;
*Slad Valley (near Stroud) ; *Rodborough Hill ; *Sound-
borough Farm (near Andoversford) ; Quarry seven-
eighths of a mile east of Paulton Church (near Radstock,
Somerset) ; *Doulting ; Woolston Quarry, near Blackford,
Somerset.
Upper Trigonia-Grit. — * Holwell (near Fro me :
" Acanthothyris-spinosa-Bed ") ; *Maes Knoll, Dundry
(near Bristol : " Conglomerate -Bed ") ; and Baggerbush-
Lane Quarry, Bradford Abbas, near Sherborne, Dorset.
Notgrove Freestone. — *Belas Knap, near Winchcomb,
Glos.
2 Bed B of Mr. Biickman's record, Quart. Journ. Gcol. Soc, vol.
xlix. (1893), p. 485.
INFERIOR-OOLITE VERTEBRATES.
53
Buckmani-Grit. — *Tuffley's Quarry, near the Air-
Balloon Inn, between Cheltenham and BirdHp.
Lower Trigonia-Grit. — Ravensgate Hill, near Chelten-
ham (Town Museum, Cheltenham),
Base of Pea -Grit or top of Lower Limestone. —
*Huddingknoll Hill, near Painswick, Glos.
S. tenuis, Agassiz. Teeth. Bajocian and Bathonian.
Records : Clypeus-Grit or Doulting Beds. —
*Doulting ; *Foss-Way Quarry, near Radstock,
Somerset.
Upper Trigonia-Giit . — *Wellow, near Radstock,
(" Conglomerate -Bed ").
Gryphite-Grit. — *Kimsbury Castle {teste C. Upton),
near Painswick, Glos.
HOLOCEPHALI.
"^Myriacanthus sp. Two fragments of palantine teeth.
Identified by Dr. A. Smith Woodward. Inferior
Oolite. Cleeve Hill, near Cheltenham.
Remains of this genus of Chimseroid fish have not been
recorded before from the Middle Jurassic : only from the
Lias and Kimmeridgian {vide Dr. A. Smith Woodw^ard,
Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc, vol. Ixii., 1906, pp. 1-4, and
pi. i ; Brit. Mus. Cat. Fossil Fishes, pt. ii, 1891, p. 43).
Unfortunately, the fragments from Cleeve Hill were
not found in situ.
*? Fish-teeth. — Mr. Charles Upton found amongst the
micro-organisms of the Upper Coral-Bed ( J^me?/e^hemera)
of Rodborough Hill, Stroud, a number of minute teeth not
unlike those from the Rhaetic, which are generally called
" Saurichthys acuminatus only much smaller. Also he
obtained at the same horizon and place a minute round
Lepidotus-like tooth.
? Fish-remains in the Scissum-Beds. — Brodie, writing of
the beds at Leckhampton Hill (Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc,
vol. vii., 1851, pp. 208-12), which are now called the Scissum-
Beds, observes : " Bones, scales, Coprolites and teeth of Fish
54 STKATIGRAPIIICAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE
are dispersed throughout the mass, and may be most readily
distinguished on the surface." At Crickley Hill the Scissum-
Beds reveal on their weathered surfaces, mixed up with the
sand-grains and shell-debris, innumerable black particles,
which prove to be minute phosphatic bodies. These may
be the objects to which Brodie refers, but it is impossible
to identify them.
The Inferior- Oolite Vertebrates of no Value for the
Purpose of Minute Zoning.
From the above list it will be observed that the fish-teeth
called Strophodus are commonest in the Top-Beds (and
especially in the Clypeus-Giit) ; the reptilian remains (with
the exception of Megalosaurus hucklandi) in the " Inter-
vening-Beds ; " while the Freestone Series (except at
Huddingknoll, near Painswick, where Strophodus teeth are
very common) contains very few vertebrate -remains indeed.
The Upper Coral-Bed has yielded a few, but unfortunately
indeterminate, teeth, although probably piscine.
Except, then, that the flat Strophodus teeth predominate
in the Top-Beds, the little acuminate ^fish-teeth in the Upper
Coral-Bed, and the reptilian remains in the Intervening-Beds,
the Inferior-Oolite vertebrates afford little assistance in
subdividing the series, and are useless for minute zoning
purposes.
INFERIOR-OOLITE VERTEBRATES. 55
The Chronological Succession of the Vertebrate Faunas.
Burton-Brad.stock — Doulting District.
Doulting — Stonesfield District.
llijhodus sp. (tooth).
zigzag
schlcenbachi
Strophodus magnus Agassiz (teeth).
tenuis Ag. (teeth).
Bones of ? Mtgalosaurus.
trueUei
LnjndotusAWiQ teeth.— Upper Coral Bed.
Megalosaurus hucldaiuli von Meyer. —
Sherborne Building Stone.
Strojifiodus magnus Ag. (teeth).
garantiauae.
Strophodus magnus Ag. (teeth).
^e«ia"s Ag. "(teeth).
niorti'nsis
hlagdeni
'/ Pltsiosaurus (fragment of a tooth).
sauzei
U'itchdliae
f Steneomurus sp. (jaw). — Wifchellia —
Grit.
Stvophudus magnus Ag. (tooth). — Not-
grove Freestone.
shirhuirniae
Bone (pieces of).
Steneosaurus megistorhynchus (Desl.)
Strophodus tenuis Ag.
discitae
'f Plesiosaurus (tooth). — Lower Trigonia —
Grit.
? riiosaurus (tooth). — Lower Trigonia —
Grit.
Strophodus viagnus Ag. (teeth).
concavi
hradfonlensis
murchisonae
Megalosaurus hucldandi von Meyer. —
Lower Freestone.
Strophodus magiius Ag. (teeth). — Top of
Lower Limestone.
scissi
opaliniforinis
aaleneis
tlje j[lex0l)t)ourni0 Counties.
By E. A. RAWLENCE.
[Read 1th Dec, 1914.)
jpHE subject of the third of the series of papers
which I have had the pleasure and honour
of reading before the Field Club is Folk-
Lore reminiscences relating to man and
beast.
In the two previous papers I have
more particularly dealt with the human
side. In the present paper, while still
dealing with that aspect, I wish to touch
on some of the superstitions relating to the ailments of
animals and their cure, but while you will readily realise
how important these are to the bucolic mind, you will also
realise that many of the complaints and remedies are not
FOLK-LORE REMINISCENCES.
57
such as I could refer to before an audience such as I am
addressing. These must for the present at any rate remain
recorded in my rough notebook.
The first story I propose to relate will give you an idea of
the psychological condition of mind of those who imagine
themselves subject to spells.
One H — , a dairyman who resided at Bishop's Down, had a
turn of very bad luck, and he was persuaded that he had
been bewitched by someone who had an evil eye upon him.
His pigs would not fatten properly and some had died, and
when he put the curd of the cheese into the vats and applied
the pressure of the press it oozed out over the heads of the
vats. He became so depressed under this supposed spell
that he made an appointment at Yeovil with one Gulliver,
a Somersetshire man, who had a great reputation for undoing
spells. The appointment was kept on a market day at a
certain inn, but as the inn itself was so crowded Gulliver took
H — up into the hay loft over the stable, the dim light of
which no doubt added to the mystery of the situation. Here
H — had to tell Gulliver of all his troubles, and when Gulliver
had duly pondered the tale of woe, all he said was — " Now
I can tell 'ee who has bewitched yer, what shall I do we' 'en ? "
H — , thirsting for vengeance for all the trouble caused by the
evil eye of his enemy, answered " Put out both his ej^es."
Gulliver suggested that that would be a bit hard on the man,
" Won't one be enough ? " H — relented somewhat and
assented to be satisfied wdth one eye. Gulliver then said —
" Nov/ I'll tell 'ee who he be," and pointing his finger at H —
said, " You be the man." You be zo anxious about yer stock
that yer overlooks what yev ought for to do and does what
yer ought not to do. Yer overheats yer curds and that
makes 'em too zoft, zo that when yer puts it into the press
it spews out. Yer gets up in the mornin' and runs out in the
dark to veed yer pigs and don't do it properly. Now yer
must be more quiet like and careful. Have a cup o' taa
and zomethen to ate when yer gets up and don't go out we'
an empty stomach."
58
FOLK-LORE REMINISCENCES.
This wholesome advice was duly followed, and needless to
say the pigs did not die until their throats were cut, and the
curd was firm and good, but what this homely advice cost
H — I have not been able to ascertain.
A lady of a well-known Dorset family has supplied me
with the following which happened quite recently, but I am
not, for good reasons, permitted to mention any names or
places. A certain village not a hundred miles from
Dorchester was visited with a severe epidemic of whooping
cough. Three of the children of a man in Mr. X.'s employ
fell ill with the complaint. Mrs. X. remarked to him " I
hope that your wife wdll not get it." " Oh, no, Ma'am,"
was the reply " she cant ha' it. She rode the donkey
when she wer young." Mrs. X. asked for an explana-
tion of this, and was informed " that if yer puts a chile
crosswise over a donkey's back and leads 'en round a field
while yer repeats the Lord's Prayer her can niver ha'
the whoopen' cough. Yer must zay the prayer with
meanen. Ma'am. T'aint no good if yer only zays it."
Mrs. X. then said, " Have you forgotten to do this with
the three children that are ill ? " " Yes, Ma'am, but the
little 'un have ridden the donkey." The " little 'un " up to
then had escaped.
Mrs. X. is confident that the man insisted that the child
had to be put " crosswise " on the donkey. My impression
is that the virtue in the ass is that the child should be
placed on the cross which that animal traditionally bears on
its shoulder, through our Lord having ridden on one just
before His Passion.
The same lady kindly gave me the following pretty legend.
Recently two men were working in the garden and she
remarked to one " Have you heard the nightingale ? " " Yes,
ma'am, he do zing an' zing an' zing all day an' night in my
garden." The man working with him said, " Ha' yer ever
zee'd 'en ? " " Zee'd 'en ? no ; no man ever zee'd a nightin-
gale, 'tis a spirit bird." " Aye, aye," replied his mate, and
they went on with their digging as before.
FOLK-LORE REMINISCENCES.
59
In July, 1912,1 was informed by one of the estate workmen
at Sherborne Castle, who acts as one of my Scouts, that
some old charm had been dug up under an apple tree on a
farm at a village near by. Shortly after, I was passing that
way and looked the farmer up, and obtained the following
information. In a corner of the orchard near the house
two or three apple trees had blown down, and another still
standing had died. The farmer and his man had " beat up "
the roots of the fallen trees, and then proceeded to grub up
the dead tree. No sooner had they taken off the turf round
the roots of the tree than they came upon a glass bottle,
like a " large sweety bottle," which was sealed down with
wax, and contained some snakes and mj^sterious reptiles
preserved in a liquid. The workman advised that the bottle
should be taken to someone who lived in a large village
about a mile away who knew about these things. This
was done, and the wise man diagnosed that the bottle con-
tained two vipers about 18 inches long and a large centipede
about 6 inches long, preserved in spirits of wine. He also
said that it was a charm put there by someone Avho had a
spite against the farmer to bring him bad luck, and advised
him to seek some wise woman who could break the spell.
Now the whole secret of the catastrophy to the apple trees was
out, and, worse still, the farmer himself had been really ill
for the past year. Consequently, the assistance of the wise
woman to whom I have before referred in these papers was
at once sought. She informed the farmer that it was the
work of someone who had a spite against him, and remarked
" I suppose the tree wer dead." This having been admitted,
" Ah," said she, " just you plant anything there and zee if
it'll grow." Then the wise woman gave him the recipe for
breaking the spell. " Take the bottle to zome place off the
farm wher' nobody knows, dig a hole, put the bottle into it,
then break the bottle and cover it down quickly." The
farmer told me that it smelt "fearful " when the bottle was
broken — no doubt through the exit of the foul spirits. I
could not get him to disclose where the bottle was buried.
60
FOLK-LORE REMINISCENCES.
The man was evidently very unhappy, and as I left he
told me confidentially that he would like a shift if I ever
had another farm that I could offer him. Anyway, tilings
have gone all right with my friend since the spell was broken.
He is now the picture of health, and I hope next Michaelmas
to be able to give him his desired " shift." I must not say
where, for fear his enemy may forestall him with another
" charm," and thus bring a catastrophy on his orchard and
his prospects. It has occurred to me whether the idea of
burying these reptiles under an apple tree in order to produce
an evil influence originates form the scene in the Garden of
Eden.
At the end of 1912 I was being motored in the neighbour-
hood of Wimborne, and the chauffeur told me that west of
Wimborne the country side was full of superstition, and
that not long since a man whose old sow had been ill had
assured him that it had been bewitched by some one with
an evil eye. He went to a wise woman, who gave him a
charm which he had used, and he declared that he " had
seen a hare jump out of the old zow's mouth and run away
across the field over the hedge and disappear." I have
come across traces of this idea of the disappearing hare in
three other directions. I remember many years ago, alas,
before I took sufficient interest in these old traditions to
probe them further and record them, that the late Mr. Fred
Sidford, of Knighton Farm, Bishopstone, told me that old
people round Ebbesborne and Cranborne Chase used to talk
about seeing a greyhound coursing a hare along the hill side,
and just as the greyhound was about to catch the hare it
disappeared or turned into an old woman.
An old schoolmaster of my acquaintance, in speaking to
me on the subject of one of my former papers, told me that
in his younger days he lived at a village near Somerton, and
that there was in the district a lot of superstitions. Somerton
boasted of a noted Wise Woman who was much sought
after. There was a certain hare which the greyhounds or
coursers, as they were locally called, used to find that always
FOLK-LORE REMINISCENCES.
61
ran straight in the direction of the Wise Woman's Cottage,
and then was suddenly lost. The people declared that when
they went into the Wise Women's cottage afterwards they
found her with her hair loose down her back and she " in a
bath o' sweat," thus proving conclusively that she was the
hare that they had been chasing.*
In the Antiquary for April, 1915, was an article by Miss
Barbara C. Spooner on " The importance of Local Cave
Traditions." Amongst those quoted was the following :
" The Devil pipes to witches in the fuggo at the foot of Boleigh
Hill (Cornwall). Witches in the shape of hares enter, but
never come out the same way." See Bottrell's " Traditions
and Heart hside Stories of West Cornwall."
Now I venture to suggest that these superstitions may all
have been derived from the early British legend quoted by
Elton in his chapter on " Religion " in his book Origins of
English History, pages 253 — 4. I quote the following
passage : —
" The White Fairy Ceridwen makes war upon the prince of the
dwarfs. In one form of the story the Fairy becomes an old witch
and the dwarf is a boy who watches the boiling cauldron. Three
drops of the liquor of Imowledge are tasted by Gwion. Pursued at
once by the hag " he changed himself into a hare and fled, but she
transformed herself into a greyhound and turned him ; and he ran
towards the river and became a fish, and she in the form of an otter
chased him under water till he was fain to become a bird of the air."
" The first part of the legend appears in slightly different
forms in the Irish Stories of Finn MacCumhal, and also among the
adventures of Sigurd in the ' Song of the Nibelungs.'
I would here venture to quote another reference from
Elton which, although a little outside the scope of my paper,
* The hare was frequently found on the land of a farmer whose
cattle had been doing badly and things generally going wrong, as the
result of the woman having bewitched him. This of course further
confirmed the identity of the hare. My informant tells me that the
farmer was so obsessed with the idea that he was bewitched that he
gave up his farm and migrated to Wales.
02
FOLK-LORE REMINISCENCES.
has a distinct interest to Dorset, and I refer to it as it affords
three instances of a legend, a beverage, and a custom which
are still extant, and can apparently be traced back to the
hoary ages prior to Anno Domini. On page 32 of Elton a
quotation is given from the account written by Pytheas, the
Grseco -Phoenician traveller, about 320 B.C., of his journey
through Britain and especially along the Southern coasts.
After narrating the customs obtaining in growing and thresh-
ing wheat, he adds " they made a drink by mixing wheat
and honey," which is still known as " metheglin " in some
of our country districts ; and he is probably the first authority
for the description of the British beer which the Greek
physicians knew by its Welsh name, and against which they
warned their patients as a " drink producing pain in the
head and injury to the nerves." I have known metheglin
made at Stour Provost, and the old saying was " that if you
got drunk on metheglin you did not get sober for a week,"
so that the old Greek physicians were not far wrong in their
warning against its potency.
I fear that I have so prolonged the first part of this paper
that I can only deal with a few instances relating to animal
ailments.
Some years since, in going over a farm — I think it was at
Holwell, but as it was before I commenced recording these
matters I am not quite sure as to the locality — I observed a
calf that had been prematurely born placed high up in the
fork of an ash bush in the hedge. I asked the farmer what
led him to place it there, and elicited the information that
if the dead calf was placed in the fork of a maiden ash {i.e.,
an ash tree grown direct from the seed) and with its head
toward the East that it would prevent other cows in the
herd from casting their calves. On further enquiry I gathered
from the late Mr. J. J. Young, of Pinford, that when he was
a boy the custom was quite common in the neighbourhood
of Glanvilles Wootton. Also, I heard of a farmer in the
neighbourhood of Wincanton who was a great believer in
this specific, and if a cow was observed to have been affiicted
FOLK-LORE REMINISCENCES.
63
in this way all his men had to turn out and walk the farm
until the foetus had been discovered and duly placed in the
ash tree.
This is extremely interesting, as it shows that the agricul-
turists of old had from natural observation forestalled
science by many centuries, as it is only in comparatively
recent years that scientists have come to the conclusion that
this disease in cattle is contagious ; on the Continent and in
America they have for many years been endeavouring to
find a serum that would protect cows from this complaint,
and I believe that our Board of Agriculture has had the
honour of carrying off the laurels.
Now, our forebears had found that by leaving a foetus on
the pasture land to be consumed by dogs and ferce naturce
it resulted in further trouble with their stock, and they
resorted to the very natural expedient of putting it up into
a tree out of the way. But note the tree and the position,
which affords us some idea of the age and origin of the custom.
The ash was a sacred tree of the Druids, especially the rowan
tree or mountain ash, known also as the quicken tree, and
Avas used as a specific against witchcraft.* Placing the head
of the foetus to the East points to sun worship, also a Druidicai
rite. Thus it may reasonably be assumed that this old custom
has come down to us from Druidicai times, and it appears that
these old folk proved by practical experience that by follow-
ing a very simple act of hygiene their stock was saved from
further trouble ; but apparently their sun god had the credit
for the cure.
Thus it will be seen that we have traced with some measure
of certainty, first a legend, secondly a beverage, and thirdly
a custom, which have clung to our countryside and have
been handed down to us by tradition from father to son for
* Ash was especially sacred in Scandinavia. The first man was
Ask (Ash) and the first woman was Embla (Elm). The court of the
gods in Edda was held under an ash tree (Ygydrasil).
Gilbert White relates that in Selborne children with rupture were
passed naked through a cleft ash to cure them.
G4
FOLK-LORE REMINISCENCES.
fully two thousand years until the present generation, but
these traditions have during the last hundred years been
becoming fainter and fainter until they have now almost
disappeared.
The following I obtained from Pulham in 1905 : To cure
loo or looer in cows, a disease that breaks out just above the
hoof. Find the cow where she is resting early on a dewy
morning. Turn her up and mark carefully the spot where
she places the diseased foot at the third step. Then cut out
the sod and place it uside down in a white thorn bush, and as
the sod dries up and dies so the looer will dry up and heal.
Old Mrs. L., of Bishop's Down, who died at the great age
of 93 in 1910, had a great reputation for curing the red water
and other diseases in cows. I asked her son to try and find
out before she died the nature of her charm. He told me
afterwards that he had asked her, and her reply was " Lah !
bless 'ee, I does nothin', only prays the Lord to cure 'em."
I don't think that the old lady took any fee for her charm.
My friend W. T. is a great pig breeder, and at times some of
his pigs got crippled with rheumatism. He told me that the
way to cure this was to cut off the tip of their tails. He said
that " it made a tar'ble mess as they bled zo." I suggested
cauterising the tips to stop bleeding, but he replied " Bless
'ee 'tis the bleedin' that does the good, as it draas the blood
away from their heads." He also told me that when the pig
had anything the matter with its lungs the best way to cure
it was to open its mouth and make four gashes in its throat.
" A pig al'as zwallers everything and never allows it to come
out of its mouth ag'in, zo that the blood gets down into its
lungs and cures 'em." He could not tell me why four gashes
were necessary, but was very firm that it must be four.
At Buckland Newton one day I chanced to remark on some
very talkative individuals. The old farmer who was walking
by my side soliloquised thus : —
" Ah ! a quiet zow eats up the loud zow's meat ;
While the loud zow is a'squeakin' the quiet zow
fills her belly."
FOLK-LORE REMINISCENCES.
65
Sometimes one gets a rebuff in attempting to get behind
the scenes. One day I was walking round a farm with one
of the driest old pieces of "double Dorset" that I know.
He began to pour out his troubles as to the losses he had had
with his stock. I thought that I had a splendid opportunity
to get some folk lore, so quietly asked if he had ever been to
the wise woman who I knew lived about half a mile from his
farm. He turned on me with this remark : "I dwont believe
in any o' they ther' things, nor in vets neither. If they be
took vur death they dies, and if they lives they lives." Well,
that was Kismet with a vengeance, and I could say no more.
Such are some of the quaint sayings and practices of the
farmers and yokels of the recesses of the Blackmore Vale
which may still be gleaned as one rambles amongst its well-
timbered pastures ; but, alas ! how much has been for ever
buried under the new conditions created by the Education
Acts.
m
3rt)e ^iik Inliustrp in Messex-
I. THE THROWING-MILLS AT SHERBORNE AND
THEIR OWNERS.
II. DOMESTIC ECONOMICS IN THE EIGHTEENTH
CENTURY.
By HENRY SYMONDS, F.S.A.
[Y the kindness of Mr. S. Whitty Chandler the Field
Club has received a collection of original deeds,
letters, letter books, and account books relative
to the silk industry carried on at Sherborne
and neighbouring places during the second
half of the eighteenth century. These
documents have enabled me to describe in
the following pages the annals of an under-
taking which was probably the first of its kind in this
county and certainly the longest lived.
Our historian Hutchins tells us that "about 1740 a silk
throwster settled here," that is, at Sherborne ; but in default
of any evidence in support of that date I am inclined to
think that the industry was not established until about
13 years later, viz., in 1753.
In September of the last named year John Sharrer, of
Little AylifEe St., Goodman's Fields, in the parish of White-
chapel, silk thrower, acquired the lifehold interest of a family
THE SILK INDUSTRY IN WESSEX.
67
named Hart in a water grist-mill, dwelling house, and three
acres lying in the homage of Westbury within the manor
of Sherborne, then held under a lease dated 1728
from William, Lord Digby, upon the life of Sweet Hart, a
tide waiter in the port of Liverpool. John Sharrer, having
thus gained possession of Westbury mill and having
presumably started the silk trade, obtained another lease from
Edward, Lord Digby on the 1st April, 1755, for 99 years on
two lives, to begin after the death of Sweet Hart. On the
next day. Lord Digby and Henry his brother signed an
agreement with Sharrer whereby they undertook to grant to
him, as soon as certain legal formalities permitted, an absolute
lease of the mill and its appurtenances for 70 years, and
Sharrer was empowered " to pull down the buildings and to
" erect others in their stead for the better carrying on
" his business of silk throwing." The existing mill-house at
Westbury dates, therefore, from the year 1755 or thereabouts.
Sharrer, as we have seen, was a Spitalfields throwster, and
his object in thus extending his business was probably three-
fold. He had relatives living in Sherborne, there was water
power for his machinery, and there was a sufficient supply of
labour furnished by women and children, as to which I shall
have more to say presently.
The trade having been established and the water-mill
rebuilt, the next document to be noticed is a partnership
agreement dated 2 May, 1764, between John Sharrer and
his two nephews, George Ward of Sherborne, silk thrower,
and William Willmott of Hornsey, who followed a similar
occupation. It is chiefly round the last named person that
this story centres, as Willmott eventually became the owner
of the silk mill and developed its business with untiring
perseverance. The agreement of 1764 recites that Sharrer,
in consideration of the trust and confidence reposed in his
nephews, desired to advance them in the world, and therefore
accepted them as his partners in the practical working of the
business for seven years. We also learn that the uncle had
expended more than £2,500 in rebuilding and fitting up
68
THE SILK INDUSTRY IN WESSEX.
Westbury mill, and other premises in Sherborne leased from
Benjamin Bastard. One clause in the deed provides that
the said George Ward and William Willmott shall not during
the partilership " play at cards, dice, tables, bowls or other
" games for more than the sum of two shillings and sixpence,
" or bet or lay more than that sum at any such game or at
" any horse race or cock match or other sport or pastime
" without the previous consent in writing of John Sharrer."
The House of Commons Journals for 1765 tell us a little
as to the extent of the new trade in Sherborne. A
Parliamentary Committee was appointed to enquire into the
condition of the silk manufacture in this country, which
had suffered from the large importation of French wrought
silks. Among the witnesses was John Sherrard (a misprint
for Sharrer), who told the Committee that he was a silk-
thrower employing 500 hands in London, 200 in Gloucester-
shire, 400 in Dorset, and 400 in Cheshire, the total being
1,500 ; of these, 1,400 were women and children and 100 were
men. Children were employed at seven years of age. From
this e\idence I assume that Westbury mill had so far
developed its trade in 1765 as to afford employment to 400
persons, indoor and outdoor, at Sherborne and elsewhere in
the county, as will appear.
Before the expiration of the partnership John Sharrer
died, and it was Susanna his widow who obtained from
Henry, Lord Digby on 14 Jan., 1768, an absolute lease of the
mill for 58 years, in fulfilment of the agreement of 2 April,
1755. The lessor reserved the right to turn the stream known
as the Oborne water out of its usual course, for his own
purposes, in seven specified months of each year, and to
divert the stream during Saturday night and Sunday from
May to October. These reservations may have caused in
part the shortage of water power which Willmott mentions
from time to time in the correspondence.
After the death of the founder of the industry, George
Ward and William Willmott agreed to effect a friendly
division of their joint interests, as from 20 March, 1769.
THE SILK INDUSTRY IN WESSEX.
69
Willmott was to carry on the silk throwing at Sherborne, and
at the establishments in Cerne Abbas and Stalbridge, while
Ward was to receive as his share the similar undertaking
which they had started at Bruton in Somerset, together with
the sum of £500. Their agreement for dissolution gives
particulars of two of the branch " silk houses " which had
been opened in order to tap larger reservoirs of labour. It
is recited that Philip White of Cerne Abbas had leased to
the late partners in 1764 the building over the shambles in
the market place of Cerne called the Isle Hall at a rental of
£3 13s. 6d., and we shall see that a silk house, and extensions
in that parish, were used by the Willmotts for nearly fifty
years. Another recital tells us that Thomas Sampson of
Bruton, surgeon, had leased to them, in 1768, a newly -erected
tenement (formerly two houses) with the little court adjoining
to the Law Way on the south side of High-street, Bruton,
where the Swan Inn once stood, for fifty years at a rental of
£35. In this town George Ward and his descendants
continued the silk throwing for a long period, and were
always on good terms with the occupier of the older mill
at Westbury. By an assignment of 25 March, 1769, Mrs.
Sharrer conveyed to William Willmott her interest in the
Sherborne mill and its machinery, in consideration of £1,500.
Having thus outlined, from the documents in the museum,
the inception of this Sherborne industry, it will be convenient
briefly to describe the nature of the work which provided
employment to 600 persons in that part of the county,
irrespective of those who worked in competing mills which
were started at a later date.
The manufacture of silk fabrics in this country became an
established trade about 1585, but it was not until 100 years
later that the settlement of French weavers in Spitalfields
gave a great impulse to production. The sectional process
with which we are here concerned was intermediate between
the taking of the raw silk from the cocoons and the weaving
of the threads into a fabric. In the eighteenth century the
" silkmen," or merchants, and the weavers imported the
70
THE SILK INDUSTRY IN WESSEX.
skeins from Italy, Bengal, China, and Asia Minor, to a
considerable extent through the agency of the East India
Company, which held periodical sales of the raw material.
The ballots, or bales, of silk were then sent to a throwing mill ;
in a few cases the weaver " threw " his own silk, but the more
general custom was to employ a throwster, who received a
sum varying from 2s. to 5s. for each pound weight, according
to the quality of the raw threads and the purpose for which
they were to be used.
The term " throwing " is probably derived from the
swinging or tossing which the threads undergo when on the
machines ( Ure's Dictionary of Arts), the object of the series
of operations being to double and twist the raw silk into
more substantial fibres. The initial process consisted of
winding the skeins on to bobbins by a mechanism then known
as an " engine." Cleaning followed, being effected by pajssing
the thread through a slit small enough to hold any nibs or
lumps. Doubling was the next operation, by which the
threads on two, or three, bobbins were wound together in
contact on one bobbin. In the case of the best silk, the
threads were then twisted into a compound strand called
" organzine," which was used for the warp in weaving. An
inferior quality was thrown into " tram " and twisted in one
direction only ; this was used for the weft. A third variety
was thrown into "singles," viz., one twisted thread. The
throwing or twisting was done by a machine known as a
" mill," an improved form of which had been introduced at
Derby in 1719 by Sir Thomas Lombe. His patent rights
were acquired by the State in 1732, when the apparatus
became available for all and was probably used by the Dorset
throwsters.
The raw silk which was thus prepared at Sherborne for the
weavers had been chiefly obtained from Fossambrone, Reggio,
Pesaro, and Friuli in Italy, and from China. Smaller
quantities came from Bengal, from Brutia and Antioch, and
from Murcia in Spain. Occasional bales were obtained from
Ghilan or Sherbaffe in Persia, Legee, Radnegore, and
THE SILK INDUSTRY IN WESSEX.
71
Pennsylvania, the last mentioned place-name occurring in
1773. I do not find that any French silk was thrown at
Westbury mill until the year 1799, when it became plentiful.
It should be added that as the natural colours were white
and yellow only, the assistance of the dyer was required before
the thrown silk was sent to the weaver's loom. Among the
correspondence is a letter dated 21 March, 1778, in which
the writer calls Willmott's attention to a specimen or sample
of " three thread hard throw " which he was then sending.
By good fortune the yellow threads of silk are still attached
to the seal of this letter, from which we may see the nature
of the material that was thi'own.
I will now return to William Willmott, who had become
in 1769, as has been shewn, the sole owner of Westbury mill
and its outlying dependencies. Although he was described
as living at Hornsey in 1764 there is some reason to think
that he belonged to a Sherborne family, as I find among the
applicants for marriage licences at Wells in 1703 the name
of Wilham Willmott, of Sherborne, who may have been either
the grandfather or father of our mill owner. In 1641 the
surname Willmoth occurs among the residents in that town,
and a similar form of spelling can be seen on a few bills paid
by Willmott about 1775.
Among our collection of documents is Willmott's earhest
" silk book," dating from May, 1769, and containing 153
folios of excellent hand-writing which compares very
favourably with the average of the parish registers of that
period. This volume is a record of the bales of silk sent to be
thrown, and the net result of the process. As the price of the
raw material ranged from 25s. to 30s. the pound, and as some
of the consignments exceeded 4001bs. each, the aggregate
value of the silks in the temporary custody of the throwster
was very considerable, and required accurate book-keeping.
The condition of the raw silk and the skill of those who
handled it governed the amount of waste, which varied
between 6 per cent, and 18 per cent. The waste threads were
preserved and returned to the owner, excepting the portion
72
THE SILK INDUSTRY IN WESSEX.
which was termed " invisible," viz., lost, destroyed, or stolen.
When the percentage was high there were naturally many
complaints.
One of Willmott's chief troubles was to obtain and keep
a sufficient number of workpeople for his increasing trade.
As I have already mentioned, the bulk of the work was done
by women and girls, child labour being used in the more
simple processes, such as the preliminary winding. A
considerable but unknown proportion of the 250 Dorset
women and children who were so employed in 1786, for
example, had been in receipt of parish relief, and the Overseers
in most cases welcomed the starting of a branch silk-house
as conducing to a reduction of the local poor rates. Un-
fortunately, employment being by piece work was very
irregular, and Willmott's letters in times of slack trade draw
a sad picture of his workpeople's hardships. On several
occasions James Vere and Co., of Bishopsgate, London, who
were the best customers of the silk mill, sent ten guineas to
Willmott to buy food for the starving children. One such
sum was expended in February, 1784, in the purchase of 350
loaves and 11| bushels of peas, the bill of which is among
our documents. The winter was then so severe that
communication between Sherborne and Cerne was impossible
for some time. To the trials of midwinter must be added
the shortage of water-power due to seasons of drought, which
also added to unemployment.
On the other hand it must be said that even when silk
was in plentiful supply the workers would desert Westbury
mill in order to attend the numerous fairs in the town or the
races at Lenthay, or to help in the harvest fields. At times
the hours of work were very long, continuing through the
night when it was desirable to take advantage of a good head
of water in the stream . In November, 1781, Willmott remarks
in a letter " water now plentiful and shall work seven days
a week."
The pay lists or wages books, with two small exceptions,
have not survived. Neither of the existing lists is dated, but
THE SILK INDUSTRY IN WESSEX.
73
the internal evidence assigns them to the year 1793. One
contains the names of 48 windsters, as they were called,
whose weekly wage averaged Is. 5d. each ; the other list of
18 names averaged 2s. 2d. each. All were females, presumably
young girls who were employed at Westbury as out-workers.
It will perhaps be interesting to quote a few extracts
relative to the employment of those who by reason of poverty
had been under the control of the Overseers of Sherborne and
Cerne Abbas. In July, 1776, a vestry meeting was held at
Sherborne to consider the question of the workhouse children
and the silk mills. Apparently there was some form of
bidding between the owner of Westbury and William Cruttwell,
who had set on foot a competing business, for the privilege of
obtaining the services of the poor. Willmott laments in a
letter to Vere that he was unsuccessful, as his opponent had
offered a higher price, i.e., wage. Nevertheless, his rival's
success was short-lived, as we shall presently see. Another
allusion to the same custom occurs in November, 1787, when
Mrs. Willmott is informed by Miss Coombs that the Guardians
of Cerne had consented to an abatement, during unemploy-
ment, of one half of the sum agreed to be paid to the paupers
of that district. Again, a letter from Westbury tells Vere
in May, 1788, that " as I employ those of the parish I must pay
" them work or play, which is very hard upon me, and has been
' for many months past, but have kept them on in hope the
"trade would take a turn."
By the kindness of Mr. E. Arnold Wright, whose firm, A.
R. Wright and Company, bought in 1907 the silk mills owned
by several generations of the Willmott family, I have been
enabled to inspect two letter books, 1772 to 1781, which
were not included in the collection given to the Field Club.
The outward correspondence, copied by hand in these books,
includes many touches of local colour which enliven the
somewhat dull records of silk received at Sherborne and
returned thence to London ; I will therefore cite a few incid-
ents mentioned in William Willmott 's letters. At the begin-
ning of 1773 the silk industry languished throughout England,
74
THE SILK INDUSTRY IN WESSEX.
and Willmott had to discharge many workpeople, who became
a burden to the town. In order to preserve his connexion
among the weavers and merchants he often sent presents of
game which had been shot by his friends. For this form of
sport he had no Hking ; but he remarks in 1773 that " hunt-
ing is my dehght ; but, although near it, I seldom enjoy
it," referring, no doubt, to the Blackmore Vale Hounds.
In February, 1774, he says that the other throwsters had
been shut up entirely for some time (this is the earliest men-
tion of competitors), and he fears that his friend George Ward
may have to do the same thing. A letter of a few weeks
later offers to buy Ward's machinery at Stalbridge and to
pay the rent of the silk-house there, as he wanted more wind-
ing engines. (It would appear from this that the terms of
dissolution had been varied, and that Ward had taken the
Stalbridge branch.) In November, 1774, Willmott bought
for £135 the appliances and tools of Fooks and Webb, of
Sherborne, and so put an end to a " long-contested opposi-
tion." He tells Vere that by this increase he hopes to re-
turn to them 5001b. of thrown silk every week, which gives
us a measure of the capacity of Westbury mill and its satel-
lites. At the same time he comments on the anxieties at-
taching to a large undertaking with a comparatively small
capital. In the early part of the year 1775 Willmott had a
serious illness, during which the mill was supervised by John
Sharrer (a son of the deceased partner), who was then an
undergraduate of Queen's College, Oxford. Shortly after-
wards the letters contain references to further opposition
organised by George Smout and his wife, who appear to have
been the stormy petrels of the Sherborne silk trade for nearly
twenty years. I read that in August, 1775, W. Cruttwell
and T. Stidson, the latter of whom owned a grist mill in the
town, were making ready to throw silk instead of grinding
corn, being prompted thereto by Smout. Willmott expresses
the fear that he would lose some of his hands and be unable
to keep his mills fully occupied ; the event proved the cor-
rectness of his anticipation.
THE SILK INDUSTRY IN WESSEX.
75
In the year 1776 several letters passed between the owner
of Westbury and Thomas Sharrer (another son of Thomas
Sharrer, deceased) on the subject of the Throwsters Company
in London. Willmott desired to become a member of the
company, and asked Sharrer to find out whether they intend-
ed to put in force an Act of Parliament which regulated the
trade and prohibited anyone from practising the " art and
mystery " until a seven years' apprenticeship had been
served. This statute became law in 1662, but had appar-
ently fallen into disuse before the period now under con-
sideration. It is obvious that a strict enforcement of the
provisions of the Act would have suppressed much of the
competition by grist millers and others who possessed the
needful water-power, but had no knowledge of the craft
which Charles the Second's Parliament had intended to
protect from untrained rivalry.
The Silk Throwsters' Company had been incorporated by
letters patent in 1629 ; but it had neither Hall nor Livery,
and no longer exists as an active organisation. It is not
mentioned in books of reference after 1870-75, consequently
I have not been able to find the present custodian of its
records for the purpose of enquiring whether Willmott's
name is entered on the roll of freemen. The charter and bye-
laws, however, are now in the care of Mr. W. B. Ingle, the
upper-bailiff of the Weavers' Company.
The Silk Throwers, as was the custom, received a grant
of Arms, the terms of which do not appear to have been
hitherto printed and may therefore be quoted here : —
State Papers Domestic (Charles I., vol. 147). Document No. 38 in
this volume after reciting a grant of 23 April, 5 Charles I., whereby
Robert Bollinge and others, then exercising the trade, art and mystery
of silk throwing in London and the suburbs thereof, had become a body
politic and corporate, proceeds as follows : — And Clarenceux, King of
Arms, being requested by Robert Bollinge, the master, and Thomas
Lorde and William Harte, the wardens, to grant to them some ensigns
and badges of honour for their use, thereby granted to the corporation
arms, crest, supporters and seal. Party per fesse azure and vert, on the
first a silk mill or, on the second a London throw of silk between two bundles
76
THE SILK INDUSTRY IN WESSEX.
of Naples proper, mantled gules doubled argent. On a wreath or and azure,
a mulberry tree with divers silk worms feeding on the leaves all proper.
For their supporters, on the dexter side a Persian with a mass of raw
Legie silk on his arm and on the sinister side a Turk with three masses
of Ardasse silk under his arm, both in their proper habits. The words ;
" God in his least creatures." For their seal, a silk mill encircled with
a ring, in the same these words, " The seal of the corporation of silk
throwers, London," as in the margin is more plainly depicted. [The
sketch is missing.] These arms, crest, supporters and seal are granted,
ratified and confirmed to the said master &c. Dated . . . July, 1629.
The allusion to the silk worm in the motto of the company
reminds me that many unsuccessful attempts have been
made to rear this creature in England, notably by James I.
and Charles I. in the royal mulberry gardens at St. James's.
Reverting now to Westbury mill, the opposition which
had developed in Sherborne in 1775 seems to have been an
unlucky enterprise, as Cruttwell retired in February, 1777,
leaving Smout to manage the Abbey silk mill. Willmott
mentions with pardonable satisfaction that his former work-
people were then returning to him, as employment was
too precarious elsewhere.
During Whitsuntide, 1778, a new water wheel of much
larger size was erected, and this improvement was followed
in 1781 by the addition of a horse mill and a house for the
horse walk ; by this appliance Willmott was enabled to
drive half of the machinery when the w^ater power was in-
sufficient.
It should be observed that the trade, notwithstanding its
fluctuating and exotic character, was singularly free from
losses by bad debts. During a period of a quarter of a cen-
tury I can trace only one defaulter, a fact which speaks well
for the stability of the weavers and silkmen who were the
mainstay of the Sherborne business.
At that time, as now, Britain was at war, and a few side-
lights are thrown upon the situation in Dorset. In August,
1779, Vere was apprehensive about a reported landing by
invaders from the French and Spanish fleets then off Ply-
mouth, and he hoped that the enemy would not reach
THE SILK INDUSTRY IN WESSEX.
77
Sherborne. All silk on the roads was to be stopped and the
necessary precautions taken. In the following month
Willmott reports that the French prisoners had been removed
from the West for greater security, and that 1,000 had passed
through the town on their way to Winchester. Another
letter tells us that in March, 1780, the whole regiment of
Dorset Militia was quartered at Sherborne, an event which
had not happened since the last war, and that the work-
people would probably be disturbed by the presence of the
soldiers. It had been customary to ship hogsheads of Cerne
Abbas ale from Weymouth to the Thames ; but the
activities of the French and Spaniards in the Channel induced
Willmott to send such gifts by the land route to London.
In the same connection Vere remarks that no Turkey silk
would be forthcoming for a long time, owing to the absence
of any convoy in the Mediterranean.
I will next cite an illustration of one of the social customs
then in vogue at Sherborne. Willmott desired to celebrate
the christening of his son Thomas in January, 1779, and
being anxious to entertain his guests in the best manner he
asked a friend in London to obtain and send down the fol-
lowing provisions : —
Four quarts of real turtle soup from Horton's by the Royal Exchange ;
if it cannot be had, then the same quantity of mock turtle. A fore-
quarter of the best house lamb to be had. A turbot of 141bs. or ISlbs.,
or if not obtainable, then a fine cod fish."
(Unfortunately the bills for this repast have not been preserved.)
The competing mill is again mentioned in the spring of
1781, when Mrs. Smout writes to Willmott expressing a
wish for his friendship. He consents to a meeting, but
pertinently reminds her that she had recently visited two of
his outlying silk-houses and had then offered to the children
an additional sixpence per week if they would leave his
employment. Such an action was perhaps not the best
foundation for a pleasant relationship between neighbours.
A few lines may be devoted to the silk-houses in other
parishes, which acted as feeders to Westbury mill. One of
78
THE SILK INDUSTRY IN WESSEX.
these winding factories was at Bradford Abbas in a house
owned by WilHam Deering. The first mention of this estab-
hshment occurs in June, 1779 ; but it was probably started
at an earher date, as the series of account books is not com-
plete. The latest reference to Bradford is in February, 1784.
Another silk-house was in Dorchester ; but I have been
unable to identify the site of the factory. The earliest entry
referring to the county town is in June, 1780, when money
for wages was sent there from Sherborne. Fifty persons
were employed in 1784, and I read in a letter of July, 1788,
that " my hands at Dorchester are standing still at my ex-
pense " for want of silk. Here, also, some of the work-
people were " those of the parish," who were paid whether
they worked or stood idle. The existence of this industry
in Dorchester seems to have escaped the notice of the his-
torians of the eighteenth century.
The house at Cerne Abbas has been already mentioned
in the foregoing pages, and there is no doubt that silk winding
was continued, with varying fortunes, until about 1810 or
even later. In November, 1780, Willmott bought from
" farmer Cockram " for £70 his interest in certain premises
in that parish, which were presumably an addition to the
accommodation at the Isle Hall. In every week wages
money was sent to Cerne and Dorchester, the amounts
averaging about £10 to £12, of which the former place probably
absorbed the larger share. Each of these silk-houses was
placed in charge of a mistress, and the appliances used are
described as " Spanish engines," which did not require water
power.
At present I have quoted extracts from the two letter books
(1772-81) in the possession of Mr. Arnold Wright, and from
the original letters of the same period which are in the collec-
tion at the Dorset County Museum. I will now turn to our
letter books which begin in 1782.
