Past Newsletters

Page 1

The 13th Annual General Meeting

This took place on 7th May at Central Library. Vice-President Daisy Hill presided with charm and friendliness and 72 members attended.

This was the largest attendance at an AGM since the society was founded. Its size underlines an important point from Mr Brian Jarman’s annual report — that HADAS membership rose to 234 in 1973-4, an increase of 60 on the previous year and a record for the Society.

The retiring treasurer, Mr Richard Deacon, also had a healthy situation to report. The Society’s credit balance is up by more than £120 on that of 1972-3 — a comforting thought at the moment when costs are leap-frogging and HADAS commitments increasing. Mr Deacon particularly thanked his fund-raising committee, which had organised a highly successful Christmas party followed by an even more financially successful Minimart.

The highlights of the year, as Mr Sammes mentioned in his Research Committee Report, were the Church Terrace excavation and the Archaeology in the Borough Exhibition; both he and Mr Jarman mentioned also the continuing work done by members on many other projects which form the solid background of the Society’s research and endeavour.

After business was over, members enjoyed coffee (thanks to good the staff-work by Elizabeth Holiday and Dorothy Newbury and co-operation from the Library) and three short talks, with excellent slides, given by Daphne Lorimer (on Skara Brae), Ted Sammes (on his recent visit to Turkey) and Eric Wookey (on some splendid Doric temples in Sicily and Greece).

The Officers and Committee elected for 1974-5 are:

Chairman – Mr. Brian Jarman

Vice-Chairman – Mr. Edward Sammes

Hon. Secretary – Mrs. Brigid Grafton Green

Hon. Treasurer – Mr. Jeremy Clynes

Committee: Mrs. Christine Arnott Mrs. Dorothy Newbury

Mr. Michael Bird Mrs. Nell Penny

Mr. G. M. T. Corlet Miss Ann Trewick

Mr. John Enderby Miss Joanna Wade

Mr. Eric Grant Mrs. Freda Wilkinson

Miss Elizabeth Holliday Mr. E. E. Wookey

Mrs. Daphne Lorimer
June Outing

On Saturday, June 15th, Ted Sammes will be taking our members to Bath for the second summer outing.

A full day is planned, with visits to the Abbey, the Pump Room, the Roman Baths, the Museum of Costume and the Assembly Rooms, where we will have tea.

If you would like to come, please use the enclosed application form as soon as possible. (Anyone who has already booked verbally is asked to confirm their booking, with remittance.)

The May outing was heavily overbooked, and our Programme Secretary, Dorothy Newbury, had to open a reserve list. She therefore reminds members that only the first 51 members to apply for Bath can be accommodated. Any member who wishes to bring a husband/wife/friend who is not a member may do so; but any non-members, unaccompanied by a member, will be able to book only after all members have been fitted in.

Page 2

And, looking ahead, don’t forget these dates for the future:

Saturday 13th July – Danebury hill-fort and Rockbourne Roman villa

Saturday 14th Sept – Compton Wyngates and Wormleighton Deserted Medieval village.

Unusual Pillar Boxes

Notes from Paul Carter.

In the January 1973 newsletter (No. 23) William Morris commented on an unusual pillar box in Golders Green Road, NW11, near the junction with the Ridings. Although the early type your “Anonymous” which he described is uncommon, there is a later type, with a lower posting slot, introduced between 1883-87, which is seen more often.

Recently I have noted examples of it in Sunningfields Road, NW4, by the Nursery Walk junction; in Station Road, Finchley, N3, and in Elmfield Road, N2, opposite the Red Lion pub.

Another interesting — and rare — pillar box is the Edward VIII box in Elliott Road, NW4, near the junction with Hendon Way.

The Industrial Archaeology Group of HADAS (Alec Jeakins) would like to hear from members of examples of unusual pillar boxes and also of other types of historic street furniture, e.g. street lamps, seats with interesting iron work, such as the arms of the various Boroughs which now form Barnet, and so on.

Has HADAS found Hendon Man?

As members who study the local press will know, the final stages of the Church Terrace dig had been enlivened — though perhaps that is hardly the right word in the circumstances — by the discovery of an ancient human burial, the first ever found by HADAS.

It is on the extreme north west of the site, beside the clerk’s cottage and is a formal burial, probably male, but with no trace of a coffin. Judging by the grey and black grit-tempered pottery found in the level from which the grave was dug, burial may have taken place in the 13th or 14th centuries.

The bones are in a highly fragile condition, and the grave is cut into heavy yellow clay. Removing the dark fill of the grave, and clearing around the sides of the skeleton, has been a delicate job. The soil has been loosened with a small knife, and then brushed gently away using water and a 1 1/2 inch paint brush.

There were other problems. When the grave was first found, it tended to fill quickly with water. This meant bailing out every time before digging started, and sponges were in constant use while digging went on. Fortunately an inquiry to the Metropolitan Water Board led to the discovery of a faulty valve on a nearby water main, and the flood ceased.

Not least of the difficulties was that the skull went into the baulk and almost under the road. As a result the two members working on the skeleton have had to lie on their stomachs on planks strategically placed above the grave. The whole ticklish operation provided passers-by in the roadway with an unexpected angle on archaeologists at work.

As the Newsletter goes to press a second burial has begun to be uncovered some 4 yards from the first. At the moment only the long bones of the legs and the bones of the feet are visible. A dark outline in the clay between the two known burials suggests that a third may be awaiting discovery.

Why these burials should lie outside the churchyard of Hendon St. Mary’s is still a mystery. In medieval times the Church consisted of the present Lady Chapel, and the churchyard is likely to have been smaller in area than it is today, so there is no doubt that these graves were outside consecrated ground.

Page 3

As announced in the last Newsletter, the Church Terrace dig ends officially on 31st May, although through the kind co-operation of the Borough Architect’s Department it may be possible to finish one or two outstanding jobs after that date.

Several years ago the Society obtained agreement in principle from the Borough to the investigation of other sites in the Church End development area. We have now applied for ratification of that permission and have asked to dig at two other sites. One fronts on Church Road, between Sunny Gardens Road and Fuller Street (the buildings here have already been demolished); the other is on the corner of Church End and Church Road, opposite the almshouses. On both sites it is intended first to take out a trial trench. Whether we continue with the sites or abandon them will depend on the evidence the trial trenches produce.

So at this moment we can’t make any formal announcement about what digging will be played take place after May 31st; but members are asked to ring Dorothy Newbury or Brigid Grafton Green who will both be able to provide information.

Subscription Reminder

The Treasurer reminds all members who have not paid their subscriptions for the current year that these fell due on 1 April 1974.

A remittance slip is enclosed with this Newsletter, with which you can also order copies of the Society’s Occasional Paper No. 2, The Blue Plaques of Barnet.

Our Treasurer would be happy too to receive any trading stamps (green or pink) which members may care to donate. These are most useful for buying equipment for the dig.

May outing to Lewes

Reported by George Ingram.

Highspot of the HADAS visit to Lewes on May 18th was a conducted tour of the ruins of the priory of St. Pancras. In this great monastery, founded in 1077 by William de Warenne, was the first Cluinaic house in Britain. It was one of Cluny’s “elder daughters”, with subsequently six daughter houses of its own. William de Warenne, a companion of the Conqueror, married Gundrada, said to have been William I’s daughter (although this is disputed by some authorities).

In its heyday the monastery must have formed a vast complex — its ruins are still extensive. Gundrada was buried before the high altar of the Priory Church, said to have been even larger than Chichester Cathedral; unfortunately, when The Lewis to Brighton railway was cut in 1845, the line went through the whole East End of the church, destroying, among other things, Gundrada’s resting place.

Our guide to the Priory ruins had briefed us in advance on what we were to see. He had given us a short talk on the Priory, with slides, in the morning, as well as showing us over the Town Hall and Barbican Hall Museum, which houses many of the Sussex Archaeological Society’s finds. There we were favoured with a preview of the new Roman room, not yet open to the public.

After visiting the Priory in the afternoon the party split into two groups. One walked over the Downs to see the excavation of a Bronze Age barrow; the other took in Lewes Castle and the Ann of Cleves Museum.

After tea at the 15th century Bull House — where Tom Paine (1739-1808) the English-born radical writer and politician once lived — we started for home. On the coach a warm vote of thanks was given to Rosalind Elliston and Pip Saunders for organising the successful outing; and one of our younger members, Marion Newbury, ran a raffle to help with the expenses of the trip. “Ran” is the operative word, as she distributed to prizes in a series of sprints up and down the gangway of the coach!

Page 4

Local History in North London

The last six months have produced a spate of booklets on different aspects of North London history. Camden, Brent, Barnet and Enfield have all leapt into print.

The Enfield Archaeological Society has produced 32 pages, with 2 plates and a map, on “Prehistoric and Roman Enfield”, at £0.50. The Camden History Society has published “More Streets of Hampstead” (price £1), a well produced companion to its earlier “The Streets of Hampstead” (1972, at £0.75). These booklets, covering the history of street names, famous buildings and equally famous owners are beautifully produced, with many photographs maps and plans.

In Brent the Wembley History Society offer a booklet of photographs to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 1924 British Empire Exhibition at Wembley (price £0.75) and also a special edition of their roneod Journal describing the different stands and palaces which composed the exhibition.

