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THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
Ordinary Meeting, Saturday, November 24th, 1888.
The Ninety-fifth Ordinary Meeting of the Club took place at the Public Hall,
Loughton, at seven o'clock, Mr. E. A. Fitch, President, in the chair.
The following were elected members of the Club : —Messrs. J. Dixon; W. T.
Goold ; J. Lowry ; Carleton Rea, M.A., B.C.L. ; R. South, F.E.S.; J. S.
Stacy; G. H. Verrall, F.E.S. ; J. H. Walker; and Miss E. M. Lovell.
In accordance with the rules, Mr. Walter Crouch was nominated Auditor of
the Treasurer's accounts, on behalf of the Council, and Mr. C. Ridley on behalf
of the members.
The Librarian read out a long list of books added to the Library since the last
ordinary meeting, by gift, purchase, or exchange, and especially called attention
to the first volume of the "Report of Excavations at Cranbourne Chase," by
General Pitt-Rivers, F.R.S., one of the honorary members of the Club, which
sumptuous work had been presented by the author.
The President said that he was sure the members would feel grateful to
Mr. Wire for the activity shown in his office, as evidenced by the additions
made to their store of books.
Mr. W. White, in presenting some early volumes of Mr. Symons' "British
Rainfall" to the Library, said he was pleased to read in them that of the two
earliest rainfall observers, Mr. Townley and Dr. Derham, one was an inhabitant
of Essex. In 1698 Dr. Derham had found the rainfall at Upminster to be
20 inches, which, if corrected for the height of his gauge above ground, came out
as 23 inches, and was within an inch of the results of modern observations; thus,
to use Mr. Symons' words, "the records of the 17th and 19th centuries were in
perfect accordance," showing the accuracy of observation possessed by our
Essex worthy nearly two hundred years ago.
On the agenda-paper of the meeting, Mr. W. Cole had proposed to call the
attention of the Club to the great injury that would be done to Epping Forest
if the piece of land (now up for sale) lying off the Theydon Road, known as
"Oak Hill Enclosure," were built upon. In the "Journal of Proceedings" for
1882 (vol. 3, p. xi.) Mr. Cole had before pointed out the great importance of
this piece of land to the well-being and quietude of the woodlands surrounding
it. Mr. Cole, however, informed the meeting that for some reasons which had
come to his knowledge since the issuing of the agenda notices, he thought it well
not to bring the matter forward publicly at that moment. Many people
interested in the welfare of the Forest were fully alive to the importance of the
matter, which would certainly not be overlooked when the time for action came.
Mr. W. Cole exhibited a Paleolithic implement which he had picked out
of some gravel from the "St. Swithin's Farm" gravel pits at Barking Side,
Essex, when visiting the locality in company with Mr, Walter Crouch. The
deposit was river-gravel, of the Roding Valley, and for permission to examine
it carefully he was indebted to the kindness of the owner, Mr. Llewellyn Hatton,
but no further finds had been made. The implement had been thus described
by Mr. Worthington Smith:—"Palaeolithic implement of flint from Barking
Side; pointed, sub-triangular, with straight sides, and heavy butt; sub-ochreous,
slightly abraded and lustrous ; somewhat large patch of original sub-ochreous crust
at extreme base; length 41/2 inches, width 3 inches, weight 12 oz." Mr. Smith
wrote that his nearest locality to Barking Side was at Wanstead, where he had
found numerous Palaeolithic implements; also at Leytonstone, Leyton, etc., and