Silk-throwing had been established in Taunton at a mill
on the Sherford stream, a tributary of the Tone, and
Willmott had helped the owners, Paul and Vansomer, in
THE SILK INDUSTRY IN WESSEX.
79
April, 1781, by lending to them an " engine mistress " and
others to instruct the Taunton hands in the new trade.
This kindness was but ill repaid, as Paul is reproved
in March, 1783, for having improperly tried to obtain
workpeople from among those engaged at Westbury mill.*
When Willmott wrote this complaint he certainly had
no idea that within twelve month he would be in con-
trol of the Taunton undertaking. The new departure by
Paul and Vansomer having proved to be unsuccessful, it
was suggested to Willmott that he should acquire the mill.
At first he declined, on the ground that the distance from
Sherborne was too great, but subsequently he decided to
buy the mill and machinery in Upper High-street, Taunton, in
conjunction with John Norman of that town. The purchase
was arranged in November 1783, for a sum of £1,050, and the
new partners began operations at once. In May, 1784, there
was a local scarcity of labour owing to the flourishing state
of trade since the peace with France, and in October of the
same year there is a reference to bull baiting in Taunton which
had interfered with the attendance of the workpeople. As
the correspondence relates chiefly to matters within the
county of Somerset, it is perhaps outside the scope of this
paper, and it will therefore be sufficient to say that Norman
and Willmott started a winding house at Chard, and another
at Coombe St. Nicholas, of a similar character to those in
Dorset.
Returning to the main story at Sherborne, I find that
Willmott writes to a Mr. Fisher at Dorchester in October,
1783, concerning a fire policy for Westbury mill, saying that
he had insured with the Sun Fire Office for more than twenty
years. The new policy was to be for £3,000, comprising the
mill £750, dwellinghouse £500, machinery and silk in trust
£1,500, and sundry smaller items.
*There is a very nice letter from two mill hands at Taunton in
March, 1783, warning Willmott as to what was going on there.
80
THE SILK INDUSTRY IN WESSEX.
Small pox was prevalent in Sherborne from time to time.
A great number of the children were ill about February, 1785,
and the parents were nursing them, consequently very little
silk could be returned to London. Inoculation was refused
by the parents, but Willmott endeavoured to protect his own
household by means of that preventive.
The spring and summer of 1785 were unusually dry, and the
town had been without a whole day's rain since the previous
November. This drought proved the utility of the horse-
mill, which was working for three consecutive weeks in June
of that year. Hay then cost £6 the ton, and was very
scarce.
Nothing worthy of special notice occurs during the next
two years ; then we learn that William Willmott died from
a fever on 2 June, 1787, leaving a widow and seven children.
A brief reference may be made to Willmott 's position in
Sherborne, apart from the silk industry which he so success-
fully developed. I am indebted to our member, Mr. W. B.
Wildman, for having supplied many of the following particulars.
William Willmott was elected a governor of Sherborne School
in 1769, and became a Brother {i.e., a governor) of the well-
known almshouses in the same year.* He was chosen as
warden of the school for the year 1784. His son Thomas
(of whom more presently) entered the school in 1779, was
elected a governor in 1805, and warden in 1810. Altogether,
seven members of the family were educated at the school.
William Willmott was also a guardian of the poor for many
years, and was associated with a philanthropic organisation
known as the " Green Girls Society," which still exists under
the name of Lord Digby's school, although the girls no longer
wear the dresses of distinctive colour. Among our papers is
a printed sheet or leaflet dated 26 October, 1786, which refutes
a malicious report to the prejudice of the society and sets out
its position and aims. The treasurer, John Toogood, informs
*A bill for a dinner and a supper to the masters of the Almshouses
ia dated 30 Dec, 1785, £6 6a. id.
THE SILK INDUSTRY IN WESSEX.
81
the public that the funds then amounted to £439 3s. 3d., and
complains of the wrongful removal of a tablet and a box for
donations which had been placed in the south aisle of the
abbey church in the year 1771.
I find that Mary, the widow^ of William Willmott, arranged
to continue the throwing mill until her sons were old enough
to relieve her of the management. One of Mrs. Willmott 's
first steps was to sell to John Norman her husband's half
share of the Taunton mill, and if we may judge from the
amount paid to Willmott 's executors the Somerset under-
taking had been a profitable venture. The branch silk-
houses in Dorset remained unchanged.
On 9 June, 1787, an inventory was made of the effects at
Sherborne and elseM'here, from which I have extracted the
following particulars as to the appliances, &c., used by an
eighteenth century silk-thrower.
Westbury mill —
In the workshop on the ground floor,
10 pair of compleat mills, 3 silk bins, 1 silk press, 1 beam and scales.
In the second floor —
4 pair of compleat mills, 1 dumb mill, 5 engines compleat. 3 bins.
In the upper floor —
1 spinning mill, 8 engines compleat, 2 bins.
In the Tram shop —
1 beam and scales, 43 Tram wheels compleat with stools, 1 iron stove,
4 bins, 11 trays.
(There were also 126 baskets in which the wrought silk was returned
to the owTiers. This method of packing had been first introduced by
William Willmott, the baskets being made locally.)
Setts of tools with outdoor windsters in Sherborne, Ceme and Point-
ington, 240. (I have not found any other reference to the last
named parish.)
At the work -house at Cerne —
32 wheels, 27 rices and rimners, 31 Spanish engines, 1 chest, 1 beam,
scales and weights, 6 basketts.
At the work -house at Dorchester —
35 wheels, 35 engines, 4 rices and runners, 1 chest, 1 beam, scale and
weights, 20 baskets.
The year 1787 was marked by the failure of the silk crop
in Italy, which entailed a serious loss to English mills and
82
THE SILK INDUSTRY IN WESSEX.
especially to Sherborne, where Italian threads were largely
worked. Vere says that the weavers were putting down their
looms, and prophesies that in six months half of the mills in
the kingdom would be standing idle. Other correspondents
in London warn the Willmotts not to employ their people
on full time, but rather to go slowly in view of the deficiency
in raw materials, and Vere adds that 2501bs. to SOOlbs. per
week of all sorts must be their limit.
At this point the account books furnish us with a definite
statement as to the sums expended in wages. To cite an
example — it appears that between June, 1789 and the same
month in 1790 the payments for wages averaged approxi-
mately £46 per week ; the highest amount was £112 and the
lowest £22, the latter representing Christmas week. The
" neat profit " of the trade during the same twelve months
was £863 ; but this was not the high water mark, as some years
were more prosperous.
The year 1791 showed a favourable turn of fortune's wheel.
The mill at Westbury was working at high pressure, and many
new offers of silk were refused. On the margin of an account
book for July, 1791, is written Temps trop heureux pour
durer longtemps. Two years later there was a collapse of
the chief opposition in Sherborne. The correspondence
shows that in April, 1793, Mrs. Willmott was asked to help
several London firms whose silk remained unfinished at the
Abbey mill, or at its outlying silk-houses in Ilchester, Brad-
ford, and Tintinhull. Mrs. Smout now disappears from the
town, and the scene of her activities was sold to " people who
are entire strangers to the business," thus proving that the
stipulation in the Act of 1662, to which I have already re-
ferred, was still ignored by the Throwsters' Company. John
Willmott had intended to buy the vacant workshops ; but
they were sold, as he says, at an unreasonable price. I am
again indebted to Mr. Wildman for a few details which show
how the later history of the Abbey and the School and the
mill is interwoven. It appears that a part of the Abbey
silk mill formerly occupied the guest house of the monastery ;
THE SILK INDUSTRY IN WESSEX.
83
in 1853 it was converted into the big schoolroom, and is
now used as the school library. Also, a portion of the exist-
ing school chapel was once used for the purposes of the silk
mill.*
The severity of the winter season in January, 1795, caused
" incredible hardships " to Mrs. Willmott's workpeople,
notwithstanding the benevolence of the inhabitants of the
town. Vere sends a sympathetic letter, with another gift
of ten guineas for food ; in the following month he reports
that raw silks would not come from foreign countries for
some time " in consequence of the embargo laid on all ship-
ping," a situation which almost finds a parallel in the year
1916. Bread was Is. the loaf in Sherborne during the
summer of 1795.
Happily, those days of vanishing wages and high prices
were followed by a period when silk was plentiful and earn-
ings regular, as may be inferred from a letter written to Vere
in March, 1799. Thomas Willmott tells his friend that he
had recently erected a large engine in the winding house at
Cerne, and was about to put up another of a similar kind ;
that he had taught the hands at Cerne to " tram " fine silk,
which they had not previously done, and that he would
shortly be able to return a larger quantity than ever before.
All this speaks of flourishing trade, and the next letter indi-
cates that an extension to a new district was contemplated.
On 27 November, 1799, Thomas Bartlett writes from Evershot
to Mrs. Willmott saying he was told that she wished to
establish a silk manufactory in the town, if sufficient work-
*At the beginning of the 19th century the Abbey mill was occupied
by a throwster named John Gouger or Genger. In this connection
Dr. E. K. Le Fleming has kindly sent to me an extract from the parish
books of Wimborne —
Dec. 16, 1817. Resolved at a Vestry that " The children and other
persons in the workhouse shall be employed by Mr. Genger of Sherborne
in the winding of silk," at the same price as paid locally. Mr. Genger
was to " find gratis the machinery necessary for carrying on the
concern."
84
THE SILK INDUSTRY IN WESSEX.
people could be obtained. He thought that it would be a
good thing for the industrious poor, and offered to let to the
Willmotts a building of two floors 93ft. by 18ft., well lighted.
The letter book does not contain the answer to this proposal,
nor can I trace any further reference to Evershot in the
documents.
At the beginning of the new century Mrs. Will mo tt took
her second son, Thomas, into partnership, as from December,
1800. Westbury mill and its various offshoots continued to
prosper under the guidance of the new firm, so much so that
Thomas Willmott acquired in June, 1809, for the purposes
of his trade, the water grist-mill known as the Castle, or
East, mill in Sherborne. In March, 1814, he bought from
William Burnet the mill known as Oke's, or the Middle, mill,
also in Sherborne, together with all the machinery and tools
therein used for silk throwing. The original deeds relating
to these purchases are included in our collection. It seems
probable that the William Burnet who sold Oke's mill to
Willmott in 1814 was the buyer (either alone or with others)
of the Abbey mill in 1793 when it passed from Mrs. Smout's
control.
The letter and account books and the correspondence
come to an end soon after 1800, but a few particulars as to
the subsequent history of the undertaking may be extracted
from the Proceedings of a House of Commons committee
which enquired into the condition of the silk trade in April
and May, 1832. Thomas Willmott was then chosen to give
evidence as a representative mill-owner, as had been the
case with his great-uncle, John Sharrer, on a similar occasion
in the year 1765. Willmott tells the committee that he
had been engaged as a silk thrower in Sherborne for 32 years,
one of his mills having existed for 80 years and two others
for about 20 years ; that before 1826 (when protective duties
were in force) he had 8,000 spindles at work and 600 hands,
at the time of the enquiry the spindles were 3,000 and the
workpeople 150 only : about two-thirds of the hands were
winders at home, and one-third worked in the mills : half
THE SILK INDUSTRY IN WESSEX.
85
of them belonged to Sherborne, the wages paid to girls being
5s. per week and to children Is. : Italian silk was chiefly
worked, and the witness was of opinion that the throwing
trade could be restored only by reinstating the former duties
on imported wrought silk. John Sharrer Ward, of Bruton,
also gave evidence to a similar effect.
The undertaking ultimately passed into the possession
of Mr. Albert Willmott, a son of John Willmott ; but the
changed conditions of trade, which compelled the throwster
to buy his raw silk and find a market for it when thrown,
proved too heavy a burden for the owner. Consequently a
limited liability company (J. and R. Willmott, Ltd.) was
formed about 1885 under the guidance of the late Mr. B.
Chandler and the Rev. J. Ogle, in order to avoid the
threatened loss of employment in Sherborne. The new
Company substituted silk weaving for throwing, and happily
turned the tide. After twenty-one years working, the mill
was purchased by Messrs. A. R. Wright and Co., in 1907,
as previously stated. As a matter of fact, the original
Westbury mill is no longer used for the purposes of the silk
trade, which now flourishes in a large building erected by the
Willmotts about 1840 on the opposite side of the road. The
old mill, which has a picturesque garden alongside the river,
now serves as a builder's warehouse and workshops.
The foregoing notes necessarily relate only to Sherborne
and its offshoots ; but Canon Mayo has described in S. and D.
N. and Q. (Vol. XI\., pp. 289 and 329) the history of a
similar undertaking at Gillingham, Dorset, from the time of
its foundation in 1769.
II. Domestic Economics in the Eighteenth Century.
Among the collection of Sherborne papers is a parcel of
receipted bills of various dates between 1773 and 1800, some
of which relate to the silk mills and others to the household
expenditure of the WiUmott family. From these bills and
86 THE SILK INDUSTRY IN WESSEX.
from the account books it is possible to gather some first-
hand information as to the incidents of daily life in a country
town during that period, and as to the cost of necessaries
and certain articles of luxury. It is not practicable,
however, to discuss or print in these pages any considerable
number of the documents in question, but it may be useful
to comment upon a selection from them. All the names
are those of inhabitants of Sherborne, except when the
contrary is stated. The earlier portion of the local trades-
men's bills are written on plain sheets of paper, sometimes
on mere scraps, and it is not until February, 1789, that I notice
a printed heading on an account. In that month Robert
Winter, a mercer, used a bill-head impressed from an
engraved steel plate, not from printer's type.
Communications.
The ordinary method of conveying merchandise to and
from Sherborne was by wagon, the journey between that
town and London occupying about four days. The earliest
carrier mentioned is John Andrews, but he was dilatory and
was not employed by Willmott after 1773, when Edward
Hatherell's wagons began to carry the baskets of silk along
the London road. In 1777 Hatherell died and was succeeded
by his daughter Sarah until she gave up the business in 1783.
Subsequent owners of lines of wagons to London were : —
Chafie and Pittard in 1783 ; they started on the homeward
journey from the Swan at Holborn Bridge. Andrews, also in
1783 ; he started from the Saracen's Head in Friday Street,
London, and his bill for August in that year was £10 9s.
Whitmarsh, Brown and Burge succeeded Andrew^s in May,
1785. In 1799 Adams's wagons were used. In 1802-o
Woolcott's wagons carried the silk.
The carriers between Bristol and Sherborne were as
follows :— Robert Oke, 1775 ; Hart, 1782 ; Wiltshire, 1785 ;
John Beale, 1788-91.
THE SILK INDUSTRY IN WESSEX.
87
For more speedy travelling to London the stage coach,
sometimes spoken of as " the machine," was used, but there
was apparently only one such service available in 1780-85,
when Lilley's Taunton coach passed through Sherborne on
three days in the week.
Chaise hire to Weymouth and home on the next day cost
£1 lis. 6d. ; the same to Dorchester and back on one day,
£1 Is. 6d. ; " chaise airings " were 3s. 6d. each, and a saddle
horse to Dorchester and back, 5s., as may be seen in Beale's
and Oke's bills for 1775 and 1788-9 respectivel}^
During a visit to London William Willmott bought a
carriage from John Sargent, of Great Queen Street, a district
which is still favoured by coach-builders. The account runs
thus : —
£ s. d.
1782. June 8, To a new post chaise, 63 0 0
To a new pair of harness, with hames, collars, polished
bitts and a postillion saddle ... ... ... 9 90
£72 9 0
The new vehicle necessitated a further outlay of £7 19s.
for chaise and servant taxes, no inconsiderable item. In
the same year a horse " warranted sound " was acquired
for £8 18s. 6d., and afterwards " a little horse bought for
Jack W." (the eldest son) was added to the stable at the price
of £3 3s. Willmott made many journeys on horseback to
Chard and other outlying silk-houses, notwithstanding the
additional purchase of "a new one-horse chaise complete "
from George Hewlett in 1784, at a cost of £29 8s.
Education.
Although several of the sons and grandsons of Wilham
Willmott were educated, as already mentioned, at Sherborne
School, there are neither documents nor payments which
88
THE SILK INDUSTRY IN WESSEX.
can be identified with that foundation. There are, however,
many references to other schools, ot which the best known
is undoubtedly the old grammar school at Crewkerne. An
account book for July, 1781, contains an entry of £4 4s. paid
to the master, Mr. Ashe, presumably for a half term only.
Then we ha\e an original bill signed by (the Rev.) Robert
Ashe for a term's fees from June, 1783, for John Willmott.
The half-year's board and tuition amounted to £8 8s., and
the total to £10 15s. Some of the extras and the vouchers
attached to the account read very quaintly to-day.*
Another school for boys was that kept by the Rev. J. Toogood,
of Sherborne, who taught John and Thomas Willmott between
1786 and '88, The fee for board and tuition in the last
named year was £13 ]3s. for one pupil for the half-year.
Among the books which were used I notice Sallust, Virgil,
Terence, and Hugo Grotius. There were other private ^xhools
in Sherborne, one being carried on by Charles Bang, a writing
master, who charged £1 4s. per annum for instruction, and
Is. 6d. weekly tor dinners supphed. Another son went
during 1791-92 to Philip Ahier's school at St. Manelier,
Jersey, where several Dorset families educated their boys ;
the fees for boaiders were £16 16s. per annum.
The cost of the girls' education sometimes exceeded that
of their brothers. Mrs. Morris, of Weymouth, who was
teaching two daughters of Willmott in 1785-86, charged
£19 19s. yearly for each pupil, p/M5 the additional accomplish-
ments then in v^ogue. The bills from Mrs. S. Warwick, of
Sherborne, show that her fee was £14 14s. per annum tor
board and tuition in 1789.
Dancing was taught by Mr. Peironnet, and music by
Thomas Hyde. The latter sold to Willmott in 1 786 "a thi'ce
stop harpsichord of Kirkman's " for £29 8s.
* A history of Crewkerne School was written in 1899 by our member,
the Rev. R. G. Bartelot.
THE SILK INDUSTRY IN WESSEX.
89
It would appear from a memorandum on the back of a
letter sta>n]3cd 1796 that the education of the three daughters
cost £520, or thereabouts.
Clothing.
There are many accounts relative to wearing apparel of all
kinds, from boots to headgear. I will transcribe two examples
of a tailor's bill of the j)eriod, to illustrate the current fashion
for a well-dressed inhabitant of Sherborne. It must, however,
be confessed that Willmott did not buy his best clothes in
his native town, but went to London or elsewhere for them.
1781 July 10th. To Benedict Shield (address unknown).
£ s. d.
A superfine cloth coat wdth solid plated buttons, ... 3 3 0
A fine dimity waistcoat, double-breasted and fringed, 16 0
A sattin stript waistcoat, double-breasted and silk
linings, 1 10 0
£5 9 0
The second account reads thus —
1782. 5 June. To John Boucher (Leadenhall Street, London).
£ s. d.
Maldng a light cloth coat, a double-breasted silk waist-
coat and black silk breeches ; trim'gs. to d". ... 118 0
2| yards sup. cloth, at 19s. ... ... ... ... 2 5 1^
1 1 yards rich fig 'd silk, at 15s. ... ... ... ... 18 1^
2| yards rich sattin Florentine, at 12s. ... ... 1 10 0
Silk serge to the waistcoat forebodys,... ... ... 5 0
Shalloon to the back, ... ... ... ... ... 16
14 solid plated shank buttons,... ... ... ... 6 0
£7 13 9
I regret that a man's incompetence prevents me from
quoting paiallel examples of the ladies' ad.ornments as set
forth in the milliners' bills.
90
THE SILK INDUSTilY IN WESSEX.
Household Matters.
There is very little information as to articles of food. This
may be due to the fact that for many years a weekly sum of
five guineas was devoted to housekeeping expenses, which
would presumably be defrayed in ready money and would
not appear among the accounts. Among the stray items
are lump sugar at 8|d. and butter at lid. the pound, both
in 1776. Nevertheless there is no lack of details concerning
purchases of alcohol in almost every form, as might be
expected in Georgian times. A pipe of port, costing about
£42 in the 'eighties, was stored in the cellar at Westbury on
more than one occasion. Another favourite beverage was
X ale brewed at Cerne by Thomas Coombs, a hogshead of
which represented 75s. in the year 1775, and 70s. in 1782.
On the other hand, tobacco is scarcely ever mentioned ;
I noted only one instance of its use, and the quantity was
quite trifling.
Although some domestic articles show little difference in
cost when compared with modern prices, the wages of maid
servants were then on a much lower scale. A cook of five
years' standing received six guineas per annum, with one
guinea for tea, in 1789, and another maid was paid £4 10s.
without the solace of tea -money.
The bills from Sampson Boys, surgeon and apothecary, are
among the longest in the series, but apparently they do not
include his fees for advice or treatment. The earliest begins in
1774, and proves that a surprising quantity of medicine was
supplied to Willmott's family, almost daily, in fact. Dr.
Gumming ond Dr. Johnson are mentioned in 1775 ; presumably
they were physicians in Sherborne. An account book records
that Boys inoculated the household in Januarj^, 1782, during
one of the periodical visitations of small-pox. John Melliar
was a later surgeon whose drugs were frequently in demand
throughout 1792-94. On the back of a letter dated 27 Nov.,
1779. are three curious recipes for the cure of the ague, the
itch, and a sore throat.
THE SILK INDUSTRY IN WESSEX.
91
Lighting was entirely by candles or rushlights, the latter
being used in the night. The candle bill for the winter months
averaged about £40, but the greater portion of the supply was
consumed, of course, in the silk mill. Coal cost about £2 2s.
the load, the weight not being stated. Lamps were not
used in the mill until 1800.
I find purchases of prints from John Boydell, in Cheapside-,
and of table silver ond condiments from ether London shops ;
also an Irish lottery ticket dated 1786, and a reference to a
similar ticket which was bought for £16 12s., both apparently
were unlucky.
The Post Office.
A few notes on postal matters may not be out of place.
Envelopes being then unknown, each letter-sheet bears on
the back the amount of the postage written in ink, together
with the date stamp and the address. The postage between
Sherborne and London for a single letter (that is, one sheet
not exceeding an ounce in weight) was 4d. in the years 1776
to 1784. In the last named year the charge was increased
to 5d., and again to 7d. on letters of 1799. The postage
was always based on distance, thus, from Chard to Sherborne
was 3d. and from Jersey 5d. The recipient of a letter almost
invariably paid the postage ; in one case an irate silk- weaver
debits Wilimott with the cost of " three unnecessary letters "
as a warning. As a matter of fact, the proportion of prepaid
correspondence is less than three per cent, of the whole, the
post office alio wing either course to be adopted. It would
seem, therefore, that the symbols used to indicate prepay-
ment are not without interest, since they are " postage
stamps " in the literal sense of the phrase which now denotes
an adhesive label. Two varieties of such symbols occur on
our correspondence The first, which was used in 1786, is
a triangular stamp in black ink bea.ring the words " Paid
penny post," with sundry letters in the centre ; the latter
92
THE SILK INDUSTRY IN WESSEX.
may be for identification purposes. The stamp is not dated.
The penny was charged for one stage, the length of which
was undefined.
The second prepaid mark is found in 1793 and in 1800.
It is a large circular stamp in red ink (about twice the size
of the ordinary date stamp) bearing the word paid,"
together with the date of posting. There are also two forms
of date stamp. Until May, 1787, the day and month only
are impressed, but afterw^ards the last two numerals of the
year are added.
Financial Arrangements.
The method by which the requisite amount of small
currency was obtained for the payment of the workpeople,
who were numbered by the hundred, deserves a passing
notice. In the middle of the eighteenth century the in-
habitants of country towns were not able to avail themselves
of the services of a local banker, and consequently had to rely
on their own resources. At Westbury mill, and probably
elsewhere, the procedure was e s follows. When a consignment
of raw silk had been " thrown " and returned to the owner
it was always the custom for the throwster to obtain payment
by drawing a bill of exchange on his customer, at thirty days
sight, in favour of some person who happened to be possessed
of a sufficient quantity of current coin. This individual
changed the draft," as the phrase was, at a uniform rate of
discount of 5 per cent, per annum, and obtained the proceeds
of the draft through an agent in London, Two of the tr^udes-
men, Robert Winter, a mercer, and Benjamin Vowell, a wine
merchant, were the chief sources of supply, but the clergy,
the attorneys and the doctors of Sherborne occasionally
helped to provide the gold, silver, and copper for wages at the
silk mill. Thus the money so expended continued to circulate
in the town, week by week. At a comparatively early date
Sherborne was fortunate in having a resident banker in
THE SILK INDUSTRY IN WESSEX.
93
the person of Simon Pretor, who also filled the the office of
postmaster. His name occurs in 1786 in connection with a
transaction such as I have just described, and it is evident
that in the next year Wiliiam Willmott kept an account with
the " Sherborne and Dorsetshire Bank," although the old
method of procuring wages-money still continued.
Simon Pretor came to Sherborne from Lyme Regis in the
middle ot the eighteenth century and established the Bank
in his house in Long-street. His partners w^ere his three
sons-in-law', Richard Pew, Samuel Whitty, and Samuel Gill,
the firm being know^n as Pretor, Pew and Whitty (c/.
Proceedings vol. XXIX p. 83). After the death of Richard
Pew without issue, Samuel Whitty took into partnership
his son-in-law Benjamin Chandler, the style then being
altered to Pretor and Chandler. The firm remained un-
changed until 1850, when the National Provincial Bank
absorbed the old institution and continued the business in
the original house. Mr. S. Whitty Chandler, to whom the
Field Club is indebted for the collection of Sherborne
documents, is a direct descendant of Simon Pretor.
Law.
There are several attorney's, or, as w^e should now say,
solicitor's bills for law costs. Samuel Foot acted as the
adviser of William Willmott in 1769, and John Foot was
Thomas Willmott 's lawyer in 1794. A quaint feature of
these bills is the inclusion of sundry items for oats and barley
supplied to the client, and entered alongside the fee for
preparing a conveyance or a lease.
By Sir DANIEL MORRIS, K.C.M.G., M.A., D.Sc, D.C.L.,
F.L.S.
study of the Trees and Shrubs in cultivation
along the South Coast of England it is
recognised how largely the Southern hemi-
sphere has been drawn upon for some of the
richest of the botanical and horticultural
treasures of our parks and gardens. Among
these possibly the most interesting are those
of Australian origin.
Australia, as is well known, is a vast
island continent in the southern hemi-
sphere. It is about three -fourths the size of Europe.
Amongst geologists it is regarded as presenting, probably,
the oldest land surface on the globe, and both its native
AUSTRALIAN TREES AND SHRUBS.
95
animals and plants are practically unique in their character
and of great scientific interest.
Australian Climate.
The western half of the Australian continent is a vast
plateau, with stretches of sandy deserts possessing an arid
chmate. The eastern half is more undulating and less dry,
with rivers, harbours, and a richer fauna and flora. The
outstanding feature of the Australian climate is no doubt
its comparative dryness. About two-fifths of the continent
receives less than an average of ten inches ot rain in the year.
The rest may be considered as fairly well watered, having a
general fall of from 30 to 40 inches. In regard to temperature,
the general law is that the climate of Australia is milder than
that of corresponding latitudes in the northern hemisphere.
As the seasons are reversed, we are not surprised to learn that
the coldest month in Australia is July. We may assume
that the southern half oi Australia has a me?.n temperature
ranging from 45deg. to 61deg., and the other half from 62deg.
to 80deg. In comparing the former figures with those of the
southern counties of England, we find as the result of thirty-
five 3^ears' observations by the Meteorological Office that
the average yearly temperature along our coast, say, from
Plymouth to Eastbourne, is very nearly 50.4deg. ; while the
average annual rainfall is twenty-four inches. This would
give a somewhat approximate resemblance between the
climate of our southern coast and certain portions of New
South Wales, Victoria, and Tasmania. In the mountains
of the latter the winters are possibly as severe as anything in
southern England. Owing to the relatively warm ocean
currents setting into the English Channel the air along the
south coast is probably the softest in Britain, and when to
this is added a moderate rainfall and an abundant sunshine
we have a possible key to the favourable growth of sub-
tropical plants from Australia and elsewhere.
96
AUSTRALIAN TREES AND SHRUBS.
Interesting Local Gardens.
As regards Australian plants, we are fortunate in this
neighbourhood in being in close touch with several very
interesting gardens. There are two I might specially mention
where Australian trees and shrubs have been under careful
experimental cultivation for many years. The first of these
are the well-known gardens attached to Abbotsbury Castle.
They contain one of the largest private collections of sub-
tropical plants to be found, if we except Devon and Cornwall,
in any part of the British Isles. Here, during the last hundred
years, successive Earls of Ilchester have brought together
and cultivated with singular success the most attractive
representatives of the floras of temperate and sub-tropical
countries, showing what thoughtful selection and wide and
intimate knowledge of plants are capable of producing.
Speaking of these gardens in a recent letter received from so
distinguished an authority as Sir Ray Lankester, he says
" the Abbotsbury gardens are about the most interesting I
have ever seen." In a catalogue of 115 pages prepared by the
Dowager Countess of Ilchester in 1899, there are recorded
about three thousand names of trees, shrubs, and herbaceous
plants from all parts of the world which were then growing
in the gardens. I can make no attempt to describe them
here. I must confine attention within the limits of my
subject — that is to trees and shrubs of Australian origin.
Another interesting garden, but of very modest dimensions
as compared with Abbotsbury, is that established in recent
years at the Old Orchard, at Broadstone, by that illustrious
man of science, the late Dr. Alfred Russel Wallace, O.M.
Although since his death it has not been found possible to
maintain the garden in anything like its former high standard
of cultivation, it still contains a large number of rare sub-
tropical trees and shrubs. I have a list of about forty species
I made on the occasion of a visit to the garden, by permission
of Mr. W. G. Wallace, early in January, 1916. There are a
few interesting sub-tropical plants to be met with at Cuffnells,
AUSTRALIAN TREES AND SHRUBS.
97
near Lj-ndhurst, the residence of Mr. Reginald Hargreaves,
and in the public and private gardens in and around Bourne-
mouth there are some Australian trees well deserving of
notice.
Types of Australian Vegetation.
In Australia, according to Maiden, there are three grand
types of vegetation, viz., the brilliant flowering plants of the
sandy plains of Western Australia, the luxurious vegetation
of eastern Queensland and New South Wales, and the alpine
plants of Tasmania. The rain forests of Western Tasmania,
with their almost impenetrable masses of beech woods, are
very remarkable when compared with the general features
of Australian vegetation. Certain families of plants are
almost entirely confined to Australia, especially the
phyllodineous acacias, and the numerous gum trees. The
latter, numbering in all 230 species, are to be met with every-
where. The acacias are still more numerous and reach a
total of 412 species. Again, the adaptability of the Australian
trees to a dry climate is wonderful ; and in this respect, taking
into account the variety of ways in which the destructive
effects of a scorching sun and parched soil are guarded against,
the x\ustralian flora is without parallel the world over. These
adaptations do not indicate, as is supposed, a primitive
origin, but are to be accepted as evidence of high specialisation
of a singularly interesting character.
Gum Trees in General.
Among the most notable of the Australian trees grown
out-of-doors in this country, the gum trees (Eucalyptus)
easily come first. They belong to the mjTtle family and thus
are allied to the common myrtle of our gardens. They are
called gum trees from the fact that they yield a resinous gum
from their trunks. A saccharine substance resembling
98
AUSTRALIAN TREES AND SHRUBS.
manna is obtained from one species, and a cool, refreshing
drink is yielded by the cider gum of Tasmania. The young
branches and leaves of most gum trees are more or less covered
with pellucid dots marking the position of oil glands. It is
the oil in the leaves that gives the Eucalypts their distinctive
odour. The name Eucalpytus is derived from eu, well, and
kalypto, to cover, as with a lid. This is in reference to the
fl-ow^er. Before expansion the stamens are covered with a
cap which afterwards falls off in one piece in the shape of a
lid or cover. It is worthy of remark that although the
largest of trees, reaching to a height of over three hundred
feet, the gum trees have very small, even minute, seeds, The
flowers are produced in the axils of the leaves either singly
or in clusters varying from three to fifteen flowers. The catyx
is of a firm texture and sepa^rates into two parts, the upper
part, as already mentioned, which resembles a lid or cover,
falls away in a single piece, while the low^er part is persistent
and bears very numerous stamens forming a fringe round its
summit. The majority of the flowers of Eucalyptus have
white and cream-coloured stamens. Those with very showy
crimson or yellow stamens are mostly confined to Western
and tropical Australia. In one instance the iron bark has
sometimes pink and sometimes crimson stamens. In
Western Australia there are gum trees with bright yellow
stamens, and others with beautiful red stamens, w^hile one
has orange -coloured stamens. In the thick and woody walls
of the capsules of Eucalj^ptus we have a remarkable provision
for protection against desiccation during the long periods of
drought which occur in Australia. As, however, no rain falls
when the trees are in flower the pollen is quite unprotected,
and the numerous stamens, often a hundred or more, are
completely exposed. There is a further remarkable
adaptation to environment in the case of the leaves. The
leaf-blades in adult trees are not set horizontally like those
of the ordinary broad-leaved trees in this country ; but by
the twisting of their stalks, they are set vertically. This is a
provision to lessen evaporation in the dry climate of Australia,
AUSTRALIAN TREES AND SHRUBS.
99
since the narrow edge and not the broad surface of the leaf
is directed towards the sun. A further pecuharity noted in
Eucalyptus trees is that it usually takes at least twelve months
for the flower buds to reach maturity and another year for
the fruit to mature. There is little doubt that for the most
part the flowers are fertilized by honey-feeding birds. The
seeds are retained and remain quite fertile for several years
in their wood}' capsules, which in some cases open their valves
only when exposed to forest fires. Seedlings usually sirring
up in consequence in burnt-over lands. Again, many species
when killed by fire rapidly regenerate by suckers from the
roots.
The formation of adventitious shoots or suckers is character-
istic of all Australian gum trees. It is noticeable what a
great contrast exists between the leaves of these suckers and
the adult leaves ; it is more marked than an3^thing we see in
trees in this country. Where large masses of Eucalj^pts of a
shrubby character cover the country, they are usually kno^ n
as " Mallee." In these there is usually a knotted root-stock
from which many stems spring. It is seldom that any
specimen in a " gumscrub " attains the dignity of a tree.
When it is proposed to clear mallee for agricultural purposes
the whole is sometimes crushed down by means of heavy
rollers, and when dry it is afterwards burned. When similar
shrubby growth is composed of acacia it is called " Mulga."
Eucalyptus Oil and Timber.
The bark, resin, and oils of Eucalyptus trees are well -known
commercial products. Eucalj^ptus oil is described as
probably the most powerful antiseptic of its class, especiafly
when it is old, as ozone is formed in it on exposure to the air.
It does not, however, serve as a substitute for quinine in
malaria. Further, in large doses it acts as an irritant, and
is a marked nervous depressant. The oil has acquired an
extraordinary popular reputation in influenza ; but there is
100
AUSTRALIAN TREES AND SHRUBS.
no evidence to show that it has any marked influence upon this
disease, or that its use tends to lessen the chance of infection.
The timbers jielded for the most part by species of Eucalyp-
tus are the most valuable of the forest resources of Australia.
They are remarkable for their durability. Wooden piles
have been known to have remained perfectly sound after
exposure to sea-water for over forty years. There are also
several extremely valuable soft timbers, such as red cedar,
silky oak, beech, a variety of teak, and several pines. Jarrah
timber from Western Australia, on account of its hardness
and durability, has been used for paving London streets.
Cultivation of Eucalypts.
Several species of Eucalyptus have been cultivated in sub-
tropical countries such as North Africa, the Cape, California,
Chile, and the northern and southern shores of the Mediter-
ranean, where the conditions have generally proved most
favourable for them. In the British Isles, also, numerous
attempts have been made to acclimatise Eucalyptus trees.
At no place have more species been attempted to be grown
in the open air than at Abbotsbury. I have a list of forty
species that have been tried there. While a good number
have been killed in exceptionally severe winters, such as those
of 1907 and 1908, there are at least a dozen species that have
proved comparatively hardy. These I shall hope to discuss
later. A remarkable plantation of Eucalypts, perhaps the
largest in this country, consisting of about nine hundred
trees, was made by the late Mr. Bateman at Bright lingsea
Hall in Essex. The trees were in full flower in December,
1906, when visited by Mr. H. J. Elwes, and many were covered
with capsules of different ages. A self-sown seedling was
noticed about 12ft. high at three years old. At Broadstone
Dr. Russel Wallace established about sixty Eucalpj^tus trees
(principally E. Gu7inii) at the Old Orchard at Broadstone.
Most of these are still flourishing and producing flowers and
AUSTRALIAN TREES AND SHRUBS. 101
seed. In Cornwall, at Menabilly and Falmouth, there are
many Eucalyptus trees of notable size. In the neighbour-
hood of Bournemouth about half-a-dozen species are met
with in the Public Gardens, but only one (E. Gunnii), in a
private garden, is in any way remarkable for its size. This,
according to Mr. Backhouse, is about 30ft. high, with a girth
of 48 inches. Owing to the widely different appearance
assumed by individual trees at different j)eriods of growth
it is extremely difficult to distinguish from leaves alone the
species of Eucalyptus under cultivation in this country.
In most young plants the leaves are opposite, but they
generally become alternate as the plants become older. In
adult plants the leaves are quite different. In most species
the seed-leaves, the juvenile leaves, and the adult leaves have
each their own distinctive character.
According to the researches of Mr. H. J. Elwes, F.R.S., and
Professor Augustine Hemy, as recorded in their great work,
" The Trees of Great Britain and Ireland," the number
of species of Eucalyptus under cultivation in this country
that have attained large size and regularly bear flowers and
fruit is comparatively small, probably not more than a dozen
in all. These are chiefly from the highlands of Tasmania,
where the climate more nearly approximates that of the South
of England.
Some Hardy Eucalyptus.
E. glohulus. Blue Gum. Native of Tasmania, Victoria,
and New South Wales. This was introduced to Europe in
the early part of the nineteenth century, and was first
cultivated out-of-doors at Naples. The blue gum is perhaps
not absolutely hardy in any part of Britain or Ireland, but
it may survive many years and attain large dimensions in
favourable localities. In young stages of growth, on account
of its ornamental character, it is met with in gardens in almost
every part of the country. In exposed positions the trees
102
AUSTRALIAN TREES AND SHRUBS.
grow too fast for their roots, and are usually blown down by
strong winds. A remarkably handsome blue gum at Penmere,
near Falmouth, measured by Mr. Elwes in 1911, was 95ft.
in height by 7ft. 9in. in girth. It was supposed to have been
planted between 1864 and 1867. A tree growing at Torquay
measured in 1910 53ft. by 5ft. at twenty years old. There
are numerous trees of the blue gum in private gardens in
Bournemouth, but none of large size. At Hinton Admiral
vicarage the Rev. C. 0. S. Hatton reports a young tree seven
years old which is 30ft. high with a girth of 24in.
At one time the blue gum was regarded as valuable for
planting in marshy districts as a preventive of malarial fever.
Experiments in this direction were undertaken on the Roman
Campagna in the hope that the rapid growth of the blue gum
would dry up the marshy lands and destroy by means of the
aroma of their leaves all miasmatic emanations. The results
proved disappointing, and for the reason recently shown by
Ross and Manson, that malaria is produced not by emanations
from a marshy soil, but by the presence of an organism in
the blood communicated from man to man by mosquitoes.
The soundness of this view has been abundantly confirmed
by the results obtained in such fever-stricken localities as the
Isthmus of Panama and elsewhere. It is admitted that the
planting of a fast-growing tree like the blue gum may in-
directly have been of benefit by. drying up pools in which
mosquitoes breed, and by forming a screen which stopped their
flight. Beyond this, it is improbable that the blue gum
possesses any value not equally shared by other fast-growing
trees. Further, the w^holesale planting of the blue gum in
sub-tropical countries, except in some districts in California,
has not been rewarded by the production of serviceable
timber.
E. Gunnii. Tasmania Cider Gum. Also found in Victoria
and New South Wales. This was named by its discoverer.
Sir Joseph Hooker, in honour of Mr. Gunn. In this species
the leaves have scarcely any pungent odour, and on that
account it is said that the foliage is liable to be browsed by
AUSTRALIAN TREES AND SHRUBS.
103
cattle and sheep. The cider gum is interesting as being the
first Australian tree that was cultivated in the open-air in
England. Reference has already been made to the planta-
tions comprising nine hundred trees of E. Gunnii, established
at Brightlingsea and to a smaller collection at Broadstone.
An article by Dr. Russel Wallace on this species appeared in
the " Garden, " Ixi. (1902). It may be regarded as quite
hardy in the southern and eastern counties, although
occasionally some of its branches are cut by severe frosts.
Even when its top is injured it usually throws out abundant
shoots at ground level. [A photograph of a fine cider gum
at Brighthngsea, 50ft. high with a girth of 4:ft., and 25 3^ears
old was shown.] A well-grown tree of E. Gunnii flourishes at
Abbotsbury. It measures 70ft. in height with a girth of 5ft.
At Marlborough Lodge, Bournemouth, Mr. C. H. Greaves
has a tree 3l)ft. high with a girth of 4ft.
E. W hitting eJwnfiensis. This is said to have been raised
from seed brought by the late Lord Sahsbury from Tasmania.
It is closely allied to E .Gunnii, and by some authors is
included under that species. It is said by Dr. Henry to differ
usually from typical E. Gunnii in the absence of the glaucous
bloom on the branches and leaves of the adult plant. The
leaves are lanceolate, longer in proportion to their width than
those of E. Gu7inii, and never ovate as in that species. The
fruit is slightly larger than in E. Gunnii, urn-shaped, with the
rim overhanging the contracted part of the fruit just below
it. Dr. Henry ventures the ox)inion that E. W hitting ehamensis
may prove to be a hybrid with E. Gunnii as one of the parents,
while the urn-shaped fruit suggests the probability of E.
urnigera being the other parent, though the tree at Whittinge-
hame does not resemble the latter in foliage. This re-
markable gum tree, now more than sixty years old, is growing
at Whittingehame, the seat of the Right Hon. Arthur Balfour,
M.P., in East Lothian. The locality is three miles and a half
from the sea and 384ft. altitude. The subsoil is gravel. In
February, 1904, when measured by Mr. H. J. Elwes, the
Whittingehame tree was 60ft. to 63ft. high, with a girth of
104
AUSTRALIAN TRKES AND SHRUBS.
1.3ft. Sin. at 2it. fiom the ground, where it divides into three
stems, which afterwards divide into six main limb?:', of which
the largest is over 5ft. in girth. It is stated that the seedUngs
raised froin E. W hitting ehamensis are equally hardy, and
withstand frosts that kill other species. At Abbotsbury there
is a specimen of this very interesting species now five years
old and measuring 30ft. in height. I have also received
specimens from trees at Wisley Gardens and Myddelton
House, Waltham Cross.
E. acervula. Swamp or Red Gum. Australia and
Tasmania. This differs from E. Gunnii in its larger size and
in the branchlets, leaves and flowers and fruit being never
glaucous. Leaves larger than in E. Gunnii. This is not a
common species. There are three trees at Menabiily in
Cornwall. There is one moderately large tree growing on the
Horse Shoe Common at Bournemouth, named by Dr. Henry.
It does not appep^r in the list of the Abbotsbury Gardens.
E. Mueller i. Mueller's Red Gum. This is confined to
Tasmania, where it usually grows on high, bleak lands. The
young branches are reddish with prominent oil glands. Leaves
are alternate, thick and firm in texture. Flower-buds sessile,
with the calyx tube angled and the operculum tuberculate.
This species is said to be rather rare in cultivation. There
is a specimen 15ft. high on the Horse Shoe Common at Bourne-
mouth, and there were two trees 40ft. high flourishing at
Abbotsbury and bearing flower-buds in 1911. The latter
stood in an exposed situation, and are considered very
hardy. A well-grown tree at Derreen, co. Kerry, in 1910,
measured 63ft. by 4ft. It w^as then thirty-six years old.