Our own Libraries Department has reprinted George Wilmot’s “The Railway in Finchley” (first published 1962) with a new final chapter bringing the story up to the minute (price £1). This has early railway plans and photos and is packed with facts and figures.

We must give a special accolade, however, to the latest booklet by HADAS member Clive Smith — “Golders Green As It Was”. This is the third of Mr Smith’s booklets, the first two having dealt with Hendon and Mill Hill. Like the others, it is a words-and-pictures (but mostly pictures) account from the turn of the century to the mid 1920s.

Every page has its fascination, but perhaps the most dramatic are pages 8 and 9. They start by showing Golders Green crossroads in 1904 — a muddy country road (Finchley Road) crossed by a country lane (North End Road) in the middle of flat fields. A cottage with a single chimney stands roughly where Golders Green Station yard now is. On the skyline can be seen the faint outline of a building with a square tower — the Crematorium, built two years before.

On the next page is the same scene only 20 years later — houses stretching almost as far as the eye can see, the railway line and station, a bus yard, a War Memorial, banks, cars, bustle. The speed and ruthlessness of urban development, once transport becomes available, is encapsulated in these two pictures.

Mr Smith’s book costs £0.65, but as before he kindly offers it to HADAS members at £0.50. Order from librarian, George Ingram, sending £0.50 plus 6p postage.

Church Farm House Museum Exhibition

(Open till 23 June)

“Old Local Photographs” are the subject of this, too. The exhibition covers the period 1865-1920, and no one interested in local history should miss it.

Many photographs are of buildings now vanished without trace; others show people and events. In this category are 8 unidentified groups. The Library would be delighted if any HADAS member can offer a clue as to the occasion or the identity of the individuals in the photos. Any suggestions, please, to our Hon. Secretary.

Correction

In the article on Laurel Farm in the last Newsletter, the central sentence in the third paragraph should read “This type of churn was still in production in 1930” — not 1830, has printed.

Newsletter

Page 1

Members may like to know that the chair at the Annual General Meeting on 7th May will be taken by our Vice-President, Miss Daisy Hill. A full evening’s programme will begin at 8.15p.m. at the Central Library, The Burroughs, NW4.

With this Newsletter will be sent full details of our first SUMMER OUTING — to Lewes, Sussex, on 18th May. This will include a visit to current of excavations at the Bronze Age site. Mr Lewis, of Lewes Archaeological Society has kindly offered to conduct has on a tour of the town, and for the rest of our stay. Members can be sure of many varied activities being available, the choice being yours as to whether you choose the active or more sedentary options! Please apply as soon as possible to Dorothy Newbury, using the tare-off slip supplied.

From 6 April – 12 May there will be an exhibition of Historical Musical Instruments at the Church Farm House Museum. Opening times from 10.00a.m.-12.30p.m. (Except Tuesdays — 10.00 a.m.-1.00p.m. and Sundays 2.30 p.m. to 6.00p.m.).

The Hon. Secretary can supply further particulars to anyone interested in the 9th Archaeological Excavation Training School that will be held by the University of Keele (Department of Adult Education), from 3rd-17th August.

Church Terrace Dig

The Borough of Barnet has responded to the Society’s request for an extension of time on the Church End site by allowing excavations to continue until 31st May. By then we shall have worked on the site for a full year. The Development contractors are moving in before the end of April, but the Borough Architects Department has kindly arranged for their huts to occupy the East side of the area only, so that HADAS can dig undisturbed on the West Side. This seems an appropriate moment to record publicly the Society’s appreciation of the helpful co-operation which has been received from the Borough Department throughout the Church End dig, and to thank the Town Clerk, the Borough Estates Department, for the consideration with which they have met our requests for additional time. DIGGING still takes place on Saturdays and Sundays (10.00a.m.-5.30p.m.) And Wednesdays (10.30a.m.-5.00p.m.). Volunteers will be very welcome during these last few weeks of the dig — please come if and when you can.

New Members

One by-product of Archaeology in the Borough Exhibition has been a sharp increase in membership. We reckon that of those who have joined us in the last seven or eight weeks, over 20 probably did so as a result of seeing the exhibition. This, therefore, seems a good moment to offer a warm welcome to all new members who have joined the Society since last November and to say how much we hope that they will enjoy their membership. They include: Joanna Aldred, Finchley; Mrs. J. Ansell, Hampstead; Nicolo Arca di Pano, Cricklewood; Peter Barrow, Grahame Park; Rosalind Batchelor, N. Finchley; Ingebor Berger, Golders Green; Jane Butler, Barnet; Peter Cornell, Grahame Park; Miriam Daus, Cockfosters; Miss Delano Smith, Finchley; David Fairman, Grahame Park; Alec Gouldsmith, Hadley; Gareth Griffith, Mill Hill; P. Gwillym, Grahame Park; Margaret Harman, Muswell Hill; Robert Hopcraft, Muswell Hill; Lesley Jacobs, Hendon; Richard Jansen, Hendon; Sheila Kellaway, Hendon; Mr. And Mrs. Lampert, Golders Green; Martin Lewy, Colindale; B. J. MacArthy, Finchley; Helen McNeil, Hendon; Mark Mazower, Golders Green; Stanley Morgan, Totteridge; Alex Munden, Edgware; Miss J. B. Nash, Barnet; Miss A. H. Ningo, Garden Suburb; Pip Sanders, Highgate; C. J. Schuler, Hendon; Ruby Scott, Mill Hill; Mrs. P. Selby, Highgate; Miss K. M. Slack, Garden Suburb; Ruth Smith, Highgate; G. F. Thompson, Colindale; Jill Thompson, Hendon; P. Tracey-White, Finchley; Joanna Wade, Hampstead; Jeffrey Wagland, Hendon; Jutta Wingrove, Muswell Hill; Clare Wilding, Garden Suburb.

Page 2

Conference of London Archaeologists

Contributed by Ann Trewick.

The 11th Annual Conference of London Archaeologists was held at the Guildhall on 30th March. Opening the conference, Harvey Sheldon made a plea for new members on behalf of the London and Middlesex Archaeological Society. The introduction of Brian Hobley, now appointed as Chief Urban Archaeologist to the Guildhall Museum, followed. Mr Hobley is well known in the Midlands, particularly for his work on the Lunt. He explained the new organisation which he leads within the Museum, and told of the setting up of the City of London Archaeological Trust, whereby private donations can be made to help Archaeology within the City.

Next Tim Tatton-Brown spoke of excavations at the Customs House site. Later Nick Farrant and gave a talk on the Milk Street excavations. Perhaps the most relevant lecture for HADAS members was that given by Stephen Castle on recent excavations at Brockley Hill. He has discovered several new kilns, bringing the total number to 14. He has been excavating on the East side of the A5, in the old café area. Especially interesting was the finding of two kilns of the potter Doinus, who was working between 70 and 110 A.D. His mortaria have been found all over Britain, including Scotland. Other named potters were Doccas, Lallans, Sollus and Bruccius. Samian ware was found, many wasters, and a coin dated to the 3rd year of Vespasian, 71 AD.

After a very good tea, John Wymer spoke of a survey of all mesolithic sites in Britain. In England and Wales there are 1,500 sites. Several references were given for various collections and information about the Mesolithic in the London area.

The last speaker was Brian Davison from the D.O.E. He is responsible for varied excavations and reported on those at two Royal palaces, Hampton Court and the Palace of Westminster. At Hampton Court they were looking for the remains of the Great Hall of Wolsey’s Palace. The present Great Hall was constructed by Henry VIII. At Westminster, excavations revealed the Great Conduit in the Palace yard. The one depicted in various manuscripts and found was mid-15th century. In 1444 there is a record of its rebuilding. In the excavation large masses of Purbeck marble were found with carvings of a late twelfth century design. This has proved to be an earlier version of the Great Conduit, and it is hoped to have it copied and reconstructed on the site in palace yard.

At the conference HADAS had a small exhibition about the Church End dig. It was put together by Ted Sammes and manned by Alec Jeakins. Our thanks should go to them.

Fulham Pottery Visit

Contributed by Eric Grant.

15 members of the Society visited the Fulham Pottery on Sunday 7th April when an open weekend was held there. This was the last opportunity to see the pottery as the buildings, mainly 19th century, are soon to be demolished to allow redevelopment of the site for new showrooms and warehousing for the Fulham Pottery Company.

The pottery was founded in 1672 by John Dwight, the first person in England to make salt-glazed stoneware commercially. Examples of mugs, bottles, and other containers from this early period, as well as later ones, were on display, most of them dug up on the site during the excavations conducted by the Fulham and Hammersmith Historical Society since 1971. One of the most significant discoveries was that certain globular mugs, hitherto assumed to be of German manufacture, were, in fact, made at a Fulham. Many of the wares on display were decorated with tavern signs, names and figures, as well as the better-known Bellarmine bottles.

Mr. Gale Canvin, the Director of the Rescue Excavations, showed us round the surviving buildings, including a bottle kiln, built in the 1840s, which is not to be demolished since it is a Grade II listed building. We were richly rewarded by the excellent displays and slide show, and our thanks are due to Dorothy Newbury for organising the trip.

Page 3

Laurel Farm

Contributed by Daphne Lorimer.