Eucalyptus cocci f era. Mountain Peppermint. In the
mountains of Tasmania this reaches a height of 20ft. It was
discovered in 1840, and in 1851 a plant, eleven years old, was
growing in Veitch's Nursery at Exeter. According to Elwes
and Henry this " is the hardiest and most successful of all
species of Eucalyptus in Britain." It is so named from the
whitish bloom on the branches and leaves, resembling the
waxy secretion of some species of coccus. The leaves are
AUSTRALIAN TREES AND SHRUBS.
105
about 2i inches long, with a long slender curved point. The
fruits are half an inch long. A remarkable tree of this at
Powderham Castle, Devonshire, in 1911, was 80ft. high with
a girth of 16ft. The spread of the horizontal branches was
90ft. It is probably over seventy years old. At Cuffnells,
near Lyndhurst, there are trees 35ft. high, from which Mr.
Hargreaves sent me some fruits a short time ago. At
Abbotsbury there are many specimens which are hardy and
thriving.
E. cordata. Tasmanian Heart-leaved Gum. This is con-
fined to Tasmania, where it attains a height of 30ft. The
leaves, as the name denotes, are heart-shaped, almost orbicu-
lar and glaucous on both sides, with crenate margins. At
Abbotsbury this species is thriving — surviving the severest
winter and freely producing seed from which seedlings are
raised. In the neighbourhood of Bournemouth several trees
were in flower from December to February 1915-16. There
were also specimens in flower about the same time at
Broadstone.
E. pulverulenta . Australian Heart-leaved Gum. Native
of southern mountains of New South Wales. This species is
not easily distinguished from E. cordata. Usually it has
thinner and smoother leaves, and their margins are not
crenate. The operculum of the flower is conical and long,
while that of E. cordata, is shorter and slightly convex.
Further, the fruits are smaller with more protruding valves.
It grows well in two localities in Ireland. I lately received
a small specimen from Mr. E. A. Bowles from M^^ddelton
House, and a typical leaf from Professor Henry.
E. urnigera. Urn-bearing Gum. Native of Tasmania.
This is by no means a handsome tree, often being bare of
branches. It is also devoid of glaucous bloom on the branches
and leaves. At Abbotsbury this is considered to be one of
the hardiest species. Young plants have passed through
three severe winters without injury and are now growing freely.
There are several trees, the largest of which is 50ft. high by
5ft. in girth. I have received specimens of this species from
106
AUSTRALIAN TREES AND SHRUBS.
Mr. Hargreaves, Cuffnells, near Lyndhurst ; from Mr. E. A.
Bowles, of Myddelton House, Middlesex ; and the Royal
Horticultural Society's Gardens at Wisley.
E. vernicosa. Dwarf Gum. Native of Tasmania. Usually
this is an erect shrub with smooth bark and small leaves ^in.
to 2in. long, equally green and shining as if varnished on both
sides — hence its specific name. In its native country this
grows on the summits of the higher mountains. In Scotland
it is reported to have never been injured by frost, and forms a
beautiful shrub and not developing into a tree. Mr. Kemj)-
shall states that it has passed recent winters at Abbotsbury
without injury. Specimens of this, by the kindness of Miss
Balfour, were received from Whittingehame , East Lothian.
E. pauci flora. Weeping Gum. Native of Australia and
Tasmania. This is a handsome, small tree with long
pendulous branches and producing an abundance of flowers.
It is said to equal E. coccifera in hardiness. A tree 16ft.
high was killed at Abbotsbury in 1908.
E. viminalis. Manna or White Gum. Australia and Tas-
mania. Usually a tree of moderate size, but occasionally
much larger. The only large specimens occur in the South
of Ireland. Smaller specimens are reported from Devon and
Cornwall. Young plants Vv'ere killed at Abbotsbury in 1905.
In Australia it produces meliitose manna which encrusts the
stem like a coating of white sugar.
Propagation of Eucalypts.
Before passing to other Australian trees and shrubs it may be
useful to add a few words as to the propagation of Eucalypts
and the selection of species likely to prove successful on
the South Coast. Where well-ripened seed is abundantly
produced it might be sown in the open ground in April. This
was successfully adopted by Mr. Bateman at Brightlingsea.
The seedlings attained a height of about a foot in the first
year and 3ft. to 6ft. in the second year. On the other hand.
AUSTRALIAN TREES AND SHRUBS.
107
imported seed in small quantity might be more economically
raised under glass. Mr. Birkbeck is quoted by Messrs. Elwes
and Henry as recommending the following : — Pot the seedhngs
when 2in. to Sin. high ; re-pot often, as the plants never do
well after their roots are pot-bound. Give them bone-meal,
keep under glass until 3ft. high, and plant out in good soil in
May and June when they are about two years old. Keep
them well-staked, as they are easily blown down ; but keep
the fastenings loose, as the trees increase quickly in girth.
None of the Eucalypts do well with overhanging shade.
Mr. Bateman laid great stress on this point, and it was borne
out by his success in large plantations of E. Gunnii. In
very exposed situations shelter from strong south-westerly
winds is necessary.
Selection of Species.
As to the selection of species, it may be gathered that as E.
coccifera, E. cordata, E. vernicosa, and E. urnigera are hardy
and ornamental, and do not usually grow into very large trees ;
the}' are well suited for garden cultivation. On the other
hand E. Gunnii, E. Whittingehamensis, E. acervula, and E.
Muelleri, also hardy, are better suited as specimen trees or
for belts and plantations. The blue gum {E. globulus),
although ornamental, when quite young, on account of its
comparative tenderness and untidy habit is not recommended
where other species are avaiable. E. fici folia, one of the
most ornamental of all the eucalypts, with red flowers,
has not succeeded, anywhere, out of doors in this country.
It flowers and fruits regularh* in a conservatory at Abbotsbury.
Hardy Acacias.
The acacias or wattles include some fairly large trees, and
also form an important portion of the scrub vegetation of
Australia. The flowers, are small and collected in large
108
AUSTRALIAN TREES AND SHRUBS.
numbers of, yellow globular heads. The leaves in some
species are twice or thrice pinnated, and present an elegant
feathery appearance. In others, particularly those found
in the drier parts of Australia, the true leaves are seldom or
never developed. In their absence the leaf -stalk becomes
flattened, and assumes a leaf -like appearance. These
dilated leaf-stalks, termed phyllodes, fulfil the functions
of leaves, and are singularly varied in form in the different
species.
Acacia dealbata. Silver Wattle. Australia and Tasmania.
The leaves are hoary and pubescent, presenting a silvery
appearance. There are ten to twenty pairs of pinnas, each
bearing thirty to forty pairs of linear leaflets. The flower
panicles are large with globose yellow heads Jin. in diameter.
The pods are straight or flattened 2in. to 3in. long. The
species is much cultivated on the Riviera for its flowers, which
are sent in large quantities to this country in winter under
the popular name of " Mimosa." It can be grown in the
open-air along the South Coast of England. It has attained
a height of 60ft. after seventeen years' growth from seed at
Abbotsbury, where it produces flowers annually in great
abundance, and good seed from which plants have been raised.
A moderately large tree was in flower (in Eebruary) at
Broadstone in the garden of the late Dr. Russell Wallace ;
and a similar tree, also in flower, is flourishing in Alumdale
Road, Alum Chine, Bournemouth.
The bark of an allied species — A. decurrens — known as the
Black or Green Wattle, is very rich in tannin. It is being
largely grown in Natal and some parts of India as a tan-bark
tree.
A. melanoxylon. Black Wood. Australia and Tasmania.
It is seldom that true leaves are produced on this species.
Their place is taken by rather leathery phyllodes from 2Jin.
to 4in. long. Very occasionally true pinnate leaves are present
on young trees. Flow^er heads are minute, thirty to forty in
a head. Pods linear, flat, 2in. to 4in. long. At Abbotsbury
a tree planted twelve years ago was about 35ft. high, and
AUSTRALIAN TREES AND SHRUBS.
109
seedlings have been raised from it. According to Mr. H. J.
Ehves, in the South of France this is the best of the acacias
for avenues, as it forms a tall tree of regular habit. It is
completely naturalised in the Nilgiris. It is not common as
an outdoor tree in this countrj^
Besides the above, Mr. Kempshall reports the Golden
Wattle (Acacia floribunda), the Broad-leaf Wattle (A.
jjycnantha), the Prickly Wattle (^1. verticiUata), and the
Blue-leaved Wattle (A. cyanophylla) as also growing at
Abbotsbury. In Lady Ilchester's catalogue the names of
twenty-six species of Acacia are entered as having existed
there. ^4. Riceana is a very handsome and distinct species
with the graceful habit of a weeping \\illow.
The wattle has been adopted as the floral emblem of
Australia. It is represented on the national coat-of-arms
and on postal notes ; it is also used for decorative purposes
in a variety of ways. It is announced that w^hen the war
is over it is proposed to mark the burial-ground of the gallant
Australians that fell in Gallipoli by planting the locality
with wattle trees. Doubtless the wattles so planted will
consist of species that are likely to be hardy, while at the
same time notable for the beauty of their flowers. Something
similar is proposed to be done in France to perpetuate the
splendid services of the Canadians by planting maple trees.
The maple leaf is the national emblem of Canada.
Change of Flowering Season.
As already mentioned, the seasons in Australia are
reverse to those which obtain in the British Isles. Winter
commences in Australia in April and ends in October. WTien
we are expecting seasonable frost and snow at Christmas the
Australians are enjoying warm summer weather with a
temperature ranging from 60 degrees to 80 degrees Fahr.
In the case of Australian trees and shrubs introduced to
northern countries it is interesting to watch how they conduct
110 AUSTRALIAN TREES AND SHRUBS.
themselves to meet new conditions. Do they still continue
to flower according to the Australian season or is there a
change noticeable to enable them to fit in with northern
conditions ? In the case of plants grown under glass they may
continue the Australian habit ; but plants grown out of doors
and fully exposed to the weather appear gradually to adapt
themselves to their environment and flower earlier or later.
In this connection I may quote from the " Indian Forester "
(VIII., 1882) General Morgan's account of the remarkable
changes in the period of flowering of Acacia dealhata. He
says in the Nilgiris the acacias flowered at first in October,
which is the month in which the parents flower in Australia.
In 1860 they began to flower in September ; in 1870 they
flowered in August ; in 1878 in July, and in 1882 in June,
which is the spring month in the Nilgiris corresponding with
October in Australia.
The observations here recorded by General Morgan do not
appear to coincide wdth the general experience in regard to
the flowering of the Silver Wattle in Europe. The change
in the flowering occurs later and not earlier than in Australia.
For instance, in the Riviera the wattles usually flower from
December to February, while out of doors in this more northern
climate the flowering takes place still later, viz., from February
to April. This change in the flowering of Austrahan and
other plants from the southern hemisphere in order to adapt
themselves to the climatic conditions of the northern hemis-
phere is an interesting subject and deserves fuller investi-
gation.
Other Australian Trees and Shrubs.
Among other Australian trees and shrubs more or less
hardy along the South Coast are several genera of Proteaceae
which deserve mention. The more notable of these are
Grevillea, Banksia, Hakea, and Telopea. None of these are
native of any part of the northern hemisphere. In Australia
AUSTRALIAN TREES AND SHRUBS. Ill
nearly all the Proteaceae produce an abundance of nectar,
and the wood in some instances is valuable for cabinet
making.
Grevilleas.
Grevillea rohusta the " Silky Oak," is probably the most
common species grown in greenhouses in this country on
account of its very graceful foliage. It is also said to be the
most easily grown of any trees of the genus. In sub-tropical
countries where the tree is largely planted its bright orange
panicles of flowers are very attractive. Grevillea rosmarini-
jolia has flourished out of doors at Abbotsbury. It has linear,
rosemary -like leaves with red flowers ; the latter are disposed
in terminal clusters, and appear in January and February.
Perhaps the finest specimen in this country flowers, annually,
in the garden of the late Dr. Russel Wallace at Broadstone.
It is a singularly interesting plant. It has found a congenial
spot under the shelter of a brick wall facing due south. The
highest sprays reach to 7ft., while the spread of the branches
from the wall on to the lawn extends to a distance of 17ft.
It is abundantly covered with red flowers.
Two other species of Grevillea are mentioned in the
Abbotsbury Catalogue, viz., G. longifoUa, with pink flowws,
often reaching a height of 12ft. to 15ft., and G. sulphur ea,
with yellow flowers described as " one of the hardiest of all
the Grevilleas." It is said to grow freely as a wall plant in
the neighbourhood of London.
Banksias.
The Banksias are named in honour of Sir Joseph Banks,
the great naturalist, who accompanied Captain Cook on one
of his voyages to the South Seas. He was afterwards closely
identified with the early history of the Royal Gardens at
112
AUSTRALIAN TREES AND SHRUBS.
Kew. The Banksias, known in Australia as " Honeysuckles,"
are all remarkable for the beauty of their foliage and their
characteristic bottle -brush flowers. Two species are reported
as growing at Abbotsbury, viz., the oak-leaved Banksia
querci folia and B. integri folia. The leaves of the latter are
entire and silvery white beneath. Of the hill-loving B. collina
there are two well-grown bushes now in flower in the late
Dr. Russel Wallace's garden at Broadstone. In this species
the leaves are broadly linear with a jagged apex. The under
surface as in other species is silvery white. The flower heads
are about 6 to 8 inches long and about 2| to 3 inches in
diameter. At the time (January, 1916) when the Broadstone
plants were in flower, similar plants under cultivation in the
Temperate House at Kew also were in bloom. An illustration
of the latter appeared in the " Garden." Banksia collina
was introduced in 1822, and the first plant to flow^er in this
country was in the conservatory of the Duke of Northumber-
land at Sion House, near Isleworth. In 1830 it flowered in
one of the houses at the Edinburgh Botanic Garden.
Hake AS.
The Hakeas, named after the botanist Hake, are known in
Australia as " Needle Bush " and " Pin Bush " on account
of their extremely sharp-pointed leaves. According to
Maiden, good drinking water is obtainable from the fleshy
roots of Hakea leucoptera. As this grows in arid sandy
districts the water no doubt proved of great value to the
early explorers of the Australian continent. The flowers of
Hakea lorea are rich in a brown thick honey. Hakea
puhescens is now growing at Abbotsbury. The most
remarkable Hakea tree in this country is certainly that
growing on the lawn at Cuffnells, near Lyndhurst. This is the
dagger-leaved Hakea acicularis. Mr. Reginald Hargreaves
informs me that originally the tree grew in a conservatory
AUSTRALIAN TREES AND SHRUBS.
113
attached to the house. When by accident this was burnt
down, the tree, which was not seriously injured, was planted
out, at the beginning of the last century, on the open lawn,
where it has remained ever since. Notwithstanding its great
age it regularly produces its pale white flowers and snail-like
fruits. Specimens of these are now before us. This interest-
ing tree is about 20ft. high with a girth of stem of about
4ft. Gin. A small plant of the same species is met with at
Broadstone. Hakea eucalyptoides was formerly grown at
Abbot sbury. This when in flower is a very striking plant
on account of its abundant scarlet balls of flowers, which emit
long styles that deck the branchlets. It does exceedingly
well in the Mediterranean region, where it is called " Sea
Urchin " by English visitors. It is referred to as " the glory
of the gardens of the Riviera." At the well-known La
Mortola gardens, established by the late Sir Thomas Hanbury,
this species flourishes as a shrub 10ft. high with balls of flowers
2|-in. in diameter. Another notable member of the Pro-
teacea is the Waratah {Telopea speciosissima) , with very
red showy flowers. It sometimes appears in gardens as
Embothrium. There are plants of this which occasionally
flower at Abbotsbury and Broadstone. The Waratah is
also known as the native tulip tree, and like, the kangaroo
and acacia, is symbolic of the country. The aborigines were
accustomed to suck its large tubular flowers for the honey
they contained. The common bottle-brush tree Callistemon
speciosus is hardy at Abbotsbury, and very attractive with
its fine masses of red flowers.
Lesser Known Trees and Shrubs.
As there are more than sixty Australian plants that are
more or less hardy along the South Coast, it is impossible to
describe them in detail. It will be sufficient if I pass them
briefly in review. The musk tree {Olearia argyrophylla)
114
AUSTRALIAN TREES AND SHRUBS.
flourishes at Abbotsbury. It is said to yield a brilliant sap
green, and the timber has a pleasant fragrance and a beautiful
mottled colour. The Wonga-wonga vine {Tecoma australis),
with yellowish white flowers tinged with purple-red, is a half-
hardy climber. The Flame tree (Brachychiton acerifolium),
so called on account of its bright red flowers, is a most con-
spicuous feature of an Illawarra landscape, and Captain
Cook's tea plant {Leptospermum scoparium), with reddish
lilac flowers, which attains at Abbotsbury a height of 8ft.,
and is 4ft. 6in. thi'ough, are all notable plants. There are
three species of Australian Pittosporums commonly seen in
southern gardens, viz., the native laurel (P. undulatum),
the diamond-leaved laurel (P. rhombi folium), and the Cheese -
wood (P. bicolor). An attractive climber allied to the
Pittosporums (8 oily a heterophylla) has rich blue flowers.
This is said to be hardy also in some parts of Scotland, but
is not cultivated so widely as it deserves. Amongst the
most beautiful of the West Australian myrtles is Oalothamnus
quadrifidus an evergreen shrub with needle-shaped leaves
and scarlet flowers. Chorizma angustijolium bears beautiful
orange-red pea-like flowers, and two species of Hardenbergia
also possess handsome flowers of a very similar character. The
Glory pea of New South Wales [Clianthus Dampieri), with its
glaucous hoary leaves and richly coloured flowers, is far
superior to the New Zealand Clianthus puniceus. In Dr.
Wallace's old garden there are several species of Correa, which
are decorative shrubs with white and bright scarlet flowers.
O. alba is native of South Australia and C. virens of New
South Wales. Of the Melaleucas, Abbotsbury can claim
success with four species, viz., the Hypericum-
leaved {M. Tiyperici folia) with splendid scarlet flowers ; M.
Wilsonnii, with red flowers ; M. decussata, with rather small
lilac flowers, and the rather uncommon M. preissiana. Of
the Australian veronicas Veronica formosa, a beautiful plant
with pale blue flowers, and the Digger's Speedwell (F. per-
foliata), with bluish-violet flowers, are occasionally grown in
southern gardens.
AUSTRALIAN TREES AND SHRUBS.
115
Conclusion.
In closing I may add that from a scientific point there is a
further reason why we should carefully study the Australian
flora as represented in this country. It has been claimed
by von Ettingshausen that he has found the leaf remains of
such familiar Australian plants as Eucalyptus and Metrosideros
in fossil beds contemporaneous with those of the Bournemouth
cliffs. Also, Heer has described such Australian genera as
Banksia, Eucalyptus, Grevillea, and Hakea from leaf remains
in the Miocene formations of Switzerland. Although neither
of these discoveries has been accepted by such leading
authorities as Bentham and Hooker, it is possible that a careful
comparison of the fossil remains and the living Australian
plants accessible to us might help to solve the difficulty.
Pal aio -botanists are agreed that the identification of fossil
leaf impressions with an existing flora is a most difficult task.
Even in the case of fresh specimens it is not a matter of surprise
that experienced botanists in Australia hesitate to determine
species of Eucalyptus from leaves alone. Flowers and fruit
are always desirable.
m
in IHemoriant*
THE LATE HENRY COLLEY MARCH, M.D., F.S.A., J.P.
By NELSON MOORE RICHARDSON, B.A.
the death of Dr. Henry Colley March, which
took place at his residence, Nethergrove,
Portesham, on Tuesday, February 15th, 1916,
the Dorset Field Club has sustained one of
its greatest losses in recent years. Though
by no means one of the oldest members, his
election having taken place on February 11th,
1896, he has always been in the front rank
of its antiquaries, while taking also an interest
in general Natural History and more especially in Geology,
in which he has among other things brought together some
valuable evidence as to the existence of an ice sheet in Dorset
as well as in more northern latitudes. (See Proc. D.F.C.,
XIX., 130.) A paper on Lynchets (Proc. D.F.C., XXIV.,
67) dealt with the different modes of origin ascribed to them
a^nd the results of some of his investigations. With the
IN MEMORIAM DR. COLLEY MARCH.
117
exception of his last paper — viz., an introductory sketch
on the excavation of the Dewlish Elephant Trench, written
as Chairman of the Earthw orks Committee of the Club (Proc.
XXX VL, 209) — all the papers by him contained in its Pro-
ceedings are antiquarian and relate to the following subjects :
— " The Pagan-Christian Overlap of the Wise Bird, with
Dorset Illustrations" (XVIII., 116); "Various Roman
Pavements, their Ornamentation and Symbols " (XXI.,
162; XXI., 205; XXV., 17; XXVII., 239); "The Hill
Fortress called Eggardun " (XXII., 28) ; " The Giant and
the Maypole of Cerne " (XXII., 101) ; " The Gandhara
Sculptures " (XXIV., 93) ; a paper read in connection with
the visit of the Club on August 20th, 1908, to the stone
circles and other prehistoric remains in the Portesham neigh-
bourhood under his guidance, entitled " The Ritual of Bar-
rows and Circles " (XXIX., 225) ; and " Scando-Gothic
Art in Wessex " (XXXIV., 1). These papers do not, how-
ever, by any means represent all his work for the Club. The
short notes, recorded and unrecorded, the antiquarian and
other exhibits, often accompanied by learned remarks and
explanations, the occasions on which he acted as guide at
the excursions of the Club and the information afforded
in little discourses on the various objects of interest visited,
are too numerous to mention. Under his superintendence as
Chairman of the Earthworks Committee Avas successfully
carried through the excavation of Maumbury Rings, which
proved it to have been constructed for the purpose of a
Roman Amphitheatre, the details being laid open to the
view gradually in the course of the work, which was carried
on during several years ; a full report by Mr. St. George Gra}^
appeared in the Proceedings of the Club. In May, 1902,
Dr. March was appointed Hon. Secretary of the Club, which
office he held for two years with great advantage to the
Club, as from his special knowledge and energy he did his
best to encourage real work amongst the members, with more
or less success. In 1904 he retired from the Secretaryship,
being succeeded by Rev. H. Pentin the present Hon. Secretary,
118 IN MEMORIAM DU. COLLEY MARCH.
his term of office therefore corresponding with that of Lord
Eustace Cecil as President. Besides the excavations under-
taken by the Earthworks Committee of the Club under Dr.
March's Chairmanship, a general prehistoric survey of Dorset
was commenced under his auspices, and has up to the present
been carried out to a small extent in a few parishes, including
especially that of Portesham, in which the writer had the
pleasure and interest of assisting him. This was performed
with the thoroughness characteristic of his other works. All
prehistoric remains that could be found in the parish were
catalogued, measured, and noted down on the Gin. Ordnance
Map, and even so lately as last summer a few lynchets which
had been omitted at first were visited in spite of his growing
weakness, so as to complete the map. Dr. March had a
strong sense of humour by which he often added httle touches
to relieve the somewhat dry character almost inseparable
from parts of a learned address, and sometimes much
amused his hearers by original remarks on his own and
other exhibits. He was always ready to discuss questions
on which others differed from him and to give consideration
to their arguments, though in many things he was most
tenacious of his own views. He was very fond of music ;
and though the writer never heard him play on any
instrument, he manipulated his mechanical organ-player
with sldll, and, by some little contrivances of his own, so
modified his gramophone that it produced less of the
objectionable twang of that instrument than usual and a
much more agreeable sound. He was devoted to his garden,
in which he grew a great variety of plants and shrubs,
especially many which he had brought back with him from
abroad, and which are not often seen in this country, and
no one would have believed that so mature-looking a garden
could have been formed in the course of 20 years.
Dr. March was born at Colchester in 1838, his father, the
Bev. Henry March, having been a Congregational Minister.
In 1860 he became a member of the Royal College of Surgeons
and a Licentiate of the Society of Apothecaries, securing
IN MEMORIAM DR. COLLEY MARCH. 119
honours in anatomy and physiology. He became M.B. in
1862 and M.D. (London) in 1867. He went to Rochdale in
1863, where he practised his profession for 33 j^ears, retiring
to Portesham in 1896. He married a ladj^ who shared his
interests and tastes, the daughter of Alderman James Booth,
who, with his son and daughter, survives him. He was a
Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries (of which he was local
secretary for Dorset), and a member of the Archaeological
Institute and other Scientific and Antiquarian Societies.
He was an original member of the Lancashire and Cheshire
Antiquarian Society, and one of the founders of the Rochdale
Literary and Scientific Society. When living at Rochdale he
formed a fine collection of flint implements from the Neolithic
floor, and would often rise before da^^n and drive miles over
the moor to reach some favourite " floor " and return to
make his usual rounds, and this in spite of the fact that he
was never strong, but his vitality and energy seemed
inexhaustible.
To the writer of this notice, the loss is that of an intimate
friend, whom he always felt that he could consult with
advantage in any case of difficulty that might arise in
connection with the Field Club or more private matters,
and whose opinion and advice, always honestly and fairl}^
given, he greatly valued, in spite of the dift'erence of their
views on certain points. For his kindness and liberality in
his neighbourhood he will be missed by all around him.
One of his old friends writes of him — " Not only by his own
immediate circle, but by friends and scientific colleagues
throughout the country, his loss will be deeply mourned, as
one whose genuine kindliness and readiness to help all who
sought his aid had endeared him to them, while his scientific
attainments, love of truth, and careful observation and
induction were characteristics that made him a model for all
engaged in research."
The memorial notices in the Rochdale papers, from which
extracts are given below, shew the high estimation in which
he was held during his long residence in that town.
120
IN MEMORIAM DR. COLLEY MARCH.
For a number of years before he departed from Rochdale Dr. March
was a Justice of the Peace for the Borough, and he brought to his work
in that capacity all the zeal and zest which he displayed in other
departments, public and private. For a number of years he was also
police surgeon for the borough.
Dr. March was not a native of Rochdale, but during the thirty years
or more that he resided amongst us he identified himself with a variety
of movements for the social and intellectual advancement of the
town. He was an inspiring intellectual force among us, and made for
himself a name, especially in medical and archseological circles,
honoured far beyond Rochdale's boundaries.
Dr. March quickly won his way to a leading place among local
practitioners, and long before he retired in 1896 he had one of the largest
and most lucrative practices in the town and district. His patients
had the greatest faith in his professional skill and knowledge. He
took infinite pains to keep abreast of the modern developments of
medical science, and he had that valuable type of scientific mind
which was never afraid of new discoveries, and was, indeed, ever on the
look-out for them. He wrote considerably on professional subjects.
Locally he was among the earliest of scientific men to seriously take
up the investigation of the archaeology and geology of the Rochdale
hills ; and the extremely fine collection of flint implements, which he
gathered from the Rochdale Neolithic floor and presented to the town
in 1896, is practical evidence of his valuable work in this branch of
science.
It is not too much to say that no member of the Literary and Scientific
Society made more valuable contributions to the society's literature.
m)c late Eel). MHlixain irftilcs Panics, e.:^.
By NELSON MOORE RICHARDSON, B.A
jpHE Rev. William Miles Barnes is the second Vice
President whom the Dorset Field Club has lost
in the course of five months, his death having
taken place at his house at Dorchester on July
8th, 1916. Mr. Barnes was one of the older
members of the Club, having been elected in
1889, and was for many years, until partial
blindness came upon him, untiring in his
efforts to further its interests and to work out
and record various matters connected with
Dorset. The only official position held by him in the Club
w^as that of Editor of its Proceedings from 1901 to 1906,
in which period the volumes bear testimony to the care
bestowed upon them, especially the accounts of the Meetings,
122 IIS MEMOKIAM llEV. WILJJAM M. UAUNES.
which ho developed and amplified. He was made a Vice-
President in 1904. Perhaps the most lasting and generally
interesting work carried out by him is contained in the fine
series of volumes of the Photographic Survey of Dorset,
which survey has since been carried on by others, but was
founded by him, the bulk of the beautiful photographs being
his personal work. They are most valuable as records of
much that has passed and is passing away. But photography
was only one of many branches in which Mr. Barnes worked
for the Club. His first paper appears in Vol. XII. of the
Proceedings, and is entitled " A brief Historical and descrip-
tive sketch of the Churches in the Rural Deanery of
Dorchester," and a second one on the Roman Defences of
Dorchester is in the same volume. Thenceforward one or
more papers from his pen will be found in almost every
volume for many years. Architecture was one of his strong
subjects, and at Field Meetings he was often appealed to for
information about the churches visited. A paper on the
form and probable history of Saxon Church Architecture is
contained in Vol. XXIII. The Pipe Rolls and Patent and
Close Rolls (Dorset), especially of King John's reign, form
the subject of papers in Vols. XIV., XV., XVI., and XIX.
Mr. Barnes did much work in connection with the Church
Bells of Dorset, some of the results being embodied in a paper
at p. 97 of Vol. XXVII. His last paper is in Vol XXVIIL,
the subject being " The Liberty and Manor of Prampton.
Rolls of the Court Leet and Court Baron." His energies
were not, however, confined to his work for the Dorset Field
Club, and this notice would be incomplete without a reference
to his musical talents and his connection with the Dorset
Orchestral Association, of which he was the founder and Hon.
Secretary. Under his organization also as Hon. Secretary
of the Salisbury Diocesan Choral Association many choral
festivals were held in Salisbury Cathedral. The son of
William Barnes, the Dorset poet, he was born in 1840 and
educated at his father's school in Dorchester, and St. John's
College, Cambridge, where he took his degree in 1863. For
IN MEMORIAM REV. WILLIAM M. BARNES. 123
42 years he was Rector of Winterbourne Monkton near
Dorchester, and resigned the living owing to failing eyesight
in 1908.
Mr. Barnes was unsparing in the trouble and time he
devoted to anything he undertook, and had considerable
powers of organization, which, together with his interest in
and knowledge of many subjects dealt with by the Club,
made his loss a very serious one, when about 8 years ago he
became unable to contribute to its Proceedings and to help
it in other ways. His partial blindness must have been a
great trial to one accustomed to make such good use of his
sight, but was cheerfully borne. The writer is indebted to
him for many acts of kind help and support in connection
with the Club and otherwise during a friendship of many
years standing. He leaves a family of two sons and two
daughters.
m
By W. de C. PRIDEAUX, F.S.A.
Part 10.
Fleet Old Church, Holy Trinity.
'EJ^RODUCTIONS of the Memorial Brasses at
Fleet, from excellent direct photographs
by our President, appear opposite page 55,
in the Field Club Proceedings for 1898,
illustrating an article by the Rev. W.
Miles Barnes on Fleet Old Church and its
Brasses.
These photographs show the greater
part of the brasses clearly, representing
them much as they appear to-day, plainl}" showing the
tarnish of Time's fingers spreading from their edges, and, tu
the contemplative eye, are superior to the mechanical, but
necessary, black and white reproduction.
Although these memorials are in a church ruined in the
" Outrage " of 1824 and unused, except for occasional burial
Brass of Margaret Mohun.
ANCIENT MEMORIAL BRASSES OF DORSET. 125
services, fortunately we do not need to say that it is a place
of " fractured arch and mouldering wall."
The Brasses have been partially reproduced, being given
to illustrate an article on Mohuns Otter}^ Devon, in
" Memorials of the West," published in 1888, hy W. Hamilton
Rogers, F.S.A., whose recent death has removed a charming
personality from the ranks of West Country antiquaries.
For the sake of sequence, however, I bring them again to
3^0 ur notice, and show the usual plain black and white
facsimiles of these square but interesting 17th Century plates,
in their stone frames.
Position. — Within stone frames fixed against the Chancel
wall on either side of east window ; the earlier brass being on
the North side. A marble slab within a similar stone frame
deserves notice ; it is on the South wall of the Chancel, and I
reproduce it for comparison.
Size— I. Margaret Mohun, 1603, 27in. high by 20in. wide.
2. Maximilian! Mohun, 1612, 20ins. high by 28in.
wide.
3. Francis Mohun, 1711 (Marble Slab), 21in. high
by lOJins. wide.
Inscriptions.
" Hie jacet Margarita uxor quondam castissima viri
dignissimi Roberti Mohun alias Moun de Bothenhampton
in comitatu Dorcestensi armigeri, quae quidem Margarita
fnit filia et cohaeres Stephani Hyde de Hyde in eodem etiam
comitatu armigeri. Hace 17 liberorum faelicissima fuit
parens. Vixit annos circiter 90, ac in Domino requiescit.
Obiit primo die Decembris anno regni serenissimi Jacobi
Anglorum regis 1 ac Scotiae 36, salutis 1603."
" Here lies Margaret once the virtuous wife of the most
honourable Robert Mohun, otherwise Moun of Bothenhampton
in the count3^ of Dorset, esquire, which Margaret was the
daughter and coheiress of Stephen Hyde in the same county.
126
ANCIENT MEMORIAL BRASSES OF DORSET.
esquire, and was the most happy mother of seventeen children.
She lived about 90 years and rests in the Lord. She died on
the first day of December in the first year of the reign of the
most serene; James, King of England and his 36th year as
King of Scotland ; in the year of our salvation, 1603."
" Hie jacet Maximilianus Mohun armiger, filius Roberti
Mohum alias Moun de Bothehampton in comitat
Dorcestrensi armigeri, qui quidem Maximilianus una cum
uxore castissima Anna filia et cohaere de Johannis Churchill
de Corton generosi tredecem liberorum faehcissimus fuit
parens. Vixit annos circiter 48*^° ac vita bene beateque
peracta, in Domino requiescit. Obiit xiiii° die Octobris
anno regni serenissimi Jacobi Anglorum regis ac Scctiae
XLV° anno Sahitis 1612."
'* Here hes Maximilian Mohun esquire, son of Robert
Mohun, otherwise Moun of Bothenhampton in the county
of Dorset, w^hich Maximihan, together with his virtuous w'lie
Anne, the daughter and coheiress of John Churchill gentleman
of Corton, was the happy parent of thirteen children. He
lived about 48 years, and after a well spent and happy life
he rests in the Lord. He died the 14th day of October in the
tenth year of the reign of the most serene James, King of
England and his fortj^ fifth year as King of Scotland ; in
the year of our Salvation, 1612."
" Vir dignissiinus, Franciscus Mohun Armiger, filius
Maximiliani qui fuit filius Maximilian! Mohun, obiit 25*°
Feb. ii., 1711-12 mo., anno aetatis suae 84*^"
Prisca fides, cultusque Dei, patriaeque mentis,
Fidus amor primaerum excoluere virum."
" The most honourable Francis Mohun Esquire, son of
Maximilian who was the son of Maximilian Mohun died 25th
February, 1711-12 in the 84th year of his age.
The good faith of a day gone by, the worship of his God and
loyalty to his country in jeopardy, made up a character of
pristine excellence."
Description. — ^These brasses are of familiar quadrangular
type, met with in the early part of the 17th Century, and
BRASS OF MAXIMILIAN MOHUN.
BRASS OF FRANCIS MOHUN.
ANCIENT MEMORIAL BRASSES OF DORSET. 127
.show the usual family grouping ; the father in armour, with
nine sons kneeling on one side of the table, the mother with
eight daughters on the opposite side, and having their armorial
bearings above.
These late brasses may in this county be compared with
Nicholas Martin and his wife of a decade earlier at Piddleton,
and Mistress Clavell and her children, the first wife of John
Clavell, at Church Knowle, having their effigies partly cut
around ; but they are otherwise very similar.
Arising from this description, I wish to draw your attention
to the peculiarities brought to m}'- notice while visiting Fleet
last year with our member Mr. J. G. W. Clift, who would
have been present to speak himself \\ere it not that sterner
duties call, his address now being R.E. Mess, Brompton
Barracks, Chatham. Mr. Clift, as you may be aware, is
a member of the Royal Commission for the Preservation ol;
Historical Monuments, and rightly considers he is translating
theory into practice by offering his services to his country.
To illustrate the peculiarities, I have taken impressions
both in wax and foil ; I find the latter particularly useful.
Mr. Clift drew my attention to the fact that these brasses
appeared to have been executed in rather a different fashion
to that usually adopted. He saj's in a letter of last week : —
"The most common form of work was undoubtedly executed
with graving tools, and in the hands of a skilful man no finer
method could have been employed for the production of clean
good work and hne. Somewhere about the early part of
the 16th century, ho\^'ever, the style of brass changes some-
what, and shadows are worked with cross-hatching in a very
stragghng fashion ; and if I am correct, a new method of
producing the incised lines was introduced, namely, acid
biting. I have from time to time noticed brasses of this
period in which the lines show the characteristic ragged edge
of the bitten line."
From my experience of Dorset brasses, these examples do
appear to differ from others in the countj^, and since Mr. Clift
pointed out this difference, I have examined man}^ and
128 ANCIENT MEMORIAL BRASSES OF DORSET.
failed to find another similar. I would ask you to compare
the free and exact sweep of the letters and figures of the
Martin brass at Piddleton with the halting outline of these
Fleet examples, particularly the letter curves with their very
ragged edges.
The ground appears to differ from the engraved type, the
depressions are shelving, not u]3right, nor in the least
undercut ; if the graver was exclusively used for these brasses
the letters and numerals are most carelessly cut, and yet the
effigies, table, &c., are finely done, having fine cross-hatching,
thus militating against the idea that the roughness is that of
a careless craftsman ; but is possibly due to the process
employed. Wh}^ should the floor of cavities be very fairly
smooth, if the graver is allowed such licence in outlining ?
Further data and examples must be obtained before one can
speak with certainty, but I think Mr. Cliffs observations
are deserving of the most careful consideration, especially as
etching is known to have been discovered in the early part
of the 16th century. Francesco Mazzuoli, who lived from
1503 to 1540 ( Vamri, Vol. III., pp. 508 and 356), is credited
with first using acid-bitten plates.
Heraldry.
1. On a shield of arms, above effigies. Gules, a maunch
ermine, the hand "pro per holding a jleiir de lis within a
hordure or, a crescent for difference Mohun ; impaling,
a chevron between three lozenges, on a chief an eagle
displayed. Hide. Over the shield appears, " Insignia
Mohun et Hide."
2. On a shield of arms above effigies. Quarterl}^ 1st
and 4th, Mohun ; 2nd, Hide ; 3rd. a lion rampant
dehruised with a hendlet, a crescent for difference,
Churchill.
3. On a shield of arms over the marble slab. Mohun,
impaling Argent, on a chevron gides three martlets, and
a rose on a canton. Sheldon.
ANCIENT MEMORIAL BRASSES OF DORSET. 129
I now wish to state a fevv facts about the Mohun family
of Fleet, and particularl}'- about those members commemorated
b}^ the tablets.*
A pedigree compiled in 1606 by William Dethick, Garter
King of Arms, but not registered at Heralds College, appears
to be the authority for deducing its origin from Sir Robert
Mohun of Porlock, the second son of Sir John Mohun of
Dunster Castle, who died in 1330.
This Sir Robert is stated to have been the great -great-
grandfather of Sir John Mohun, of Mohun Ottery in Devon,
father of Richard Mohun, father of Robert Mohun with whom
the official pedigree begins.
I. Robert Mohun (or Moone) of Baunton or Bothenhampton
died on the 14th November 1580, seized of the manors of
Lodcr Matravers (formerly the propert}^ of Ford Abbey),
Mangerton and Fleet, the rectory of East Chaldon and other
property in the neighbourhood {Inq. P.M.). He appears
with his wife (born Margaret Hyde, of Hyde) and his children
on the earlier brass.f Although there were no less than 17
children, the names of only seven are known to me —
1. Robert, heir to his father. .
2. Maxmilian, heir to his brother.
3. John, matriculated at St. Alban Hall, Oxford, in 1586,
and was admitted a student of the Middle Temple in 1591.
His daughter Anne died in 1600.
4. Mary, 5, Joan, 6, Margaret, and 7, Alice. The last
named daughter married William Symonds of Exeter and
left issue. {Devon Visitation, 1620).
II. Robert Mohun, son and heir of Robert and Margaret,
matriculated at St. Alban Hall in 1577, being then nineteen
* See A Histortj o) Dunster, by Sir H. C. Maxwell Lyte, K.C.B.,
who traces the numerous branches, and, in appendix B, gives examples
of 13th and 14th Century Mohun Seals, bearing the Maimch. Also
Hutchins's Dorset Vol. ii.
t Robert himself was buried in the south aisle of Bridport church,
near his parents, as directed in his vsdll (P.C.C., 38 Darcy).
130
ANCIENT MEMORIAL BRASSES OF DORSET.
years of age. He married Meliora, daughter of Pitt of
Blandford, and by her had issue three daughters.
Mehora, born in 1587, married to John Daccomb.'^'
Margaret, born in 1588, married to John Hele.
Anne, born in 1594, married to — Hele.
Kol)ert Mohun, the second, died in 1598, when the entailed
estates passed to his brother. {Inq. P.M.)
III. Maximilian Mohun matriculated at St. Alban Hall
in 1581, being then 16 years of age. He afterwards became
a student of the Middle Temple. He married on the "ith
October, 1593, Anne, daughter and coheiress of John Churchill
of Gorton.
They and their 13 children appear on the later brass at
Meet.
The names of twelve are known : —
1. Maximihan, heir to his father.
2. Churchill, matriculated at Oxford in April, 1613, with
his elder brother. He died 8. P.
3. Robert, of West Biickham, near Beaminster, a Major
in the Royalist Arm}^ He was taken prisoner near Bridg-
water, and afterwards compounded for his estate. In 1634
he married Ehzabeth, daughter of John Hillary of Meerhay.
4. John, born in 1605. 5. George, born in 1607.
6. Mary, born in 1595 ; married in 1610 to Cornelius Weston
of Colyton.
7. Elizabeth, married to John Gollop. 8. Anne.
9. Margaret, born in 1606. 10. Eleanor.
11. Thomasine, born in 1610. 12. Catherine, born in 1612,
IV. Maximilian Mohun, the second, was born in November,
1596, and matriculated at Oxford in 1613. In 1631 he paid
£10 for exemption from the duty of taking knighthood.
Having supported the King in the Civil War, his estate was
sequestrated for about 7 years, during part of which he was
* It is possible that Daccoirub mairied Meliora the elder, widow of
Robert Mohun. (P.R.O. Chan. Proo. Ser. ii. 333/6).
ANCIENT MEMORIAL BRASSES OF DORSET.
131
in prison at Weymouth. He was eventually allowed to
compound for £1,540 18s. 4d. He died in 1673. By
Elizabeth his wife, daughter of I'rancis Chaldecot of Whiteway,
he had issue 10 children, the names of six being known : —
1. Maximilian, baptized at his mother's old home at Steple,
in March, 1662 ; was living in 1651, but predeceased his father.
2. Francis, heir to his father.
3. Robert, a captain in the navy. He died in 1667.
4. William, who obtained a small property at Portishead
and married Mary, daughter of Richard Morgan of that place.
He died the 23rd March, 1691. His wife survived until the
25th July, 1602. Their only son Maximilian seems to
have died young, as their property passed to Elizabeth their
daughter, who married Sir Ed\\ard Fust, Bart.
5. Edith, who died in 1672.
6. Elizabeth, who married Robert Yardle}^
V. Francis Mohun was born in 1628. The marble tablet
above mentioned is to his memor}'. He was one of the
principal men in Dorset who refused to support the repeal of
the penal lau s in 1688. Eleanor his wife, daughter of Ralph
Sheldon of Stanton in Derbyshire, a niece of Gilbert Sheldon,
Archbishop of Canterbur}-, survived until 1772. She bore
him three children : —
1. Gilbert Maximilian, heir to his father, l^orn 1675.
2. Catherine, born in 1688, married Sir Ed^^ard Fust, Bart,
3. Elizabeth, born in 1671, married in 1698 to Robert
Brodrepp of Maperton. She died in 1708.
VI. Gilbert Maximilian, born in 1675, was married t^^ice.
Will proved 1730.
1. Gilbert Maximilian, the second, is stated to have been
born in 1706.
2. Francis Mohun was born in 1713 ; he was third lieutenant
on the Victor ?j in October, 1744, when the ship was lost, and
his estate passed to Roljert, the youngest of the brothers.
(1). Admiralty List Book 24.
132
ANCIENT MEMORIAL BRASSES OF DORSET.
3. Robert Mohiin, the last male member of this branch
of the family, was born in 1715. He died unmarried in 1758,
and the remains of the propert}^ were divided between his
two sisters. His father's eldest daughter, Elizabeth Lyte
(of Lytescary, Somerset), being only his half-sister, was not
accounted one of the coheirs. The manor of Fleet passed to
his sister Sarah, the wife of I'homas Farwell, and afterwards
of John Gould of Upwey.
Brasses of another branch of the Mohun family may bo
seen at Lanteglos, b}^ Fowey — a knight in armour of the
middle of the 15th century, another in armour with his
wife, who both died in 1508 of the sweating sickness. Joan,
Lady de Mohun, temf. Richard XL, rests below a stately
marble effigy in the crypt of Canterbury Cathedral. She
died October 4th, 1404. {Inq. P.M. (5 Hen. IV.)
Among the Fry collection of documents in the Dorset
County Museum are several deeds relating to the Mohuns ;
they are catalogued under Fleet and Wyke Regis.
m
(PDjge fools in (Earlp 6rititiu
By the Rev. William Barnes, B.D., Rector of Came,
Born A.D. 1801, Died A.D. 1886.
(Edited by CAPTAIN J. E. ACLAND, F.S.A.).
jrpHE MS. of this interesting monograph has only
^1 been brought to light recently. It does not
"^^Mltv^ appear in the list of the author's works, either
^l!^^^ published or " hand-writ " (not printed), given
¥by his daughter, Lucy Baxter, in " The Life of
Barnes,'' 1887, nor is it in the list in Vol.
VIII. of the Proceedings Dorset F.C.
It consists of 32 odd sheets of paper, 6J
' inches by 4 inches, held together by metal
clips. The outside page, which bears his signature, was
apparently a bookpost wrapper, or circular, as it has a half-
penny stamp, the Dorchester post mark, and the address
" Rev. W. Barnes, The Rectory, Came, Dorchester." The
date is Ap. 13, '82. Another sheet is part of a printed
circular, bearing the same date, 1882. We may therefore
conclude that the paper was witten in that year, but for
what purpose is not known. Canon Mansel-Pleydell (by
134
EDGE TOOLS IN EARLY BRITAIN.
whom it is given to the Dorset County Museum) says it
belonged to his father, J. C. Mansel-Pleydell, whow as very
intimate with Mr. Barnes and in constant communication
with him on archseological subjects. The handwriting is
large and irregular, with rarely more than two or three
words in a line ; and, as will be readily noticed, the treatment
of the subject and the phraseology are characteristic of our
Dorset poet and philologist.
Transcript of the Manuscript.
" There are words in English and Welsh that sound of
things of the Stone Age of our race. We have a steel edge
tool called a chisel, and we have by Portland a bank of pebbles
called the Chesil or chisel Beach, and chisel in Anglo-Saxon,
ceosel, now chesil or chisel, means a hard stone, such as a
flint or pebble, and we may believe that the edge tool was
first called a ceosel when it was a chisel as a flint.
" Then we have flint, and in Anglo-Saxon jlean is an arrow,
and fleanet would mean a little arrow, or the arrow head ;
and fleanet would become shortened into fleant, or flint,
and the flint is often called by the Dorset folk "a vlint-
stwone " (a flint stone), since the word flint did not at first
mean a stone at all. So the Latin celtis is a chisel or knife,
and culter a knife, as for the ending -er strengthens the mean-
ing of a word. But in Welsh celt is a flint, so called from
caled, hard ; and the Fleam, the barbed lancet with which
cattle are bled (in its early Saxon or Friesic shape fleame),
meant a flying thing or an arrow head, to which in shape it
is not unlike.
" Our word Hammer seems to have meant in its first use
and form a clump of hard stone. In the " Mittel hoch
deutsches Worterbuch " by Adolf Ziemann (the middle
high Dutch Word book) we have Hamer Harter Stein, Ham-
mer, a very hard stone. In old Friesic it is Homer.
" In the time of Homer, which might have been a thousand
years ere the Nativity, for his lifetime was an unmarked
EDGE TOOLS IN EARLY BRITAIN. 135
length of a dark time in Greek history, Bronze smithery had
been so far a wonted craft of the Greeks that a smith in metal
was called by them a XaXKoDpyos, a bronze or brass smith,
'S,iSrjf)odpyos long afterwards an iron-smith.
" At what time Bronze tools came into the hands of Britons
in this land, it is not easy to tell, nor are we sure by what line
or form of traffic they were brought hither ; whether from
Phenicians of Cadiz, or Phenicia, or through Gaul, or straight
over the sea. Some bronze might have come through Gaul,
and it may be more of it might have been brought over the
sea by the Phenicians. There is a tradition in British lore
that there came into Britain in early times a people whom
the Britons call " Hir ei Peisieu," long coats, or " Long-
coated men," but it does not say that they came in war, or
where in Britain they abode, or whence or why they came.
Strabo, the Greek geographer 44 years B.C., writes of the
Cassiterides (Scilly Islands), whither it is said the Phenicians
came for tin — "The Kattiterides are indeed ten, and they
be near each other towards the north from the haven of
the Cornish Artabii. One of them is uninhabited, but on
the others there are men with black coats down to their feet,
belted round the waist, walking about with sticks or wands,
and with beards like goats. They live mostly on cattle.
They have as metals tin and lead, and they get for these and
for their hides, crockery, and salt, and Bronze ware for the
Chapmen.
" This is interesting, as it shews that these " Long coats "
were middle men between the Phenicians and the Chapmen
of Britain who retailed the Phenician wares to the Britons.
Now who should these men be but the long-coats of the
Welsh tradition ? The tradition is that they were in-comers,
and the garb of these men show^s they were not Britons.
They were most likely Phenicians, or successors of Phenicians
who were put there at the head-quarters of their staple trade
with the Britons, and who also catered for the Phenician
crews, buying into their stores of tin and hides and selling
out from them their own wares. In this way bronze tools
136
EDGE TOOLS IN EARLY BRITAIN.
and weapons had come into Britain, and if at that later time
there was a less call for bronze edge tools, other bronze goods
might still have been welcome to British buyers.
" It wafe not suddenly or in a very short time that stonen
tools were given up for bronze ones, or bronze for steel ones,
by all tool-wielding hands. The tool of the new kind would
be chosen instead of that of the older one on a rating of the
cost of each, and the time and hand-force spent on the same
work with each.
The hand-skill of the British maker of stonen-tools was so
high, and the bronze ones might be so costly, as reckoned in
the work by which he could buy it, that he kept on a long
while his old tool.
" Although the English have been in North America for so
many generations, and went thither, so to speak, with iron
tools in their hands, and as their settlements have spread
westward tribe after tribe must have known of steel, yet
even now it seems there may be found red men who with
the old skill in stone chipping make for themselves stonen
tools instead of buying iron ones.
" It does not follow that because stonen-tools found now
in the hands of tribes of the South Seas are in shape and in
angle of edge, and curve of the cutting side of the blade, most
closely like those of the old tribes of Europe, that one tribe
copied any pattern of the tools of the northern ones. The
shape comes by experience from the laws of nature. A man
without metal who wills to cut wood, and takes stone as
the best matter within his reach for an edge tool, finds that
if the edge is too thin for the stone it will break off, and if it
be too thick it will hardly cut, and so by experience he will
be driven to give his tool the thickness and curve of edge
and side which is best between the two evils of breaking and
bluntness, and these in the like stone would be alike all over
the world, and would vary with varieties of stone ; and this
force of natural law on man's work, and other doings through
his experience, may he^ the cause of likeness of stonen tools,
and weapons with ancient tribes and those of our days."
pijenologiCiil Kcport on Jfitst
^^ppearanrcs of 6iris, insects, auD
jftrst jflotocring of plants
In Dorset during 1915.
By W. PARKINSON CURTIS, F.E.S,
|UR records for this year shew the diversion of
mental and physical energy from the
pleasanter patpis of scientific research to
the sterner duties of citizenship in a State
where freedom exists in something more
than name, consequently these records are
more meagre than is usual.
As far as I know no apologies are due
from me on this occasion for errors in the
past report ; and although I have not got
any new names to add to our list of regular observers, I am
glad to say that Dr. Frank Penrose, F.Z.S., M.B.O.U., is
now sending me observations which will materially increase
the interest of our bird notes.
138 FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC.
The names (arranged alphabetically) of those who have
sent returns are as follows, the initials prefixed in brackets
to the names designate the responsibility for the record in the
notes herefafter.
(E.H.C.) E. Harker Curtis. 1 , ^ ,
(W.P.C.) W. Parkinson Curtis, j^y^S^^^^'
(S.E.V.F.) Rev. S. E. V. Filleul, All Saints Rectory,
Dorchester.
(R.D.G.) R. D. Good, Dorchester.
(J.M.J.F.) Rev. Canon J. M. J. Fletcher, The Vicarage,
Wimborne Minster.
(E.F.L.) Rev. E. F. Linton, Edmondsham Rectory, Dorset
(post town, Salisbury).
(G.R.P.) G. R. Peck, Muston Manor, Puddletown,
Dorchester.
(N.M.R.) Nelson M. Richardson, Monte Video, near
Weymouth.
(E.S.R.) E. S. Rodd, Chardstock House, Dorset.
(J.R.) The Rev. J. Ridley, Pulham Rectory,
Dorchester.
(E.E.W.) Miss Elkn E. Woodhouse, Chilmore, Ansty,
Dorchester.
With regard to the " Earliest Records " Mr. Linton writes
to me (under date 21. 8. 1915) : " Some of the first dates of
flowers seem remarkably early — I have singled out three that
are very curious, in case you may like to verify them. Of
course, some plants are very erratic. Bush Vetch always
has leaves before flower, so that this record of flowers earlier
than leaves looks funny." Unfortunately I have lost the
slip of paper on which Mr. Linton noted the three records,
but our botanical contributors would oblige by keeping a
very keen look out with regard to those plants which have
records that strike them as unusual.
With regard to the birds, I have adopted the order and
nomenclature used in "A List of British Birds compiled by a
Committee of the British Ornithologists Union," 2nd edition,
1915, as being the latest and most authentic nomenclatoriallist.
FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC. 139
Since the above was written the Summer Time Act has
altered clock time, which is no doubt beneficial to the com-
munit}^ but I desire to state that obviously mean solar time
must b3 used for all scientific observations, so that in this
report I shall adhere to mean solar time.
Mammals.
In the Wool and Wareham districts it has been an
extraordinary season for foxes, stoats, and weasels, which is
probablj^ owing to there being less hunting and shooting than
usual. We have 30 stoats hanging on a tree in one spot at
the present time (S.E.V.F.).
Musiela maries. Linn, Pine Martin. A record ot this
interesting little animal was sent during the year, but I am
regretfull}' compelled to reject it for want of precision. As the
animal has been recorded from Hants fairly recently the
record is possibly correct, but as the animal was only seen for
quite a short time and is unfamiliar, I should prefer, before
admitting a record, to see the skin of a IJorset specimen.
(W.P.C.).
140 FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC.
-=P5
Cl 'Tl '/J
^. CJ CI CI CI
j3 "p. "S- "E
Wey-
mouth.
N. M. R.
Apl. 19
Apl. 19
May 7
May 7
Apl. 15
May \
Oct. 25
Apl. 21
Apl. 30
Pulham.
J. 11.
AplV 6
May 14
Apl. 27
*AplV 28
Oct. 13
Apl. 21
Apl. 29
J fe
O .
Apl. 6 (6)
Nov. 7
Apl. 27 (9)
Apl. 28
Dorchester.
R. D. G.
Jan. 19 (22)
May 15
Apl. 10
June io (5)
Apl. "\h
Apl. 'i5
Apl. 30
Apl. 30
Aug. 28
Dor-
cliester.
G. 11. P.
Apl. 15
Apl. 15
Mar. 31
Mar. 31
Apl. 11
Mar. 20
AplV 17
AplV 22
Ansty.
E.E. W.
*Apl. 4
May 28
Mar. 22
AplV 19
May 10
odd
o . .
Apl. 30 (19)
Aug. 22 (15)
Apl. 18
Apl. 18
Aug. 22(15)
Mar. 23 (17)
Apl. 18
Aug. 8(20)
Mar. 18 (17)
Aug. 22(15)
Aug. 22(15)
Apl. 11
Apl. io (6)
Apl. 18
Poole
District.
W. P. C.
E. H. C.
May 1
Aug. 9
Apl. 17
Apl. 17
May 8
Feb. '21 (14)
Apl. 4
May 8
Does not
occur
Mar. 27
May "9
Apl. '29
*Apl. 29
Oct. "3
Apl. "9(18)
Apl. 18
Apl. 29
July 15
Edmond-
sham.
E. F. L.
May 6
AplV 22
May 5
Apl. 24
AplV 11
OctV 7 (4)
May 23
Oct. 18
(2 May)(20)
AplV21 (8)
Earliest
previously
recorded
date for
Dorset.
Mar. 29
Apl. 12
May 6
Sept. 28
h
Apl. 1
Apl. 26
h
h (2)
Mar. 13
Apl. 13
h(2)
Apl. 4
Apl. 9
May 5
July 7
Mar. 8
Apl. 19
May 8
Oct. 30
Apl. 6
May 16
Sept. 24
h(3)
AplV 20
h(3)
h (3)
IVIay 16
h(3)
Mar. 23
h(7)
Apl. 1
May 5
h (7)
Apl. 17
May 16
May 17
Sept. 14
Name of Bin I.
B.O.U. Handlist, 2nd
Edition.
(!) Sylvia communis A
The Whitethroat s
D
(2) Phylloscopus A
trochilus s
The Willow Warbler (1) N
D
(3) Phylloscopus a
coUybita s
The Chiff Chaff N
(4) Luscinia a
raegarhyncha s
The Common N
Nightingale D
(.5) OSnanthe cenanthe A
The Wheatear (1) s
N
D
(6) Muscicapa grisola a
The Spotted s
Flycatcher n
D
(7) Hirundo rustica A
The Swallow S
D
(5) Delichon urbica A
House Martin s
N
D
(9) Riparia riparia A
Sand Martin S
N
(10) Cuc\ilus canorus a
The Cuckoo s
D
(11) Micropus apus A
The Swift s
D
FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC.
141
June 15
see note
below
Apl. 29
Wey-
mouth.
N. M. R.
Feb. 8
Feb. 4
Pulham.
J. R.
See note
below
May 10
Apl. 2
Dorchester.
S. E. V. F.
Nov. 2
Nov. 2
Jan. 15
Feb. 2G
(Apl. 10
young)
|o
Jan. 1
Mar. 1 (13)
Feb. 1
Feb. 1
Dor-
chester.
G. R. P.
^TS.
Ansty.
E. E. W.
Apl. 27
MiGRAI
DENTS.
Feb. 20
Feb .20
Feb. 23
Berewood.
W. P. C.
E. n. c.
Winter
Rest
Poole
District.
W. P. C.
E. H. C.
May 11
June IS (21)
*July 11
Feb. 26(15)
Feb. 26 (15)
Feb. 14
Feb. 24(16)
Feb. 21 ri5)
Edmond-
sham.
E. F. L.
May 2(20)
May 1
Feb. 11
Mar. 25(12)
Mar. 3
Earliest
previously
recorded
date for
Apl. 8
Apl. 21
Aug. 17
Oct. 6
Mar.20(10)
May 4
Apl. 13
Apl. 28
Oct. 10
Apl. 21
Aug. 26
Apl. 17
Nov. 22
Jan. 1
Jan. 16
Jan. 1
Apl. 5
Jan. 1
Name of Bird.
B.O.U. Handlist, 2nd
Edition.
(12) Caprimulgus A
europreus S
The Nightjar N
D
(13) Crex crex A
Corncrake s
N
(14) Streptopelia tnrtur A
The Turtle Dove s(ll)
N
D
(15) Turdus pilaris D
The Fieldfaie A
(16) Turdus iliacus D
The Redwing A
(17) Turdus merula s
The Blackbird N
(18) Alauda arvensis S
The Skylark N
(19) Corvus frugilegus N
The Rook
* s
_:
St " ic> 4J <!
£ a'':^
^ o ^ tc
K o o '5 ~"
= " 6 - a:
. o bXi
& £ g « ;5 O
^-►^ ^ . = s
£ a-o ..^
^ 0-1 _^ ce
i Si. -^1=1
£f ^ oj s
S >
IH C .C PLH
•2 -5 S> .
o £
o o
c g t-'
.SHE 2'^^
142 FIRST APPEAKANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC.
Birds.
Passer domesticus, The Common Sparrow.
1 Jane at Poole, Mr. J. T. Curtis saw two common sparrows
trying to catch a small geometer (probably Melanippe
Uuctuata), but as both birds went for it at once, neither got it.
(W.P.C.)
Fringilla ccelebs, The Chaffinch.
9 May at Canford. This bird was sitting in a very accessible
situation in an old dead turze hedge, so we decided to observe
her closely —
15 May. She had hatched off.
16 May. E.H.C. started work at this nest 1.10 and noted
as follows : —
1.15 male fed young on what looked like small tortrix larvae.
I.z5 male came to nsst again v/ith a beak and throat full
of small larvae, some of which 1 recognised as geometers.
All the larvae were dead. The food was in every instance
the same, and 6 or 7 seemed to be the number of larvae
brought each time. They were almost all of them green or
pale yellow ; I saw no brown lar\8e at all. The parent put
the food right down the throat of the \oung, of w^hich there
were five, and 1 found the young were unable to swallow a
small dead larva put into their mouth. They were little
yellowish '■ hairy " nestlings, with mouths of crimson with
pale yellow edges to their beaks. The male was extremgly
quick in feeding the young, and no sooner had he finished
than he bolted. The female behaved in a most silly manner
throughout, fluttering in a very nervous way up and down
beside the tenb, and in and out round the nest. She came
to the nest several times with food in her beak, entering the
nest trom behind, and immediately bolted straight out of
the front.
1.35 male fed 3^oung.
1.45 female bolted oat of the nest, back to front.
1.50 female came to the nest with food and bolted out
without feeding.
FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC. 143
1.51 male fed young and cleaned young birds' excrements
away.
1.55 male fed young, entering from back of nest as usual
and afterward flying out of the front.
1.58 male fed young. I whistled to him and he paused,
afterwards finished teeding young and fled quickly.
2.3 male came and fed young and cleaned nest. The hen
fled about round the nest, but would not go on.
2.5 hen pitched at back of nest and bolted straight out past
the camera. 2.10 and 2.15 male fed young.
2.30 male fed young and ate their excreta. The hen
fluttered round nervously. 2.22 male fed young.
2.23 hen pitched on the back of the nest and bolted straight
out. 2.24 she returned, fed the j'oung and cleaned the nest.
2.25 the cock, and at 2.33, the hen fed the young.
2.51 hen came to the nest and then bolted.
2.52 cock fed young whilst hen fluttered round nervously ;
at 2.55, 2.58, and 3 p.m. female came to the nest, but
did not stay. 3.1 she came again and fed all the young,
but was in a highly nervous state ; she brought the same
character of food as the cock.
3.15 male feci young and cleaned the nest. 3.30 male fed
young again. 3.25 hen came in and bolted again.
3.30 male fed young and cleaned nest, while the hen kept
around in a nervous state of flutter. 3.40 the cock fed young
and cleaned nest.
The young fidget all the time and whenever either parent
comes they crane up their heads. At the sound of footsteps
or even the bustling of a pigeon they are as still as death,
yet they are only a few days old and can only, just to say,
see. Still, they are not so knowing as one would assume,
for while they are nervous of footfalls, j^et if I disturb the
leaves near the nest gently they think more food is coming.
3.45 male took excrement away after feeding young. I
have only seen him consume it once.
At 4 o'clock I put a bit of furze at the back of the nast to
try to make the cock come to the front (but he found his way
144 FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC.
in as before), whilst I was outside the cock came back and I
surprised him feeding the young. He froze still, and as he
did not ofler to move lor about two minutes I crept into the
back of my tent and got a very satisfactory picture of him.
At 4.15, 4.20, and 4.35 the male came and fed the young,
and thereafter I stopped observing. With regard to the
behaviouT" of the hen I came to the conclusion on reflection
that I had alarmed her by accidentally letting off the focal
plane shutter on my camera whilst arranging myself in the
morning.
23rd May. I had another try at this nest. I started at 11.10,
11.10 male and female both came round the tent " pink
pinking," neither of them had the courage to come to the
nest, but fluttered round every once now and again.
11.45 hen fed two juveniles and quitted in a hurry.
11.46 cock fed juveniles and cleaned nest. Both birds by
this time seemed reassured in a measure. 11.48 hen arrived
with a whole mouthful of green larvae, fed two juveniles and
bolted very scared and "pink pinking." 11.49 cock came
to the front of the nest with his mouth crammed with 9 or
V?i larvse, all green ones ; he fed the ycung and then stood
fidgetting on the edge of the nest.
The young birdo weie hardly still a minute ; they were then
so big that five of them in a small nest was a bit of a crush,
and they kept elbowing one another about, but notwith-
standing they seemed to keep their positions in the nest. Now
and then one would heave itself up and flap its little wings
after the manner of a duck, and the way the other little birds
put their heads down out of the way was amusing to watch.
I concluded they would soon be out of the nest, and, positively,
when I left them in the evening their feathers seemed to have
grown since morning. The young spent a great deal of time
preening themselves. I doubt not that their growing feathers
tickled them. When the sun was hot they kept their mouths
open and showed bright crimson throats, but I never heard
them make any sound except the httle chirruping squeaking
noise which seems in some form or other common language
FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC. 145
to many nestlings. The near approach of the parents was
always announced by much head craning. The foregoing
is a summary of my observations made from time to time in
my note book, but gathered together afterwards.
11.52 hen hurriedly fed the young. 12 (noon) and 12.10
the hen fed the young. 12.15 the hen came to the nest and
bolted straight out. Both birds seemed as wild as hawks
this day ; it may possibly be the high wind, which caused
the tent to flap a good bit, that alarmed them.
12.30 and 12.32 the hen fed the young, but was very nervous.
12.33 the cock fed the 3^oung and cleaned the nest. 12.37
the hen came to the nest and fed young. The cock was as
wild this Sunday as the hen was last, and I think the trouble
with both birds is that they know that I am inside the tent.
12.50 hen came to the nest, fed young and bolted, and then
I went to lunch. 1.45 I went into the tent ; both parents
were " pinking " round and saw me go in. 2.0 hen fed the
young, after a few turns of bolting over the nest.
2.11 the cock fed the 3^oung and waited at the nest. 2.30
the hen was alarmed by a passer by. 2.35 the hen bolted
over the nest. (It might be explained that this phrase is
intended to convey that the hen entered the nest through
the bushes at the back, but instead of staying to perform
her duties she simply jumped straight over the nest and flew
out at the front.)
2.55 the hen fed one young bird and bolted. 2.56 the cock
fed all the young, cleaned the nest and waited, paying no
attention whatever to the shutter. 3.5 hen came to nest with
food and left hurriedl3\ 3.15 both birds fluttered round and
one of the young stood up, shook his wings and then spread
them out fully.
3.20 cock fed all the young. 3.25 both birds came to the
nest and waited. 3.27 the cock came and fed all the young,
after which the hen came and did the same. 3.28 the cock
again fed the young.
3.29 the hen came to the nest with food, but bolted without
feeding the young. 3.33 the male fed the j^oung from the
146 FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC.
front of the nest. The food brought by both birds was still
green larvae.
3.50 Hen came to nest, fed one young bird and bolted.
3.55 The cock fed the young. 4. The cock fed the young
and cleaned the nest. I then left.
24th May. The young had quitted the nest by one o'clock
when I went to inspect. (E.H.C.)
(It will be noted that the young birds were only in the nest
about 12 days).
Acanthis cannahina (The Linnet).
10th April, E.H.C. listened to a song contest by about 7
or 8 males. They sat in the upper branches of an oak singing,
whilst the females sat in the lower branches listening. (E.H.C.)
Acanthis linaria cabaret (The Lesser Redpoll).
2nd April. Two seen at Canford. (E.H.C. and W.P.C.)
Motacilla luguhris (The Pied Wagtail).
The only notes on this bird relate to downward movement.
On 8th August at Handley Down it was evidently flocked and
moved downwards, whilst on 22nd August at Swanage Golf
Links between 20 and 30 were seen together in a party.
(E.H.C. and W.P.C.)
Motocilla raii (The Yellow Wagtail).
Upward migration.
7th April. One at Kingston Hill, Purbeck. (Dr. Penrose).
Downward migration.
7th August. Two seen at Canford. (E.H.C).
We have discovered that it is our own fault we do not see
more of this bird than we do. (W.P.C. and E.H.C.)
Anthus pratensis (The Meadow Pipit).
27th March. An unusually large number in the neighbour-
hood of Little Sea, Poole Harbour. E.H.C. came to the con-
clusion that there had been an immigration. Dr. Penrose
about this time noted an unusually large number in the
Swanage neighbourhood. (W.P.C. and E.H.C.)
Certhia familiaris britannica. (The British Tree Creeper).
22nd May. We found a pair feeding young in a crevice
in an open barn. E.H.C. saw the bird take in a geometer
CERTHIA FAMILIARIS BRITANNICA Ridg.
THE TREE CREEPER.
(5 at nest with a beakful of insects,
Canford, Dorset, 1915,
FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC. 147
moth, Panagra ijetraria, wings and all ; it carried the insect
by the terminal portion of the abdomen. The insect was
dead and did not flutter.
23rd May. At 1.45 W.P.C. put up to this pair, but the sexes
of the birds were nearly impossible to tell, and in W.P.C.'s
notes which follow the sexes are given with reserve, and the
determinations are based on behaviour as much as anything.
2.0 Bird left. 2.2 Bird popped in very quickly. 2.5 Male ( 0
with a green larva. 2.30 Both birds together.
2.35 and 2.40 One bird only. 3. Bird with 4 small grey
moths, looked like Scoparias.
3.7 Bird Mith what looked like a woodlouse. 3.15, 3.17
and 3.26 Bird came in. 3.28 Bird came with larvae.
3.30 Bird came with two grey geometers, looked like
Lobophora halterata (this insect occurs very sparingly near
the nest, and abundantly about 800 yards or so away from
the nest).
3.45 Male with large mouthful of insects (the enlarging
camera shews that the insects were mostly diptera).
3.48 Bird again. 4.12 Bird with a whole beakful of
hymenoptera and diptera (the enlarging camera shews also
a spider, some of the hymenoptera are ants).
4.30 Bird again. I then stopped.
The quick jerky movement of this bird is very discon-
certing indeed, and unless one gets them in a position of rest
between the jerks 1.22nd of a second exposure gives a mere
blur. They seem unable to travel backwards easily, at which
the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker {Dryohates minor) is expert.
They pitch below the nest and jerk up and in, and leave by
jerking themselves upwards out of the nest. They seem very
tame and fearless little birds, but usually announce their
arrival with their mouselike little squeak. Of course a worker
whose hearing was good would stand a much better chance
than I should, as the scratching of the birds' claws on the
bark would be audible.
24th May. 1.25 I had another try at this pair of birds,
and I let them come in once or twice before I settled to making
148 FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC.
notes, as I was anxious to see what the focus of my camera
and the composition of the picture was like.
1.35 One bird (subsequent behaviour made me believe this
to be the hen) came in whilst I was endeavouring to make a
ventilation hole in the tent which was insufferably hot. I
could not see what she brought. She stayed on the nest.
1.47 The cock arrived and the hen then left ; the cock
entered the nest but only stayed a few minutes.
1.52 Before I could change a plate or enter my notes, one
bird was back with a beakful of small greyish micros like some
Tortrix, say, about the appearance of Sericoris lacunana.
1.53 The second bird, with more small grey moths.
2.0 One bird came and went in very quickly — the second
came and I snapped it, but it flew off and returned almost
immediately and entered the nest. I heard both birds give
their squeaky little call before they came to the nest.
2.4 One bird arrived wdth a bill full of larvae, mostly
Geometrae, and the other bird left the nest ; the first entered,
stayed about one minute feeding the young. How the second
slipped in I do not know\ I think however I can hear the
young squeak.
2.20 One of the birds arrived and left quickly, and the
second before I could write my notes ; both brought small
insects (? order).
2.24 One came in, but dodged across from a position that
did not permit of close inspection. This bird ("^ the female)
stayed on the nest till at 2.31 the other came, and the bird
that had been in hung on a pole outside the nest, vibrating
its wings very rapidly, for all the world like a large hawk moth
about to take flight. I was unable to get a picture of this
attitude as they pop in and out very quickly.
2.38 One bird came in, but I find they undoubtedly have
a back way in, as they can pop in without coming to the front
at all. Just as I was going out to investigate this the second
bird arrived. I shifted the tent round a trifle and then went
inside the log hut to find the nest quite open at the back, so I
arranged matters to prevent the birds entering or leaving
FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC. 149
the nest at the back. I did not get settled again till 3
o'clock.
3.4 The cock came with 3 or 4 diptera and I felt sure a
Nemophora swammerdamella. The hen was on the nest
brooding, she came off to enable the cock to feed the young,
and w^hen he had done so she went back. I could see her
tail as she turned about in the nest. The young then were
mere little pats of black down.
3.17 The female left the nest, she seemed very fidgdtty
all the time she was there. 3.25 One bird back with a whole
beakful of small insects, but I could not see what they
were.
3.25 Bird back with larvae and insects. 3.35 Bird back with
larvae. 3.38 One bird back. It stayed and looked at the
tent, and I was able to see that it certainly had woodlice in.
its bill. I felt sure it was the female, as she afterwards went
to the nest and brooded.
3.45 Cock came, hen left, and cock came to the entrance,
evidently eating excreta. This was the first time that I
saw any evidence of any method of cleaning the nest. He then
left through the shed.
3.55 Bird came in, and just as I was writing my note the
second arrived, but as they have taken to go out sideways
between the poles of the hut I had to go out to close that
exit.
4.10 One of the birds came in, but left again almost
immediately ; it had a mouthful of small insects, including
two moths.
4.20 Both birds came, but I could not see what food was
brought.
4.22 Cock with larvae. The hen came off the nest and
fluttered about outside. The cock and the hen sported
together a minute or two. The hen's tail was visible all the
time she was on the nest, and she fidgetted a great deal.
4.30 The hen came out, but before I could Avrite my note
the cock came in and fed the young. 5.5 Another bird came
in, after which I left.
150 FIRST AFPEAliANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC.
The birds are easy to photograph if you get them at the
moment of rest, but if you happen to snap them just as they
jerk on there is nothing but a straight streak on the plate ;
l-50th of a second being quite useless to arrest the movement.
An examination of the bad plates shewed that the bird
jerks itself forward by a flexing action of the leg, aided by the
tail, as in several cases the tail shewed slight movement, the
bird much movement, and yet the feet were quite sharp. The
turning movement in entering the nest also shewed on several
occasions that practically the whole bird had turned before
the feet were moved. (W.P.C.).
Sitta caesia (The Nuthatch).
11th April, E.H.C. observed a bird on the outskirts of Bere
Wood, collecting mud from a ditch. It got a lump about one
inch long and about J of an inch in diameter and took it into
the wood ; we followed for 300 yards and found the bird
plastering an old woodpecker's hole, 18 feet up an aspen
poplar.
17th May. A nest was finished in an old woodpecker's
hole at Canford, but on the 22nd May the birds had been
dispossessed by Picus vindis, which cut out all the mud,
did some chipping and then abandoned the hole. Sitta caesia
is a dear little bird and most inoffensive, and its attachment
to its nest is particularly '^trong, yet it is as much persecuted
by starlings, woodpeckers, and squirrels as any bird we know.
(E.H.C. and W.P.C.)
Parus aler-aier (The Continental Coal Titmouse).
In the later part of January two specimens of this bird
came into an araucaria on several occasions outside my
window at the nursing home in Parkstone, where 1 was confined
with appendix trouble ; as my ])ed was within 20 feet of the
tree I am satisfied as to identity. (W.P.C.)
Pariui ater-brilannicii^ (The British Coal Titmouse).
22nd May. On this date our nesting box No. 32 at Canford
contained a whole brood of young birds.
24th May. E.H.C. put up his tent to this nest. His notes
were as follows. : —
FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC. 151
This nesting box had been specially placed with a view to
" photography. Although the light registered 25 sees, on
" the meter at the nest, in bright sunhght through the trees,
" it is really wondereful how the green leaves soak up the
" sunhght. I found I was unable to distinguish the sexes.
" On every occasion the food brought was green larvae,
" except once when the bird was so quick that I was unable to
"identify the food. The times of feeding were 1.40, 1.48,
■'1.50, 1.51, 1.54, 1.56, 1.59, 2.1, 2.4, 2.8, 2.10, 2.14, 2.15,
" 2.16, 2.20. At 2.25 1 went outside the tent to test the light,
" which had become very dull, and it was three o'clock before
" I heard the birds having a consultation near the nest, then
" they went away till 3.10, At 3.11, 3.15 and 3.21, the birds
"fed the young, after which I had to leave." The birds
are very quick in their movements, but not ver}' difficult, as
they pause and stay quite still for a moment, and one can
judge their movements. (E.H.C. and W.P.C.).
Parus palustris dresseri (The British Marsh Tit).
After examining a very large number of nests of this bird
we have come to the conclusion that its favourite material
is roebuck hair (where available), which partiality is also
shared by Parus ater-britanmcus. As it is necessary to clean
every nesting box at the beginning of each season, and as we
have careful charts of the boxes and what bird is using them,
there is every opportunity of forming a satisfactory conclusion,
since the materials keep well in the dry boxes, and after the
young birds have flown one can examine the nest at one's
leisure. We have had boxes out for 4 seasons, anything from
20 to 50 in a season. So far P.c. obscurus and P.m. newtoni
Avith equal opportunity have eschewed this material.
23rd May. This bird was feeding young in one of our
nesting boxes at Canford. (W.P.C. and E.H.C).
Parus borealis kleinsclimidti (The British Willow Titmouse).
This bird has not, so far as I am aware, hitherto been
recognised in this country, but Dr. Penrose gave us some
particulars of it and suggested that it should, so we kept a
sharp look out. I am pleased to be able to record that we are
152 FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC.
satisfied that we have seen at least two pairs. The differen-
tiation is to be found in Hellmayr Orn. Jahrb XI. p. 212 (19! ^0)
a not very accessible book, written in a language not generally
cultivated' just now.
Dr. Penrose, however, writes to us as follows : —
12th May, 1915. I went to the Natural History Museum
and had out the series Parus palustris dresseri to compare
with P.b. Meindchmidti and made the following notes.
P.p. dresseri (The Enghsh Marsh Tit) .
The feathers of the blackcap on the crown of the head are
crisp and short, which gives a definite bright, satiny
appearance. The end of the tail is almost square.
P.b. kleinschmidti (The Enghsh Willow Tit).
The feathers of the head are longer and looser, and give a
much less glossy — a more velvety appearance. The end of
the tail is distinctly graduated. There is a reference to the
distinctions m^entioned above in " British Birds " Vol. I., p. 44,
by W. Rothschild.
Dr. Penrose illustrated his letter by sketches shewing that
the tail of P. b. kleinschmitdi was, when spread, very decidedly
excurved in contour at the extremity and very decidedly
crenulate.
We came to the conclusion after watching one pair for an
hour or two and comparing them with P.p. dresseri in the
neighbourhood that the latter had the appearance of having its
" hair " nice and tidy whilst the former had " towzled hair."
4th April. At Canford we observed a pair busily boring a
hole out in a rotten oak limb.
1st May. One of a pair at Canford that had selected and
partially hollowed out a decayed holly stump was scrutinized
by Dr. Penrose and pronounced by him to be P.b. kleins-
chmitdi. This pair laid 4 eggs and then for no apparent
reason disappeared, possibly they came to an untimely end.
(W.P.C. and E.H.C.).
Aegithalus caudatus roseus (The British Long-tailed Titmouse).
4th April. A nest partly lined with feathers at Canford.
(W.P.C).
FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC. 153
10th April. A completed nest at Canford. (W.P.C.).
A completed nest at Durlstone Estate Garden, Swanage.
(Dr. Penrose).
25th April. A completed nest at Berewood with the
entrance facing full south and open to the midday sun, not a
usual aspect in our experience. (W.P.C.).
1st May. On this date the nest found on the 10th ult.
was occupied by the hen bird sitting with her tail stuck out
over the top of her head in the customary manner, and on the
15th May birds w^ere feeding 3^oung. (W.P.C. and E.H.C.).
Lanius collurio. (The Redbacked Shrike).
25th July. A pair with their family of fully fledged
young were seen at Canford Bottom, Poole. (W.P.C. and
E.H.C.).
Sylvia communis (The Whitethroat).
Upward migratioji. April 30th — May 1st. Dr. Penrose
reported that the foggy night had brought down at Swanage a
large number that were evidently on migration. We saw one
at Canford on the 1st May, shewing that the birds had moved
in off the coast fairly promptly.
2nd May. These birds were in great numbers on Pentridge
Down.
6th June. On the edge of Poole Harbour E.H.C. found a
pair feeding young. The young were nearly ready to go.
The nest was well concealed in a furze bush, although there
was an abundance of bramble at hand.
Downward migration. 8th August. In companies on
Handley Down evidently moving doMiiwards.
9th August. One seen at Canford Bottom, if the same
bird that had been there all the summer, some distance from
its breeding place, but hardly migrating.
22nd August. 10 to 12 seen at Swanage in compan}' with
other Sylvias and M. grisola (q.v.)
Five seen on the Studland side of Swanage golf linlis.
(W.P.C. and E.H.C).
Sylvia curruca (The Lesser Whitethroat).
We got no satisfactory record of arrivals.
154 FIRST AFFEAliANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC.
5th June. A pair seen feeding young at Badbury Rings,
but we had insufficient time to locate the nest exactly.
Downward migration.
8th Augtist. In companies on Handley Down, evidently
moving downwards.
22nd August. One seen at Swanage in company with the
other Sylvias and M. grisola (q.v.) (W.P.C. and E.H.C.).
Sylvia simplex (The Garden Warbler).
Upward migration.
1st May. One seen at Canford (see note under *S'. communis).
13th June. A nest found and photographed. We feel
sure the young had left, yet the cockbird was singing delight-
fully quite close to the nest. We noted in 1914 that a cock
8. simplex was in full song after the young had left a nest at
Winchester.
On the 16th June 8 a.m. This same bird was still singing
beautifully.
Downward migratio7i.
22nd August. Four seen at Swanage in company with
other Sylvias and M. grisola. (W.P.C. and E.H.C.).
Sylvia atricapilla. (The Black Cap Warbler.)
22nd and 23rd May. This bird was singing well on these
dates at Canford but otherwise escaped our attention. (W.P.C.
and E.H.C.).
Melizophilus undatus dartjordiensis. (The Dartford Warbler).
4th April. One seen at Hamworthy.
5th April. Two seen at Canford. (W.P.C. and E.H.C.).
Phylloscopus trocnilus (The Willow Warbler).
Arrivals were as follows : —
17th April. BroPudstone Golf Links, a number seen.
18th April. A good number at Berewood.
20th April. There were good numbers at Broadstone.
22nd April. They were singing very vigorously at Broad-
stone.
30th April. Dr. Penrose reported that the foggy night
brought down at Swanage a large number that were on
migration.
FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC. 155
Nesting.
8th May. A nest with 3 eggs at Canford.
23rd. This bird was still sitting.
5th June. A pair seen feeding young at Badbury Rings.
12th June. A nest -full nearly ready to go, at Broadstone.
27th June. This bird was singing well.
Departures were as follows : —
8th August. In companies on Handley Down, and
evidently moving Southward.
17th August. One in Bournemouth Pleasure Gardens,
obviously a downward migrant.
22nd August. One seen in company with Sylvias and
M. grisola (q.v.) at Swanage. (W.P.C. and E.H.C.)
Phylloscopus sihilatrix. (The Wood Warbler.)
Arrivals.
24th April. One seen at Broadstone.
1st May. Heard singing at Canford, but not the full
song, only the stridulatory trill.
9th May and 24th. This bird was in full song at Canford.
20th June. The same bird was singing a few bars of song,
but without the long drawn "dear, dear, dear dear." at the end.
27th June. The same bird was still singing a little.
The downward migration escaped notice.
Phylloscopus collyhita (The Chiffchaff).
The winter resident referred to in last year's report was seen
on February 21st, and replied to W.P.C. 's whistling ; it was
busy catching small flies in a willow tree in the Royal Victoria
Hotel Garden, Swanage.
On 23rd February we again A\^atched it from the window of
the room occupied by Dr. Penrose.
Upward migration.
March 23rd. Dr. Penrose's note above (see schedule)
shews the arrival of the true immigrants, which were
noticed by Mr. Peck at Dorchester on the 31st.
April 4th. At Canford we heard four singing, but saw none.
April 10th. No increase had taken place in the Canford
District, as only two were heard.
156 FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC.
April 11th. Several were heard in Berewood (about 6 or 7).
April 10th — 11th. Although the night was misty, Dr.
Penrose records a further arrival at Swanage.
April 17th. Two only at Broadstone. April 18th. In
good numbers at Berewood.
April 24th. We came to the conclusion that there was still
a number of birds at Broadstone which had not settled down.
April 30th — May 1st. Dr. Penrose reported that a fog on
this night brought down at Swanage a great number which
were on migration.
Nesting.
8th May. The start of a nest at Canford.
9th May. One nest with 3 eggs and one building at Canford .
15th May. This last bird was sitting.
22nd May. The nest was deserted because a spruce tree
had been felled near, and the other two nests were never
finished. (In this connection might be considered the fact
that the feathers of this bird were present in some numbers
in the Sparrow Hawk's larder referred to under A. nisus.)
12th June. A nest full of young at Broadstone.
27th June. Heard singing at Broadstone.
10th July. A pair wwe feeding young out of the nest at
Badbury Rings and the cock was still singing. The down-
ward migration escaped notice. (W.P.C. and E.H.C.)
Turdus musicus clarkii (British Song Thrush).
14th February, 1915. This bird was in rather larger
numbers than usual at Parkstone-on-Sea, and was in full song.
5th April. A completed nest was found at Canford.
26th December, 1915. One of these birds had started to
sing at Poole. (E.H.C. and W.P.C.)
9th January. At Edmondsham the thrush sings ; rare
this winter, only December 28th lately. (E.F.L.)
8th January. Heard singing at Pulham. (J.R.)
Turdus merula. (The Blackbird.)
14th February, 1915. E.H.C. came to the conclusion that
there was a migratory movement in progress at Parkstone-
on-Sea, as he counted 14 birds in one field.
FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC. 157
20th June, 1915. At Poole Mr. J. T. Curtis made the
following observation : —
" 8 a.m., whilst watering the front garden I saw a cock
blackbird catch a brown moth and eat it. There was no
mistake about it, the bird was only 4 or 5 feet from me."
15th November. There was an abnormally large number
of these birds at Canford ; we counted 50 in one small clear
patch in one wood. Suggesting a Southerly movement.
(E.H.C. and W.P.C.)
Erithacus rubecula melophilus. (The British Redbreast).
4th April. We found a robin had alreadj" brought off a
brood in one of our nesting boxes at Canford, and we saw
another carrying nesting material.
11th April. Two observed building at Berewood.
8th May. At Canford one observed feeding j^oung, and one
observed building.
9th May. This latter bird had completed and laid one
egg. W.P.C. endeavoured unsuccessfully to get a really good
colour record, but the lighting of the situation was so very
difficult that he failed. The nest was very peculiar ; it started
quite low in the bank and was built up quite 10 inches till a
fairly good platform was obtained, on which the nest proper
was placed. We have never seen quite so elaborate a
structm-e by a robin and the birds must have been wonderfully
industrious to get the material together, since there was more
than sufficient material to make six ordinary blackbirds' nests.
15th May. This bird was sitting, 5 eggs.