Mr. and Mrs. Morley, of Laurel Farm, Totteridge, are both descended from generations of farmers in and around the Borough of Barnet, and have had the forethought to preserve and treasure some of the farm implements and equipment which modern methods of farming have rendered obsolete. The farmhouse and farm buildings are, themselves, of considerable antiquity. It was during a routine visit to acquire photographs of these before their possible destruction, that HADAS learned of the existence of these interesting relics and were kindly allowed to borrow them for the Church Farm House Exhibition.

A small hand milk-float (or milk pram to use its more correct title) was found in the barn and had once been the probity of Mr and Mrs. Davis of Elm Farm, Galley Lane, Barnet (Mrs. Morley’s aunt and uncle). This pram was used on the milk round and was of a type which was still being manufactured in the 1930s. Originally made to hold a milk churn, these later models were made, advertisements tell us, “with a sliding tray, three tiers complete with crates”. They were also “painted and written in any style and delivered” for the princely sum of £25! As far as can be ascertained, there was no manufacturer’s name on the pram, but it could have been made by J. Wheeler and Son of Southend, or possibly Keleher and Chaplin, Dairy Vehicle Builders, of Walthamstow who advertised their Service Pram as having “16 spoke Warner wheels, Collinges axle, Parkgate Steel Springs, forged Ironworks throughout”.

Beside the milk pram, in the Laurel Farm barn, stood a large milk churn manufactured by the Dairy Outfit Company at their factory in Boxmore, Hemel Hempstead, Herts. This type of churn was still in production in 1830. The bottom half was made of tin plate and was fitted with a tap. The top was made of copper, as was the lid, and the churn was engraved with the name “Elms Farm”. (NOTE – date corrected to 1930 – see newsletter 40, June 1974)

The most fascinating gadget found was a pair of cow’s nail clippers, made to the order and design of Mr Morley’s grandfather, Mr Charles Morley. His first farm was in Palmers Green but from 1897 to 1933 he farmed Gallant’s Farm, Russell Lane, Whetstone. It had been the custom until the mid-19th century, for milk to be produced from cows kept in sheds attached to the dairy. Mr Morley collected cows from dairies in the East End of London when they ran dry and brought them down to his farm to be brought into milk. Since the cows were kept without exercise in the byres of London, their hooves grew out and up and inhibited their walking. Mr Morley had a pair of nail-clippers made from two blacksmith’s rasps (normally used to file the horses’ hooves before shoeing). The clippers were made by a local blacksmith in The Avenue, New Southgate.

It interesting to note that there was a considerable amount of competition between dairies supplying “warm” milk and those supplying “country” milk, and it is thought that milk was first brought up from Wiltshire by rail to London by Edwin Freeth, the grandfather of the late Harold Freeth, Chairman of the erstwhile A1 and Dollis Dairies. “Country” milk became increasingly popular following the Great Cattle Plague in the 1860s, but it was the advent of that capillary refrigeration, invented by George and William Lawrence, which hastened the end of the London cow!

Mr. Charles Morley was very proud of his magnificent Shire horses and photographs of these handsome animals with Mr. Morley outside Gallant’s Farm are extant today. Their brass hames and headstall with blinkers are shown. The hames are defined as “two curved pieces of wood or metal placed over, fastened to, or forming the collar of a draught horse”. The draught horse wears a heavily padded collar which is passed over his head and rests firmly on his shoulders. The hames fit tightly round the collar and are fastened at the top and bottom by hame straps. The function of the hames is to bear the traces or straps which pass along the horse’s sides and the shafts, and are attached to the whiffletrees.

Page 4

Among other implements was that for testing the heat at the centre of a hay rick. This consists of three metal rods, one of which has a ring handle and one a barb at one end. The three pieces, when not in use, are kept in a leather case, but in order to function, have to be fitted together and plunged into the heart of the hay rick. The heat at the pointed tip, indicates, to the knowledgeable, the likelihood of rick fires. The hook was used to pull out a wadge of hay from the centre to examine for evidence of mould formation.

Mrs. Morley also produced a very handsome silver spirit teapot, won at the Barnet Fat Stock Show, possibly by Mr Charles Morley. This show was run concurrently with the Barnet Fair, and its cessation could be said to indicate the passing of country life and the intrusion of London into a rural area.

Verulamium

Contributed by Daphne Lorimer.

On Tuesday 2nd April, Dr. Gareth Davies gave HADAS a fascinating summary of the present state of knowledge of the tribal and Roman Settlements in the St Albans area of Hertfordshire.

Dr. Davies described the dyke systems which probably enclosed Wheathampstead, the oppidum which he considered became the capital of the local tribe, the Catuvellauni, after Caesar’s invasion.

Dr. Davies reviewed the excavation of the Prae Wood site which, despite destruction by development, showed the beginnings of urbanisation in Britain in in each pre-Roman Times. From the evidence of coinage, he considered the derivation of Verulamium to be pre-Roman and considered the presence of a silver torque round the neck of a bronze statue of Mercury found by Dr. Steed, as evidence of an attempt to Celticize a Roman god. Dr. Davies also reviewed the development and decline of Verulamium from the first military encampment on the Watling Street crossing of the River Ver, through its destruction by fire and rebuilding on successive occasions, to its gradual decline and abandonment about 500 AD.

Members greatly appreciated Dr. Davies’ excellent slides and his lucid account of which space only permits this short note.

February Lecture

It is probably true that most people, when thinking of the Romans, visualise legions pacing Hadrian’s wall and staring into the mists of Scotland. However Malcolm Colledge presented a much wider picture as he described the Roman Conquest and annexation of the Eastern Mediterranean in his lecture “Roman and the East”.

Dr. Colledge briefly outlined the events that led up to Sulla’s conquest of Greece and the subsequent expansion of the power of Rome into Syria and Asia Minor by Pompey between 66-62 BC. After Caesar’s assassination, the Eastern Empire was ruled up by Anthony from Egypt. Following his death, an efficient, centralised government was established by Augustus, and during the next century the empire enjoyed a golden age of peace and prosperity. Trajan added Dacia and Mesopotamia to the empire, although Hadrian later abandoned Mesopotamia and eastern expansion ceased.

To emphasise the effect colonisation had upon the different areas subdued by Rome, Dr. Colledge illustrated his lecture with slides showing the Roman influence on civil and religious buildings and the uniform town planning adopted throughout the empire. His examples of Roman Art and sculpture showed how, in its turn, it was influenced by the styles and craftsmanship from the conquered areas.

Dr. Colledge’s lecture was a thoroughly enjoyed by his audience all of whom, as Raymond Lowe mentioned in his vote of thanks, were particularly impressed by the excellent slides.

Newsletter

Page 1

Our last lecture of the Winter Season will be given up 2nd April 1974 at the Central Library, The Burroughs, at 8.00 for 8.15p.m. Dr Gareth Davies, who is the Curator of the Verulamium Museum will speak on “Verulamium”. He was concerned in last summer’s excavations in the area, and has been asked to give any fresh information that has come to light, particularly of any pre-Roman settlement.

The Programme Committee would like you to put the following dates in your diaries — with brief details — for the summer’s outings:

Saturdays –

18th May – Lewes, Sussex

15th June – Bath, Somerset

13th July – Danebury, Petersfield, Hants

14th September – Compton Wyngates, Worm Leighton, Warwick

Full details of the first trip, on 18th May, will be sent with the May Newsletter. All those who can are urged to support these outings, as only a full coach will enable costs to be kept to a minimum; the Committee are working hard to ensure that the price of tickets will not be appreciably higher than last year.

Annual General Meeting

The Society’s 13th Annual General Meeting will be held on Tuesday 7th May at 8.15p.m. at the Central Library, The Burroughs, NW4. A formal notice summoning the meeting is enclosed with this Newsletter, as are the minutes of the 1973 meeting.

Once the official business is over, we shall be offered several items of interest: four members will illustrate with slides short talks on Skara Brae (Orkney), Italy, Turkey and Sicily. Coffee will be served during evening. Don’t be put off by the formality of the notice; we in HADAS aim to keep our AGMs both businesslike and thoroughly enjoyable!

Other Societies’ Events

The Hon. Secretary will supply further details of the following on application from interested members: —

The Wembley History Society are holding an Anniversary Dinner at Esso Motor Hotel, Empire Way, Wembley at 7.30p.m. on Tuesday 23rd April 1974 to mark the 50th Anniversary of the opening of the British Empire Exhibition on 23rd April 1924. Tickets are £4 a head. There will be an exhibition of B.E.E. souvenirs and entertainment from a West Indian steel band and Maori dancers. The Society is publishing to booklets, one of the story of the Exhibition and one of pictures, at £1 the two, post free or separately £0.25 and £0.80 respectively.

The Moated Sites Research Group will be holding a conference at Leicester University on Saturday 4th May 1974 at a cost of £1.40 including refreshments. Miss Ann Dornier has offered to arrange an excursion to local moats on Sunday 5th May for those able to stay on in Leicester. Application is required from those wanting to take part in either or both of these activities.

The Fulham and Hammersmith Historical Society (Archaeological Section) announce the publication of Occasional Papers Nos. 1 and 2.

1. The Fulham Pottery, a preliminary account … £0.50

2. A report on some of Archaeological Work in the Borough of Hammersmith … £0.25 (both post free).

Page 2

Church Terrace Dig

Under the existing arrangement with the London Borough of Barnet the Society’s activities on the Church Terrace site are to cease on 31st March 1974. So much interesting material is now being uncovered, however, that we have applied for an extension of that time limit, and if the Borough does not intend to begin re-development immediately, we have sought permission to continue excavation until such time as it becomes imminent.