22nd May. W.P.C. endeavoured unsuccessfull y to photo-
graph this bird sitting, but robins are very knowing, and
whilst she would sit complacenth^ as long as W.P.C. was not
in the tent, she resolutely declined to come if he were inside.
18th June. At Canford W.P.C. observed this bird taking
Cabera pusaria into its nest about 7.30 a.m.
Luscinia megarhyncha. (The Nightingale.)
Common in the valley of Kit Brook. (E.S.R.)
8th August. A couple seen on Handley Down moving
Southward.
158 FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC.
Be it noted that notwithstanding the numerous alleged
nightingales recorded in the Poole district (we were only
working the Poole area and not Berewood), we saw none
*'as usual." (W.P.C. and E.H.C.)
" Nightingales are not common about here (Weymouth),
" but are occasionally heard in some of the woods. We have
only had one in this garden a very few times in 30 years,
" and there is no other place within half a mile that has any
"trees worth mentioning, so a good many birds come here."
(N.M.R.)
(Enanthe cena7ithe. (The Wheatear).
Inward migration (see schedule).
10th — 11th April. A further arrival was observed at
Sw^anage by Dr. Penrose.
Downw^ard migration.
22nd August. This bird was still in evidence on the Light-
house Down at Swanage. (W.P.C. and E.H.C.)
Muscicapa grisola (The Spotted Flycatcher).
Arrival.
12th June, one seen at Waterloo, near Poole.
Departure .
22nd August. About 40 seen, both adults and juveniles,
on the road from the Quarries to Peverel Down in a distance
of about 400 yards. They were hawking flies and kept calling
to one another, apparently to keep company. They were
accompanied by numerous Sylvias (q.v.).
Hirundo rustica (Swallow).
Inward migration.
11th April. Although we only saw one at Berewood,
Dr. Penrose saw seven arrive at Swanage during the Sunday.
29th April. However, 6 or 7 were observed over the Stour
at Canford, and two paired at the Court House, Canford, so the
major body had evidently arrived and commenced to settle in.
Departure.
2nd October. Ten to twelve seen at Broadstone.
3rd October. Two seen hawking in the High Street at
Poole.
DRYOBATES MAJOR ANGLICUS Hartert.
THE GREATER SPOTTED WOODPECKER.
at nesting hole,
Canfoi'd, Dorset, 1915.
FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC. 159
This bird is much less common than formerly. (W.P.C.
and E.H.C.)
Deliclion urhica (The House Martin).
21st August. At Arish Mell numbers were hawking round
the cliffs, but as there were quite a number of nests under the
overhanging ledges they were probably residents. (W.P.C.
and E.H.C.)
Dryohatcs major anglicus (The British Great t>potted Wood-
pecker).
2nd April. This bird had made another hole in the tree
that it nested in at Canford last j^ear. (E.H.C. and W.P.C.)
(We will call this nest B).
25th April. On this date we found that the bird had been
dispossessed of nest B by a starling of the usual obscene habits.
1st May. The birds had started a new hole in the rotten
birch in which we first found them (Nest A).
15th May. The birds had been dispossessed of nest A
l)y a Ficus viridis (see notes under that name). The 3^ had,
however, started to complete an incomplete boring commenced
by Pic us viridis in solid living birch, which must have been
exceedingly hard work, as the wood they had taken out was
solid and fibrous.
loth June. E.H.C. went down to this pair; he notes as
follows : —
2. Both birds are beautifully broken to the camxcra. They
do not care twopence for me arranging the gear ; they stayed
off and " churked " for two or three minutes and then went
on feeding the young as if nothing had happened. The
young went on " Queek queek queek " to the Nth po^ver ;
they were at it all day and never stopped for a minute. I
judged there to be 5 or 6 young.
3.20 Cock came to the nest, fed young, but did not go right
in. 3.30 Hen fed young, entered nest and cleaned it.
3.35. The cock, and 3.36 the hen fed young. 3.39 The
cock fed all the young and gave me the opportunity of seeing
the food, which was grey moth bodies as far as I could judge,
as 1 do not know any other material it could be.
160 FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC.
3.45 The male, 3.52 the female, 3.53 the male, and 3.58 the
female fed young, one of which at least came to the mouth of
the nest.
4.1 Cock arrived with what I thought was a whole crop
full of chammed up moths, that is what I took it to be. The
young were at this stage fed almost entirely by regurgitation.
4.2 The hen, 4.8 the cock, at 4.9 the hen came to the nest.
At 4.12 I gave up. While I was packing up the gear the birds
came to the nest and fed the young as long as 1 was not
actually standing under the tree. Their movements are
frightfully quick and they are never still for a moment.
13th June. W.P.C. took this bird in hand, and by dint of
adding additional tent poles to the tent and lashing three
5 foot poles to the tripod, and importing a pair of steps into
the tent to stand on to reach the camera, we managed to get
nearly level with the nest and only about 14 feet from it.
While we were getting all this safely and firmly settled
both birds came to the nest repeatedly and fed the young
whenever we were behind or inside the tent ; and since
these reputedly timid and wary birds did not seem
to mind our presence an atom, we concluded that they
remembered the same performance conducted last year. Picas
virklis is infinitely more shy and suspicious. (Here I digress
to say that to hoist the whole tripod camera and everything
to a height of about 14 feet from the ground in the way w^e
did, and yet get the v/hole apparatus stable, demands an
exceptionally powerful and well-built tripod ; 1 used a two-
fold Ashford 7ft. stand wdth a lOin. top, which is quite the
most powerful and rigid stand I know, the ample size of the
top being a godsend under such conditions).
9.55 Male with moth (species?) and about 8 geometer larvae.
10.5 One bird, could not see sex or food.
10.15 Female arrived with a mouthful of larvae. 1 made a
noise putting up my hand to get at the shutter, and the bird
cleared off for about 5 minutes. (E.H.C. doubts this being the
reason why she cleared off and states that at this time he
was standing under a starling's nest in the immediate neigh-
FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC. 161
boiirhood, and that the starhngs were making a tremendous
fuss ; he suggests that this was the real reason why the bird
went off). The bird uttered her alarm call, and during the
time she was uttering it the young in the nest were very
quiet; but as soon as she left off they recommenced their noisy
chatter. The bird finally came to the nest and departed after
feeding the young.
10.22 Male arrived and fed young ; he announced his
arrival with a single " churck." 10.32 One of the jjarent
birds arrived : could not see what was brought, but noticed
that the 3^oung raised the pitch of their note on the parent's
arrival.
10.37 Male with small insects and larvae ; he was too quick
for certain identification of the food. 10.43 Young stopped
calling (This is really a very noteworthy event, for this brood
were quite as vociferous as the one referred to in 1914).
10.44 Young resumed calling ; female arrived, fed them, and
then they became more vocal than ever. The female was
quite silent. The young are now about half the size of their
parents, and their crests are quite red.
10.45 Male with insects and larvae, including what looked
like a large geometer moth of grey color {l^Boarmia consortaria)
10.52 Male fed young. I gave him a very quick instan-
taneous exposure, and at the " ping " of the shutter he
" churcked " for about half a minute, but did not leave the
nest ; afterwards became quiet and then left. The young
ceased calling while the male was speaking.
10.55 One of the birds fed the young and popped ofT again
quickly. 11.1 Female, with some very small food,
11.3 Male fed young, but hen came before I could move
and fed the young again. 11.10 Male, 11.15 male again,
followed immediately by female. 11.19 One of the
parents.
11.20 Male again, followed immediately by the female, who
took no notice of the noise of changing the plates, and was very
leisurely. 11.29 Female again. 11.32 Male came. I tried
to get him to look up and stay still by calling and shouting
162 FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC.
to him ; but he took not the smallest notice, and went on
feeding the young with his head in the hole.
11.34 Male again ; he fed the young by regurgitation. 11.36
Female with very small food. 11.40 Female, with two large
green noctua larvae, undoubtedly the larvae of Taeniocampa
slahilis ; they were carried in the base of the bill, and vv^ere
passed up by the tongue to the young bird. Both larvae
were given to the same young one. 11.43 Female with 3
or 4 larvae of Cheimatobia hrumata.
11.50 Male, with a great number of small insects quite
indistinguishable ; he fed two young birds Avith them.
11.55 Male with several larvae and at least one Tephroffia
punctularia. As the light then went completely off the tree I
left to do some general photography I was desirous of doing.
4.0 I came back to get a photograph of the tent at full height,
and whilst I was photographing the tent the male came in
bringing 4 large gray geometer moths {'i Boarmia repandata).
Note. X had seen B. repandata at rest on a tree not far from
the nest, so I know it was out.
June 16th. E.H.C. visited this pair of birds and was
ready at 7.45 a.m. His notes were as follows : —
7.50 Hen came to the nest with larvae and other food.
7.51 Cock brought larvae ; on both occasions the feeding
was partly by regurgitation. The young birds have been
behaving as usual, chattering away all the time since we
got within earshot. The cock and hen did not feed the young
birds while we were getting up our gear, but staj^ed about
" churcking " as 1 have before noted, and very much after the
the manner of a blackbird's alarm note.
8.5 Female fed young with larvae.
8.10 Cock, 8.13 hen, and 8.25 cock, fed young. 8.29 Cock
fed young partially with food in his beak, which I could not
see, and partly by regurgitation.
8.35 Hen brought body of a grey moth and a large geometer
larva. 8.39. Cock brought brown larva which did not
look to me like the larvae of lepidoptera. 8.44 Hen fed
young in great haste. 8.48 cock fed young very rapidly.
FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC. 163
8.55 Hen ; 8.58 cock ; 9.1 hen ; 9.6 hen ; 9.12 cock ; 9.20 cock
again fed the young. The young have not stopped chattering ;
the noise rises and falls, growing most vociferous when the
parents arrive with food, but the young are no reliable guide
as to the arrival of the parents, as they give so many false
alarms.
9.27 Hen ; 9.28 cock ; 9.33 hen ; 9.34 cock ; 9.40 hen fed
young. The sun now went olf the nest so I left ; but while
I was packing up, both birds came to the nest and fed the
young ; they "churcked" whilst I was outside; but the moment
I went inside they took no notice,, notwithstanding that my
feet were in full view,
18th June. E.H.C. had another try at these birds. His
notes were as follows : — The hen fed the .young twice while
we w^ere getting the gear up, which w^ork we completed at
7.20. 7.25 Cock came to the nest with a good deal of
" churcking ; " both birds " churcked " a good deal whilst
w^e were setting up.
7.28 Cock ; 7.37 hen ; 7.42 hen again. The young chattered
all the time. I did not hear more than two at a time, and
usually only one, they are silent for a few seconds at rare
intervals.
8. Cock and hen came in quick succession and fed one young
bird that came right up to the entrance and craned out so h.v
that I thought he would lose his balance. 8.5 Cock fed young.
8.7 Hen fed young. From what I could hear and surmise
as to the behaviour of the young, as soon as one has been fed
a few times there is a good deal of scrambling and elbowing
in the nest and another young one comes to the entrance.
8.10 One young bird put his head and neck a long way out,
and I could see his lovely little red crest. His head and
neck are well feathered.
8.14 Hen fed young by regurgitation. 8.22 and 8.30, hen
fed young. 8.34 the cock. 8.39 The hen came with food,
and there was a struggle between two young as to which should
have the food. One of the young was looking out and
chattering, and I calculated he uttered 250 cries per minute.
164 FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC.
8.46 and 8.47 and 8.57 the cock fed the young. 9 Hen ;
9.4 hen ; 9.10 cock, 9.14 the hen fed the young.
20th June. W.P.C. paid further attention to these birds.
He notes as follows : —
7.30 Settled in with all the gear ready. 7.82 Bird fed young,
which have made marvellous progress in a week ; they very
nearly resemble the adult birds, and keep looking out of the
hole, and are much more noisy than they were a week ago.
7.40 One of the birds fed the young hy regurgitation. 7.46
Another of the parents came. 7.50 One of the birds brought
a number of Dipterous flies and hymenoptera of no great
size. 7.57 Cock ; 7.58 hen and 7.59 cock fed the young.
8.3 Hen brought larvae for the young which appeared to
be Hyhernias. 8.8 Hen and 8.14 cock fed. 8.20 One of the
birds fed the young on larvae. 8.25 Cock fed young, but
seemed alarmed at something, hen followed on quickly, but
left in a hurry. 8.34 The hen again. 8.35 The male with
two small moths about the size of a Melanippe fluctuata
probably Melanippe inontanata or possibly Coremia ferrugata
and various other oddments. (I think since that these moths
were almost certainly Coremia ferrugata, which was at rest
on the tree trunks in the neighbourhood in fair numbers, that
is to say, I found several at rest at varying heights on birch
trees mostly from 4 to 7 feet from the ground).
8.42 The cock fed. 8.47 The cock came to the nest, but
drojiped straight down to the ground suddenly and made off
in a zig-zag direction, which I put down to the advent of a
hawk, as all the birds were silent. (E.H.C. saw a female
A. nisus go over just about this time, evidently on the war
path). Both birds gave their alarm notes.
8.49 The hen fed. 8.50 the cock. 8.54 The young were
quiet for a few seconds. 8.54-30 The female fed. 8.56 Male
brought a grey noctua rather smaller than an average sized
AcTonycia psi and about the same colour ; male " churcked, "
but not in alarm, he apparently was calling the female.
9.0 Female fed, while male called a little way off. I went
out to get more plates. 9.30 Male fed young. He afterwards
FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC. 165
went down amongst the bracken and hunted the low stems of
small birch ; he roused a little Scoparia off one and chased him
down to the ground ; but I did not see whether he caught it, as
a lot of bracken intervened. 1 afterwards saw him searching
on the ground for food, and he seemed to be making a meal
for himself. Now and again he gave a " churck, " which made
the 3^oung renew the vigor of their chatter, which was not so
incessant as usual.
9.55 and 10.5 The hen fed young. At 10.6 the male, after
which I left the nest for a time, as E.H.C. wanted my high
tent and stand moved up to a Picus viridis. Before doing
this, however, we thought we would test the liking of the
young for a moth, so we put a Cahera pusaria in a slit at the
end of a stick and offered it to one bird ; as we came close
to the nesting hole to do this the young bird drew back, but
as soon as the youngster caught sight of the Cahera pusaria he
went for it with all the vigour of a hungry bass going for a
smelt, extracted the moth from the slit in the stick, bolted
it wings and all, and emphatically showed his appreciation by
chattering and craning out of the hole and looking in our
direction for more. 1 returned to the nest and set up a small
tent to watch from with the binoculars, as I hoped that I
would be able to determine the food brought with greater
accuracy.
1.40 The young were very active and noisy. 2.7 Male
brought small food, fed the young. This young bird is evidently
learning to speak, and has now added a chirp like a sparrow,
repeated in a warbler fashion, and not altogether unlike a
robin's warning note. The time that elapses between meals
for the young as the day advances, as compared with the early
morning, all goes to shew in my opinion that the food of
these birds is insects, including lepidoptera taken at rest.
It is notorious that unless you go trunk-searching and fence
searching before the sun is high your success is small, and
apparently the woodpeckers find the same difficulty as we do .
2.22 Male fed. 2.27 Male fed the young by regurgitation.
2.29 Female fed also by regurgitation.
166 FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC.
2.40 Hen fed young partly on a larva or two and partly by
regurgitation. I am convinced that the latter process was
resorted to, as the bills of the young bird and parent bird
were parted. I distinctly saw a rope of saliva from the one
to the other. The bill of the young bird is much greyer than
that of the adult, especially about the lower mandible, and the
white of the plumage is very yellow, almost ])rimrose
coloured. (E.H.C. suggests that the yellow may be a result of
continual contact with the birch tree.)
2.55 Male brought moth that looked like a Bupalm pitiiatia
female for size and colour. 3.20 Male fed 3H)ung. 3.22 male
fed young by regurgitation. The young are now chirping and
also making a noise like a whitethroat scolding, The latter
noise they always make after having food. I was out of the
observation tent from 3.25 till 3.55 when the female fed the
young by regurgitation. 3.57 One of the birds fed, and was
gone before I could get the glasses up. 4.20 The male fed
young very quickly, and again at 4.35. Neither bird had
returned at 4.40 when I left.
27th June. The birds had flown, and the neighbourhood
seemed curiously empty and silent after their de^jarture ;
noisy as they are, they are cheerful little birds, and most
amusing to watch. (W.P.C. and E.H.C).
Dryobates minor (Lesser Spotted Woodpecker).
19th February, 1915. One seen at Sandbanks Road, Poole.
(W.P.C).
5th April. One had commenced a nesting hole in a rotten
beech at Canford.
1st May. Dr. Penrose's chauffeur Hanson watched this
bird at work on this hole during the afternoon.
22nd May. We again watched the hole in the hope of
seeing the bird, but did not do so, and we found subsequently
that the hole was abandoned.
13th June. W.P.C spent some considerable time watching
this hole, but as no bird appeared he concluded that the
close proximity of some filthy starHngs had been too much
for the little bird. (W.P.C and E.H.C).
FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC. 167
Picus viridis (The Green Woodpecker).
15th May. One of the holes (nest A) started by D.m.
anglicus has been taken over by this bird.
10th June. Nest A was given attention on this date by
E.H.C. He notes as follows : —
" 8oon after I got up the tent, one of the birds went in,
the hen I think, but she did not stay long.
10.0 Both birds were prowling round in the vicinity, some-
times hunting on the ground for food.
10.15 And sometimes on the pines and birches close at hand.
Every little while they would call affectionately to one
another.
11.21 The female came to the nest. 12 The female returned
and was still on the nest at 12.40, so I went out for some
lunch. 1.0 I returned, but there was no sign of the birds.
1.30 The male hopped round and the female looked out
and exchanged a few notes of conversation with him. He
stayed close to the tent flustering around in the dead leaves,
together with a blackbird, but it was very easy to distinguish
the heavy hops of the P. viridis from the lighter footsteps of
the blackbird.
1.35 to 2. I amused myself taking the large wood ants which
had invaded my tent out of my clothing, and then as the hen
seemed either to be sitting or covering very young chicks,
and neither bird was fruitful from the observation point of
view, I gave up.
13th June. I put up to this pair again, but after great
difficulty with my apparatus I found such preposterous
exposures would be required under the thick foliage that I
gave the idea up. The young had just been hatched, I think,
as they set up a faint bee -like humming when I scratched the
tree with my finger nails. The female looked out of the nest
once or twice and the male came round and gave his " alarm"
yaffle. This was the last time I paid attention to this pair
of birds.
20th June. This brood had progressed to the stage of
making a noise like a swarm of bees. The old birds dug so
1(58 FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC.
far into the tree that they got through the dead wood into
the living wood behind, with the result that the birch sap
had oozed and is still shewing signs of oozing, so evidently a
certain amount of dampness is not detrimental to the young.
3rd July. This nest was empty and the brood had departed.
13th June. I went down to nest B (see under D. m.
anglicus). The P. viridis had at the end of April turned the
starlings out lock, stock, and barrel, thrown the nest and
young on to the ground, cleaned the cavity up thoroughly,
and enlarged it to suit their own requirements. This treat-
ment of the starlings we regarded as indicating a very proper
sense of decency and a just wrath on the part of the P. viridis.
They were the only pair of starlings that defiled a very
beautiful birch copse, which, excluding a few blackbirds, is
usually tenanted only by the aristocracy of our bird world.
One bird only came to the tree containing the nest, but I was
unable to see which, as it pitched in the tree and did not come
to the nesting hole : it stayed in the vicinity from 2 to 4.30.
I was unable to determine if it was the male hanging round
whilst the female sat inside.
20th June. E.H.C. commenced on this nest ; from 2 to 3
one of the birds was calling in the distance and once another
answered. The young made a little noise between the
buzzing of bees and a grating sound.
3.30 W.P.C. took on for a short time. 3.35 One of the
birds passed close to the tent and called " quock quock
quock." 3.45 One of the adults spoke in the distance. E.H.C.
came back and took on. 4.30 Female came to a tree near
at hand and called and moved to and fro at intervals.
4.35 She came to the nesting tree and spent 5 minutes
examining the tent, and then backed down the tree to within
a few feet of the ground. 4.45 She prowled about on the
ground looking for food. 5.15 I gave it up.
25th June. E.H.C. again visited this nest and noted as
follows : —
3 p.m. The young were making a rasping noise not unlike
a file being rubbed slowly along the edge of a good sized piece
FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC. 169
of stiff paper ; the noise is rather deep. The male was calHng
in the distance, and then came into a tree close at hand and
called at intervals, the young answering with a rasping hum.
4 p.m. Male came to nest ; the young must still have been
very immature, as he went inside. The male did not actually
announce his arrival on the nesting tree, and had I not heard
his wings and the noise he made pitching and clambering
down the tree backwards he might have come unnoticed.
27th June. E.H.C. went over to the nast, hoping to get some
colour photographs, and noted as follows : —
3.25 The light became very dull whilst I was setting up, as
thunder was rolling about everywhere. The male called at
intervals while I was setting up.
3.35 to 3.55 He called at intervals of about 5 minutes from
one of the dead branches of the nesting tree. 3.55 He moved
to another tree. 4.5 He came to the nest and after some
hesitation entered. The female was close at hand and called
whilst the male was in the nest. The young now make their
rasping buzz loudly. 4.10 The female came and sat up near
and remained in the neighbourhood, calling occasionally.
5 The female came to the nest, fed some of the young at the
entrance, finally entered the nest and cleaned it. Thereafter
I left.
3rd Juty. W.P.C. thought he would try his luck on this
nest with Lumiere Autochrome and Paget Colour plates. He
notes as follows : —
3.30 I got started ; the female bird arrived shortly after.
She came to the hole, but was very fidgetty indeed and gave
me no chance of trying a plate on her. She started to feed
the young and then got a fit of nerves, and went on to a high
bough, whence she called repeatedly for the male. She waited
about half an hour, during which time I debated whether I
would swing the camera round to try a shot at her, but she
never stayed still a fraction of a second, twisting her head in
all directions, and every once now and again calling. Her
head action and movements remind me very much of the
Great Northern Driver {Colymbus immer).
170 FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC.
4 p.m. The male arrived and the female left. The male
was fairly bold till I fired an Autochrome at him, when the
noise of plate changing sent him up aloft to consider matters.
In five minutes he was back. I gave him 4 seconds on an
Autochrome and the result is passable. I induced him to
stay still for this period of time by whistling short sharp
blasts at him. After that he went to the nest, and I tried
4 Paget Colour plates at him with exposures of 1 second,
but he moved in two out of four, and the plates have failed
to record his colour with the accuracy of the Lumiere plate.
He afterwards fed the young by regurgitation. He was fairly
leisurely over it, but seemed to have an immense supply of
food. I noticed that when he considered any individual
chick had had a fair share he refused to give it any more, and
drew back each time the chick tried to reach him, until place
was given for a fresh one. The green of both birds, but
especially that of the female, is so faded that the Brown
Woodpecker would be a more accurate name than green. The
crest of red, however, seems to retain its colour well. One
young one is very advanced and has a very handsome red
crest, but the others (I was only able to distinguish three)
are more backward. (Two of the large species of Tahanis
played havoc with my ankles whilst I was watching the birds
and militated against my success, as they made my ankles
bleed to such an extent that I could not refrain from movement
once or twice.)
5 p.m. E.H.C. took on and waited till 6, but neither parent
came. He noted that the young had grown a great deal in a
week and still made a noise like rubbing a file on the leaves
of a book. In addition to this noise they made a loud, high-
pitched croak.
4th July. E.H.C. had a try at this bird again, as we were
very anxious if possible to secure a good colour photograph,
as none of the plates in books that we have seen give the
colour accurately, or give a really good idea of the character-
istic poses of the bird. E.H.C. got set up at 2 p.m. in a
good light, and notes as follows : —
FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC. 171
2.15 The male came to the nest and fed one young one only
three times by regurgitation. When he had finished I whistled
to him to try to detain him, but he only peered about, and
fidgetted, and then went up the tree, where he stayed awhile
and left. I heard nothing more of the birds until 3.40, when
one of them spoke up to the right about 100 yards away. At
4.10 the female which had been M'andering round came to the
tree, but never went into the rest ; after climbing about for
two or three minutes she settled down on one of the high
boughs. I managed to shift the camera up, get it round
and alter the elevation and take some photographs of her,
but they are not very satisfactory.
7th July. These young were still in the nest, but 10th July
they had gone.
Ficus viridis is quite the most suspicious bird we have
observed at close quarters, and the female is highly nervous,
not having a tithe of the pluck of the male, who for all his
suspicion and caution is in some resjoects a bold bird. The
way he seemed to divine one's presence in the tent was
extraordinary. On at least two occasions (curiously enough,
although we were surprised and discussed the matter with
each other, neither made a written note of it) the male came
into the tent to investigate matters. As the tent is only a
matter of 10 feet high at its maximum and the material
forming the sides 11 feet high in order to get level with the
nest, it was raised by additional large bamboos driven into
the ground a further 5 feet, the camera being worked by
standing on the top of a high pair of steps inside the tent ;
it will therefore be observed that from the foot of the material
to the ground there was an open space of 4 feet, and we banked
this in on the front and sides with birch growth, bracken, and
and the like, leaving the back open as an easy meant of ingress
and egress. The male used to come to the back of the tent on
the ground and walk in, and look up round to se*? if anyone was
inside. He did it twice when E.H.C. was in the tent and once
when W.P.C. was in it, and both of us feel sure he communicated
the fact to the hen in some way. (W.P.C. and E.H.C).
172 FIRST APPEARANCES OP BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC.
lyyix torquilla (The Wryneck).
22nd April. Two heard at Broadstone. (W.P.C.)
Cuculus canorus (The Cuckoo).
Arrivals.
18th April. One only at Canford.
20th April. One only at Broadstone.
24th April. One only at Broadstone.
9th May. Numerous at Canford.
24th May. Two heard at Canford. The departure was
not noted. W.P.C. considered this bird scarce, but E.H.C.
says the numbers are normal. As W.P.C. cannot hear the
bird call, he is likely to form an incorrect conclusion. (W.P.C.
and E.H.C.)
Micropus apus (The Swift).
Upward migration. 2nd May. 8 or 10, over Poole, first
thing in the morning. 3rd May. There was a decided
increase at Poole.
Dow^nward migration. 15th July. Very few round the
houses, but a large body hawking over the lake in the Park
at Poole, evidently beginning to flock.
Caprimulgus europaeus (The Nightjar).
7th July. We saw a pair of these birds in Canford Bottom.
11th July. We spent one hour and a half in searching for
the nest of this pair (A) and found it with two eggs of the
spotted type.
A further pair with two eggs was also found a short
distance away (B). These eggs were of the heavily blotched
type.
13th July. We were walldng across to nest (A), and both
of us spotted a third bird (C) sitting. We tried to snapshot
her, but she got up, disclosing the fact that she was sitting
on a single egg of the marbled type.
Nest A.
18th July. E.H.C. took this bird in hand.
He got set up to the nest by about 8 a.m. and noted as
follows : — A few minutes later the hen arrived and sat down
about 10 feet on my left and stayed there with her eyes some-
FIEST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC. 173
times quite shut and sometimes just to say open. After
three-quarters of an hour she moved towards the nest with
a sinuous mode of walking that seemed more like a glide than
a walk. When she first arrived she made a curious noise
like a little growl, but afterwards made no sound. About
8.50 the bird reached the nest and sat down between the
camera and the nest, where she appeared to have gone fast
asleep. A few minutes later she went on to the nest and
covered the eggs, first turning them. I stayed in the tent till
11 o'clock, when, as there was nothing more to be seen than
that the bird was still fast asleep, I slipped out without
disturbing her.
25th July. I again visited this nest with the intention of
trying to photograph the bird leaving the nest. I was
successful in snapshotting her as she flew away, but 1 -225th of
of a second is not quick enough exposure to ensure absence
of movement. W.P.C. afterwards spent 4 hours in the tent
in a frightfully hot sunshine, but the female did not return
to the nest ; she had gone to sleep with the male bird under
a fir tree close at hand.
9th August. These young were fully feathered and about
half grown, laid down side by side about four feet from the
tent, and the same distance from the nest, which shewed the
remains of the egg shells. The female, which rose from the
young birds, only flew a short distance with feeble flight and
sank into the long grass. Both the young kept quite still
until W.P.C. touched one with his finger, when it became
very fierce and spread its wings, and opened its mouth very
wide and made a hard breathing sound.
Nest B.
18th July. W.P.C. took this nest in hand at 9 a.m., and
it then had tw^o downy youngsters about 2 to 3 days old.
The young were in the long grass within a few inches of the
nest, which still contained the broken egg shells. Up to
one o'clock the female had not returned, so W.P.C. came
out for lunch ; whilst he was away the female returned, so
we tried to get her as she rose, but had no luck. W.P.C. then
174 FTKST ArrEAUANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC.
stayed in the tent till 4.45, up to which time she had not
returned, so he gave up.
25th July. The young had travelled some distance from
the nest and were hiding in the bracken, where E.H.C.
found them through the female jumping and retiring to a
fir tree not far off, where she was mobbed for about 10
minutes by chaffinches, blue tits, and coaltits. E.H.C. tried
to stalk her with a 16in. lens, but she refused to allow him
to come near enough to get a satisfactory picture. So he
returned and captured the young birds in order to photograph
them ; they resented interference, made themselves look as
fierce as possible and made a noise something like that of
a kitten swearing, but hardly as loud. The females, quitting
young, fly very weakly with wings down and tail depressed,
often pitching within 20 yards with wrings spread on the
ground ; on following, the females behave not unhke a plover
seeking to entice strangers from the proximity of the nest.
Nest C.
18th July. This bird had hatched one young one, which
we noted grew very rapidly, presumably by reason of
its having a monopoly of the entire food supply brought by
the parents.
9th August. This young one was 2-3rds grown and was
able to fly 100 yards. It was still in the nest, but quitted
immediately we approached, having been roused by the hen
which was still attending it, and who flew off and then stood
about 200 yards away watching us. An examination of the
insect remains in the nest revealed a large number of moth
remains, but we w^ere only able certainly to identify Agrotis
pronuba, Agrotis comes, Agrotis tritici, Feltia exclamationis ,
Xylophasia polyodon. The large noctuse were apparenth^
sucked dry through a hole in the posterior end of the abdomen,
the smaller ones were only evidenced by wings in such a
battered condition that identification was impossible.
Carine noctua (The Little Owl).
Mr. S. H. Wallis, of Chesterfield Place, Weymouth, writes
(under date 4th February, 1916), " You know how the Little
FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC. 175
Owl is spreading. Three pairs have been killed under m^^
notice recently. These owls are destroying the nightingales,
and probably other night warblers." I corresponded with
Mr. S. H. Wallis on the subject of this bird, because it is
not a common bird, and I felt, too, some diffidence about
accepting the statement that a small bird like Carine noctua
would tackle anything the size of a nightingale. Mr. Wallis
was most patient in answering my pertinacious enquiries,
and wrote to me under date 17th April, 1916 : " I sent to the
Dorchester Museum offering a pair of Athene noctua which
were shot at Chickerell on Mr. Jesty's (County Councillor's)
farm. The Museum people said they had received three
already." Again, on the 23rd April Mr. Wallis wrote to me
" I can see Mr. Jesty, jun., for data. I heard yesterday that
Keeper Hicks (Middleton Estate, Bradford Peverel) shot one
eighteen months ago. A man working on the Park farm at
Hooke has seen them. They occupied a hole in a stump and
frequently pitched on a wall ; he said he could have caught
them, they were not a bit shy. Respecting the destruction
of nightingales, Howard Saunders in his Manual of British
Birds says they destroy thrushes. Nearly every little cover
about these parts had nightingales the year before last, but
last summer there was scarcely a pair here. My son, who is
in practice at Wrexham and keen on observing birds, tells me
the little owl is rapidly spreading and destroying the nightin-
gale, and I have been told by the keepers that they were vastly
more scarce, some kind of owl probably killed them."
On going into the life history of this little bird, I fear he
must be put doAvn as a murderer of all our evening songsters
and insectivorous birds, and I hope in the 1916 report, if I am
still responsible for these notes, to make some more extended
notes. (W.P.C.)
Circus pyargus (The Montagu's Harrier).
8th August.— At Handley Down W.P.C. and E.H.C. both
saw on different occasions a hawk w^hich E.H.C. did think
was a Honey Bizzard {Pernis apivorus) when he first saw it,
because it looked so big ; however, it flew up into a tree, and
176 FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC.
E.H.C. concluded after examining it that it was a Montagu's
Harrier (Bird of the Year). The fact that there was a newly
killed, part eaten Columba palumbus juv (the Wood Pigeon)
on the ground confirmed this. When W.P.C. saw the bird
he had a good chance of watching it as it was picking up
insects in a ride ; he was quite close to it and felt sure it was a
young Montagu's Harrier, so far as one can be sure of a
. Harrier. (W.P.C. and E.H.C).
Accipiter nisus (The Sparrowhawk).
May 9th. — Having found a Sparrowhawk's feeding place
at Canford we decided to try to photograph the bird, so put
up a hiding tent and decorated it very carefully to make it
look as much like a rhododendron bush as possible ; this we
left there for a week. W.P.C. 's notes were as follows : —
" I had very faint hopes of a shot. I put up the Ross 17in.
Telecentric and found the exposure required was about 1-1 1th
of a second. The Telecentric is too heavy for the camera
front and required supporting to relieve the strain. I imagine
that so long as the birds are singing round there is no sign of a
sparrowhawk ; there is a wren singing vigorously. At 9.45
there is dead silence, broken only by an occasional doubtful
hiss from a robin. A woodpecker has just called in the
distance, but there is no sign of A. nisus anywhere close at
hand. 10 a.m., an Accentor modularis has just squeaked with
that wiry whine which they make. At 10.4 a wren was
singing vigorously, and a chaffinch too. At 10.30 it seemed
very quiet, and I took a lookout of each peephole carefully,
I caught sight of the sparrowhawk in another tree some
distance away. She was a fine old female. She made a
meal of a squab blackbird, but took only three minutes over
it and was very quiet. What made me look up in her
direction was the curious hollow sound of the tearing flesh.
She simply tore the squab in fair size pieces and bolted it
without ceremony, and then rubbed her bill clean on a rotten
branch of an oak. She went as silently as she came. How
long she was there I do not know, as after she went the birds
started singing again.
FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC. 177
I could not bring her on to the plate except at the extreme
top, in such a position that the picture would have been
quite useless. As the birds are now quite nois}^ I suppose
she must have been in the neighbourhood some little time
even if I did not see her. At 11.15 I left the tent."
(Note. — Readers must bear in mind that when in a bird
tent it is only possible to have quite small peepholes to see
out of, otherwise birds can see in, and freedom of movement
is practically absent).
16th May.— W.P.C. had another try to get a photograph,
but his hearing is so faulty that he failed, and formed the
opinion that it requires a person of ver}^ acute hearing to
handle the proposition satisfactorily. W.P.C.'s notes were
as follows.
10.30 I went into the tent. The light was rather poor and
heavy clouds veiled the sun, which peeped through weakly at
times. The birds were very quiet this morning, as it was so
dull perhaps ; but since the sparrowhawks have frequented
the copse which former]3'had a very full orchestra it now seems
strangely silent. At 11.15 I had observed no sign of the
hawks, but a cock pheasant was querking, and then a large
shadow came over. This was the female, but she only wiped
her bill on a rotten bough. I swung the camera round very
slowly, but the maximum swing I could get only enabled me
to get half the bird with an image about 56mm. high on the
plate, and before I could even think out a scheme of getting
round further she slipped quietly away as noiselessly as she
arrived. One wants a tent with a revolving turret top for the
job.
At 11.10 the cock arrived from nowhere in the same
mysterious fashion and sat high up in a tree some distance
away. I swung the camera back and put the full rise and tilt
on, and had got him comfortably on the plate, although the
image was somewhat small, and was doing the finishing
touches to the focus, when he slipped off.
I came out, and then E.H.C. and I hunted with a butterflj^
net and an old bird cage for a j'oung blackbird or thrush to
178 FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC.
act as a lure, but to-day were unsuccessful in finding one,
though the preceding day the whole place had seemed to
swarm with them. We did not care to take a nesthng which
would have been unable to fend for itself if turned loose.
After lunch I returned to the tent and waited patiently till
3.30, when the light was hopeless, and then gave the thing
up as a bad job. I was really bitterly disappointed, because
a few more degrees of swing would have done the trick ; but
the exigencies of bird photography don't allow freedom of
movement, and I think it is probable that it would be
exceedingly difficult to arrange an apparatus w^hich would
give an effective horizontal swing of more than 90°, though
it is possible it could be done with one of the cameras with a
fixed front, which only rack backwards, such as the " Arctos."
On the w^hole, I believe that type to be the most suitable for a
bird photographer for stand work, though it throws the weight
well forward, and therefore requires an exceptionally good
tripod, such as a heavy " Ashford."
It might be explained that E.H.C. considered W.P.C.'s
greater photographic experience would more than compensate
for his inability to hear well. On the result attained W.P.C.
thinks otherwise.
Falco aesalon (The Merlin).
6th June. — One seen on the edge of Poole Harbour, working
the gorse bushes for linnets ( Acanthis cannabina) and after-
wards its favourite roosting place was found. (E.H.C).
Falco tinnunculus (The Kestrel).
30th May. — Having ascertained that a pair we had been
acquainted with for many years were feeding young in a
sand cliff, within the prohibited area, we repaired to the duly
appointed authority and were able to get a permit after
satisfying the powers of our bona fides, loyalty, and discretion.
The first job, and a very difficult one, was to excavate and
build a sufficient platform for the hiding tent, which we were
successful in doing after a fashion a matter of 30 feet up the
cliff, but a rather long way below the nest ; there was no help
for that, as the nest was under an overhanging portion of th3
FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC. 179
cliff in a hole, and the face immediately below the hole was
perpendicular and afforded no foothold, leave alone the
possibility of erecting a suitable platform for a tent. The
setting and securing the tent and camera was a matter of
great difficulty, as one had to bear in mind that a sudden
descent of 30 feet backwards into the furze bushes below
might be fraught with serious consequences to oneself, and
would certainly have meant a heavy bill for camera repairs.
W.P.C. took charge and got settled about 10.45 after 1-|- hours
spent in erecting the tackle.
11.22. — The cock kestrel came and settled down to watch
the tent from a small projection of the cliff face. He was
decidedly inconspicuous on the brown cliff side, and, like all
birds of prey, seemed very suspicious. The young kept
fairly quiet.
11.34. — The female came to have a look at things, but was if
anj^thing more timid than the male. 200 yards appeared
to be the limit as far as she was concerned. After a time she
sailed round the back of the tent to inspect it ; unfortunately
it was not stretched sufficiently tightly, so that it swayed a
good deal in the breeze.
11.36. — The male came back and kept watch from a distant
part of the cliff ; he looked just like a scar on the cliff. After
a time he seemed a little less shy, as he preened himself and
walked along the cliff face to a shady spot ; he scrambled
along much like a swallow clinging to a wall.
11.50. — The female joined the male and preened herself ;
she, however, had some kind of prey in her talons, and was
apparently holding to the cliff face by one foot ; both birds
had shady positions.
11.55. — The male took wing and came across to the tent,
apparently to investigate it.
11.57. — The male came to the nest. I was much too excited
and full of admiration for his beauty to press the bulb. He
is evidently an old bird, and I could only see him when actually
at the entrance to the nest, but his barring was exceedingly
pronounced and clean cut, and his eyes were very handsome.
180 FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC.
A dead or stuffed bird, or even a bird viewed through the
glasses, gives little idea of the handsome dignity of appearance
that the living bird possesses, and of cours-^ can give no idea
of ths leisilrely litheness and extreme grace of movement.
The kestrel is a bird usually treated with scant courtesy and
looked down upon as compared with his congeners ; but no
one who has had the living bird within 12 feet of him, and had
leisure to examine it critically, c?.n fail to be struck with the
fact that he really possesses all the aristocratic beauty usually
associated with the Falconidse. I was very delighted with
him, and it was quite a revelation to me what a beautiful bird
the kestrel is.
He stayed about one minute and then sailed off.
12.0 — The cock went back to the hen, apparently to reassure
her, and sat in the heather at the cliff edge in full view. The
hen fell off her perch and then scrambled up to the cock.
12.5. — The hen came to the nest, but was so nervous she
barely stayed half a second, certainly not long enough for
me to squeeze the bulb, although I was ready. The click of
my watchchain as I moved sent her off in a fright.
12.10. — The male came in with a great cloud of sand and I
gave him an instantaneous at full speed (E.H.C. said he heard
the metallic ping of the shutter closing 300 yards away, like
the singing of a rifle bullet). The bird cleared at the noise
and went round calling " check, check, check, check." He
is much the bolder bird.
12.15. — One of the birds came into the sandpit with either
a young bird or else a mouse in its talons (subsequently
proved to be Mus sylviticus). What looked like the white
fluffy head of a young bird was visible at the entrance
(subsequently proved to be a casting).
12.32. — Male came to the nest, but had not the courage to
stay. He evidently did not like the big eye of the camera
looldng at him. Whilst I was writing the note, however, he
returned bringing the hinderpart of a Meadow Pipit ( Anthus
pratensis). I got a picture of him which clearly shews the
identity of the leg by the hind toe and claw. 12.35. — Hen
FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC. 181
came and stood in the entrance of the nest for
some time. She was very handsome, very blue grey with a
strongly marked cheek band ; after letting her stand some-
time I gave a sharp instantaneous exposure. She winced at
the sound of the shutter and finally took fhght ; but was
evidently less nervous.
1.0. — One of the birds, I thought the cock, came to the
entrance of the nest, apparently without food. He remained
about 5 minutes scrutinizing the tent very minutely ;
apparently it was the lens to which he objected, as I felt sure
he was unable to see into the tent. E.H.C. took on at 1
o'clock ; he notes as follows : —
2.0. — Neither bird back. Before I came into the tent the
male and female soared off in great circles, rising higher and
higher, and floating away on the wind, which was N.E., until
they were mere specks in the sky, and I lost sight of them.
I think all birds have a slack time from 12.30 until about
3 o'clock. As a rule everything is fairly quiet in the birdy
way between those hours.
2.30. — I heard one of the birds sajang " Ttchock, tchock,
tchock, tchock," but the juveniles did not answer. I could
not see the bird anyw^here.
2.40. — I heard " tweek, tweek, tweek, tweek," 4 syllables
4 times running at intervals, to which the juveniles replied.
2.45. — No further sign of the bird, but the juveniles kept
on with a little call of " cheep, cheep, cheep, " like little
gentle chickens, but a little harsher, still, not at all in
accordance with their role in after life.
2.55. — W.P.C. arrived to see how I was getting on, and the
female quitted the nest, so she had evidently slipped in
between 2.45 and his arrival.
3.55. — One of the birds came to the nest, but did not
settle.
4.0. — The female came and I prepared to give her a quick,
quiet time exposure ; but she did not stay many seconds, as the
tent wagged and she left, but took up a position on a ledge
close at hand.
182 FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC.
4.10. — I got my chance, the only one I had ; the female
came to the nest and I gave her a second or two to compose
herself, and then gave her a quick quiet time. She stayed a
few seconds after the shutter had gone and then left ; she
brought no food. She floated in like a shadow, and left as
quietly as an owl, that was why I did not hear her come in at
2.50.
4.45.— W.P.C. relieved E.H.C. in the tent and noted.
During the time E.H.C. was in the tent both birds w^ent off
about four miles, and on the second occasion the cock, having
returned first, waited for some time for the hen in a bush at
the back of the tent. They neither of them seemed to approve
of the tent ; partly I think because, by reason of its awkward
position, it was not at all well set and swayed about a good
deal.
4.55. — I heard one of the birds give a " check, check."
5.20 — One of the birds wheeled across between me and the
sun. 5.35. — One of the birds came and alighted in front of
the nest for a minute or so. I let it stay, but it bolted again
very quickly. 6. — ^The sun went off the cliff, so I packed up.