This quotation from our Chairman’s letter to the Borough sums up the importance of the Church Terrace dig: —

“Today we can say with confidence that on the Church End site there is definite physical evidence for the existence of Saxon Hendon. This evidence consists of a complex ditch system, now clearly visible on the site. The dark fill of these Saxon ditches, which are cut into the yellow-coloured clay which forms the undisturbed natural subsoil of the site, contains grass-tempered pottery, dated by the experts at the Department of the Environment to 700-1050 AD. This is the first physical evidence for Saxon Hendon ever to be found, and it reinforces and confirms the few documentary references that exist.”

Unless we hear that our request for an extension cannot be granted, members may expect digging to go on at Church Terrace after 31st March. All who can lend a hand will be warmly welcomed. Digging times are: Saturdays and Sundays: 10.00-5.30 and Wednesdays: 10.30-4.30.

Chance Finds

The close proximity of the dig to the Society’s exhibition at Church Farm House Museum is proving fruitful in more ways than one. For instance, people who come to see the exhibition often stayed to watch the dig and sometimes end by coming digging themselves.

The exhibition is producing good results in another direction. We have received much information from visitors about chance finds of archaeological material in the Borough. Half-a-dozen people have written or telephoned to say that they have found clay tobacco pipes. Finds of pottery have been reported — ranging from half a Victorian candlestick, of curious design, to the base of a Samian cup of the 1st/2nd century AD. Two or three people have tipped us off about proposed developments, suggesting that the sites would be worth watching. We even had some gruesome reports of two finds of human bones, made during roadworks on the A1.

This interest in chance finds is sparked off by one particular exhibit, which occupies the bay window recess in the Westernmost room at the Museum. It shows many chance finds which have come the Society’s way during the last few years, from all periods and all parts of Barnet.

The exhibit outlines the part which chance finds can play in local archaeology. Roughly speaking, such finds can be divided into three types which are of varying archaeological value:

1. – finds of which the precise find-spot, or provenance is known. This is the most hopeful kind of chance find; it is the most likely to lead to further finds, or at best to the discovery of a new site.

2. – finds which are known to have been made in the Borough, but no one can pinpoint the exact place. These finds are often brought in by a friend or relation of the original finder, usually with some such comment as “we’ve had this for ages — my Dad found it long ago, somewhere by Copthall Fields (or Apex Corner or Hadley Highstone)”. The more vague the description of where the object was found, the less likely it is to lead to some discovery of archaeological importance.

3. – finds which have their own intrinsic interest (such as coins) but very little archaeological value, because nothing is known or remembered about where they came from. They cannot add to local knowledge, and they may even have been brought back from a holiday abroad.

All of which underlines the old archaeological maxim: it isn’t what you find that matters — is where and how you find it.

Contributed by BRIGID GRAFTON GREEN

Page 3

Report on March Lecture

Contributed by Elizabeth Holliday.

Forty six members of the Society were present at the March meeting when Mr N. H. MacMichael spoke about “The Documents and Manuscripts in the Westminster Abbey Library”.

Mr MacMichael divided his talk into three parts. The first, of particular interest to members, was about documents relating to Hendon in the Abbey archives. Among these are a collection of Anglo-Saxon charters, rewritten in the twelfth century, including the Charter of St. Dunstan, which records the grant of Hendon to Westminster Abbey. The collection of title deeds recording land and rents in the area is not very great, although the original documents are supplemented by copies taken in the reign of Edward II as part of the “Westminster Domesday” records. There are 28 account rolls dating from 1319-1376 and a register of estates leased about 1486. Other financial documents and lists of tenants are included in the Abbey collection and there is a complete index to material including entries under names and places. The Abbey archives also contain maps of estates in the Hendon area dating from the eighteenth century.

In the second part of his talk, the lecturer outlined the history of the Abbey library which was originally part of the monastic dormitory, and has a beautiful hammer-beam roof, probably dating from the fifteenth century.

Mr MacMichael described and illustrated a selection of the unique items in the Abbey collection. Among these treasures are a charter of William the Conqueror which still has fragments of his seal attached to it; a beautiful embroidered seal bag of Edward I, dating from about 1290, depicting three golden lions, and a lease dated 1399 granted to Geoffrey Chaucer for a house near the main chapel.

The Abbey has a large collection of illuminated manuscripts including a two-volumed mass book (or missal) which took about two years to produce and cost £35. The artist is unknown but the scribe’s name was John Preston. The missal was lent recently for an exhibition and was insured for £300,000.

Mr MacMichael concluded his talk with a series of slides illustrating a bestiary, which contains information about a variety of animals and mythical creatures including instructions for catching tiger cubs with the aid of small mirrors!

Mr MacMichael invited members to visit the Abbey Library, by appointment, and to study the documents relating to Hendon.

Book Box

Recent accessions to the HADAS book box include:

ROMAN BRITAIN, I. A. Richmond (Reprint 1970 Penguin Books Limited) – from Christine Arnott

THE STORY OF TUTANKHAMUN, Otto Neubert (Reprint 1972 Dragon Books)

STUART LONDON, Malpas Pearce (Pub MacDonald London Weekend Television 1969) – from Dorothy Newbury

A COUNTRY CAMERA 1844-1914, Gordon Winter (Penguin Books 1973) – from Paul Carter

Many thanks to the three members who added these books to the box. Any other editions will be very welcome, if in good condition and dealing with archaeology and related subjects.

The full book list is now available upon request from the Hon. Librarian, George Ingram. If you have already asked for it there is no need to apply again. George will be sending you your copy in a few days time.

Page 4

Book Review

Contributed by Philippa Bernard

Discovering Regional Archaeology — South East England — by Edward Sammes

It is with a considerable sense of pride that we draw readers’ attention to this new publication by prominent member of the Society. One of the useful little “Discovering ” books published by Shire Publications, this is the ninth in the series which investigates and explains archaeological sites all over England. The area covered by Mr Sammes book includes Greater London as well as Hampshire, Kent, Surrey and Sussex. Much useful information is condensed into an easy-to-read yet scholarly little work, accompanied by clear maps and plans, grid references and full details of access.

In his preface the author notes that “approaching a site on foot is still the best way to appreciate the site in its environmental surroundings, and, with a little imagination, the past also”. Imagination Mr Sammes certainly has — he tells briefly but vividly the story of Fishbourne near Chichester, giving a clear impression of what the great villa was like in the time of its Roman occupation. He is precise in his descriptions and many of the excellent photographs are his own. Other well-known and sites are mentioned Danebury Hill Fort, St. Catherine’s Hill, Canterbury, Richborough and Bignor — some less well-known may prove of equal interest.

Members of the Society will, perhaps, be particularly interested in sites in and around London. Pride of place in goes to Sulloniacae, the Brockley Hill Roman Pottery in the Borough of Barnet. Excavations in the City, Highgate and Hampstead are worth noting, and an excellent Time Chart showing the dating of the different archaeological periods puts the whole account into perspective. This excellent little booklet is obtainable from most bookshops, price £0.40. It should certainly give our Programme Committee some good ideas for the summer.

Stop Press

Contributed by Jeremy Clynes

The Minimart on 9 March at the Henry Burden Hall was very successfully, and we have just heard from the Treasurer, Richard Deacon, that the net amount raised was £115!

Items for sale included stamps, home-made cakes and jams, books, plants, bric-a-brac and a “nearly new” boutique (this was literally true as a large number of items came from a shop turning out unsold stock from a previous year.). There were two raffles — one for a selection of prizes, and the other for two packets of toilet rolls!

It was especially encouraging to see so many members who dropped in for a chat over coffee and biscuits.

As so often with HADAS the success of this venture was due to the active co-operation and support from many members. In thanking most warmly all those who helped on the actual date of the Minimart, we particularly mention Joan Bird who provided tea, coffee and biscuits, and the main organisers of the event, Dorothy Newbury, Daphne Lorimer and Christine Arnott.

This newsletter has been edited by Christine Arnott.

Page 1

It is to be regretted that we are still operating under a “State of Emergency” and the Editor urges members to check where it may be necessary on arrangements made for lectures, etc. There was some confusion over the February lecture, unfortunately and several people missed Malcolm Colledge’s talk on “Rome and the East” — including the member who was to have written a summary for this Newsletter! All things being normal, the March and April lectures should be given at The Burroughs Library at 8.00 for 8.15p.m.

5 March — Documents and Manuscripts in the Westminster Abbey Library by N. H. McMichael.

2 April – Verulamium by D. Gareth Davies.

These lectures are given on Tuesday evenings — normal practice. The Library regret the recent changes in evenings owing to power restrictions — they themselves received instructions at very short notice and it was impossible to let our members know in time.

We do hope that there will be no further mishaps and that a good turnout will be achieved for these last two lectures of the winter season. Hendon was once part of the Abbey lands and members may learn more of its past history from Mr Mcmichael.

Here are three appeals for members’ co-operation and one advance notice of an outing: —

Will any member who has taken 35 mm or 2″ x 2″ slides and is prepared to allow them to be shown at the AGM please contact Liz Holliday at the March or April meetings, or telephone her.

Dorothy Newbury invites members to join a visit to the Fulham Potteries during their open weekend. Sunday 7 April is suggested; an early start enabling members to be back in time for lunch, and also to join in any of digging operations in the afternoon. This is the only opportunity to visit the site as it is shortly to be demolished and obliterated. Please let Mrs. Newbury know immediately if you would like to join him.

Jeremy Clynes, of the Press and Publicity Committee, would be glad to hear from any members who can suggest places where posters can be displayed. (Schools and libraries are already circularised.) Please telephone or write to Jeremy as the Society frequently needs to display announcement of its various activities.

FINALLY, don’t forget the MINIMART on Saturday 9 March from 10.00-12.00. Coffee and biscuits and chat with other members. Requests for contributions includes: — used stamps; old paper-backs and records; home-made jam, cakes and scones; bric-a-brac, holiday souvenirs, white elephants; “nearly new” garments; and indoor and outdoor gardening specimens. Telephone for collection. The MINIMART will be held at the Henry Burden Hall, Edgerton Gardens, NW4 (opposite the Town Hall) from 10.00a.m.-12.00p.m..

There will be a meeting of the INDUSTRIAL ARCHAEOLOGY section on 15 March 1974 at 166 STATION ROAD, Hendon, NW4. Please contact Alec Jeakins for further information if required, otherwise turn up at 8.00. During the meeting a short film — Finchley Yesterday’s by Wilf Walters — will be shown. All Society members will be welcome.

Page 2

Archaeology in the Borough

Finally the Editor announces with great pride that the Archaeology in the Borough Exhibition is now open. Having acted as a steward for 2 1/2 hours on the opening day, it was rewarding to hear so many members of the public expressing satisfaction with the display. There is a very real interest in local history and many enjoy relating the excavating activities of the Society to their own environment, so that they go back home determined to be more alert when they are digging in the garden!

Members are urged to go to Church Farm Museum to see for themselves what a varied catalogue of activities is on show. No less than fifteen separate exhibits have been mounted — each of them well presented and clearly identified. It will appeal to a wide range of interests, from those who study old documents –Paleaography — to those whose interests are nearer our own day in Industrial Archaeology; from those who are enthralled and by Flint Tools to a more practical botanical approach in Hedge Dating. You may well be amazed, as I was, to see the wide range of the Society’s interests. I hope you will appreciate, as I do, the long hours of hard work that have gone into the preparation and the realisation of each individual aspect of this exhibition.

Church Farm House Museum, Greyhound Hill, NW4 is open on weekdays from 10.00a.m.-12.30p.m. and 1.30p.m.-5.30p.m., Tuesdays 10.00a.m.-1.00p.m. and Sundays from to 2.30p.m. to 6.00p.m. Admission is free and this exhibition will last from 23 February – 31 March, 1974.

The Committee thanks all members who have come forward recently and offered help with stewarding at the Archaeology in the Borough Exhibition, and would like to add a further note of appreciation, in addition to that given in the last newsletter, to the following members for their help in various ways in connection with the exhibition: — Mr & Mrs Corlet, Mrs de Launay, John Enderby, Celia Gould, Elizabeth Holliday, Brian Jarman, Mrs Mandelstam, Jean Nairn, Marian Newbury, Anna Smullen, G. F. Thompson, Eric Wookey.

The exhibition has really been a corporative affair in which more than 40 members have taken part in one capacity or another, and the Society is paticularly indebted to its Hon. Secretary, Brigid Grafton Green, whose unflagging energy and tireless efficiency have been the inspiration of whole project.

Book Box

Since the HADAS book-box was first started by Philippa Bernard a year ago it has grown greatly in size, mainly through donations of books by members. Our new Hon. Librarian, George Ingram, has decided to make a full list of the present contents of the box, now over 100 volumes. The list, soon to be duplicated, will be made available to any member who would like a copy. If you want one, will you please let Mr Ingram know if possible within the next fortnight as that will enable him to estimate how many copies will be needed.

History of Field Drainage

One exhibit now on show at Church Farm House Museum deals with field drains as an aid to archaeological dating. The following notes are a background to the subject:

Land drainage has a long history in Britain, going back to the Roman cutting of the Car Dykes in the Fens and the ditches of Romney Marsh. By the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, however, most available land had already been reclaimed by surface draining of lakes, marshes and fens. At the same time there came the Industrial Revolution and a steady rise in population. Early statistician Gregory King estimated the population of England and Wales at 5 1/2 million in 1700. By the first Census in 1801 it was 9,000,000 and by 1851 almost 18,000,000.

The problem was how to provide food for all these people, using only the same amount of agricultural land as before.

Page 3

One solution — there were of course others — was to improve the drainage, and thus the crop-yield, of heavy farmland by underground, or hollow, drainage. This was no new idea. Deep trenching, with faggots, stones, shells or gravel laid at the bottom of the trench, and then the earth by replaced on top, had long been used as a drainage method; such drains, however, did not last long and needed frequent or re-laying.

Towards the end of the eighteenth century a few landowners began to employ a more effective type of although drainage, using tiles or drain bricks to replace the faggots and stones. One method was to cut a small, rectangular channel at the base of the trench, and put a roofing tile over it. Another was to lay two hollowed-out bricks face to face so that the hollow formed a pipe. A later improvement was to turn over the edges of a roof-tile into a horseshoe shape before firing; this was either laid directly on the floor of the trench or on a base plate. It is this original use of roof tiles for drainage purposes which gave later land drains their name: tile-pipes.

As a mark of the importance of the government placed on the laying of hollow drainage systems, a statute of 1826 (confirmed in 1839 and 1840) exempted from the duty normally paid between 1784-1850 on a bricks and tiles “those bricks made solely for draining wet and marshy land — provided they are legibly stamped in making with the word DRAIN.”

The late eighteenth or early nineteenth century methods were expensive, and only rich landowners could afford them. Early tile-pipes were shaped by hand around a drum. It was not until the mid-nineteenth century, when the extrusion method of machine-making tile-pipes was invented, that hollow drainage by tile-pipe came within the reach of most farmers. Thomas Scragg patented a cheaper method of making tile-pipes in 1845; by 1849 a writer in the Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society of England could describe a machine for making drain tiles operated by one man and three boys, who could turn out nearly 11,000 tiles off 1″ bore in ten hours. The price of this machine was £25.

Once cheap tile-pipes became available, they were widely used. At first pipes of small 1″ bore were tried. The theory was that the water would be channelled through these so fast it would prevent silting. In fact the result was the opposite: the pipes were so narrow they silted up.

A large bore pipe — first of 2 in., later of 3 in. or more — came into use, and systems were laid up to the 1890s. Then, with the start of the period of agricultural depression, no more tile-pipe drainage was laid, virtually until 1939. Mole-drainage (cheaper, although it had to be renewed) was used instead.

PUZZLE CORNER

The following are turn-of-this century descriptions of two places well-to our Society. Can readers guess where they are?

1. “The parish as a whole life is so luxuriantly wooded and wears so rural anaspect, with its fertile fields of arable land, verdant meadows and exuberant hedgerows, that a first visit to the district is always productive of surprise that a region so rustic should exist so close to a great city.”

2. “The scenic attractions (of this district) are quite unique, and lovers of nature in her most captivating aspect will find a wealth of beauty in every turning during their walks and drives which carry one to the most breezy highlights of the Metropolis. For many years to come it will be one of the most felicitous rural community beauty spots to be found anywhere within 20 miles of the great Capital.”

(For the answers, see foot of page 4)

Page 4

The Bishop’s Hedge

Contributed by Paddy Musgrove.

The during 1973 newsletter reported that a hedgerow in Lyttleton Playing Fields, Finchley (TQ 262888) had been identified as a remnant of the north-west boundary of the Bishop of London’s ancient “Park of Haringeye”. At the same time it was suggested that a botanical survey of the hedge would enable us to apply Dr. Max Hooper’s method of hedge dating (described in the Newsletter of last May).

Such a survey has now been carried out by two botanists, Mrs. Isabel Cruickshank and Mr Barry Goater, to whom HADAS is indebted for their professional skills.

Three 30 yd stretches of hedgerow were examined. In all, eleven distinct species of tree were identified. These were: Midland Hawthorn (Crataegus laevigata); Common Hawthorn (C. monogyna); Wild Cherry (Prunus avium); Blackthorn (P. spinosa); Pedunculate Oak (Quercus robur); Elder (Sambucus nigra); Field Maple (Acer campestre); Sycamore (A. pseudoplatanus); Dogwood (Cornus sanguinea); Hazel (Corylus avellana); Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus).

The first (southern) stage contained a six different species; the second, eight species; the third, five species. Applying a formula evolved by Dr Hooper as a result of studying 227 dateable hedges, (X = 110 x Y + 30) where X is the age of their age in years and Y the number of species) we arrive at an approximate age of 725 years. This takes us back to the mid thirteenth century. The first written reference to the Bishop’s Park is dated 1241.

Now dating is likely to be conservative. The surveyed hedgerow is not, in fact, continuous but contains three noticeable gaps, including one cut for the Modern and East-West footpath. In addition, for statistical purposes, only Midland and Common Hawthorns were considered, but the hedge also contains various hybrids.

Throughout the countryside, different soils, climatic conditions and customs of hedge management, can of course, lead to considerable variations and Dr Hooper himself suggests that much more research is needed. Our survey, however, certainly seems to confirm the general validity of his methods and the antiquity of the “Bishops Hedge”.

Puzzle Answers

No. 1 is Hendon; No. 2 is Golders Green.