6th June. We had a further try at this pair of birds, but
it all came to nothing. The weather was dull, the wind was
high, we had to work two hours before we could even get the
tent set on the ledge, and then had to erect so many guyropes
that it looked like a wireless station ; and finally when W.P.C.
got settled various police constables, looking for an
unauthorised snapshotter, kept everything in the neighbour-
hood so much on the move that the birds declined to come
near, and as the police did not effect a capture till late in the
afternoon the day was spoiled and W.P.C. had a 6 hours
wait for nothing. (W.P.C. and E.H.C).
Anser.
About the middle of March several flocks of wild geese
passed over Dorchester by night. Migrating northward, they
were apparently attracted by the glare from the camp for
German prisoners, and circled about screaming and whistling
for some time before they struck northward again. (R.D.G.).
FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC. 183
Nyroca ferina (The Pochard).
Jan. 3. — Winter company of 25 on Poole Park Lake. Later
increased to 50, and on 14 February, to 100.
Nov. 14. — 25 to 50 were again occupying the Poole Park
lake. (E.H.C.).
Nyroca fuligula. (The Tufted Duck).
Male shot near Dorchester in the beginning of December.
(R.D.G.).
Clangula hyemalis Linn. (Longtailed Duck).
29 November, 1915. Geo. Brown, of Poole, shot and brought
up to me four specimens of this bird. They were shot in
Poole Harbour and are now in my skin collection. No. 37«>,
371, and 372 are immature males in first winter plumage,
^^hilst No. 373 is an immature female in the same state of
plumage. They had been feeding on shrimps. (E.H.C.).
Gallingo gallingo (The Common Snipe).
11th April. — Three nests with 4 eggs each found at Bere-
wood. W.P.C. and E.H.C. tried to photograph two of
these nests on the 18th April. Oddly enough the two nests
selected to work at were ultimately both hatched off, but the
one nest which we left severely alone was deserted. The
day was warm, but the wind was rather high and very un-
certain. W.P.C. 's bird came to the neighbourhood of the
nest several times, but did not go on. E.H.C. had trouble
with his camera owing to the boggy nature of the ground
where he was at wwk, but ultimately got started at 2 o'clock.
2.15 the bird returned and fed in the rushes close to the nest ;
she left several times for no apparent reason, but always
returned saying " tchick tchick t chick " in a whistling note,
repeating it many times without pause. About 3 o'clock
she came and sat down in the grass close to the nest, but did
not go on. At 3.30 she was disturbed by people passing over
the hill, at 3.45 she was back, fed down through the s^^^ampy
ground, and ran straight on to the nest. E.H.C. gave her ten
minutes, exposed a plate, and after 5 minutes tried to change,
but the noise entailed in plate -changing frightened her off.
She returned very quickly. " A snipe is a bird that can stand
184 FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC.
"no movement, and I should think very Httle noise, but my
bird showed no fear of the tent whatever, feeding even close
"to my feet. The snipe is a very charming bird to watch at
" close quarters, and she seems to feed almost entirely by
" feeling, although she uses her eyes to find likely little spots
" between the growth to thrust her bill into. On the nest she
" sits very still."
On the 25th April both nests had hatched and the young
had gone. (W.P.C. and E.H.C.).
Tringa alpina (The Dunhn).
During November there were immense numbers of these
birds in Poole Harbour, flocks running into 1,000 or more.
(W.P.C. and E.H.C.).
Calidris arenaria (The Sanderling).
Oct. 3. — Several seen in Poole Harbour by Dr. Penrose.
(W.P.C).
Totanus hypoleucus. (The Common Sandpiper).
22nd April.— At Dorchester. (G.R.P.).
14th July. — At Poole. Two on downward migration.
(W.P.C).
3rd October. — At Poole. A great number in the Harbour.
(W.P.C).
Limosa lapponica (The Bartailed Godwit).
Oct 13th. — Several seen in Poole Harbour by Dr. Penrose.
(W.P.C).
Squatarola squatarola (The Grey Plover).
9 seen at Whitley Lake, Poole Harbour. (W.P.C. and E.H.C).
Vanellus vanellus (The Common Plover).
11th April— A nest with 4 eggs at Bere Wood. (W.P.C).
Haematopus ostralegus (The Oyster Catcher).
Mr. Lloyd reported two seen near Edmondsham in a
stream, 2 May. Mr. Lloyd knows the bird. (W.P.C).
Larus ridihundus (The Blackheaded Gull).
6th June. — On Poole Harbour I noticed at 3.45 a bird
flying in a peculiar manner as if it had suddenly lost its
balance and sense of direction. It was flying about South to
North, at 5.30 it returned flying North to South, when it
FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC. 185
seemed to lose all sense of direction and landed at a point
far West of its original line of flight. I think there must have
been something the matter with its semicircular canals as the
course followed was, so far as I can see, as shown on the
annexed drawing. The vertical plan of the second flight
was much the same as the vertical plan of the first, but the
horizontal plan I cannot recollect in its entirety. I do not
remember seeing a bird carr}^ on quite like this, although I
have seen them amuse themselves doing fancy flying in fine
weather. This was very unusual, or I feel sure I should have
noticed it before. (E.H.C.).
AUe alle (The Little Auk).
16th Nov. — An adult male in winter p)lumage was captured
in Poole Harbour by one of the Wills family, who brought it
up to me dead. No doubt the little bird was worn out
buffetting the recent gales ; it was very thin and apparently
starved, though the plumage was in good order ; the stomach
contained nothing but a little seaweed. (E.H.C.).
Colymhus stellaius (The Redthroated Diver).
I watched a Redthroated Diver in Poole Park on 14th
Februar}^, 1915, tlirough the glasses ; he had just a spot or
two of red plumage showing on his neck below his chin. I
saw him making his toilet ; he preened his feathers right down
to his belty, this last he did by rolling over in the water and
turning on to his back. After completing his belly, he
resumed his normal position and washed his back by thrusting
his head under water and giving a few strokes forward with
his feet throwing the water over his back. Then he would
raise himself up flapping his wings and almost getting into
an upright position, then launching himself into the water on
his chest again. (E.H.C.).
1st March. One seen in Swanage Bay. (W.P.C.).
Crex crex (The Corncrake).
I hardly ever hear one now. (E.S.R.).
Heard at Pulham. (J.R.).
15th August and 22nd August. — One seen on the Swanage
Golf Links about the same place every time. (W.P.C.).
186 FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC.
Fulica air a (The Coot).
By 14th March, the large winter flock in Poole Park, usually
500 strong, had shrunk to 20.
On Oct. 10th. — They had returned and were 200 strong.
(E.H.C.).
Streptopelia turlur (The Turtle Dove).
Common in the valley of Kit Brook. (E.8.R.).
Two pairs at Canford all the season. This bird is very
decidedly scarce near Poole. (E.H.C. and W.P.C.).
Perdrix perdrix (The Common Partridge).
3rd July. — A partridge with 14 tiny mites, seen in a grass
field at Canford, struck me as a very late brood.
10th July. — I saw this brood again, and it was still 14 in
number, so evidently the mother was fairly careful. (W.P.C.).
Reptilla.
Rana ternpom (The Frog). Spawn at Pulham, March 10th
(J.R.).
Toad spawn at Dorchester, February 25th. (S.E.V.F.).
In a tributary of the Bredy at Swyre I found hundreds of
toads spawning on March 15th. The males outnumbered
the females, and masses of any number up to a dozen were
rolling about in the water. There were certainly several
hundred specimens, and a ceaseless croaking could be heard,
whilst the stream was black with spawn. (R.D.G,).
Pelias hems (The Viper).
1st March.— 1 killed at Dorchester. (S.E.V.F.).
5th March.— 1 killed at Maiden Castle. (R.D.G.).
11th April— 2 killed in Bere Wood. (W.P.C. and E.H.C).
FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC.
187
o •
5
1^
o .
P
June 2 (4)
Apl. 21
Apl. 21
Oct. 10(5)
Apl. 23
May 1
May 15
May 20
(6)
May 1 (h)
Apl. 28 (h)
June' 20 (fr)
(0)
(4)
June 0
June 5
Dorchester.
J. R.
Feb. 20
Mav 20
(3)
Apl. 29
Mar. '13 (h)
(3)
(3)
May 25
Mar. 21
Mar. 10 (8)
Apl. 23
Apl. "30
M;.y 25
May 31
Mar. 13(h)
Mar. 21(h)
Mar. 28 (h)
••
Apl. 18(h)
Poole .and
District.
W. P. c.
E. H. C.
(3)
[Nov. 14 (7)]
Apl. 30
May 8
June 20
Apl. 10(10
Mar. 1 (h)
Mar. 21 (10
*June S (fr)
Oct. 11
*June 8
May 10
Mar. 4
Apl. 30
May (;
Ap. ' '3 (h)
May 5 (h)
--I g ~'
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18S FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC.
Insects (Notes by W.P.C.)
As a result of my illness I was nearly debarred from field
work during the first six months, as I was unable to stand
about or walk far.
During the latter part of February and early March I
found several empty cocoons of Dicranura bifida at Swanage,
and I am sure this insect is commoner in the county than is
supposed. The majority of the cocoons have evidently been
torn open by birds.
The early spring was dull and cold, but Tephrosia bistorta
turned up on the 21st March and Hybernia leucophaeria on
the 27th.
The 2nd April was a trifle better, and Fanolis piniperdav^^as,
found on a fir tree, whilst a solitary Vanessa io disported
itself during a sunny interval, but as a whole the month was
dull and sunless.
29th April was, however, beautiful, and I saw Cyaniris
argiolus at Bournemouth, and on the 30th Pieris rapae at
Poole.
2nd May. — On Pentridge Down I saw numbers of
Gonepteryx rhamni, Pieris brassicae, P. rapae, Vanessa io,
and Aglais urticae.
The hot first week in May produced marked progress,
bringing out Eucliloe cardamines, Cyaniris argiolus, and
Boarmia cinctaria in good numbers on the 9th.
On the 10th May Nisiondes tages, Syrictlius alveolus, and
Argynnis euphrosy7ie put in an appearance at Canford.
May on the whole was lovely weather.
On June 5th Lycaena icarus and L. adonis were out at
Badbury Rings.
On June 8th I saw Pyrameis cardui, and on June 9 Pyrameis
atalanta, and as the winds had recently been southerly and
south-westerly I concluded there had been an immigration.
The first week in June was dull but oppressively hot, and on
June 13th Callophrys ruhi was about in good numbers and
Diacrisia sannio was out, l)ut worn.
FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC. 189
19th June. — At Badbury Kings P. atalanta and P. cardui
were much in evidence, the latter being a conspicuous feature,
which confirmed my surmise of the 8th.
27th June. — I captured one H. ianira with pale borders to
the wings, and saw several others amongst the crowd that
were to be seen at Broadstone Golf Links, but had not the
wherewithal to catch them.
4th July. — At Canford very late in the afternoon I saw
Macroglossa stellatarurn fl^ang at Bramble. It \vas a very
hot day and Argynnis adippe w^as out, and the larva? of
Hemaris juciformis were about a quarter of an inch long.
On the 8th July I have a note on the marked tendenc}' of
H. .ianira to bleach this j^ear.
On the 4th August I procured a single Nudaria mundana
in the Queen's Road at Svvanage, and noted the great abun-
dance of Macroglossa stellatarum.
On the 22nd August the second broods of L. astrarche
and L. adonis were on the wing at Swanage,
On the 26th Sei^tember at 4.30 o'clock in the afternoon
Luperina cespitis was busy ova depositing on Handley Do^vn.
On Oct. 11th I saw Pyramei atalanta in Poole Park, and
this was the last time I saw any signs of le^^idoptera.
Any night work was deemed to be injudicious and likely
to cause trouble, having regard to the Defence of the Realm
Regulations. (W.P.C.).
Cyaniris Argiohis, the Holly Blue, swarmed in May.
(N.M.R.j.
Flowers.
Neoitia nidus-avis. — The Bird's nest Orchis.
Linton's Flora of Bournemouth gives two stations, one on
the chalk and the other on the Wealden Clay, whilst Mansel-
Ple3Tleirs Flora of Dorset gives quite a number of stations,
as far as T can see almost exclusively on the Cretaceous and
Oohtic Systems of Rocks. I have already noted a station
under beech trees on Creech Hill, on the Chalk, and besides
192.
lAp.O'^efi^r«->^
0^.UjtrsJ^.
COUPER, S
ERNEST
Successor to
HORACE G. COMMIN
New and Second- Hand Bookseller
LIBRARIAN
\ijJiJ. MJi^. VH^U .
^No. 4160
i ERNEST COOPER
X (Late H. G. Commin),
<^ 100 Old Christchurch Road,
^ Bournemouth, 192.
4^ IRCCCiVCb with thanks the sum of
V
i> Per D.Ut<i
Catalog.
190 FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC.
have seen at least 30 in bloom at once under beech trees in
Lord Shaftesbury's park at St. Giles, which is on the Upper
Chalk. To this I should like to add what is, I believe, an
entirely new station at Canford on a piece of land marked
Bagshot on the Geological Survey, but which is, I think,
really London Clay, as the soil and vegetation is most unlike
Bagshot, so are the insects, e.g., Noctua stigmatica.
The plant is there growing in a rich humus of spruce needles,
oakleaves, and hazel leaves, and is not excessively rare.
(W.P.C.).
Spiranthes autumnalis (Lady's Tresses). — Mr. A. E. Moule
writes recording this plant on 22nd August, 1915, at Church
Hill, Little Bredy. (This record, it will be noted, is on the
Cretaceous Beds ; the vast majority of localities given by the
late Mr. J. C. Mansel-Pleydell were on soils where carbonate
of lime predominates, and I have never seen it, though I keep
a sharp look out for it, on any soil except a soil overlying a
carbonate of lime rock or a clay admittedly belonging to one
of the series of chalk or limestone rocks). (W.P.C.).
General Notes.
Mr. E. S. Rodd, of Chardstock House, writes : —
Jan. and Feb. very wet, little frost or snow. March, dry
generally from the middle to end of month. Dry and fine in
April, N.E. winds prevailing. Very late spring, the Dawn
Choruses feeble and weak on cold mornings at 4 a.m.
May beautiful. All crops looking well during Ma}^ and
June.
A wet July and August, and much hay spoiled. Fine corn
harvest from about August 20th. Very little fine, hot weather
this summer. November, a sharp frost for a few daj^s, and a
wet December.
The year 1915 closed in very wet, stormy, mild weather
the last week.
The Rev. J. Ridley, of Pulham, writes : —
FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC. 191
Two very slight falls of snow only, and a very little
thunder.
15° of frost on November 27th.
From May 20th to June 27th. No rain, and but one ver\^
slight show-er. Average barometer for the year, 29.52.
Highest 33.2 on November 11th, the highest I have ever
registered. Lowest, Nov. 13th, 28.33.
A beautiful meteor, followed by a second, on July 5th about
8.30 just after sunset, whilst there was a thin veil of cloud.
It was of a most beautiful peacock blue, and travelled from
West to East ; it seemed to break into light at the zenith and
was visible through 30 degrees. I never saw a finer.
E.H. Curtis noted as follows on 18th April at Bere Wood.
"There were three little whirlwinds, one was about 100
yards across and carried leaves up into the air to the height
of 250 feet. They followed one another at intervals of about
half an hour and were quite moderately violent, the last being
nearly sufficient to carry away my bird tent had I not held
on to it. They travelled from S.W. to N.E."
192 FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC.
Chard.
E. S. R.
xMar. 30
Mar.
Apl.
Apl.
May 3
Apl. 20
Apl. 22
Maylo ;n)
Wey-
mouth.
N. M. R.
Apl. 1
Feb. 18
Upl. 17
May 8
May 2
Mar. 20
Mar. 20
May 8
May' 4
May 9
Mar. 4
June 14
June 14
May 2
July 23
Dor-
chester.
J. R.
Feb. 13
Apl. 26
Apl. 10
(S.E.V.F.)
May 6
Apl. 25
Mar 12
May 14
Feb'.' 27
Mar. 26
Dor-
chester.
R. D. G.
*Feb. 1
Apl. 7
Jan. 1
Feb. 15
Feb. 1
Apl. 1
* May 10
*Feb. 1
Apl. 10
*Feb. 10
Apl. 26
Jan. 1
Apl. 1
*Jan. 1
Apl. 20
May 25
Jan. 1
Jan. 1
Apl. 1
Apl. 30
*Sept.25
*Fel). 1
May 1
Mar. 4
Apl. 1
Aug.20(9)
June 10
*Aug. 1
Apl. 10
Apl. 30
Aug. 10(9)
Jan. 1 (10)
Apl. 10
Apl. 26
Mar. 1
Apl. 30
Ansty.
E. E. W.
Mar. 26
Jan. 12
Mar."31
Apl. 12
Apl." 21
Mar'.' 1
Apl."ll
May" 2
Apl. 4
May 8
Apl." "30
Jan. IS
Mar. 14
June 6
Mar! 'l2
May 12
Sept. 16
June 8
Jan. 13
May 25
July 23
Aug. 4
Berewood.
W. P. C.
E.H. C.
Api."ii
Feb. 24 (4)
Apl.'il (7)
Apl.'il
Apl.'il
1
Canford.
W.P. C.
E.H.C.
Mar.' is
Apl. 9 (6)
Apl "4
June 13 (8)
May"io (5)
June 13
Mar." 27 (5)
Miiy IS (5)
June is
July 8
Wimborne.
J. M. J. F.
Mar.' '24
Jan. IS
Mar.' '18
Apl. " 16
Apl.' 15
Apl." 7
May"" 6
May 6
Apl. "l9
Apl. 15
June 1
May ■ ' 6
June 1
May "13
Jaly 30
July 29
Edmond-
sham.
E. F. L.
Mar, IS
Feb. 20
Mar. 28 (2)
Apl. "9
Apl.'lO
Mar.' 28
Apl. 15
May '2
May '5
Apl. 17
Apl. 14
May 30
May 8
Aug. 24 (3)
June 5
May ie
July 27
Aug. 12 (12)
Previous
earliest
recorded
date for
Dorset.
. . (1)
OjOrHrHO^ CO CO ^ ^ g >0 ^ gO <M O O ^ r-; rH ^ JO CO O <M JO CO ^-g rH O ^3 O. 0^ r-< 0>
^^444^ ^ 4 44 4i44M< s^s^^ss?^. ^<^6^^4^4^^4^'^^
Name of Plant.
10th edition of the London
Catalogue.
(1) Anemone nemorosa L
Wood Anemone I
(2) Ranunculus Ficaria L
Lesser Celandine i
(3) Caltha palustris L
Marsh Marigold I
F
(4) Cardamine pratensis L
Meadow Lady's i
Smock
(5) Sisymbrium Alliaria L
Garlic Hedge- i
Mustard
(6) Viola L
reichenbachiana i
Gerard's Dog Violet
!'7) Stellaria Holostea L
Greater Stitchwort I
F
(8) Geranium L
Robertianum I
Herb Robert F
(9) ^sculus L
Hippocastanum i
Horse Chestnut F
(10) Vicia sepium L
Bush Vetch I
F
(11) Prunus spinosa L
Blackthorn l
F
(12) Rosa canira L
Dog Rose I
F
(13) Crataegus L
Oxyacantha i
Whitethorn F
(14) Hedera Helix F
Ivy I
(15) Cornus sanguinea L
Dogwood I
(16) Sambucus nigra L
The Elder l
F
(17) Dipsacus sylvestris l
AVild Teasel I
(18) Scabiosa succisa l
Devil's bit Scabious I
\
FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC.
193
^02
<^ a s
+3 ,^ " _ -Q^
op3
S . _ _ . • r-; 2 i-s cc
iomiMcoc<ii-HTj<cqcocoi-HC;i>co
(M (Nr-lt-lr-l rH rH r-l C<!
O — !
o o
5ii
c3
O) o
o S
.if
il
C P
3 iS
Is
c5 7!
C c? OJ
^ -
aj ..S
S t: Oi i-^
^ ^ a; o c
fa c
-A
o c ^ S
" 3 S-pfa
^ ct .
.2 c ' " '
S S c 2 I
'"^'''^^
2i Si = =^ !>,.
- >3 alp-
's O)
> c3 O) c
ilotes on ^ome ?Dnr$et EanD ^l)eJls.
By E. W. SWANTON.
^% jpHE following notes chiefly concern a series of
^ shells, now in the Haslemere Maseum, col-
^^^^^^ lected by myself within recent years in the
^ ^'^^ Stowers district. They may stimulate further
^^P^ investigation of the molluscan fauna of the
^^A^ county. Some verj^ rare and interesting forms
have been taken of the white lipped banded
hedge snail, Helix hortensis, which is remark-
ably abundant in that neighbourhood. They may be
classified under 6 headings. "
1. Band mutations.
The method devised by Herr von Martens for recording the
mutations is to designate the normal number of bands (5) by
numerals, the uppermost band to be reckoned as No. 1, the
lowest as No. 5, fused bands are indicated by enclosing
in brackets the numerals representing them, missing bands
by a cypher. That method is here employed in indicating
the following rare and uncommon forms taken at Stour Row.
10345, also from Marnhull ; 103 (45) rare both in Britain
and on the continent ; 0(23)45, hitherto unknown to science ;
SOME DORSET LAND SHELLS.
195
10305 ; 00345 ; 00340 ; and 00300. (It is of interest to note
that of the possible eighty-nine bands variations in this
species and its neighbour the dark-hpped hedge snail, Helix
nemoralis, all the possible mutations of the latter have been
recorded, but no less than twenty -eight of those of H.
Horteiisis had not been observed or reported in 1911. Mr.
J. W. Taylor's elaborate Monograph of the L. and F.
Moll, of the British Isles (vol. III.) should be consulted for
full particulars).
2. Variations in fonn of shell.
Var. trochoidea, spire elevated. Stour Row.
Var. depressa, shell very depressed. One specimen with
partially pigmented bands taken at Stour Row.
Var. minor, B.F. 10345 ; (12)3(45), and v. olivacea, all
from Stour Row.
3. Variations in Colour of shell.
Var. alba, sub-var. grisea, Stour Row.
Var. lutea. Shell more or less yellow. Stour Row, the
series includes some minor forms.
Var. jusca [ — haudonia). SheJl fawn-coloured, with B.F.
10345, Marnhull and Todber.
Var. olivacea. Shell deep ohve-brown. Stour Row.
Sub-var. hepatica, shell liver-colour. Stour Row, with
white and pink-lipped forms.
Sub-var. de corti, shell greenish-black. A very rare variety,
of which there are at present but two British specimens, both
taken from a roadside hedge between Todber and Marnhull.
(One is figured in Taylor's Monograph, Brit. L. and F. Moll.,
Vol. III., pi. xxviii.)
Var. incarnata. Shell bright rose colour. Stour Row, the
series includes forms with white, rose, and brown peristome
and lip ; and the sub-var. colorata, shell somewhat fawn
colour with brown lip and a j-ellow area bordering the outside
of the rib.
4. Variations in handing.
Var. fasciata. Shell with coalesced or interrupted bands.
B.F. (123)(45), (12345), (123)45, all from the neighbourhood
196
SOME DORSET LAND SHELLS.
of Marnhull ; pink-lipped forms with the preceding B.F. also
(12) 3 (45) from Stour Row.
5. Variations in Colour of Banding.
Var. fascialha. This interesting form has been recently
described by Mr. J. W. Taylor (see Monograph III., 486)
from a single example found some years ago near Bristol. It
is " characterized by the presence of a white and calcified
supra -peripheral zone, upon which the third band of the
pentataeniate formula is placed." We have three specimens
taken from a hedge at Stour Row (2 adult, one immature),
flesh-coloured shells with B.F. 00300.
Var. rufozonata, shell yellow with red brown bands. Stour
Row.
Var. arenicola, shell pale yellow with translucent unpig-
mented bands, Stour Row ; sub-var. lurida, with band partially
pigmented, also from Stour Row.
6. Variations in colour of lip and peristome.
Var. roseolabiata. Aperture pink or rose colour. Stour
Row, frequent.
Var. violaceolahiata. Shell with purple or lilac lip. We
have forms with bright lilac, others with deep purple lip,
all taken at Stour Row. It is a very beautiful variety, but
the violet tint is fugitive, and eiter a short tim.e the shells
resemble either var. roseolabiata or var. fuscolabiata, according
to the intensity of the original coiorp.tion.
Var. fuscolabris. Aperture brown, Stour Row, including
var. incarnata with violaceous peristome ( = sub-var.
sauveuri), a beautiful form which is also represented in the
Museum collection by specimens collected by Mr. C. P. Hurst
at Great Bedwyn, Wilts.
Var. nigrolabiata. Shell with black lip. A single specimen
from Stour Row. Apparently dark violet-lipped forms are
only one stage removed from this variety. It is a very
rare form ; hitherto only recorded from Ratham, near
Chichester.
Var. bimarginata. Shell with coloured outer lip, bordered
internally by a white rib. Stour Row. This is another
SOME DORSET LAND SHELLS.
197
extremely rare variety, there being only two records in
Taylor's Monograph.
Passing on to the other species in the collection, there are
two specimens of H. nemoralis, var. fascialba {rubella 00300),
taken by Mrs. Swanton in Duncliff Wood. This interesting
form has also been observed in Somerset.
A series of Helicigona arbustorum, a frequent species in
hedges about Todber and Marnhull. The following varieties
are included : — fuscescens, shell lacking the supra-peripheral
band ; alpicola, smaller than type, spire more raised ; luctuosa,
sub-var. nigrescens, shell thick, black all over. One specimen
from the neighbourhood of Marnhull. This very interesting
form, hitherto unknown in Britain, is described in my " Pocket
Guide "* (p. 45) as var. picea, which differs, however, in being
very thin. The following varieties of the ubiquitous Helix
aspersa have been found in the Stowers district : flammea, shell
with pale flame-shaped markings and blotches of dark areas,
fasciata, s.v. albofasciata, with a white band at the periphery,
s.v. puncticulata, reddish, spotted with j^ellow, and having a
narrow j^ellow peripheral band ; also specimens approaching
the var. clathrata, in which the dark ground colour is broken
up into squares and oblongs by pale transverse yellowish
lines. The collection also includes shells of H. aspersa broken
by thrushes and by field mice ; in those attacked by mice the
spire has been neatly removed, they were found in mouse
" runs " amongst long grass.
Hyalinia cellaria, Pyramidula rotundata var. scalaris,
Hygromia rufescens var. albocincta, and Helicigona lapicida,
all from Stour Provost, and the rare Vertigo minutissima
taken by Dr. H. Brooksbank at Weymouth.
* I shall be pleased to send a copy of the "Pocket Guide to the
British non-marine Mollusca " to any conchologist who may feel
inclined to apply for it. The postage, fourpence, must be prepaid
by the applicant. It contains descriptions of all the chief varieties,
of the fossil species which occur in Post Pliocene deposits other than
the Forest Bed series, and of introduced species.
Keturns of Kainfall in Dorset
XU 1915.
By the Rev. H. H. TILNEY BASSETT, R.D.
;HE prevailing meteorological conditions of 1915
were remarkably similar to those that prevailed
during 1914. The summers of both years
produced no very high temperature, and
summer conditions continued late into the
autumn of each year ; both winters were
exceptionally mild. Abnormal rainfalls were
registered in December of both years. Slow
moving storm areas constantly moving inland
from our W. and N.W. coasts, invariably associated with
secondary systems, were characteristic of both autumns
and winters ; these secondary systems were chiefly responsible
for the heavy rainfalls over the W. and S. of England.
A feature, however, to be noticed, peculiar to 1915, is the
great number of days in which an inch and more of rain was
registered in the 24 hours throughout the county.
On July the 3rd, between 2 and 3 p.m., a remarkable storm
of hail (the hail stones of which were of abnormal size).
RAINFALL IN DORSET.
199
visited parts of Somersetshire, much damage being done
to property. Weston-super-Mare and the neighbourhood
seem to have been the centre of the disturbance. It appears
to have passed over Bristol and Chfton, and finally dispersed
over Gloucestershire.
The longest spells of rainless weather were from May 20
to June 24, Aug. 18 to 30, and Nov. 14 to 28.
The average rainfall for the year calculated from the 16
stations marked with an astsrisk in the tables is 40.870
inches ; the average for 60 years 1856 to 1915 is 34.119
inches, showing 6.751 inches above the average.
The wettest day throughout the county generally occurred
on Oct. 24, the greatest fall being registered on that day
at 17 stations. 10 observers record the greatest fall on
Oct. 2?, 6 on Dec. 14, 4 on July 16, 4 on Oct. 31, and 2 on
Feb. 16.
The greatest fall in the 24 hours was registered at Chardstock
Vicarage, 2.96 inches, Oct. 23.
Days with one or more inches. The exceptional number
of days in which an inch and over of rain were registered has
already been referred to ; 4 stations record 10 such days, two
stations 9, nine stations 8, ten stations 7, six stations 6. The
lowest returns of such days record 2.
The maximum of wet days were recorded at Broadwindsor
198, Chardstock 196, Sherborne Castle 191, and Broadstone
190. The minimum 124 at Fleet House, Chickerell.
Observers' Notes.
Hamilton Lodge, Beaminster. — The average Beaminster
rainfall for a period of 42 years = 38.29 ; the fall of 1915, 6.06
above the average number of rainy days. 178 was relatively
small, due to the numerous heavy falls in single days ; notably
2.06 on December 14, 1.99 on Oct. 23, and 1.94 on Feb. 16.
The fall of 14 Dec. was the heaviest in the 24 hours here since
August 28, 1910.
200
RAINFALL IN DORSET.
Two extraordinary readings of the Bar. were obtained
during 1915—28.40 Feb. 13, and 30.71 Nov. 20.
CHEDDii^GTON CoTJRT. — Our average rainfall for 18 years
is now 38.96. Heaviest fall for one month 10.21 in December,
1914.
Wet Years 1900 42.33 on 163 days
1903 49.02 „ 191
1910 45.27 „ 196
1912 49.46 „ 213
1914 50.75 „ 194
1915 46.80 „ 174
Chickerell, Montevideo. — Jan. 22 the ground was
slightly covered with snow this morning, but it soon melted.
Snow fell on Jan. 21 and 22, Feb. 22 and 23, March 27 and 29,
and Dec. 12.
March 28, Lieut. Gordon, Royal Scots, Montevideo Camp,
Chickerell, saw a very large and bright meteor a few minutes
before 8 p.m. going from E. to W.
June 27 and Sept. 21, thunder a long way off.
Rain fell on 25 days in the year in too small a quantity to
be recorded. These days are marked with.*
Dorchester, Wollaston House.— The rainfall of
December is worthy of special mention. The total 11.30 is
the highest monthly record during the last 20 years at
Dorchester.
I might also draw attention to the fact that although the
latest calculation average of annual rainfall for Dorchester
is 35.80, the total for 1914 was 45.55, and for 1915 46.24.
GussAGB Manor. — On May 7 the rain registered, 0.73, fell in
less than 30 minutes.
Bailie House, Wimborne. — 1915, Jan. 22, Friday, snowed
fast from 8 a.m., to 9 a.m. ; first snow this winter.
RAINFALL IN DORSET.
201
13 May, the 1.03 was made up— 0.53 at 5.45 p.m. ; 0.25 at
7.30 p.m. ; 0.25 at 9 a.m.
July 6, Tuesday, fine day ; very fine , large halo round sun
at noon ; heavy rain began at 7 p.m. ; strong wind next
morning and rainfall, 0.54.
Shaftesbury. — Greatest rainfall on one da}', 1.43 inches
on 23 Oct. Greatest monthly rainfall, 6.42 in December.
Least, 0.65 in June.
East Lulworth. — Taking the 10 yeais period the rainfall
for 1915 has only twice been exceeded, 43.06 in 1914, 45'33
in 1912.
Nov. was the coldest and driest in this ten years period.
Dec. the wettest and roughest. The two years in which
Dec. rainfall approached this large total were December,
1914, 8.17 inches, and Dec, 1911, 8.32 inches.
There were few hard frosts, severest was Jan. 29 ; the
heaviest 24 hours rain was July 16, 1.60 inches ; the heaviest
in a brief time Oct. 24, 0.84 inches in four hours.
June, with 0.92 inches, the driest in ten years ; except
1908 with 0.45, which fell on two days.
WiNTERBORNE WhITCHURCH.
January. — The month as a whole was mild. The temperature
rising on the 13th to 56.5 in the shade, higher
than I have ever observed in January. There
were 15 days on which rain fell ; the heaviest
fall in the 24 hours was measured on the 6th,
0.75. The lowest temperature Avas registered
the night of the 29th, 21.0. The coldest day
was the 29th, when the thermometer did not
rise above 34.0 in the 24 hours. Snow fell
heavily during the early hours of the 22nd.
Total rainfall, 3.81.
202
RAINFALL IN DORSET.
February. — A wild stormy month, rain fell on 19 days, the
heaviest fall in 24 hours occurred on the 16th,
when 1.37 inches was mdasured. The highest
shade temperature was registered on the 3rd,
50.0, the lowest the night of the 24th, 19.0.
The coldest day was the 24th, when highest
temperature was 39.0, the warmest night was
that of the 4th, when the thermometer did not
fall below 45.0. Snow showers were frequent
on the 22nd and 23rd. Total rainfall, 6.70.
March. — Dry and cold conditions prevailed throughout
the month, the wind blew^ from N.W., N. or
N.E. on 28 days. Rain or snow fell on only
6 days, the heaviest fall in the 24 hours w^as
0.45 inches on the 22nd. Snow fell on the 8th
and 27th, but in small quantities. The highest
temperature was registered on the 24th, 57.0
in shade. The lowest, during the night of the
29th, 20.0 ; the coldest day was the 18th, w^hen
the temperature did not rise above 42.0 ; the
warmest night was that of the 4th, when the
thermometer did not fall below 45.0. Total
rainfall, 0.55.
April. — Cold conditions prevailed generally till the 26th,
from that data to the end of the month the
weather was warm. Rain fell on 13 days ; the
heaviest fall in 24 hours occurred on the 6th,
when 0.60 was measured. The highest tem-
perature w^as registered on the 28th, 72.0
in shade ; the lowest occurred during the night
of the 5th, 26.0. The coldest day was the
14th, w^hen the temperature did not rise above
49.0 ; the warmest night was that of the 3rd,
when the thermometer did not fall below 45.
Total rainfall, 1.62.
RAINFALL IN DORSET.
203
May. — There were 10 days on which rain fell, the heaviest
fall in the 24 hours occurrad on the 13th, when
1.03 was measured. The temperature reached 70
and above on 9 days in the shade ; the liighest
recorded wns 79.0 on the 26th, the lowest 30.0
during the night of the 30th. A slight thunder-
storm passed from E. to W. to the N. between
2 and 2.30 on the 7th.
The rainfall from beginning of the year to end
of May amounts to 15.39, exactly the same as
was measured in the corresponding period of
last year.
June. — The long drought which commenced on May the
20th broke up on the 23rd. Rain fell on 8 days,
heaviest fall in 24 hours occurred on the 29th,
0.53 inches ; a short thunderstorm passed from
W. to E. far to the S. between 12.15 and 12.30
a.m. on the 8th, the lightning was very vivid.
Distant thunder was heard frequently from
1.55 p.m. to the W. and N.W. on the 27th.
The thermometer reached 70 and above on
14 days, the highest registered was 79.0 on the
8th ; the lowest was recorded the night of
the 19th, Avhen the temperature sank to 31.0 —
the lowest I have ever observed at midsummer.
July. — From the 1st to the 6th the weather was warm and
summerlike, but from the 6th to the end of the
month unsettled and cold conditions prevailed.
Rain fell on 14 daj^s, the heaviest fall in 24
hours was registered on the 16th, when 1.37
inches was measured. Slight thunderstorms
occurred on the 24th, 27th, and 28th, all of
which travelled from W. to E.
Temperature reached 70 and above on only
6 days ; the highest point registered was 79.0
204
RAINFALL IN DORSET.
the 4th, the lowest during the night being
the 11th, 42.0.
August. — Rain fell on 12 days. The heaviest fall in the
24 hours occurred on the 2nd, 0.40 inches.
Shght thunderstorms passed from N.N.W. to
E.S.E. on the 13th and 15th. The temperature
rose to 70 and above in the shade on 12 days,
the highest was reached on the 26th, 77.0, the
low^est occurred during the night of the 29th,
42.0.
September. — Warm and summerlike throughout. Rain fell
on 8 days ; heaviest fall in 24 hours was 0.63
on the 24th. Thunder was heard to the S.
from 6 to 8 -p.m. on the 21st. Temperature
reached 70 and above on 11 days ; the highest
record was 77.0 registered on the 18th, the
lowest occurred during the night of the 4th,
33.0.
October. — The weather was fine and dry generally till the
20th, but from the 21st to the end of the month
no less than 5.78 inches of rain fell.
Rain fell on 13 days, the heaviest fall in
the 24 hours was measured on the 24th, 1.44
inches ; falls of an inch and over in the 24 hours
occurred on no less than three occasions during
the month. The highest temperature in the
shade was registered on the 11th, 56.0 ; the
lowest during the night of the 29th, 28.0. A
good deal of lightning was observed during the
evening of the 21st.
November. — From the 14th to the 28th the w^eather was
w^intry for the time of the year. Rain fell
on 7 days ; the heaviest fall in the 24 hours was
RAINFALL IN DORSET, 205
measured on the 11th, 1.20 inches. On 9
days the temperature failed to reach 40 in the
shade. On 20 nights the temperature fell
to the freezing point and below. The highest
temperature for the month was registered on the
11th, 55.0, the lowest during the night the 26th,
16.0, a very low temperature for November.
December was remarkable for its rainfall and its likeness
to December in last year and its number of wet
days. Rain fell on 25 days with a total rainfall
of 9.01 inches ; the heaviest fall in the 24 hours
was registered on the 14th, when 1.30 inches
was measured. The highest temperature Mas
recorded on the 9th, 54.0 in shade ; the lowest,
25.0, during the night of the 19th.
There was a heavy hurricane on the 27th,
many trees blown down, and there w^as a re-
markable hail storm about 8.45 a.m. on the
31st ; it was of long duration for a hail storm.
The ground became covered to the depth of an
inch or more with hail stones.
Captain Acland has a valuable note on December's rainfall
under Dorchester.
The max. and min. thermometers from which the
above r3Cords were taken are new corrected instruments
placed in a Stevenson Screen 4| feet above ground (one
gross).
206
RAINFALL IN J)OKSET.
Year.
r-HO00Q0O>rt rH 00 »1< to 7* rH CO OC I- O O 00 r-l C-l t~ ^ 1 O
CO Ah ^< Ah CO I'o Ol O O O O Ah O ic in O O CO O O O-l o
co-f-ti-t-t'-i' -)<-l<-*-t-t-riiO-ti -tico-r-t-f-t-l'-rco-*
Dec.
oicouorjoot: oo-ior-o-t<;;*o co-t-?:32'^c^;;;J5a)co
i^ocoT'^QOp oao-t<coooi-r^O'i -r i- ?' " oi v".-' p o
ooc-o^oo^ oobsosoocscij^oo c"joo22I^^1^2^^^
Nov.
COOOO'M'M-ti -^^-hcOOiOOLCO OO-CMt^ h-i-Ooi— ('-"^
oco^oii^io looioeoooso co-+n^T-i-i-— lOoo^io
C<lC0COCOt>JCO CO"^COC^1COCOCOCO COC^ICOCCCOCO-i^CO-'lC-l
Oct.
00 00 c-l CO CO CO — ( 00 O uo — ' 0-1 -* if: CD ir^ CO c: o
00CDiOrl<OCv| (N^COOOCOCOfNOO OOt^'OiCOiOGCrHCSC-l
lOCOOiOCOCD OCOCOOOOOOOC^ COOt^COCOi^iCCO-^O
Sept.
(MCOCOtHOOI r-li-IOOvnOOCOCCI> C-lOOO-fCOO'tl'Ml^'M
OJOi l^i-HCMO ^'*'*^T-H(>il^'* COO-fCOOiClCOCO'-OO
r— ( T— ( T— 1 CO CO C^l 04 CO C^l C'l C"l 1-H 1-H i-H r-l f-H C-l CI CI 0 J Ci 1— i CO
tc
oooc:i05.^0 T-Hio-^t^Oun-to Lir-Jincjccuicio^co
C-I C-4 C-1 O C!5 C^l CO CO 1-1 lO C^) 00 00 CO C» C-1 "O CO uO CO O CO O 00
July.
COt^COC^COC^ C^lC5C000t~rH'#O rHCOCCCO'OlCiO^COOO
t--rh-^C5CO— ( COrti^rHCOCOC-lCO-rh i-H00005-rrC-JC^10-+iO
CO CO lOtO ^lOCO'^.^iOl^^CO OCOCO^lO^ii^rJ^CO^
June.
t-c^it^c-i— (Oi csiooooiocooiin t^coiceooi-^— <cotoco
ClOC-lOI>00 t^Ot^COCOOCOCO 00 00I>t-0GOOI^l-O
O^— iT-H O— iO^O— 1— *— i — lOOOOOOOOO
May.
C^IOJOOOCOO -*COCOO>-+lCOt>-0 .^OOCOCO — — (O-fCOCO
OOC0C0-+01 -fcOt-^OOOOO— ( 0:-TI>COOI>0.*.^0
CO CO C^l Ol CO CO 0*4 CO CO CO CO CO C^l CO C 3 C^I CO C^l CO OJ C J C^l C^l
^tH0103C0O COCOOlCOiO^COOO vCt>OCC-*I>OTfolC5
ot^ioa;-*co —( CO GO CO in CO in —< cc oo ^ —- o m co oo co
ci
C-lOl— ^I>05iO O— (OSOI^OCOCO X— h050C:I>CO— (.<*c^]
oOOOOOCiO ciOt^oOOOt^Ot^ aOCt^-^— lOl— -OI>,^
oAhoo' Ah oAhoo" oAho b — b Ah A^ Ah Ah C O Ah
Feb.
— icOTj<-ti^00 — 1— (.^c-J— 1— iCOO CoOOOt — cct^oo
-f-^— lOCDCO t---t<CO— iCCrfit^C-J TtOunCi-HO'ncO— ICO
incoi>t>cDi> coi>At<mccxt>ao t-Trcoocc^^cocoinLa
Jan.
t^.d<ot>coo i>ooo--fcoc~iino ocit-moo^^— loc^iin
c-jC5incoi>oo — (Osooocooomo t^t— . coo — .*i>cooico
COCO-*COCOCO CO CO .<i< CO CO CO CO CO CO CO CO CO CO CO
Observer.
J. C. p. Wliite
Rev. A. J. Reed ..
Fiennes Trotman . .
A. Lucas
Rev. R. A. Bond . .
F. G. A. Lane
Rev. 0. Pickard-
Cambridge
Mrs. Middleton
T. W. Woodall
Hy. Gordon
F. W. Beckford
C. E. M. Pinney . .
Mary J. Brown
Rev. A. Lewis
H. Bickinshaw (for Sir
Hy. Peto, Bt.) . .
Mrs. N. M. Richardson
Waterworks Engineer
J. W. G. Bond
H. D. Strange
E. Archddall Ffooks
Captain J. E. Acland
Lieut. -Colonel Farrer
Mrs. C. E. A. George
S. H. Stephens
Station.
Abbotsbury, New Barn
♦Ashmore Rectory
♦Beaminster, Hamilton LoJge
Bere Regis, Barrow Hill
Blandford Rectory
* Bloxworth House
Bloxworth Rectory
Bradford Peverell House
*Branksome, Gas Works
*Bridport, Coneygar ..
Broadstone
Broadwindsor, Blackdown House
Broadwindsor Vicarage
Chardstock Rectory . .
Chedington Court
Corie Mullen. Pool Waterworks
Dorchester Waterworks
Dorchester Kingscote . .
•Dorchester, Wollaston House
East Stoke. Binnegar Hall ..
Fleet House
•Gillingham
RAINFALL IN DORSET.
207
eJ rtCOCO Ort-1<..*r-i-j<0 cOrH«OOlt^00C«5'*t~ O
fSH 1 TjH^^ ^ -f Tji Tt( CO CO Tt< -* CO CO •<!< •*
tij O^rr- COCSOlOCO^It^ r-l(MCO5S^'5CO00'MO0 CO
Nov.