The description comes from of Hendon, by Walter Moore, published for the Hendon District Council in 1908.

This newsletter has been edited by Christina Arnott.

Page 1

The Editor offers apologies to all members who have suffered altered dates and venues for lectures recently. It has been impossible to give adequate notice on many occasions, since we ourselves were subjected to last-minute instructions. However, one of our problems has been solved — the Library at The Burroughs is at last free from the builders. Lectures can once more be given under that roof. Power restrictions in the area of Hendon now allow a return to Tuesday evenings. The lecture for 5 March will be on “The Documents and Manuscripts in the Westminster Abbey Library”. This should be a fascinating talk for which we hope there will be a large audience — at 8.00p.m. for 8.15p.m.

There are several items in this Newsletter that require very careful attention — this is the last newsletter before the Society’s Exhibition is mounted at Church Farm House Museum on 23 February, and a special note about this is included below. There is also an Appeal from the Fund-raising Committee for the Mini Mart that is to take place on 6 March — please do come and support this effort to set the Society more firmly on its feet financially. Finally, do read the report on the progress of the Church End Excavation, noting the requests for “diggers”.

Lectures

February 13th. — “History of Pillar Boxes”, by W. R. Wellsted, at 8.00p.m. — Council Offices, Wood Street, Barnet. (Barnet and District Local History Society)

5 March — “Documents and Manuscripts in the Westminster Abbey Library”, N. H. McMichael at 8.00 for 8.15p.m. Hendon Library, The Burroughs, NW4 (our own lecture).

28 March — “Industrial Archaeology” Brian Bracegirdle at 8.00p.m. East Finchley Library, N2 (Finchley Society)

MINI MART

This will be held on Saturday 9 March 1974, at the Henry Burden Hall, Edgerton Gardens, NW4 (opposite Hendon Town Hall and behind the Methodist Church), from 10.00a.m.-12.00. Please do come and support us. Coffee and biscuits will be served during the morning, so bring your friends and have a chat. We have several ideas that you may be able to help us with: —

1. There will be a collecting box for USED stamps; please separate English from foreign. The Society can sell these to raise funds.

2. There will be a stall for old paper-backs and old records.

3. There will be stalls selling jam, marmalade, cakes and scones.

4. We welcome your old bric-a-brac — your holiday souvenirs — your small white elephants.

5. We hope to have a “Nearly New Boutique” for garments in good repair, and a hat bar.

6. There will be a garden stall.

All we need is your help, co-operation and CONTRIBUTIONS!!

Contact either: Christine Arnott, Daphne Lorimer or Dorothy Newbury.

Finally — notices can be stuck on a board at the Minimart so that you can advertise items you may wish to sell for yourself. A small charge will be made for this service.

Excavation, Church End, Hendon

SOS, SOS, SOS. We need your help if we are to complete this excavation. Weather permitting, digging takes place on Wednesdays from 10.30a.m. to dusk and on Saturdays and Sundays from 10.00a.m. to dusk. Ted Sammes reports that much of interest is coming to light and making the possibility of Saxon Hendon a reality…

Roman — three sherds of possible Roman origin, but we still need to find more before we can claim Roman settlement on the spot.

Late Saxon — we have the beginnings of a ditch system cut into the natural clay of the area. These Roman ditches are producing animal bones and, more importantly, late Saxon grass-tempered pottery sherds, dated by experts to 700-1050 AD.

Page 2

Post-Medieval period — this has also received a numismatic boost in the shape of a second silver penny. This was found in the house area, and after cleaning was identified as a base penny of Henry VIII, part of the posthumous coinage of 1549-50, minted at Canterbury. We also have a merchant’s bail sale in lead, and a quantity of pins, probably hand-made.

For the eighteenth century, bottle bases, tops and pipe-bowls continue to be found, and we have one very nice seal from a glass bottle marked with a Crown and the initials G.R.

Archaeology in the Borough Exhibition

This display of our Society’s work opens at Church Farm House Museum on 23rd February 1974 and will continue until 31st March. There are fifteen sections, each showing a different aspect of HADAS activities. In the last newsletter we are asked members — particularly those not normally busy on the dig — to volunteer to steward the exhibition on Saturday and Sunday afternoons:

Saturdays (February 23rd, March 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd and 30th between 2.00-5.30p.m.)

Sundays (February 24th, March 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th and 31st between 2.30-6.00p.m.)

More volunteers for these days and times are still needed, and their help will really contribute to the exhibition’s (and the Society’s) success. Please don’t hesitate to offer because you think stewarding requires some special skill — it doesn’t. The questions you are likely to be asked by visitors will be simple ones about the Society (how much the subscription is, where and when we meet, etc); or possibly general questions about the exhibits. We hope to supply each steward in advance with an Exhibition Catalogue which will give the information needed for answers to this type of question. So please offer your help as soon as possible by ringing Bridgid Grafton Green and putting your name down as a steward.

The committee would like to take this opportunity of recording, on behalf of the whole society, its thanks to those members who have already contributed to the planning, assembly or mounting of this exhibition: —

Christine Arnott, Philippa Bernard, Paul Carter, Peter Clinch, Jeremy Clynes, David Cogman, Stella Colwell, Richard Deacon, Albert Dean, Helen Gordon, Brigid Grafton Green, Nigel Harvey, George Ingram, Alec Jeakins, Daphne Lorimer, Raymond Lowe, William Morris, Paddy Musgrove, Dorothy Newbury, Nell Penny, Anne Randall, Elizabeth Read, Percy Reboul, Edward Sammes, Mary Spiegelhalter, Margaret Taylor, Ann Trewick and Freda Wilkinson.

Catalogue — It was a matter of much regret to the Society that the Library, which kindly duplicates the Catalogues used at Exhibitions at Church Farm House Museum was unable to allow us more than sixteen pages for our Catalogue of the Archaeology in the Borough Exhibition. A large amount of interesting material connected with the exhibits had, therefore, to be omitted. The Newsletter hopes to publish some of this during the next few months. We start with the following account.

The History of Trade Tokens – by Raymond Lowe

Trade tokens were an unofficial currency issued by tradesmen at times when there was a shortage of regal coinage of small denomination. There have been three periods in British history when the legal coinage was so inadequate that tokens were countenanced by the government of the day: 1648-72; 1787-97; 1811-17.

The prosperity of the first Elizabethan age caused farmers and landowners to pay more of their workers in coin instead of, as hitherto, in kind. At this time, however, the mint struck only gold and silver pieces. To overcome the lack of small change, James I granted patents to his favourites, Torrington and Lennox to issue farthings. Charles I continued this practise with the issue of Richmond, Maltravers and rose farthings. Under this system the profit, instead of going to the people, was shared by the King and the patentee.

Page 3

In 1643 a regal coinage was agreed upon, but the Civil War, the execution of the king in 1649 and the rule of the Commonwealth deferred the scheme till 1672. In the 24 years before that an estimated 12,000 types of trade token were issued. They consisted of pennies, half-pennies and farthings, made of brass or copper — hence the term “a brass farthing”. The dies for these coins were mostly made by David Ramage of London. Over 20 tokens are known for this period in the Borough: Hendon (2), Finchley (2), Whetstone (2) and Barnet (15).

During the eighteenth century the American War, followed by the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, caused another dearth of small change. No copper coinage was issued between 1775 and 1797, when the first copper penny and tuppeny “cartwheel” machine-struck pieces were made by Matthew Bolton at the Mint, Birmingham. Again, to fill the gap before they appeared, tokens were used in an immense variety of types. For this period (1787-97) the Borough is represented only by Hendon, with tokens issued by Price, landlord of the Greyhound.

The third and shortest period for tokens – 1811-17 — was the result of shortages of coin caused by an increase in the labour force plus a rise in the level of wages, this situation being aggravated by the Napoleonic Wars. This time a large amount of token silver came into circulation and even a small issue of gold appeared. The Borough of Barnet is not represented at all in this final period (1811-17) — a sure sign of the pastoral and the rural nature of the area at the time.

The January Lecture

A report contributed by Brian Favell.

Bernard Johnson of the Surrey Archaeological Society spoke on the “Recognition and Problems associated with Motorway Construction”. He is at present investigating the mesolithic, bronze and Roman age sites discovered during the construction work on of the M25 between Egham and Chertsey.

He outlined the five stages (and the part played by the local societies) of dealing her with a proposed motorway construction and showed slides of actual work carried out on the M25 route, as follows:

1. Reconnaissance: research of documentary evidence, aerial and geophysical (resistivity and proton magnetometer) surveys.

2. Ground survey of area: field walking, trial excavations, examination of preliminary drainage ditches, recording of surface finds and buildings destined for demolition.

3. Full-scale excavation of any suspected important sites.

4. Observation throughout construction work of motorway: checking boundary post holes and transverse drainage ditches (kindly supplied by contractor).

5. Conclusion: investigation of sites shown up adjacent to motorway and not fully destroyed; publication of results.

Mention was also made of the need not to omit the investigation of prepared sites for engineers’ offices, construction workers’ camps and foundation trenches for ballast trains, etc., all of which provide a source of “trial trenches” for the archaeologists.

The lecture was brought to a conclusion with a few words from Harvey Sheldon on the differences between the previous or “rural” problems and his own “urban” problems in London, for example cellar building and man-made level changes destroy the natural stratifications. Ann Trewick gave a vote of thanks to both speakers for the insight they had given into the trials and tribulations encountered in both rural and urban archaeology; Hendon, she added, had its share of both!

The Railway that never was

Paul Carter contributes this — the first instalment. ) Edgware-Aldenham: a brief history. Shortly after being set up in 1933, the London Passenger Transport Board announced its 1935-40 New Works Programme. This included in the North London Scheme, part of which proposed the building of a tube link between Archway (on the Hampstead tube) and East Finchley (L.N.E.R); the electrification for tube train working of the L.N.E.R. branches from East Finchley to High Barnet and to Edgware; and the construction of an extension from Edgware northwards to Aldenham.

Page 4

The tube link from Archway to East Finchley was brought into use on 3rd July 1939 and the line from East Finchley to a High Barnet opened to electric tube train working on 14 April 1940. Work on the other part of the scheme, with electrification from Finchley Central through to Edgware and the extension on to Aldenham had started in 1937-8, but the second World War caused work to be stopped. The Edgware Branch closed to L.N.E.R. passenger services on 11 September 1939, and reopened as far as Mill Hill East with electric traction on 18 May 1941, but work on the rest of the scheme was suspended until after the war. A number of bridges on the Edgware branch had been rebuilt in readiness for the changeover, and the embankment to divert the branch into the other Edgware (L.T.) Station partly constructed. This branch will be the subject of a later investigation.

From Edgware northwards a considerable amount of work had already been done when work was suspended. On the extension it was proposed to have intermediate stations at Brockley Hill and Elstree, and because of local pressure the intended name of the terminus at Aldenham was changed to Bushey Heath. After the war the position of the uncompleted section was reviewed as circumstance had changed, including the proposal for the setting up of a Green Belt around London. In November 1950, London Transport announced entire abandonment of the whole of the unfinished sections. (For more information see “Sixty years of the Northern”, by Charles E. Lee, published by London transport, 1967.)

Edgware-Brockley Hill, December 1973- a preliminary investigation;

I have not yet examined the northern platform ends at Edgware (L.T.) Station for traces, but the proposed extension is first clearly seen in Rectory Lane Edgware (TQ194920); at the rear of the Prestige Wooden Kitchen Furniture shop in Station Road is bridge NT3 carrying Rectory Lane over the railway. The cutting beyond is now filled in and the site occupied by the Friends’ Meeting House and its car park, but clear traces remain. Beyond this going northwards the proposed route ran across land now occupied by recently built garages and some of the houses at the northern end of Herons Gate.

In fact it is this subsequent development that makes the proposed route easily traceable. The area north of Edgware to Brockley Hill appears to have been developed in the mid to late ’30s, and through this runs the postwar development of the line of intended railway. NW from Herons Gate (TQ193291) to Purcells Avenue (TQ192924) the route runs between Edgwarebury Gardens and Savoy Close, Princes Close and Queen’s Close, on land now occupied by Campbell Croft, with a number of postwar houses and bungalows. In Purcells Avenue(TQ192924) it is the two postwar houses adjacent to, and facing Shelley Close, that mark the route. There is no indication of how Purcells Avenue was to cross the line, the railway route and the road being at approximately the same level. Presumably a road overbridge was intended, but there is no trace of this having been started. From Shelley Close the intended route continues NW and becomes Sterling Avenue. Here only the later development gives any clue. At the northern end of Sterling Avenue the road descends into the valley south of Edgware Way and turns sharp left. Between this point(TQ188928) and the Edgware Way there is no trace of the route. No doubt the intended embankment at the South end of Brockley Hill viaduct was never started.

On the north side of Edgware Way at TQ187930 to TQ186923 in open pasture land survive the remains of the partly constructed Brockley Hill viaduct. Nine half-built piers of red brick and concrete infill construction remain, in a steadily deteriorating condition. When finished, the viaduct of a brick and plate girder construction, would have been 530 yd long, and would have carried the railway across Edgware Way through the proposed Brockley Hill Station. A short distance to the northwest at TQ185933 are traces of a partly constructed embankment to bring the railway down off the viaduct. The route from here to Aldenham will be described in Part 2 of this report.

The Editor wishes all members a happy New Year. These lines are being written at a time of crisis, with restrictions on heating and lighting. Nevertheless the conventional wish is all the more sincere for it was seldom more necessary than now.

Lectures

The February lecture will be given by Malcolm Colledge “Rome and the East” at the Hendon Library, The Burroughs, NW4 at 8.00 for 8.15p.m. Dr Malcolm Colledge is a lecturer at Westfield College, University of London. He studied Classics at St. John’s College, Cambridge, and has spent several years travelling in Mediterranean and Middle East countries. He has excavated at a Lullingstone Roman Villa and at Petra and Tazekand in Iran. He is a specialist in Roman Art and sculpture; he is also particularly interested in the development of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern civilisation. In 1967 he published “The Parthians” — an account of one of the first Middle Eastern civilisations.

Report on the December lecture on Industrial Archaeology contributed by Alec Jeakins.

Paul Carter chose to examine the premise put forward by R. A. Buchanan that “Industrial Archaeology is at the crossroads” and that after a period of self-analysis it must decide in which direction it is going.

In some parts of the country, industrial archaeology has still not been accepted by many of the county societies, with the result that people interested in this field have formed themselves into local groups which are, as yet, unorganised by any national body. The publications produced by these societies are of a very variable quality, only a few being up to the standard of papers published in the county journals. The Greater London Industrial Archaeology Society (GLIAS) is about to produce its own Journal, and proof pages were on show. As an introduction to the work GLIAS is attempting to carry out, the “Chronicle” film was shown and brought up to date by showing a number of slides. While showing the slides, Paul Carter attempted to open the audience’s eyes to the industrial remains that are all around. He also pointed out the dangers of over-selection, using the example of two original diesel-electric locomotives that came into service in 1947; at the end of their life British Rail tried to give these important locomotives to various preservation societies, but because these engines were not stream-driven nobody was interested and they were then surely sold for scrap.

The final item of the lecture was the showing of the “Abbey Mills Pumping Station” made by Dennis Smith and a team from West Ham Technical College. This was a magnificent example of the right media being used for the right job; no number of still photographs and plans can really give a true impression of a pumping station at work.

N.B. Our own industrial archaeology project still needs help us. Some of the areas the organisers are hoping to look at in the early stages are the remains of farming in the Borough, the aircraft industry around Hendon and along the Edgware Road, and the hospitals. If you want to help with these projects and others please contact Alec Jeakins.

Christmas Party

Whereas it would be difficult, if not impossible, to mention individually all those who worked very hard to achieve the friendly evening that was enjoyed by many, the Editor feels that Richard Deacon should be thanked for his stage-managing of the overall arrangements, Joan Bird for her responsibility for catering and Dorothy Newbury for her successful Tombola that raised £15 for the Society’s funds.

Page 2

One of the party guests contributes the following: —

The HADAS Christmas party was held on 14 December at 166 Station Road, Hendon, festively decorated for the occasion by Eric Grant. A postcard picture of an “antiquity” was pinned on each guest on arrival, plus the person’s name, to ensure conversational openings.

Early in the evening excellent hot punch was served, and everyone clearly appreciated the delectable and ample food. This disappeared steadily — and the company was ready for mince pies and coffee at the end. The Tombola was a huge success, especially as it was engineered that every ticket won a prize. There was plenty of opportunity for people to chat and get to know new members, so that social relaxation rather than brain work was the keynote, apart from the historical-literary quiz. Many thanks are due to the organisers for such a happy and successful evening.

Excavation – Church End Hendon

Reasonably good December weather has helped to the Church End dig, although we were rained off once or twice and frozen out on other days. On one occasion two keen diggers, before settling down on their kneeling mats in the trenches, could be observed removing ice half an inch thick from one trench, in pieces that looked like to plate-glass. That’s true devotion to digging!

At the moment we plan to continue digging from now on to the end of March on Wednesdays 10.30 to dusk, Saturdays 10.00 to dusk and Sundays 10.00 to dusk weather permitting. It may be however that in view of the three-day working week, some members will like to dig at other times. Any member who wants to dig outside the announced times is asked to let Mrs. Dorothy Newbury know. If enough members want it, we shall try to arrange other digging sessions.

Brockley Hill Weekends

Another successful work-in on the Brockley Hill Pottery took place on December 1-2, through the kind co-operation of Mr John Enderby and the Hampstead Garden Suburb Institute, who lent the Teahouse for the occasion. On average nine members turned up to every session, and as almost all were experienced in handling of Roman pottery, a good deal of solid work was done.

The material represents the finds from the early excavations at Brockley Hill Roman kiln-site, which took place at varying intervals between 1937 and 1954. In the main, finds from the earliest digs are all vessels and large pieces (which suggests that some smaller sherds from these years were discarded at the time of excavation). From the later years — particularly the 1953 and 1954 digs — there are large numbers of small sherds, which take longer to study, categorise and record.

The Society’s aim is, in time, to build up a complete index of all the material. This is a large undertakings since, in addition to information about the vessels or sherds which appears on the front of each index card, there is also a photograph or measured drawing on the back. During the December weekend the index grew appreciably in size and members made good inroads into the study and differentiation of pottery types, particularly in the “difficult” 1953-4 years. Further weekends are planned for the future — the next is likely to be in April.