(NIOG3 t^cOOOl^-tO 00-t<00C0O«0-t<OiO 00 I-H
OOO-ll^ COOCOOrtOlO COOOr-iLOCOCOCOCOCO CO T— 1
(>]CO(M OJCOCOCOCOCOCO OJ^OlCOiOCOOJCOCO CO CO
Oct.
OJinr^ «5^t^C:-t<,-J00 OOcOOOOlCO'tCSCl -+1 o
pr^OO L.-^ CO 00 CO rl -rl^ lO 00 r- .rt< CO I- C lO
C-COjo CDiOiCOOiJ'StDO TjtiOt^t^cOOiOt^O «0 O
COiCiO t-ieO«OCO^O>r-l T-^eO«5T*<c0 01CX)-^'H CO
g"! (MCJ-X tJ<I>I>00COt-I'# CSOl^iOOOXl^^CO r-l o
CC| (krHM T-i(Mr-lC<101C^04 ,^C>Ji-HO-l.-HT-,r-lfMCJ Ol 0<I
Aug.
i-H'NIN t^OOlC^JCOOiO ^-tOOOlt^O^C^r-l I-H
in 05 00 C3 1>) 00 Tj< rH t-- o) oi o oa -rfi yr>
July.
COUOCO 0>lM-l"«OrJ<^C^ .^-fC^'+<00C0'#^O CO 03
O^^O 0C-^COrH-<*COt^ r-lOCC«5C>C0-t<C-. L.0 lO
LO-ii<i!n co-!i<coibr5oco cococo^cocoeoco-rh
June.
'*oo-<* a!coio»^<!Mi>o irsiococOrJOoocico <c> i-h
oeoio oooi^o>C3^o 020'*o«;«Cu-:r^io co •<*
OOOOOOOrHrH T-Hl-l i-H r-(
May.
.rtil>00 CJOOOuOOlO -MiMr-tDCOineOtCC-l ^ I-H
•^Tj<tD -^O-^-^oocDr- Tf-rt<LOoooeoinif:i^ t> vcs
CO i>i (M CO CO 0-] oa 0^ iri c^i M oi c-1 C'l A-i oq
Apl.
o-^t^ oiot^oor-ico coco03vnc»^«o-+oooi c-j
«OC4(>] lOCO-^0-*t>iM OCO-^OOIOSOD— -t< O lO
Mar.
O-H^ —Olr-Or-iOOCO COOCOO.— ICO— O Ol i-O
C3C3i>] aooco!^^'^^ocoo ooooooooc. oooo o oo
bbi^H bbi^,^,^b' rt' i^Ah
Feb.
-JC5CO t^ClOuOiOrJiiO t^OOtOinOO'^'LOOOO o
00 O 'l^ to O 01 UO 00 UO -I- O T-H r-H O >— C4 C-l ®
ocolo i>tomoiot^io o-ii<>booobLc;bb o «o
Jan.
l>.^t^ Ot^COCOCOt^O rHO^COOl — O — CO-^ -H* rH
tOOO OOOOCOtOrHtO T-iOCt^«Or-lOOJrH 00 00
COCOCO CO CO ^ CO CO CO CO CO CO CO CO CO CO CO
Observer. |
Miss Ellen Good ..
G. D. Bond
Rev. Geo. Wellington
W. Nash (for Jas.
Isniav, E-^q.)
W. Ch.Keevill
Rev. J. W. Coulter . .
Rev. A. C. Moule . .
Rev. W. D. Filliter . .
C. H. Perkins
W. H. Synies
Officer in Charge of
Works . .
A. Mac.lonald
Thos. Turton
Col. Parry Okeden . .
S. T. Bennett
Mrs. Leonard Sturdy
.Tas. H. Bolam.M.I.E.E.
Rev. Jas. Cross
G .11. Batterbury, M.D.
E. R. Sykes
Rev. H. H. Tilney
Bassett
station.
Gussage St. Michael Manor . .
*Holtn
Horton Vicarage
•Iwerne Minster
Kinson . .
Langton Matravers
Little Bredy Parsonage
♦Lulworth, East, Vicarage
♦Milton Abbas Gardens
♦Portland, H.M. Naval Depot
♦Sherborne Castle
Wareham
Wareham, Trigon *. '. . .
♦Weymouth
Wimborne, Bailie House ..'
♦Wimborne, Codford House ..
Winterborne Whitchurch,
Longthorns
Winterborne Whitchurch,
Vicarage
s
208
RAINFALL IN DORSET.
Total
CO i~ — 1< o ^ " 1 C5 ""-f i~ o 1 - o 1 1
Dec.
<M (M (M (>4 (M ^4 (M (N C^J <M (M CO CO 0-) '>J (M (M (M C-l 'M -Jl CI 7 1
3rded.
>
Oi-lOI>i-lCH--C50COi-10-tuOCOOOO,-iOCli-H',0
iHi-li-l i-H rH i-l i-l 1-1 i-H rH i-l i-H t-i i-H
nore was rec(
Oct.
p<
m
O(MC000OI>I>O'?H>-*'MT-iOOtMO00r-i'MC0C5O
n. or r
Aug.
eoocOj-HC^rHOcooooco.-iooco'M'MOcioosoo
o
July.
eO(>5CDCOrt<COC<liOin(NCDOcD(MI>CO'#THl>-*OCOi-H
)n whi
June.
CS^OOC^OOt^OOOiOOOOCOOOQOOOOClT-iOO
Days (
May.
THr-(03G500C50QOI>OOOOOC100000CiOOOO
ber of
April.
•^05COT-lr-lCMOrH(Mi-ICO-^COCOO'*^COCOOOiOkf5C^
S
ll
Mar.
O0i-n>iooi>-*iooinc3i>ooooooocoi>t-c050i>-vr5
Feb.
lOi— I5OC3C0 — 00'MO^-^iOIO-t<iO-+cOOOC20^;0
C-5 (M (M ^ rH (M T-1 CM rH (M CI (M CI CI CJ C3 t-( C) rH CM CI rH
Jan.
rHClOOOrfl — vOOOCOOOrHO-*C30i-II>C30I>C5ClCD
CI CI CI T-^ rH CI rH CI r-H i-i i-r CI CJ Ca T-I C^l rH rH CJ rH T-I r-< rH
Days
lie. or
more.
C3I>Ot>vOO 1 OOTi<OI>I>I>I>COOOOOcOOOOOT4(
t fall in
ours.
Date.
^ CO -d* '*'=^'#-*COCOCO'=OcO'*^CDcO^^^
COCIrHrHolCl 1 '-HrH5,4 0<15g(M5<lrHcvjCac3rH(>JrHrMCO
+j d ^ _(J -to d -to' -to -(O -ts .D -(O -p -to" ^-lO d
oofipqoo fii-iOoooo;^oooK;ofioo
Creates
24 h
Depth.
^ClOCOr-ilflin , I>OQ0rHOI><©O00r-l<M-tlOCl'#L'5
^OiOOOCOiO OcO^C5'r)<LOC5ipO>OOOOt^Ot^cO
i^i^Cli^i^i^ (~<I^HC<lT^C<lC^C<lrHrHrHC<IC5T^CarHrH
Stations.
Abbotsbury, New Barn
*Aslimore Rectory
' Beaminster, Hamilton Lodge
Bere Regis, Barrow Hill . .
Blandford Rectory
Bloxworth House . .
Bloxworth Rectory
Bradford Peverell
BridT.ort
Broaistone
Broalwinsdor, Blackdown House
Broadwindsor Vicarage
Cliardstock Rectory
Chedington Court
Chickerell, Montevideo
Corfe Mullen
Creech Orange
Dorchester, Waterworks . .
Dorchester, Kingscote
Dorchester, Wollaston House
East Stoke, Binnegar Hall
RAINFALL IN DORSET.
209
oooooooc-iaioooioi-ooco'MOsoO'MrHO coi>
)OCOC5T)<OiOiftTt4I>T#I>^LOOOiOrMOO^ COCO
O00 00CiOO00-+00ClO'MOr-(OOI>T-H^O OOO
OC0 5^1-*COi-lO(M-*OC5COQO"*u-5COO(MCOCl tH*?!
i>i>i>oi>i>Oi-i^ooi>oc5i>ooooi>t>co OOO
O'Mt-rMc-i^OQ0 00C2rHrHClO'MC--HOt-HO t-hO
00 00'<*-^COlOlOO-*(MOCOOOCOCO-*rHMOCO COIO
OOI>t>fMOOi-HCJt>C350l>OOt>OOOOOI>«2000 OOtO
a
" 2
C5
coi>ooovo I inooooococoo-*oooi>i>i>o ooo
+S +3 d +3 +i +3 -+3 ^ d +3 +3 +3" +3" <6 +3* +3" +3* -u' -^3* ^ jjj
OOflOO ' OOh^fiOOOOfiOOOOO h^O
I G<i 1^ ^ 1^ ^ ^ c<i ,l^ ;h;_i
<D
Sa2 r
ii||iiiiillllls||pii:
By ELLEN E. WOODHOUSE.
(Being the Mansel-Pleydell Prize Essay for 1915-16.)
K
^ JpHE county of Dorset is a pleasant land. It is
^ famous for its rolling downs ; well-wooded
valleys and rich pastures ; its wide moorlands,
^cA/^ and fretted sea-coast. It has a climate that
suits all manner of people ; its hill tops being
so breezy, its combes so sheltered and sunny.
It is not to be wondered that many races have
made their homes there, mercilessly dispossessing
each other as they have coveted the goodly
land.
Its county name and many of the names of the hills, valleys,
and fortresses bear witness that the Ibers were early possess-
ors of the soil. The river names, too, retain their Celtic
origin. It is sometimes found that the name of a hill has
become changed in the course of time, but the names of
rivers remain unchanged. The name of a hill affects but
comparatively few people, spealdng generally, those only
who live near it. Any fresh name, therefore, soon becomes
circulated and known. A river belongs to all the districts
PRE-SAXON CIVILIZATION IN DORSET. 211
through which it runs ; therefore to change the river's name
would make a great deal of confusion.
In studying words and names we do well to bear in mind
that names were known by their sound long before they were
known by their spelling. All the people talked, while only
the few wrote ; and it might be a long time before there arose
any occasion to express the sound of a name in written letters.
Also, as in early times there was no fixed standard in spelling,
the letters used to convey the sound of a name depended
entirely on the writer's own ideas.
The art of bridge making was not practised in very early
times. The rivers formed natural boundaries, and to cross
them would be usually undertaken as a hostile raid. In
these cases a tree trunk thrown across the banks of the river
sufficed for most purposes where fording was not possible.
The Romans, however, when they settled in the land,
opened up the country with their straight, well-constructed
roads, and could not have felt their work completed without
bridges. There remains only one authenticated Roman
bridge in the county. It is at Preston, three miles north
of Weymouth. There must have been many others which
were ruthlessly destroyed in the troublous times which
followed the Roman evacuation of the island. At Fifehead
Neville a small, rudely-built pack-bridge stands beside the
ford, the core of which might possibly be Roman, but there
is nothing by which its age can be determined.
The Roman Emperor Hadrian built a bridge over the river
Tyne at Newcastle, A. D. 120. A few^ years ago the wear of
time and traffic made it necessary to replace Hadrian's bridge,
with a new one. Mr. Wheeler took the contract for the bridge
inserting a clause which secured his right to the oak piles of
the old bridge. He gave one of these piles to his son, Canon
Wheeler, then Rector of Haselbury Bryan, who took great
delight in fashioning it with his ow^n hands into the oak
lectern now standing in Haselbury Bryan church.
These instances apparently complete the record of Roman
bridge building in Dorset,
212
PRE-SAXON CIVILIZATION IN DORSET.
Fords.
The Roman roads crossed rivers by a Trajectus in the form
of a paved ford, the road being thus carried under, not over,
the stream ; and beside this construction there often was a
Pons for foot passengers. With the return of lawlessness,
however, these Pontes went to ruin, and were sometimes
replaced by rafts for foot passengers which retained the
earlier name in a modified form " punts."
The paved ford remained and was called a Brig (Celtic
Brigci), but was essentially an under-water structure, so that
Filey Brig, near Scarborough, a ridge of rocks dipping
gradually under the sea, fairly represents the early idea of
what a bridge should be.
A typical example of a paved ford with the foot-bridge
beside it is seen at Mappowder Water, the paving of which
has been renewed as the stones have worn away.
A few Dorset fords retain their Celtic names. — Fiddleford
recalls the time when the land was a forest (Gaelic fid, a forest).
Hanford was the old ford (British Henjordd). Bedford
was a ford, pure and simple (B. Rhyd.) Winford, the white
ford (Welsh Gwen, white) — ^while Blandford stood in front
of the ford (B. Blaen y fordd).
Boundaries and Minor Roads.
The ancient Britons had two kinds of roads or trackways.
The first, a roadway for wheeled vehicles, was formed by
throwing up a wide bank or causeway with a ditch of
considerable depth on either side. The minor roads were
much narrower, being used only for horse and foot traffic ;
and the term hollow or covered way has been given to them
because the high banks gave shelter and concealm.ent to the
wayfarer. These were formed by digging a moderately
broad and deep ditch and throwing up the soil into a bank
on one or both sides of the trackway.
PRE-SAXON CIVILIZATION IN DORSET. 213
It has been suggested that many of the earthworks may
have served a double purpose, being available as roadways,
and also as boundary lines and divisions between the property
of neighbouring tribes, just as there are borough boundaries
in these days. The Rev. W. Barnes, in speaking of these
dykes and boundary roads, says : — " Who can believe that
the Britons or Belgae could have manned scores of miles of a
low bank or shallow ditch over which men or boys might have
gone anywhere with a single stride ? " They represent evidently
divisions of districts amongst the tribes, as decided by mutual
agreement. These ancient trackways converge towards two
centres in Dorset. Badbury Rings, near Wimborne, is the
northern centre ; while Maiden Castle, near Dorchester, is the
southern. Amongst those leading to Badbury Rings is one
of great antiquity, still discernible descending the slopes of
the southern bank of the river Stour in the direction of the
British settlements on the chalk downs of Littleton and
Charlton parishes. On the opposite side of the river several
similar ways may be easily distinguished leading eastward to
Badbury Camp, from the sites of the British villages on the
downs of Tarrant Monkton, Rawston, and Keynston.
Starting presumably from Shaftesbury and leading from «
the British fort on Winklebury Hill is a grass lane sunk deeply
between hig];i banks which goes towards Cranborne. When
it reaches the hill side it enters a typical British road with an
entrenched track, vrhere travellers are completely hidden
from sight as they climb the hill. It makes a very safe
and secret way into the stronghold from the north. The
track winds up and round the hill in spiral fashion, and opens
at length upon the south slope of the down into the Ox drove
or Ridge way. It was evidently a cattle track from one
settlement to another, for it kept to the hill top as being the
only safe way to avoid surprise attacks. The lowlands, with
their tangle of forest and swamp, afforded most excellent
covert for marauding men and beasts.
A Celtic or Belgic boundary called Comb's Ditch begins
a little south of Clenston church. It ascends the brow of
214 PRE-SAXON CIVILIZATION IN DORSET.
the hill opposite What combe and, running parallel to Lalee
and Whitechurch, extends to Colwood and Anderson, beyond
which no traces of it have been observed. It is composed of
a single bank and ditch, the former being always on the
western side. In the best preserved places it is 10 feet high,
and in some parts the bank is broad enough to have formed
a road. It is not made in a straight line, but forms bends
and curves, as if with a design to avoid obstructions such as
trees and bushes.
A Roman road apparently went from Poole to Badbury
Rings. It has been traced in a private lane at Upton. The
dorsum is plain a little beyond Cogdean Elms, where two
large barrows stand to the west of it. The Romans probabl}^
made a convenient landing-place at Poole, whence they
directed their marches to and from the station at Badbury.
Tracks of the Roman road, called Ackling Ditch or Dyke, are
found in the direct line of their traditional route from Sarum
to Badbury. It is noticeable at Woodyates, where lies the
county boundary. It is very perfect for four miles running
across the downs, a parish boundary following it for three
miles. It is five yards wide across the top, and four, five, or
six feet high. Traces of side ditches remain, and in several
places they cut into the bank and ditch surrounding a barro\A'.
This is perhaps the most striking example of the embankment
of a Roman road remaining in the country. It runs for miles
in a straight line in bold and sharp relief over the open down,
and the magnitude of the work and its situation are alike
imposing. When it leaves the down it appears as a hedgerow
at the side of a lane with the parish boundary beside it. It
is traceable in Crichel Park and on Witchampton Common ;
a road has been made along the course of it, which is then
followed by a lane for two miles near to Badbury Rings.
Leaving Badbury' the ridge runs through Shapwick, crosses
the Stour a little belo^v the church, and on through Little
Coll Wood to high ground ; it can be traced through fields
in Winterbourne Kingston, as in Tolpuddle. There are remains
of the ridge on Puddletown Heath and in Kingston Park.
PRE-SAXON CIVILIZATION IN DORSET. 215
The Roman Koad to Ilchester left Dorchester through the
west gate, following a straight course to Bradford Peverel,
then crossing the Frome to Stratton and on to the high
ground north of Frampton. It was described in 1796 as a
" dorsum broad and high and paved with flints " — and it is
still plainly to be seen in the tields beyond Stratton and at
Grimston Common Field as an elevated ridge.
At a distance of half a mile from Dorchester, a straight
Roman road runs for two miles and a half to a tumulus on
Bradford Down — a parish boundarj^ follows it in its course
to Eggardun Hill — in many places it is quite conspicuous.
It was the old Exeter road, and traces are found of it
beyond Chideock, mounting Chardown Hill, passing over
Stonebnrrow Hill, through Cold Harbour, and on to
Charmouth. There it divided, one branch continuing along
the coast, the other going by Axminster to Honiton.
The plough discovered a vicinal way from Eggardun to
Abbotsbury by unearthing the paving stones. It is also
known that a vicinal waj- went from Dorchester to Monkton
at a right angle with the Icening Way. It appears to have
led to Weymouth, as there seem to be a few traces of it on
Ridge way Hill.
Beside the road from Bindon to Weymouth there runs
for several miles a ditch like Wansdike. It is found at the
west end of Moigne Down. It runs parallel with the road,
crosses it, and disappears at a short distance beyond Pokeswell.
It was probably an ancient roadway for wheel and cart
traffic. The Rev. W. Barnes thought that the old hollow
road near Came rectory was a branch of this road, and that
an ancient trackway on Whit combe farm might also be part
of it, as traces of a very old Celtic road have been found in
two places in Dorchester leading in the direction of the
Ware ham road.
A whiteway of great antiquity with formidable banks on
each side has given its name to a farm in the parish of Knoll,
in the Isle of Purbeck. It leads northward across the heath
nearly to Wareham, and in a south-west direction it crosses
216 PRE-SAXON CIVILIZATION IN DORSET.
near Steeple church and proceeds to Steeple Leaze. Another
branch diverges through Harpstone Lane to Kimmeridge.
It appears to have been at one time the principal thorough-
fare in that part of Purbeck, but some portions of it are now
wholly deserted.
A boundary line hetween Egleston to West Tyneham
appears to commence at a place called Tyneham Cap on the
summit of the South hill, and to extend in a direct course
to the top of the opposite hill northwards.
One of the oldest trackways, according to Canon Bingham,
starts from Iwerne, the Ibernio of the Romans. It joins
another from Banbury Hill near Ibberton Park, and climbs
Bell Hill, passing Bulbarrow and on through Ansty, Hart-
footlane to Chesilborne, and from thence through two of the
Piddles to Maiden Castle. It was the herepath or warpath
of Britons and Romans alike, and it is so called in Chesilborne
in the enumeration of the Saxon boundaries. The lane is
very narrow and bounded by high banks ; and Canon Bingham
says further that within his memory the waggoners who came
for hurdles blew cows' horns vigorously, so that the way
might be cleared before them. The day's march of a Roman
soldier was " twenty-four miles in eight hours, neither
more nor less," says Kipling : — a Roman mile being 1,000
paces — "Head and spear up, shield on your back, cuirass
collar open one hand's breadth — and that's how you take the
Eagles through Britain ! " The principal camps and fortresses
throughout the county are approximately that distance apart,
so this herepath must have been trodden by the Durotriges
on the war path, armed with flint weapons and terrible to
behold in the ferocity of their war paint. After them, by
Britons in woven garments brandishing their superior bronze
weapons, and subsequently by Roman warriors in their
glittering armour marching with their long slow stride —
" Rome's Race — Rome's Pace."
From Rawlesbury Rings a deep old trackway leads from
the camp by a gentle slope southwards to the valley beneath,
used evidently as a cattle drive. After passing through fields
PRE-SAXON CIVILIZATION IN DORSET. 217
it joins the London road. This is not a road at all. but merely
a bridle path, and could have no connection with London.
Possibly the name may be derived from the Celtic, Llyn or
pool {Llyn claen being the derivation of Londinium) with the
dun or hill rising above it, as those are its exact conditions.
The London road reappears rimning still southward through
three Ansty meadows, crossing the Diveh'sh brook, and
finally merges into the herepath in Hartfootlane.
A very narrow trackway leads eastwards from the top of
Ibberton Down to Houghton St abbs. It ran on the top of the
down and then led the way into the old Milton village, until it
was lost above Milton mill. Another branch runs through the
corresponding valley on the north side, through Houghton
and across the down eastward, where it is still known as a
right of way and is used as a halter path.
Plant Names.
" Excellent herbs had our fathers of old.
Excellent herbs to ease their pain."
Very few plant names can be traced to our Celtic fore-
fathers. We know they grew flax, for the Druids wore linen
garments, and it grows wild in many parts of the county.
They called it Lin — from which is derived our word linen.
Vetches, they apparently grew for fodder, because its name
comes from the Celtic gwig. Siellaria Holostea had the fatal
effect of leading the wearer astray and causing them to be
pixey-led. Digitalis purjmrea recalls the fairy folk, or at
any rate their gloves. Carrots they ate, for they called them
red (car) ; ferns the}^ noted grew in swampy places, so they
named them verne. Ranunculus repens with its creeping
roots reminded them of ravens' claws {hra^n, a raven) so
rams-claws is still its name in countrj^ places. Apples they
grew% for Avalon received its name because of its famous
apple orchards. Osier beds {givern), too, were very necessarj^
in those days of wattle and daub.
218 PRE-SAXON CIVILIZATION IN DORSET.
Woad, Isatis tinctoria, does not grow wild in Dorset. It
has given its name to Glastonbury in Somerset {Glastum from
glas, blue) because of its fields of woad ; its original name
being Glastum sativum. It is a biennial, so would quickly
die out when not cultivated.
Many of the most abundant flowers have been given the
prefix of some animal or bird. Those named after the dog
imply that it has not much value, but grows in great profusion.
The dog violet is most abundant, but scentless ; the dog
mercury grows freely, but is useless ; dog roses have many
thorns and grow high above reach.
Cowslips bloom when cows go out to grass ; cow wheat has
a seed of no food value, but cow parsley and pig parsley are
delectable fodder. Buttercups grow in good pasture land,
bull rushes are large and unapproachable in their marshy
surroundings.
The calf's snout appears on arable land ; hart's tongue
and adder's tongue ferns are found in moist places. Cat's
tails festoon the hazel bushes, and a humble mouse-ear
frequents waste places.
A flower with the prefix horse shows that it is a large
one. The large field daisy is a horse daisy. Horse radish
has a coarse leaf and root. Colt's foot and horse tails are
gross growing and troublesome weeds.
Birds, too, have their special flowers. There is a lark spur,
a crane's bill, a crow foot, and goose grass.
The cuckoo's arrival is heralded by two flowers called
cuckoo flowers (lady's smocks and wood sorrel) and by the
cuckoo pint {arum maculatum).
Snakes, too, have their flowers. The stitchwort makes a
pleasant bed for them. Snakes' weed has a twisted root,
and the snake's head fritillary has very similar mottled
markings.
All these pleasant familiar names must be of great antiquity,
for they are in general use, and modern scientific botanists
have wisely retained them, knowing that no Latin names
could replace them.
PRE-SAXON CIVILIZATION IN DORSET.
219
The oak (Celtic Tann) was worshipped b}^ the Druids ,
who maintained a perpetual fire from its wood. Once a
year all fires were extinguished, to be relighted from the
burning wood on the sacred altar. This is the origin of
the Yule log. The reviving brand was generally of oak,
but sometimes of ash, and thus it comes about that in
Dorset we still burn the Ashen or Christmas brand on
Christmas Eve.
Th3 mistletoe is also associated with the Druids, who
thought it was a remedy for man}^ diseases and an antidote
to poison. It was ceremoniously cut by a white-robed Druid
with a golden hook, the precious branches falling on a white
cloth spread beneath the tree to receive them.
The mountain ash was also beloved by the Druids, and
is found growing in the places they frequented. It was
reputed to have the power of saving people from the
power of evil spirits, and so was planted near habitations.
Its Gaelic name was caerthaun, the quicken tree or (juick
beam.
Vervain ( Verbena officinalis) was a plant of great repute,
and looked upon as a holy herb by the Druids. It had to be
gathered at the rising of the great Dog 8tar, when neither
sun nor moon was above the earth to see it, and under those
conditions was able to bestow the power of prophecy. The
Romans honoured it also, and used it when casting lots,
telling" fortunes, and foretelling future events. It could drive
away evil spirits, and would cure no less than thirty diseases.
A piece of vervain hung round the neck by a white ribbon
would avert infection. The Romans strewed their temples
with its sprays, and its flowers were laid upon their altars.
It is often found growing in England near some Roman
settlement.
The devil's bit, or scabious, must have been alwaj^s a herb
of note, because its root contained a cure for every evil that
man is heir to. The devil thought a plant of that character
would be fatal to all his schemes, so he bit off the root — and
the marks of his teeth are to be seen to this day.
220 pre-saxon civilization in dorset.
Place Names.
The name Dorset itself gives rise to much discussion. —
Dor is the Welsh Dwr for water.
Cornish Dour — Gaelic and Irish Dur and Dobhar, water ; —
set — the settlers, the seat or place inhabited. Dorn saetan
— settlers by the water, i.e., by the sea. Johnson gives another
origin, Dorn saeta, seat or settlement "among the thorns."
The inhabitants, the Durotriges, we have on the authority
of Ptolemy, A.D. 150, were given their name because they
were " dwellers by the water " — but Professor Rhys gives
the meaning of the Celtic Duro as door, gate, or porch.
Welsh Dor and Drws, a door — Irish Dorus. This word
seems to survive in the word Burn — ^which is used for the
uprights which hold the door in place.
The character of the stream.s and rivers is disclosed by
their names and the villages through which they flow. The
Piddle or Trent, which gives its name to seven villages,
describes itself as Pydeau, a draw well or mire. Trent
(Trouent) a winding river.
The river Allen or Trent comes from Aluin, fair and lovely.
Frome is either derived from the Welsh fjraw, brisk or livel}^,
or from the British Var, a stream or river. In the one form
it gives a name to Chilfrome and Erome Vauchurch — and as
the Var, we have Woodsford, a ford over the Varia. Winfrith
from the Welsh Given, ffryd is the white clear stream ; Terig
(British Terog) is the clear stream.
Stour comes from the British steir, a river.
Ladden, lade den is a stream in a vale. Charmouth from
Car, the head or mouth of a river, and Lyme — even in those
times — was a city of ships, LTion borih. Dewlish is taken
from the i)/?-?^ dark, and lish is a corruption of the Wehh glais,
a stream. Deverill is the dark stream. Durweston {Dwy
wys) is a place of deep water, while Iwerne (ywern) is a swamp.
The shore between Portland and the " Fleet " where the
bridge carries the traffic is called the Kamber, probably
from Camb, Celtic for crooked, curved, in reference to the
PRE-SAXON CIVILIZATION IN DORSET. 221
curve or bend of the shore. At Portsmouth a similar part
of the foreshore by the Hard opposite Gosport, is also called
" the Kamber " — for the same reason. The river Cam, or
crooked river, derives its name from the same source.
Portland suggests Portus (British Porth), a harbour. The
stone slingers must have been formidable foes, and excellent
guardians against hostile visitors, with their strong views on
the intrusion of Kimberhns or strangers.
The river Wey, as well as the river W3^e, is from the Welsh
Gwy, a river, and especially a slow river. It bubbles forth
at the Wishing Well at Upvvey, widens out at Broadwey,
forms the tide pool at Radipole {redeg-jjool), and finds the
sea at Weymouth. There seems no explanation as to the
meaning of the river Cerne — which points to the supposition
that it may be pre-Celtic.
Poole and Bradpole take their names from 2ml, the marsh
or pool. The Rev. W. Barnes thought that Wareham, or
Durngueis, as it was called by the Burotriges, is derived
from Dwrin — diminutive of dwr, water — meaning a little sea
or a little water.
Owermoigne is either from cfoiver, a small enclosure, or
g'over, a small spring or stream.
One of the most poetical and homelike Dorset words is
Combe. The Welshman wanted to give a pleasant place a
pleasant name, and so he called a valley a cum. Dorset
abounds in combes, and they are aptly described by their
prefixes.
Thus Encombe is the great valley, Corscombe, the bog-
valley ; Compton, a town situated in a valley ; Lyscombe
(llws), a secluded valley ; Kimmeridge {Cymmre), the place
of hills and hollows ; Nettlecombe (Nettel), a valley where
the toll was taken ; Melcombe (Moel), a conical or round
hill above a valley ; Plush (plis), a comb or dell ; Batcombe^
the pasture valley.
When we reach the uplands we find that Tout or Towte
was a watcher's hill, so Nettlecombe Tout was an observation
station of much importance where tolls were gathered.
222
PRE-SAXON CIVILIZATION IN DORSET.
Keynston comes from cefii, a ridge or rock. Badburv, had or
abaci, was a Celtic habitation or town. Chaldon, cclvandum,
a retreat or hiding place in the down. Pentridge is a wrinkled
hill, from Pen, a head, and Kridge, creased or crumpled.
Pensilwood, the wood of a height like a chimney (sel) or
smoke hole. Creech is old Welsh for a stack heap, or hill.
Shaftesbur}^, or Caer Pnlladour, meant the same in both
tongues — the staff of a spear ; which might be derived from
its appearance, as it stands like a promontory or point above the
vale, on an almost perpendicular hill. Maiden Castle {mai
dunun) was well described as the Hill of Strength.
The pleasant pastures of Purbeck, as distinct from the
heath lands, give its name, Porbeck. Tilly Whim caves,
Touten Vegn, describe themselves as holes in the rocks.
Durlstone is a perforated rock, and the Druid stones can
never be forgotten at Little Mayne imaen, a stone). Wcotton
Glanville is suggestive of the Blackmore forest {Coit, a
wood) in which it is situated. Evershot recalls the time
when wild boars roamed its woods.
Pimperne is a puzzling name. It has been suggested
as being derived from Old Welsh Pimp, five, and Werne, a
meadow, or em, a pledge. The parish in 1790 comprised
four arable common fields beside pasture, the Pimperne
Mead of thirty-five acres, some enclosures and coppices.
In Doomsday Booiv it is entered as Pimpre, the ' Pre ' being
apparently equivalent to the Latin Fraiurn, French Pre,
a meadow.
Pokeswell might be Pucksweil, or Pixies well, for the
( Jelts made a sjiecial cult of hoJywells, believing them to have
the gift of healing. It is not an unco3nmon name, because
in the parish of l^angton Matravers there is a farm called
Pucklake — a jdace near Ilminster is named Puckington —
and in our younger days we were taught when gathering
flo\^'ers to leave " some for the Nixies and some for the Pixies."
There are few Roman place nauies in the county, '.l.'hose given
have generally a Celtic addition. Dorchester was another
Koman camp by the water divr, or the river Varia, Celtic
PRE-SAXON CIVILIZATION IN DORSET. 223
" ver," Scratton recalls the Roman street through which
the paved road ran. Tt has been thought that Wiinborne
was the town called by the Romans Vindocladia, which was
their way of pronouncing the British Vind or Vmt, the
head of two rivers, and dadh, a ditch or ra mpart . Dr. Stukeley
says, however, Vint is white and Gladh is a river, hence our
word glade, the birthplace of a river. The river Tarrant
or Trent has a bilingual derivation, British — Z>16T went, white
or clear water — Roman, Torrens, a rapid stream.
There is one place which still retains its Roman name.
It is the woody height of Mount Silva in Buckland Newton.
Celtic Family Names,
These names give an indication of the occupation of their
owners or of some special personal characteristic.
The Dorset peasant is still very skilful in bestowing nick-
names, most of which are very apposite.
We find a good many sidelights thrown on the conditions
of life in early Britain .through these names. One was a
King (Wren, Welsh vrenkin), another a Knight or a Ser\ant
{Gill. Gael, Gillie). A smith was needed (Gover, from
Gohhar), also a greysmith {Lithgow, Brit.) A cobbler was
in great request (Creed, Welsh Crudd). A gardener was
necessary for growing herbs and simples {Gard, W.), and for
the flocks a sheepfold was imperative {Kail, W.) That
they were law-abiding folk is seen in there being an oath
giver {Crerar, W.)
One w^as fair of face (Cluett, W. Glyivdd), another w^as
crooked (Croom, W. Crwmm), a third was curved or bent
(Crew, W. Orw), the unfortunate Mog was a slave, and
worst of all there was a contemptible fellow (Doggrell, Gael.
Dogwra).
True men were there as in all communities, for one was
a brother Frowd (W. Fraivd), and another possessed a heart,
Creed (Gael. Cridhe) ; and, as all sorts go to make a world,
224
PRE-SAXON CIVILIZATION IN DORSET.
there were red people (Goff, B. Gough) ; a fat man, Tuffen
(W. Twljen).
Smart men of fashion wore trousers (Lodder, W. Lloda), and
a cloak (Tory, W. Taryn, — and one warrior was celebrated
for his dagger (Tuck, W. Twca).
We see, too, where they lived. Belben lived at the end
of the pass {Beal Ben, Gaelic) — Hall on the hill or slope
{Hallr, G.) — Oombes came from a vaile}^ and Lear from the
sea (Llyrd W.) — Howe overlooked a tumulus (hangr) and
Havard recalled high summer {Hajard, W.) — Fooks lived
in a damp foggy place {Fwg W.) — and Ross on a moor,
Rhos, moor or heath. — ^Dobar's house was by the water
{Dohhair, W.) — and Hiscock by the red water {Wysg, Brit.)
— while Dare lived near a sacred oak (Celtic). The Picketts
and the Pigotts were presumably ancient wood-picker men
{Pic — vest, green wood picker).
Roman Family Names.
"Clare" was the illustrious (Clarus) — " Galpin," the
beardless. Joyce was a humorist ( Jocosus) — but Keech
was blind {coecus). Payne was countrified and came from
a village [Paganus). Peaty was a disagreeable, leering fellow
{Paetus) — and Vigor was very senseless [Vecors) — Wyatt
travelled a good deal serving writs {Viator), and Arkell was
famed as either the maker or possessor of a small chest
{ar cello).
Trevett was at the cross roads {trifidus), and Foss close to
the ditch. Daubeny was a British tribesman — Tink was a
tinctor.
Some of the Romans were craftsmen evidently, and were
known by their house signs. Horlock's sign was that of a
timepiece {horologium) and Scutt's that of a shield {scutum).
Scammell had a little bench {scammellus) to show his skill in
carpentry, and Troke, the wheelwright, specialised in hoops
for wheels {trochus, a hoop). Pomery sold fruit {pomarnis),
PRE-SAXON CIVILIZATION IN DORSET. 225
and Vyney lived at the sign of the pine tree. Mussell was as
quiet and inoffensive as a little mouse {musculus) , while
Pardy v\ as as fierce as a panther {jmrdus) and Whittle was as
strong as a steer ( Vitulus).
There are apparently some contractions of the sonorous
Roman names which made them more easily pronounced by
British tongues. For example, Benedictus reappears as
Bennett. Jesty suggests a shortened form of Justinian, and
Tite of Titus ; while 8tacey seems an affectionate diminutive
of Anastasius.
Romano-British Family Names.
Antell came from the East, the sun rise ( Anatole) — Cavell
lived in a cave or chapel ( Cafell) — Chilcott the anchorite was
domiciled in a cell in a wood {Kilcoed) — Kilford in the cell
by the road — Waygood was in the wood road (Via coed).
Keevil had a chamber and Priddle a stool (predella). Cleall
was known by his voice, and Besent by his gold coin.
Dominy was born on Sunday (Dominica) — and both Dibben
and Dunn were of the dominant people. Drew was a Druid
— Perfitt was a perfidious person — while Riclout had passed
through troublous times, and ev^entually had been restored
to libert}^ — {reductus) .
Dialect Words.
Much has been written of Celtic glamour, Celtic mysticism,
and Celtic romance, so one expects to find words and ex-
pressions suggestive of poetry and imagination. A few
expressions taken fron Nature are charming. Colours are
thus described " as blue as a gregle " (wild hyacinth), " as
black as the raven's wing," "as pale as ashes " "as white
as a blossom of snow " (a snowflake), and " as white as driven
snow."
226 TRE-SAXON CIVILIZATION IN DORSET.
There are others which are descriptive rather than poetical.
To eat with a good appetite is said to " knock it in honey
sweet." Young people when they have finished growing
" have come to the cap sheaf." Great agitation causes one
to " shake like a leaf " — and when the troubles of life are
lessening " one leaves the suds of turmoil and enters the
calm of the rinsing water."
One boy when working by himself is said to be "a boy. "
Two boys in the same employment make half a boy " — but
three boys worldng together are said to be " never a boy
at all."
We find the words which have survived the many changes
have been those used more especially by the slaves or captured
people, and which show for the greater part the everyday
life of the people.
When children were born they slept in a " cradle." The
boys played " truant " and wore their clothes into " clouts."
They ate "rashers" of bacon, had famous " pasties " and
drank " metheglin " and " beer " — still called Cwrw in Welsh.
Their houses had " doors " and they used " mops " for cleaning
them, and crocks and gridirons (griedio, to scorch) for their
cooking. They made " baskets " and kept geese, and some-
times fetters (gyve) were necessary. They used a " harrow "
on their " arable " land, and their " harvest " was the reward
of their toil. They had " kilns," used " mattocks," and hewed
" ashlar "stones and made " wrix " or wattle work.
Great warriors they were with their " gavelocks " and
" claymores," also expert sailors in their " coracles." Their
hermits were called " mendwy " (Welsh), which is picturesquely
translated as " God's slave."
When a chieftain was ill, they tried to ease his pain with a
*' fleame " — but when he died they bore him to their highest
hill and built a " barrow " to mark his resting place, and laid
a bell beside him — in case he awoke and wanted help.
They understood the verb " to know " — and also the one
" to stand." They disapproved of loud speaking, intimating
that it was " croaking " like a frog or raven, or " creaking "
PRE-SAXON CIVILIZATION IN DORSET. 227
like a door or corncrake. The rain made " puddles " for
them {plod, a pool) over which they " skipped."
When they garnered their harvest they did not forget the
pixies, but left some fruit or corn for them to go " cole pexing "
— but they disrespectfully called a wet and dirty place a
" pucksey " as if they thought Puck — the merry wanderer
of the night — ^was responsible for misleading travellers into
bogs and ditches. " Old Scratch " with his black nutting
bag was their dark god whom to meet meant death, and the
death goddess Wyod is responsible for weird superstitions.
They used the word "athwart," and we use it still when we
speak of walking " athirt the grounds."
The Romans are responsible for the expression Cold Har-
bour— a name given to deserted Roman villas, where those
travellers could lodge who carried their own bedding and
provisions. The Maze was an ancient Roman game, and
it was called a " Troy Town " — a word used in Devonshire
for a tangle. We use the word when wo say we are " mazed "
or confused.
Street is another Roman word we have adopted. It is
taken from Strata or paved roads, and when a place bears
any modification of the word — such as Stratton — it is proved
to have been connected with one of the great Roman roads
which linked together the chief strategic positions in the island.
These are a few traces left to us of the Dorset of long ago.
The county is a palimpsest written over and over again,
by peoples from many lands. They have all left some mark
of their occupation, but the original characters can occasionally
be faintly read, and we can picture our forerunners in their
work and pastimes, and even catch some echoes of their
shrewd and homely talk as they sat around their cleft-wocd
fires through the winter evenings.
One bond unites us. We can claim the same heritage and
distinction, for we are alike in being " Dorset folk, born and
bred."
By the Rev. HERBERT PENTIN, M.A.
—
JjpHE water-colour views of Old Portland which are
here reproduced en bloc for the first time*
I have a little history of their own. 8oon
after John Penn, afterwards Governor of
Portland, had built Pennsylvania Castle as
his residence he commissioned J. W.
Upham, an artist of some repute who for
the latter portion of his life lived at Wey-
mouth, exhibited at the Royal Academy,
and enjoyed the patronage of the Princess
Augusta, to paint at his leisure eighteen views of Portland.
The work was spread over the years 1802-5.
During the changes in the ownership of Pennsylvania
the pictures remained in the Castle, and in the year 1887
passed into the possession of Mr. J. Merrick Head, who
* C. Hullmandel reproduced a few of them with minutiw of difference
in detail.
OLD POBTLAND.
229
for many years was an active and valued member of the
Dorset Field Club. By the kindness of Mrs. Merrick Head
the views are now reproduced in memory of her late husband
for the benefit of our members, many of whom were his
personal friends while he lived at Pennsylvania Castle ;
and the pleasant task of writing some descriptive letter-
press to accompany the plates has been entrusted to me.
A few lines will suffice for most of the pictures ; but some
of them demand a longer notice. The photographs are
the work of Mr. E. H. Seward, of Weymouth.
Quite a number of Upham's other paintings of Portland
and of Weymouth and the neighbourhood were reproduced
by Aiken, Bluck, and others. The only earlier series of
Portland views known to me are the smaller set in ink by
the Swiss artist, S. H. Grimm, dated 1790 (they are in the
British Museum), and a cruder and still smaller set (anony-
mous), dated 1785 ; but extant single views of about this
date suggest that other sets may have been issued.
It should be mentioned that the follov\ing notes have
had the advantage of being read through by two writers
on Portland — our member, Mrs. King Warrj^and Mr. Robert
Pearce — and although they do not agree with everything
here \\Titten there is not very much that they would wish
to alter.
I. General View of Weymouth and Portland.
This view of Weymouth as it was at the beginning of
the 19th centur}/^, with the Isle of Portland, and several
frigates in the Roads in attendance on George III. who
was going on an " aquatic excursion," was sketched from
a field near the old Cavalry Barracks, about a mile from
the town of Weymouth.
Portland, though now a peninsula, is always called an
island, which not improbably it once was. The local idea
quaintly expressed is worth recording : " The island has
230
OLD rORTIAND.
become less and less an island as the years have gone on."
Which, being interpreted, means that the narrow isthmus
(the Chesil Beach) now joining Portland to " the adjacent
island of Great Britain " has become more and more well-
defined with the passing of the years. The insularity of
the old-time Portlander was exemplified thoroughly by
the man nearing 80 who said that he had "never been to
England yet, and had no intention of ever going." But
the old-time Portlander will soon be extinct.
II. Eufus Castle.
This Norman castle has by ancient tradition borne the
name of " Kufus," and there is hardly sufficient reason to
challenge the tradition that it was a ro^^al castle built towards
the end of the Red King's reign* as a fortress chiefly against
invaders by sea. The Keep, which formerly stood in a field,
but is now at the cliff's edge, has become a mere shell ; it
is of unusual shape, pentagonal, and is cleverly constructed
of Portland stone. Its walls are over seven feet in thickness,
and are pierced with small circular loopholes for archers ;
hence the building is also known as Bow and Arrow Castle.
The machicolated corbels, in groups of three together, would
have been utilised for hurling down stones, melted lead,
pitch, and other missiles.
The Castle has figured only once in English history — in
the Civil War, wherein the Empress Maud attempted to
dethrone Stephen. The castle was the King's and, accord-
ing to William of Malmesbury, he fortified it ; but in 1142
it was taken by Robert, the turbulent Earl of Gloucester,
on behalf of his half-sister, the Empress. Maud was at
* It is a curious coincidence that the first baronisl owner of the
Manor of Portland should have been known as " Rufus." This was
Gilbert de Clare (1243-95), who was the 9thEaiI of Clare, end also Earl
of Hertford and of Gloucester. " Rufus " was not at all an unccn-.mcn
surname or nickname in early times.
OLD PORTLAND.
231
this time closely besieged in Oxford by Stephen ; but instead
of going to her help Earl Robert captured the castle at Port-
land, and also other places in Dorset, which the King allowed
to fall into his hands rather than abandon the siege of Oxford.
At this time the Castle may well have suffered damage,
and the lands around would almost certainly have been
plundered and wasted.
The portions of the building that remain suggest that the
Keep was originally of two stories, and perhaps there were
three, containing three small rooms, as this was a common
number, although the ancient local tradition is that the
work was never finished. Still, it is reasonable to assume
that there were the usual substantial castle-walls with their
fortified turrets, enclosing an inner bailey and an outer
bailey, and a building near or adjoining the Keep for lodging
the soldiers, and probably a small chapel. The fortified
gatehouse would have supplied accommodation for officers,
and the Keep itself, though the last retreat of the garrison
in times of war, would have contained in times of peace
apartments for the Constable, or Warden, of the Castle,
and perhaps for his wife, famity, and servants. It is true
that the Keep at Portland is very small indeed, but con-
tracted space was an unpleasant feature in Norman fortresses ;
they were not built for luxury, or even for comfort. The
principal room in a Keep, solely accommodating the com-
mandant, w^as frequently nothing more than a dark and
narrow den ; and if a lady shared the rule of the tower she
had also one apartment for all purposes ; and, as for any
children or servants, they managed by day as best they
could on the ground floor over the dungeon, and at night
spread themselves on straw.
Hutchins, however, quotes another ancient tradition
that the Castle was used as a place of refuge for the islanders,
who may have felt a certain proprietary right in it if, as has
been asserted, William II. imposed a land-tax on them in
order to complete the building. It had ceased to be a fortress
at any rate before Tudor times.
232
OLD PORTLAND.
The only known Constable, Warden, or Keeper of the Castle
was Richard de Clare, 8th Earl of Clare, and also Earl of
Gloucester and of Hertford, in Henry III.'s reign. This
Kichard had. revolted with other barons under Simon de
Montfort against the King ; but, quarrelling with de
Montfort, he became friendly with and was in attendance
on the King in 1259. It was about this time that Richard
de Clare was appointed Keeper of the Castle at Portland.*
And we may assume that he and his son came here and
were attracted by the Island, for this son, Gilbert de Clare,
called " Rufus," obtained possession of the Manor of Portland
from the monastery of Winchester by exchange. Rufus
was a great soldier, and plaj^ed a leading part in the reigns
of Henry III. and Edward I. He married firstly a niece
of the former, and secondly a daughter of the latter ; and
it was he who proclaimed Edward I. as King. The son
of Rufus, w^ho succeeded him in his three earldoms and in
his estates, including Portland Manor, was also named Gil-
bert de Clare, another great soldier : he was Idllecl at Ban-
nockburn (1314), and in turn w^as succeeded in the titles
and estates by his sister, Elizabeth de Clare, known as the
Lady of Clare, who endowed in the year 133G University
Plall, Cambridge, afterwards Clare Hall, or College, and
gave it a body of statutes in 1359. Her niece married Ed-
ward III.'s son, Lionel, Duke of Clarence, and their great-
grand-daughter by marriage into the York ducal family
became the grandmother of Edward IV., and so the Manor
of Portland once again came into royal hands.
The small Norman door-arch in the Keep seen in the
picture fell down while Penn lived at Portland, and he built
in its place a larger arch in Tudor style, perhaps suggested
by Wyatt's " Tudor " arch at the entrance of Pennsjdvania
Castle grounds. Several largo fragments of what may have
been portions of this original Norman door-arch lie within
* His epitaph is recorded : " Hie pudor Hippoliti, Paridis gena,
sensus Ulyssis, ^neoe pietas, Hectoris via jacet."
OLD PORTLAND.
233
the walls of the tower. Penn, to whom George III. handed
over Rufiis Castle, also built later a bridge well imitating
the Norman st^de of the Keep, and connecting the building
with the field sometime known as "Castle Hays" {i.e.,
the Castle hedge, fence, or boundar}'^, which field might well
have been one of the baileys of the Castle. The large imita-
tion-Norman doorway in the Keep, adjoining the said bridge,
was also made by Penn ; it is a delusive piece of work, but
is paralleled by other cleverly-constructed " Norman "
arches, built by local labour in the last century, in the West
Clilf Quarries and elsewhere. Penn made the large archway
in order that his carriage might be able to pass through
the Castle.
III. — The Ruins of Old S. Andrew's Church.
When w^as Christianity introduced into Portland 1 There
are many reasons for believing that the Island was a vigorous
I^agan stronghold, with its chief centre in the district still
known by the semi-sacred name of " Grove," and that it
yielded slowly, late, and perhaps last, locally, to the new
Faith, There were few Celtic missionaries in Dorset ; and
the Saxon Church in Wessex, strong though it was in some
respects, was harassed by freciuent Danish raids, and did not
or could not do much in the wa^y of church extension.
On the other hand, it is possible that monastic missionaries
unconnected with Wessex, a monk and his companion from
over the seas, brought Christianit}^ to this citadel of heathen-
dom ; in which case " Holy Point " may have been the site
of their landing place or first preaching. " Breston," near by,
has been suggested as a corruption of Preston (Priest's town) ;
and Monk's Plot,'' also in the neighbourhood, has been
connected with the same idea. This ingenious theory would
place the establishment of Christianity in the southern portion
of the Island ; but it has also been surmised that there was a
small Saxon church of stone which was destroj^ed by Earl
234
OLD PORTLAND.
Godwin, and that it stood on the site of the Norman church
of S. Andrew. The onl}^ evidence suggested, however, is a
portion of " 8axon " work in the north wall of the chancel of
the ruined Norman building, and this evidence by itself is
very inconclusive. Indeed, until we reach the Norman
period we do not really touch solid ground as far as the
church history of the Island is concerned.
Who built the Norman Church of S. Andrew 1 The
Manor of Portland in Henry I.'s reign and until the year 1296
belonged to the Priory at Winchester (it had belonged to the
Church of Winchester for a few years in Saxon times), and
the monks of S. Swithun may not at this time have been too
occupied to take some care for the spiritual needs of their
tenantry here. The Norman church was certainly built in
the main of Portland stone, although in Coker's Surve.y of
Dorset " (c. 1630) the stone is stated to have come from Caen,
and there are one or two Norman carved fragments still
existing which cannot be distinguished from the famous
stone of Normandy. The Conqueror, the father of Rufus,
was buried at S. Stephen's Abbey, Caen, which he had
founded ; the Norman Archbishop of Canterbury, I^anfranc,
who crowned Rufus, was formerly Abbot of Caen ; the
Norman Bishop of Sahsbury, Roger, a great church-builder,
who was Henry I.'s Chancellor, hailed from Caen. Had the
monks of Caen, indirectly, a little finger in the church at
Portland ?
What do we kno w of the Norman church ? It seems to
have been erected later than, and near to, Rufus Castle, in
order to enjoy its protection. Judging from the ruins,
the church was a long narrow edifice, low-built but distinctly
well-built in Norman style, consisting of a square-ended
chancel with an east window, and nave with a porch and door-
way on the south side, and a small narrow side-aisle also on
the south side. The chancel-arch appears to have been of a
little later date, in the Transition Norman style, and therefore
not earher than 1135. The windows would have been small
and placed high up in the walls, but these had to be rebuilt
OLD PORTLAND.
235
in later times. Portions of the original chancel, east window,
chancel arch, and south exterior wall still exist. There is
little reason to doubt that the church had a small tower,
rising between the nave and the chancel, crouned with a
stunted spire springing from a corbel table. Portions of a
corbel table, and four corbels (three with animal faces and
one with a human face) still lie among the ruins of the church.
But, for reasons well known.there was a fatality about Norman
towers ; many of them fell within a few years of their erection.
Tliis probably happened at Portland, for later on a plain
and moderately high Early English tower (detached from the
church nearly three feet) was built on the slightly raised
ground at the west and of the nave. (In 1552 the tower
contained two bells, and in post- Reformation times two more
were added, but all of them disappeared possibly during the
turbulent Cromwellian days at Portland and were never
replaced.) The tower (through the doorway of which the
people probably passed to get to the main entrance of the
church on the south side, there being no entrance on the north
side) was standing in the year 1732, as in that year several
pounds w^ere spent on its repair, and this tower doorway is
still in existence and in situ ; it now serves as an entrance to
the southern portion of " the bleakest churchyard in Wessex."
The idea that Governor Penn placed this doorway in its
present position is not only incorrect, but very unlikely ;
he had quite enough personal troubles with some of the
islanders without irritating all of them by taking liberties
with the ruins of their old parish church. Another erroneous
idea (Hut chins starts it) is that the church w\as dedicated to
S. Andn w in the year 1475 ; but in the year 1324 Nicholas de
Keirwent was presented to the " parochial church of S.
Andrew," and there is no reason why the church should not
have been dedicated at its foundation to the fisherman-
Apostle. The dedication was a popular one in Norman
times, and earlier. At any rate, Portland is not included
in the list of un-dedicated Dorset churches at the close of the
13th century.
230
OLD PORTLAND.
From the Inquisilio Nunarum {c. .1 340) we learn that the
parish " was burnt and destroyed by enemies of England "
{i.e., the French). Probabty, the church was included in
the devastation of the year 1339. Mr. Merrick H ead, after
making a careful and sympathetic excavation of a portion
of the existing ruins, suggested that practically a new church
wSiS built about this time on almost the exact old site, though
all available portions of the Norman building were incor-
porated. His plan on page 122 of the Dorset Field Club's
Proceedings, Vol. XIX., is vr^ry helpful. The rebuilt church
(it is y)lain that the whole of the north wall and a portion
of the south wall and the whole of the west end of the nave
were rebuilt) and also the churchyard wall on the north
side were of the rudest description and of very indifferent
workmanship. Stone fragments of various dates lying
about suggest that the church had to undergo a reparation
in almost each of the successive centuries, until the year
1753, when the walls and roof had fallen into such a ruinousty
decayed state that the parishioners decided not to repair
it further, but to collect funds to build a new church. They
realised that to repair substantially the old church would
cost half as much as to build a new one ; that its site, almost
overhanging the very steep cliff, was a source of danger ;
and that its size was not sutficiently large to receive half the
inhabitants ouing to the increased population. In the
year 1755 services in the church ceased. Unfortunately,
the architect and builder of the new church of S. George
was permitted by his contract to cart away any part of the
old church for building the new. The small narrow " side-
aisle " at the middle of the south side of the old church has
not altogether unreasonably been thought to have been a
large buttress to support the main building ; but there
are signs in the foundations to suggest that this south aisle
probably contained at some time a very small chapel with
an exterior doorway and a still smaller chajjcl or sacristy.
There was no chancel doorway in the Norman church ; but
one was added on the south side in later times. The Norman
OLD PORTLAND.
237
arch with a 17th century inscription from Psalm cxxii., j)laced
in modern da3^s over the existing ruins of this chancel door-
^v&Y, certainly belonged to the Norman doorway, the prin-
cipal entrance, on the south side of the nave. Additional
windows in the chancel were added in later times ; and
there was a stone cross on the east-end gable. The floor
of the church was composed of thick brick-coloured tiles
with an " old gold " glaze (no i-'attern discernible) and
similarly glazed bricks ; the roof was tiled, but thick
slates seem also to have been used. There were frescoes
in the church, and the glass of the windows was of a curious
transparent mother-of-pearl tint which must have looked
very beautiful in the sunlight. The seating of the church
in its latter days ^^•as eftected by a gallery and by move-
able high-backed " settles " in the nave ; they \; ere in a
very decayed condition. The lectern Bible dated 1634,
and Prayer Book dated 1706, belonging to the church are
in the Dorset County Museum. The latter book was presented
to the church in 170S by Queen Anne, and contains her
autograph ,
Mx. Merrick Head, in his earlier article on Portland,
in Vol. Xll. of the Dorset Field Club's Proceedings, gave
a list of the tombstone inscriptions from 1670 onwards
in the old churchyard ; and in Vol. XIX. (p. 126) a photo-
graph is reproduced of one of the several existing grave-slabs
nearly contemporaneous with the later portions of the
Norman church of S. Andrevv\ They seem, however, to
be of too early date to have had any connection with
the " Chapel " in Wakeham Street (see injra) as has been
suggested, and they are not necessarily memorials of
ecclesiastics.
It ma}/ be of interest to record that " Under-bill " funeral
processions to the churchyard did not come through Easton
and Wakeham, as would have been expected, but up the
Verne Hill and along the East ClifT to the church-path gate.
Traces of this entrance can still be seen in the wall near
the modern " Bow and Arrow Cottages."
238
OLD rORTLAND.
IV. — The pre- Reformation Chapel.
TLe ecclesiastical building in Wakeham Street shown in
this picture ap[jears to have been begun in the 13th ceiltury
and finished in the 14th century ; but as far as can be traced
there are no records of or direct references to it before the
loth century.
Leland, who came to Portland some time between the
years 1534-43, may unconsciously be referring to it Avhen
he wrote " Sum say that in tj^mes past ther was a nother
paroch chirch in the isle, but I there lernid no certente of
it." He saw "the jjersonage " {i.e., the Parsonage), and
describes it as " the best building in the isle."
Grose, in his Antiquities (1773-87), writes of the same
building : "It is pretended to have been the Parsonage
House, and although the living is a Rectory is vulgarly
called the Vicarage House . . . Erom the form of
what remains of this edifice it is more probable that it
was an oratory or small chapel." In his list of " Antiquities
in this County worthy notice " he includes " Vicar's Chapel
at Portland."
The latest editors of Hutchins casually but without any
authority or detail refer to the building as a " rehgious house,"
and other later writers have also seized hold of the suggestion
that it might have been some kind of monastic establish-
ment. But there is a more likely solution, and the Clare
family may be connected with it. It is w^ell known that
in the ]3th century buildings called oratories, chantries, or
chapels sprang up not annexed to the parish church, for the
use of private persons, their households, and guests, served
by a resident perpetual chaplain, with the consent of the
incumbent of the parish. These separate yet dependent
chapels, in time, however, were almost bound to and indeed
frequently did impinge on parochial rights, and were the
cause of many ecclesiastical disputes. Some of these chapels
received such substantial benefactions in the way of endow -
ment as to be constituted parish churches ; many others,
OLD PORTLAND.
239
from one cause or another, became too impoverished to
continue to support the parochial chaplain, and they sank
into disuse. It may be worth noting that at Portland in
the year 139G John Bernard, " chaplain," was instituted
as rector ; so was William Whithing, or Whitlyng,
" chaplain ," in 1414 ; and Robert Alston, " chaplain," in
1473. The " chaplains " of these ecclesiolce were some-
times in addition called "perpetual vicars." Ihey ^^■ere
quite distinct, at first at an_y rate, from the " chantrj^ priests"
of later times attached to parochial churches, and the 3^
were not infrequently promoted to full parochial cures, in
some cases holding their "chaplaincies" as well, OAving to
a dearth of clergy at the time.
Soon after (or possibly even before) Henry VIII. cut the
Pope adrift, the "chapel" at Portland was converted into
and was called the " Parsonage." It v.as also popularly
known as "the Vicar's House," or Vicarage. It was never
known as the " Rectory," though the rectors of old S.
^Andrew's Church* or the resident curate lived in it. There
is a record (1784) that during the Civil War it was " demol-
ished and burnt down by the usurper Oliver Cromwell, and
hant been rebuilded ever since." In 1626 there were two
tithe-barns belonging to the " Parsonage," but in 1784
only one, of which all trace has now disappeared. It is
thought that the rectors, or resident curate (the rectors of
Portland had a penchant for non-residence), after the
" Parsonage " w^as destroyed as a habitation, lived at what
is now the last house at the bottom of Wakeham Street
(numbered 219), which has the initials of Bartholomew
Mitchell thereon and date (" 1G40. B. M.")— a Carolean
house immortalised in Thomas Hardy's The Well- Beloved as
Avice's cottage, but, alas ! falling into dilapidation.
* The most distinguished rector was the well-known Royalist
Humphrey Henchman, D.D., who after the Restoration became Bishop
of Salisbury, and of London.
240
OLD PORTLAND.
The " chapel " as shown in Upham's picture (1802) has
now become the mere fragment of a niin. It has under-
gone sad ill-usage ; it is said that Itirge portions of it were
carted away to help in various ljuildings, including the
Union Workhouse at Weymouth. All that remains of
this valuable relic of Old Portland is a part of the south wall,
24 feet long and 15 feet high, containing the lower portion
of a window of two lights (partly blocked up) and small
fragments of another to the east of it ; and a portion of the
adjoining south-west wall, 11 feet long and 15 feet high,
containing the low^r portion of a small window, also roughly
blocked up. There is a buttress at the south-west angle of
these remaining portions of the two ancient walls, and a
few fragments of carved stone lying about on the ground
or built into the modern adjoining walls.
A tithe -barn seems to have been built at a later date ad-
joining the "chapel," which was used in the year 1848 as
the Church Sunday School for girls and infants while the
boys went to the Jacobean School in Straits.
v.— The Tudor Castle {''Portland Castle'').
There is nothing fresh to write about "the bulwark at
Portland" built by H enry VIII., since the valuable article
on Portland Castle, by Mr. Henry Symonds, F.S.A., was
published in Vol. XXXV. of the Dorset Field Club's Pro-
ceedings.
Dimly in the distance across the w^ater can be seen the
old Ferry House, known as the Passage House, or more
colloquially "the old King Bill." There were bitter con-
troversies on the Island when the present Ferrj^ Bridge
and Bail way Bridge were built.
VI . — S lone-quarrying .
The earliest quarrying on the Island on a large scale (in
the 17th century) was done under and along the East Cliff
OLD PORTLAND.
241
in the Grove district. The wealth of stone was revealed
by extensive landslips.
It is often implied in guide-books that Portland stone
was well-nigh unknown until Inigo Jones used it in the
reign of James I. But it was used locally from the earliest
period of history. Evidence has been discovered on the
Island that it was occasionally quarried for sepulchral pur-
poses in Celtic times. In the Norman period Rufus Castle
was built entirely of Portland stone, and the Norman church
in the main was likewise built of the local oolite and slats.
The early sepulchral slabs in the old churchyard and the
"Chapel" at Wakeham are also of stone from the Island.
The Fabric Polls of the Cathedral of Exeter show that at
the beginning of the 14th century Portland stone was export-
ed in considerable quantities as far as Exeter ; and there
is an ancient tradition that there was a " Black Friars'
Pier " on the east side of the Island, in the Grove district.*
A large amount of Portland stone was purchased for the
Royal Palace and Chajjel at Westminster and for the Tower
of London ; and stone from the Island forms the outer
walls of Wyke Regis Church, Portland Castle, and Sandsfoot
Castle, We3^mouth. The quarrying, however, in these earlier
days until the 17th century seems to have been fitful and
sometimes stationary.
A list of the important religious and secular buildings in
London and elsewhere which were built of Portland stone
in the 17th century and onwards would take far too much
space. The most illustrious of them all, S. Paul's Cathedral,
was quarried from the East Cliff Quarries, known as "the
King's Quarry," and the bulk of the stone "sailed" from
the " South Pier " (probably " King's Pier ") in the Grove
district. At one time there were six piers, in use or disused,
along the east side of Portland, beginning at the picturesque
* The Black Friars of Melcombe Regis contribated to the increase
of the port (of Melcombe Regis) by building a jetty there against the
ebb and flow of the tide.
242
OLD PORTLAND.
cove, " the gem of the Island," Church Ope {i.e., the Opening
below the Church) and along the East Weares ; the remains
of most of them can still be seen. The stone carefully select-
ed and approved by Sir Christopher Wren for S. Paul's
Cathedral was marked with an incised wine-glass, which
was naturally known locally as " Wren's wine-glass." The
marks remained on a few stones not required for 8. Paul's,
and at a later date they were cut out and inserted in the
walls of various Masonic lodges in l£ngland, Wren having
been a very prominent Mason.
Upham's picture is supposed to show quarrying on the
West Cliff to the south of the land known as " Priory " (a
name obviously suggestive of hasty theories anent Win-
chester's early connection with Portland) ; * although the
outstanding rock reminds one of " the Giant's Leg " on the
East Cliff near the Verne. On the Ordnance map this great
rock is called " Nicodemus Knob : " but Portlanders locate
" Nicodemus " further west on the weare belovv, not far
from the remains of a stone circle destroyed in a cliff fall.
VII. — The old fnethf^d of drawing the stone down the hill.
The portion of Portland sbovvn in the picture is known
as Meissner's Knapp t showing " Maliams " (or, more
* There would be as much reason, probably more, to connect
"Priory" in some way with the land in the Grove anciently known as
" Black Fryers " (near the site of S. Peter's Church), or even with other
land in the Grove nearer the Verne and anciently known as " Hospital,"
Not that any documentary evidence has come to light of there ever
having been a Dominican Priory (a house of Black Friars) or a Lazar-
hospital (presided over by a Prior) at Portland. But the many eccles-
iastical problems of Old Portland are very far from a solution.
There was a piece of land on the East Cliff also known as "Priory."
•j- Dr. Meissner was the first doctor to live at Portland. Before his
time the islanders, when they could not be cured by the medicinal herbs
which grow in such profusion hero and which were possibly planted of
set purpose, sent to Weymouth for a qualified medical man.
OLD PORTLAND.
243
anciently, " Malhams " or " Molams ") and a part of Chesil-
ton. One of the crude, prehistoric-looking carts, which
Seaton describes, is seen drawing the stone down the hill.
These carts carried astonishing weights, yet they consisted
of nothing more than a pair of very strong sohd low wooden
wheels about a 3^ard in diameter and a very thick axle-tree,
upon ^vhich was fixed a stout planking or platform that ter-
minated in shafts for the horses, of ^hich oftentimes as
many as 18 were attached to a load. The wheels and plat-
form were low, so that the stone could be more easily loaded.
Sometimes, as in the picture, horses dragging behind formed
the brake ; sometimes a large stone fastened by a strong
chain to the load was dragged along the naked road for this
purpose. But the old methods are now superseded by
traction engines and the Island railwaj^
VIIT. — The Jacobean House (" Girt House'').
Owing to Portland stone- quarrying becoming a flourishing
industry many houses were naturally built in various parts
of the Island in the time of the Stuarts, in the Jacobean
style of architecture, many of which unfortunately are now
in a ruinous condition, although some have been converted
into modern dwellings.
Who built the " Girt {i.e., great) House," as it was called
locally, and for whom it was built, is not known. It is
supposed that it was used by the Governors of the Island to
transact official business on " Top -hill ; " it was usually
inhabited by a caretaker. It is known that John Penn
bought it and occupied it (in the picture he is seen mount-
ing his horse) while Pennsylvania Castle was being built for
him, and that he afterwards gave it to a Portland man named
Stone in exchange for a cottage which stood on the site of
the Castle. But Stone's descendants were unable to keep
up the " Girt House " in Wake ham Street, and converted
it into an inn, which gradually fell into dilapidation, Old
244
OLD PORTLAND.
Portlanders remember playing as boys among its ruinous
portions ; but the western part of the house, which alone
stood, was incorporated in two or three cottages.
All the distinctive portions that now remain of the " Girt
House " are : — An upper window of three lights (one blocked
up) and a lower window of three lights converted into a
doorway, facing south ; a small rectangular upper window
blocked up, facing west, and another (also blocked up) facing
south ; a large open kitchen fireplace and chimney, now di-
vided by a party wall ; an upper and a lower window of three
lights, each partly blocked up (a modern window is inserted
in the remainder), and a small rectangular window entirely
blocked up, facing north. These portions of the Girt
House " form the back rooms of two c ottages numbered
20 and 18, Wake ham Street. There is also a faint outline
of Jacobean windows of three lights to be seen on the ex-
terior walls facing east, of the front of the cottages numbered
20, 18, and 16, Wakeham Street.
IX. — The old Light-houses at the Bill.
The only beacon at the Bill in olden days was a large
coal fire. The upper lighthouse in the picture was built
in 1716 ; the lower in 1789, replacing an earlier one. Both
these light ho usas gave way in 1869 to others more effective,
which in turn have yielded to one lighthouse only, near
the obelisk erected in 1844 at the point of the Bill.
X. — Easton,
We here get the back view of Easton Street, showing
Reforne Street leading to S. George's Church. Modern
shops have nearly entirely replaced the Jacobean and other
substantial houses with their quaint square and angular
roofed porches. The old Pool in Easton Square, near where
OLD PORTLAND.
245
the house ' Nethercoombe " now stands, was filled in about
45 years ago ; it was both large and deep — deep enough
for a boy to bathe in and be drowned.
IS. George's Church was built, it is said, of stone from the
large quarries in the Grove district ; and stone from old
S. Andrew's Church was also incorporated. When con-
secrated in 1766 it had a fourth gallery (over the chancel)
with a flight of steps outside leading thereto. The music
in the church was supplied by an organ, clarionet, and violon-
cello ; there were also paid "singing-men." The " Easter
Vestry " meeting was held at Christmastide — on S. Stephen's
Day — and the custom still obtains.
While S. George's Church was being built (1756-66)
the parishioners worshipped in a large temporary structure
known as "the Tabernacle." There are reasons for sup-
posing that it stood somewhere near the back of the present
Mermaid Inn at Wake ham. Holy Communion was
celebrated occasionally in the Tabernacle, and the altar-
table from the ruins of S. Andrew's Church was brought
up each time for this purpose and then returned to the old
church. Unfortunately, the ancient Communion plate (the
chalice was of silver) and some pewter disappeared about
this time.
XI.— T.^e Clerk's House.
The Jacobean house at the top of Reforne* Street was
known for a time as " the Clerk's House " because William
Butts, the Parish Clerk of S. George's, lived in it. He had
his initials and the date 1765 incised on the house, and they
can still be seen. It is the house in the picture with the
angular roofed porch, and is now the George Inn, where,
in Georgian days, like other coast inns, more was probably
* Reforne, a curious word, is often spelt " Ralphton " in old Dorset
maps. " Rayforme " was a local variant.
246
OLD PORTLAND.
made by smuggling than by legitimate trade. The Cburt
Leet of the Royal Manor of Portland, a relic of " time out
of mind" and certainly not later than Saxon days, is now
held here on Lady Day and Michaelmas Day, or a day near
thereto.
XII. — The Verne and Fortune's Well.
This view shows the Celtic stronghold kno^vn as " the
Verne " before it was converted into the largest modern
fortress of Dorset — "the Gibraltar of Wessex." The top
end of Fortune's Well is seen at the base of this great hill,
with the back view of the house of Mr. Robert Carr Bracken-
bury, of Raithby Hall, Lincolnshire (who established
Methodism in Portland), and the old Wesleyan Chapel which
he built in 1792 at his sole expense. Mr. Brackenbury's
house is the highest house in the picture ; it is now converted
into two houses numbered 27 and 27a, Fortune's Well.
The other large house, with the bow-window upstairs, on
the opposite side of the street, is the Portland Arms Inn.
George III. often lunched here. Portland lamb, " Royal
pudding,"* wheatears, and other local dainties formed
the menu.
XIII. — Fortune's Well fro7n the Verne Yeates.
The old Wesleyan Chapel in Fortune's Well seen in the
picture has been replaced by another near the same site.
It was mentioned that Mr. Brackenbury "established"
* " Sept. 26th, 1798. A numerous company of Nobility sat down to
dinner yesterday at the Portland Arms ; the entertainment was served
up with great taste, and the usual number of small plumb (sic) puddings
which are always made on this occasion formed a Ipart of the Koyal
fare."
OLD PORTLAND.
247
Methodism in Portland ; but there was a small Society of
twenty members here in 1720,* and Charles Wesby preached
on the Island, indoors and out-of-doors, on several after-
noons and evenings in Juna, 1746. There is a small Georgian
house still standing in which he preached ; it bears the
inscription " John Stevens, 1734," and has been converted
into two cottages numbered 15 and 17, Straits, opposite
the Jacobean Free School (now a Reading Room). The
text of one of Wesley's sermons after Sunday evening service
was "Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by ? " Another,
at Southwell, was taken from the Nunc Dimiitis. One
of his hymns is headed, " Written before preaching at
Portland : " —
Come, O Thou all-victorious Lord !
Thy power to us make known ;
Strike with the hammer of Thy Word,
And break these hearts of stone.
The early Portland Methodists did not sever their con-
nection with the crumbling old S. Andrew's Church, the
parish church of their forefathers, and some of them took a
prominent part in the building of the " new church " of
S. George. Charles Wesley's visit to Portland seems to
have given a real and much-needed stimulus to the whole
of the religious life of the Island.
XIV. — A pastoral scene at Southwell.
This view was taken near the site of the modern church
of S. Andrew, generally known as the " Avalanche Church,"
Some of the famous Portland small sheep, which were bred
in thousands and now in hundreds on the Island, will be
*See Methodism in Portland, by Robert Pearce (3, Easton Square,
Portland). This book, price 2s. 6d., also contains three chapters on
the early liistory of the Church ot England in Portland, with some old
and interesting illustrations. It deserves to be known more widely.
248
OLD PORTLAND.
noticed. t The suparation of fields by walls of small thin
local stones known as "slats," instead of by hedges, is a
true Poj-tland feature. The inn at Southwell, replacing
an older ona with the same curious sign, is known os " The
Eight Kings," at first sight suggestive of the eight Henries
of England. But the Portland theory is that it refers to
the eight Saxon "kings" who rowed King Edgar's barge
on the Dee at Chester on the occasion of one of his annua^.
progresses through the land. The Curator of the Dorset
County Museum thinks that the sign may have a military
origin. The old 8th Regiment, now the Liverpool Regi-
ment, used to be called for short the 8th Kings.
Looking at Upham's view it is hard to realise that the
total population of Portland at the last census was over
17,000 ; when he was painting his pictures, a little more
than a century earlier, the whole population of the Island
was about 1,600.
XV. — Pennsylvania Castle.
The erection of this castellated mansion was suggested
to John Penn by George III. It is said that the King pointed
out the picturesque possibilities of the site and offered him
a grant of some of the land thereabouts, and that Penn
regarded the royal suggestion as a command. But there
was a political motive, too. These were the days of the
Napoleonic wars, and Penn's special mission at Pennsylvania
Castle was to watch the English Channel and receive infor-
mation from sea-captains and others who acted as secret-
service agents as to the movements of the French ships.
The architect of the mansion was James Wyatt, and the
building was completed about the year 1800, when it was
•)• One wonders if the ancient " Rams' Gate " in the Grove was
directly connected with this, if it would be too far a cry to connect it
with Pagan sacrifices in the chief Pagan centre of the Island.
OLD PORTLAND.
249
formally opened by the King's daughter, Princess Elizabeth.
Many family portraits, manuscripts, books, and other relics
of the famous Quaker, William Ponn, the founder of Penn-
sylvania, U.S.A., were brought from Stoke Park, Bucks,
to the new Castle named after the American State, where
they remained until recently. The tower, containing the
circular dining room and the circular boudoir (now a bed-
room) over it, commanding magnificent and wide sea views,
is one of the most attractive features of the house. John
Penn planted a large number of trees in the grounds, which
give the building surrounded by them a peculiar charm.
He introduced the red deer into the Island, and was intensely
proud of watching them browse in his miniature park.
It must not, however, be thought that Penn was free
from difficulties in building the castle. There were several
freehold cottages within the area he had marked out for
his grounds, and these he had some trouble in obtaining ;
but eventually he was successful. Stone's cottage on the
proposed site of the mansion was obtained only by giving
the " Girt House " in exchange — a costly sacrifice. An-
other cottage within the imitation-Tudor entrance gate-
way he converted into a castellated Lodge (" Ivy Cottage "),
and lit it with a number of very narrow lancet windows ;
here his Swedish friend, Baron Gustavus Nolcken, lived and
died. Penn also castellated a Jacobean cottage, and con-
verted it into a billiard room (it is some distance from the
house, and, like " Ivy Cottage," has fallen into disrepair).
Other cottages he obtained and utilised for his outdoor
servants ; others were turned into stables. He also had
to divert the old road to Southwell and make a new one,
which most of the Portlanders for years refused to recognise.
The parishioners' right of way through his grounds to their
ruined Parish Church of S. Andrew and Churchyard,
of which they made diligent use, was also a source of con-
stant irritation to him and of profitless litigation. The
islanders also considered that they had a right to go into
Rufus Castle, and they went there " as free as air." In
250
OLD PORTLAND.
the cliff below Pennsylvania Castle, Penn built a large oval-
shaped bath ; his valet had to fetch the sea-water from the
Cove below. But the bath had been built in " Parish land,"
and at the Court Leet he was amerced half-a-crown a year
by the islanders as an encroachment rent. Penn objected
to pay it and gave up using the bath ; it still exists, but
is in a decayed state. As time v^ent on, however, by friend-
liness instead of by the force of might, he gained the good-
will of the people.
John Penn was the grandson of the famous Quaker and the
great-grandson of i\dmiral Sir William Penn, w^ho, curiously
enough, had fought the Dutch otf Portland in 1653, and
was sometime Member of Parliament for Weymouth. His
mother, to whom he was devotedly attached, was Lady
Juliana Fermor, one of the beautiful daughters of the first
Earl of Pomfret, who was frequently with Queen Charlotte
at Weymouth ; and John Penn's first acquaintance with
Portland and his resolve to settle here were probably brought
about while on a visit to his mother at Weymouth. But
he himself never married : he had had an unfortunate at-
tachment in early j^outh from which he did not recover,
although he organised a Society which had for its object
an improvement in the domestic life of married people.
Man}^ royal and notable personages, including George III.,
Queen Charlotte, and their children, visited Pennsylvania
Castle at the beginning of the 19th century ; and Penn, who
was an intellectual man (some of his poems, plays, and
pamphlets were published), was also in a small way a patron
of art and literature ; at Cambridge he had obtained the
degrees of M.A. and LL.D. In his later years, when his
health began to fail and he was less mentally alert and a
prey to nervous fears and strange fancies, he still had many
visitors at the Castle ; but these consisted mostly of doubtful
people who derived or expected to derive from him some
pecuniary benefit. He lived about two years after leaving
Portland, and died of acute senile decay at the age of 74
at his Buckinghamshire home, Stoke Park, in the year 1834.
OLD PORTLAND.
251
For long the superstitious believed that the uneasy shade
of John Penn visited Pennsylvania Castle, or might be seen
wandering noiselessly in the glades, or scanning the Channel
M aters with keen and eager gaze, his spare, alert figure clothed
as in life with the knee breeches, shirt frills, and silver buckles
of his time. The belief has not altogether died out even
to-day, and it is said not without a reason.
In the grounds there is an old and curious, perhaps unique
sundial, the dial itself being incised on an inverted anchor.
There is a bust of John Penn in the Weymouth Guildhall.
XVI. — The Snaring of the " Snalter.''
The shy, livel3^ clannish birds, wheatears, are known
at Portland by no other name than " Snalters," or "Snort-
ers." They are expected to come to the Island each year
on " the first foggy day in March ; " in July the place used
to be full of them, and they are still plentiful in that month ;
early in September they depart.
Until about 50 years ago the snaring of these birds was
a definite trade for boys in the summer months. " Snalter
traps " abounded in various parts of the Island ; roosts of
"slats" were constructed in conical shape with open runs,
and the trap itself Avas formed of a noose of horse -hair fixed
to a thin piece of wood. There were two or four entrances
for the birds, -.vlio are naturally fond of running into holes
for concealment, especially when the sun is clouded, and
the traps were known accordingly as " two -holders " or
"four-holders." The Portland expression of mild contempt,
as applied to a small house, " only a two-holder " derives
from this. In years gone by between three and four hun-
dred of these birds have been trapped in one day. On the
Island they sold for threepence a dozen ; but when sent to
the mainland Weymouth tradesmen charged a penny apiece
for them. The}^ were regarded as a dainty and delicious
article of food. King George III. was very fond of them ;
252
OLD PORTLAND.
and, cooked in the most approved method, they were pro-
vided for him during his visits to John Penn at the " Girt
House" ; and Pennsylvania Castle. The picture shows
Penn and a party of friends buying " snalters " from boys
whose snares are seen set in the wide open street at Weston.
At the present day there is not much of interest at Weston
except the ivy-clad ruins of the Jacobean house used as the
old " Poor House " for the islanders, which superseded the
earher Poor House at Chesilton, and in turn gave way to
a modern one at Fortune's Well.
XVII. — The Common and Chesilton.
Penn, followed at a distance by his groom, is seen riding
down over "the Common," and is met by children offering
him articles for sale.
Chesilton, owing to its fishing industry, at one time wrested
from Wakeham, the ancient " capital " of the Island, the
distinction of being the townlet with the largest population.
It contains several Jacobean and Georgian houses, most
of them falling into decay.
The question is sometimes asked by visitors to Portland
" Why are so many of the oldest houses on the Island al-
lowed to go into dilapidation ? " The law of gavel-kind
which prevails here may be a partial explanation. That
which becomes the care of many becomes the care of none.
It may also explain why some of the fields in Portland are
so small as to be known locally as " lawns."
X.Vlll.— The Royal Portland Legion.
Among the Auxiliary and Voluntary Dorset Regiments
and Corps recorded in the Ai'my List of 1803 is the " Port-
land Island Legion," raised and commanded by Captain
John Penn, and in which he took the greatest pride and
11
■A
OLD PORTLAND.
253
interest. In that year there was not a single vacancy in
the " Legion " for any officers. There were three subalterns —
it is known that two of them, Lowman and Gibbs, were
Portlanders ; there was also a paymaster and a surgeon,
and the company was at its full strength of a little over 100
men, including non-commissioned officers. Presumabl}^
about the year 1806, some of these Volunteer Battalions,
owing to less demand and necessity for their services, or
from financial reasons, were disbanded in favour of a new
force termed the "Local Mlitia."* The Local Militia,
as distinct from the Dorset (Regular) Militia, was to be
utilised for home -service in the count 3^ only.
The picture shows George III., accompanied by Penn,
inspecting the " Legion " in Park Field. Portland was
"a place of assembly" for Volunteers, and signal posts
were erected by the Government at North Point ("Verne
Signal ") and the Bill. The islanders colloquially termed
the corps " Coast Fencibles."
Mrs. Merrick Head has given recently to the Portland
Urban District Council a small field-cannon which for-
merly stood in Pennsylvania Castle grounds, and bears
an inscription stating that it was " presented to his Excel-
lence^ John Penn, M.P., Governor of Portland, and Com-
mandant of the RojT'al Portland Legion." It has been
placed in the Victoria (wardens. Fortune's Well, where the
towering and majestic Verne Citadel looks down with grim
smiles on the little three-pounder.
♦See Notes on the History of the Dorset Volunteer Force, by Colonel
Sir William Watts, K.C.B., in the Dorset Field Cliib's Proceedings,
Vol. XXXII.
INDEX TO VOL. XXXVII.
By H. POUNCY.
Accountg, Treasurer's, xlii.
Secretary's, xliii.
Aeland, Captain John E. (Hon.
Treasurer and Vice-President),
xxxi., xxxiii., xxxvi., xxxviii.,
40, 133.
Anniversary Address of President, 1.
Aubrey, John, 28.
AustraUan Trees and Shrubs, xxxv.,
94.
Barnes, Rev. Wm., B.D., xxxiii., 133.
Barnes, Rev. W. Miles, 121, 124,
Barrows, Dorset, 40.
Bartelot, Rev. R. G., 35, 88.
Bassett, Rev. H. H. Tihiey, 198.
Baxter, Lucy, 133.
Bingham pedigree, xlv.
Birds, First Appearances of, 142.
Bond, Nigel, xli.
Brasses of Dorset, Ancient Memorial,
124.
Bridport Harbour, xxxiii.
British Association, xxvi., xxix., xli.,
Burial Custom, xliv.
Burton Bradstock, Inferior oolite
vertebrates, 48.
Cecil, Lord Eustace (Past President
and Vice-President), xxxii.
Cecil Medal and Prize, xli.
Cerne Abbas (silk industry), 69 et seq.
Chandler, S. Whitty, 66.
Clavell, John, of Church Knowie,
127.
Clift, J. G. W., 127.
Club Notes, xliv.-vi.
Colour Standards, xxviii.
Congress of Archaeological Sociefics,
xxviii.
Cunnington, Edward, 40.
Curtis, Parkinson W., xxix., 137.
Dewlish Elephant Trench, 9.
Domestic Economics in the 18th
Century, 85.
Dorset Barrows, 40.
,, County Museum, xxxviii., 78,
„ Folk-lore, 56.
„ Land Shells, 194.
„ Militia, 77.
Edge Tools in Early Britain, xxxiii.,
133.
Elwes, Captain G. R. (Vice-Presi-
dent), XXX., xxxvii.
Ettrick, Anthony, 26 seq.
First Appearances of Birds, Insects,
&c., and first flowering of
plants 137.
Fletcher,, Canon J. M. J., xxxi.,
xxxviii., 26.
Flowers, First Appearances of, 189.
Folk-loie Reminiscences, 56.
Fry, E. A., xli.
Fry, G. S., xxxv.
Haslemere Museum, 194.
Inferior Oolite Vertebrates of Bath-
Burton Bradstock district,
48.
Insects, First appearances of, 188.
Land-shells, Dorset, 194.
Linton, the Rev. E. F., xxxv.,
" Man in the Wall, The," 26.
Mansel-Pleydell, the late J. C. (first
President), 134.
Canon J. C. M. (Vice-
President), xxxiii.
March, the late Dr. H. CoUey, 116.
Martin, Nicholas, of Athelhampton,
127.
Mayo, Canon C. H., 85.
Merrick Head, Mrs. and the late Mr.
J., xxxviii., 228, 229,
253.
Mohun, Margaret, Maximilian, and
Francis, Brasses of, 125.
Morris, Sir Daniel, xxvi., xxxv., 94.
Numismatic Sectional Committee,
xxxviii.
Penn, John, 228. 250.
Penn, William, 249.
Pennsylvania Castle, 248.
Pontin, Rev. Herbert (Vice-Presi-
dent and Honorary Secre-
tary), xxix., xxxvii., 228.
Phenologicni Report, 137.
Pickard-Cambridge, Rev. O. (Vice-
Presidonl),
xxxvi.
Pouting, C. E., xxix.
255
Pope, Alfred (Vice-President), xxx.,
XXXV. i., xli.
Pouncy, H. (Assistant Secretary),
xl.
Portland, Old, 228.
Pre-Saxon Civilization in Dorset,
210.
Prideaux, W. de C, xxix , xxxvi..
124.
Proceedings of the Clnb, xxvi.
President's Address —
Obituary, 1.
Zoology, 4.
Botany and Agriculture,
7.
Geology, 9.
Astronomy, 11.
Meteorology, 13.
Electricity, 15.
Chemistry, 16.
Engineering, 17.
Geography, 19.
ArchfBology and An-
thropology, 20.
General, 22.
Rainfall Returns, 1915. 198.
Rawlence, E. A., xxx., xxxi., 56.
Reptilia, First appearances of, 186.
Richardson, L., xxxi., 48.
Richardson, N. M. (President), xxx.,
xxxii., XXXV., xxxvii.
1, 116, 121.
Sherborne, Silk Industry, 66.
School, xxxii.
17th Centiiry Token, xlvi.
Silk Industry in Wessex, xxxvi., 66.
Summer Time Act, 139.
Swanton, E. W., 194.
Symonds, Henry (Hon. Editor),
xxxiii., xxxvi., xxxviii., 66.
Wildman, W. B., xxxii.
Willmott, William, 67.
Wimborne Minster —
Churchwardens' Accounts.
35.
" Man in the Wall," 26.
Woodhouse, Rev. A. C, xl.
Woodhouse, Miss Ellen E., xl., 210.
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