Book Box

Last year, thanks to the initiative and hard work of Philippa Bernard, HADAS began building up its own book box, from which members may borrow at any time. The box makes a regular appearance at monthly meetings during the winter. Mrs. Bernard, having got the venture off the ground, is now handing over responsibility to George Ingram, one of keenest diggers and research workers, who has kindly agreed to act as the Society’s Librarian for an experimental period. Members have been generous in donating books to the box which, as a result, is rapidly assuming the proportions of a small library. Indeed, so weighty is the box itself that Mr Ingram does not propose to bring the whole collection to each monthly lecture.

Page 3

Instead, he will show a selection of the more popular volumes plus a full list of the books now owned by HADAS. Members can then reserve any book which is not on show. And should you want an archaeological book which you suspect may be in the box, don’t forget that a phone call to Mr Ingram will tell you whether or not it is available.

HADAS exhibition at Church Farm House Museum

Last August Newsletter No. 30 announced plans for the next big HADAS exhibition. This is to take place, by kind invitation of the Borough Librarian, between February 23rd and March 31st next at Church Farm House Museum. The subject is the various activities of our society, and the title is “Archaeology in the Borough”.

During this winter a team (its backbone is the Research Committee, but other members are helping) has been working on the various displays. Moats have been surveyed, tombstones have been scrubbed and photographed, documents have been deciphered, photo-copies collected, engravings tracked down and, at the moment, titles are being lettered, maps drawn, captions typed and the whole run-up to an exhibition is under way.

The Committee hopes that all members who can, will give a little time at Weekends to help steward the exhibition. The contribution of non-digging members to this work will be it especially valuable, since our diggers will still be trying to keep the Church End excavation open. During previous HADAS exhibitions at Church Farm House it has been very helpful to have two members on duty as stewards on Saturdays and Sundays, when visitors are plentiful. Many people like to ask questions about the Society or about the exhibits.

What we are aiming at is to have to steward on duty on Saturdays from 2.00-5.30p.m. and on Sundays from 2.30-6.00 from February 23rd to March 31st inclusive. If you are prepared to help, even for a short time, in this way, will you please let a Brigid Grafton Green know as soon as possible, so that a stewards rota can be worked out.

New booklet on Mill Hill

Many members will have seen and enjoyed the booklet of old photographs — “Hendon as it was” — which was published last summer by Clive R. Smith. Mr Smith, a member of HADAS, has now produced a second booklet, “Mill Hill as it was”. This too is a collection of old and interesting photographs with brief captions. Its full selling price is £0.65, but Mr Smith very kindly offers HADAS members a special price of £0.50. Members who would like to avail themselves of this offer should send their orders to our Librarian, Mr George Ingram with a remittance for the copies required.

The Minimart

Excavations cost money, and in order to enable the Society to fulfil this, one of our prime functions, it is necessary to raise funds. It is proposed, therefore, that HADAS should hold a Mini Mart on Saturday 6 March from 9.00a.m. to 1.00p.m. at the Henry Burden Hall, Hendon. Coffee will be served, and it is hoped to have stalls to sell your home-made cakes, jams and sweets; paperbacks, old records and unwanted odds and ends. It is also proposed to have a notice board for Exchange and Mart. Members are entreated to bear all this in mind and make that extra pot of marmalade in January, salvage their Penguins for the Jumble Sale, and turn out to the old 78s from the attics. The Unwanted mink or Rolls Royce may well find a purchaser on the Notice Board and the unwanted Christmas present be snapped up on the stall!

Details will follow in the February Newsletter, but do write the date in your diary now.

Contributed by Daphne Lorimer.

Page 4

Whetstone Fire Station – preliminary note

Daphne Lorimer sent us this report:

Quite by accident, in May 1973, I learnt that the headquarters of the Whetstone branch of Toc H had, originally, been the local Whetstone fire station.

This building (No. 1232, High Road, Whetstone) is a small, narrow wooden hut, sandwiched between the public lavatories and the new offices of the General Accident Insurance Company, opposite the Ever Ready building (grid reference TQ2648 9390). It is over 120 years old and originally belonged to 35HIX Division, who relinquished it in 1932.

It was the custom for the parish fire-engine to be located in sheds adjacent to the premises of the Chief Fireman and records at Lambeth Museum on the Fire Service indicated that, at some period, this was Trounsen and Knight’s garage in Whetstone. Local Fire Services were, however, frequently the responsibility of the Parish Council, and the stations, in this instance, were situated near the Parish Church. This hut is, in fact, nearly opposite St. John’s Church, Whetstone and several of the older members of the congregation remember it in use. (Examination of the minutes of the Parish Council meetings is in the course of being arranged.)

The machine used in Whetstone was thought to have been an old Bedposter Manual Fire Engine, and a spare machine was kept in the house of a Mr. Randell, the Chief Fireman, who lived in one of the small group of cottages known as St. John’s Close (now demolished to make way for Swan Court). A Bedposter Manual Fire Engine, 1930 vintage, was transferred to the Lambeth Museum when 9 Middlesex boroughs were incorporated in the GLC. The Museum authorities consider that it is within the bounds of possibility that this machine may have originated in Whetstone.

The Whetstone Fire Brigade was nationalised in 1941, denationalised in 1948 and incorporated in the GLC went the Greater London Borough of Barnet was formed.

The old helmets of Parish firemen were frequently regarded as treasured possessions and became family heirlooms (knowledge of the whereabouts of any of them would be much appreciated). The original type of helmet was leather and made in the “merryweather” pattern with leather crossed axes or L.F.B. in front. Inspired by the brass helmets of the special Army Fire Corps of France, these were replaced, in 1868, by brass helmets with a silver one for the Fire Chief. However, these were found to act as conductors of electricity and were the occasion of several severe shocks to firemen dealing with live cables and were gradually replaced by fire helmets during the period between 1936-1939.

It is hoped that, as well as an examination of the Parish Records, the scrutiny of contemporary issues of the local press will reveal more information and, possibly, sketches and photographs of the Whetstone Fire Brigade in action.

This newsletter has been edited by Christina Arnott.

Page 1

As this is the December Newsletter, the Editor wishes to present Christmas greetings and good wishes to all members in the deep hope that all the present economic and political problems can be kept in check sufficiently to enable us all to enjoy respite and refreshment over the holiday period.

Christmas Party

This will be held, as previously announced, on Friday 14 December 1973 at 166 Station Road, NW4 from 7.30 to 10.00p.m. tickets at £0.50 (or 30p for juniors) available from Richard Deacon or at the door.

Will everyone please bring a pen or pencil with them. Dorothy Newbury will be happy to receive contributions for her Tombola either at her home or telephone her so that she can arrange collection.

In view of the difficult transport situation, it is hoped that any member able to use his or her car will contact Jeremy Clynes. Any member requiring transport should do the same so that attempts can be made to ensure that all those requiring lifts can be given them.

Lectures

The Editor is very hopeful that at long last the Society can use Hendon library premises again and that the lecture on 8 January on “FIELD ARCHAEOLOGY — Recognition of Sites and problems associated with Motorway Building”, given by Harvey Sheldon and Bernard Johnson, will be held at The Burroughs, NW4 at 8.15 for 8.30 p.m. please note that it is 8th January, as the lecture has been postponed from 1 January which has been declared a public holiday.

Conferences

January 4th – 6th, 1974 — organised by the Department of Archaeology, University of Newcastle, on HADRIAN’S WALL. Friday evening, 4 January, to Sunday lunchtime 6 January. Cost: £8. A new interpretation of many aspects of Hadrian’s Wall: the chronology, the garrisonning and its destruction, to name but a few, will be presented, and the implications discussed. Details from the Hon. Secretary, or from Hadrian’s Wall Conference, Department of Archaeology, the University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7HU.

29th-31st March, 1974, at the University of Lancaster, on “The Effect of Man on the Landscape — the Highland Zone”. Fee £10, payable to the CBA.

Society News

The Press and Publicity Committee invite your suggestions as to where the new A4 size poster, advertising the Society, can be exhibited. Libraries, schools and colleges in the Borough have already been contacted.

Members with Christmas present buying problems may be reminded that “Blue Plaques of Barnet” which has been reprinted, is available from the Hon. Secretary, price £0.34 (post paid). Supplies of the “Chroniclers of the Battle of Barnet” at £0.21 and of the commemorative Brochure for the Quincentenary of the Battle at £0.20 are also still available (prices include postage).

The Royal Air Force Museum has brought to notice their very interesting Illustrated Guide of the Museum, which costs £0.29 (including postage). Also being sold in aid of the Museum funds are two very attractive Christmas cards, portraying early aircraft flying over snow covered country. These cost £0.05 each and are available from the Museum at Aerodrome Road, NW9 5LL.

Members may like to know that the working hours for the Church End Site have been extended to include Saturday mornings, as the light goes so early in the afternoons during the winter.

Page 2

This means that Saturday and Sunday digging will operate from 10.00a.m. to dusk; Wednesdays from 10.30a.m. to dusk. If members can arrange to share cars sufficiently it is hoped that the petrol restrictions will not prevent numbers keeping steady.

Reports

A thought provoking lecture on “The Changing Face of the English Countryside” was given on Tuesday 6 November at St. Mary’s Church House by Dr. E. M. Yates, Lecturer in Geography at King’s College, London, when those present heard his analysis of three key topics: how the English landscape was formed, the present day forces that are changing the landscape fast, and what can be done to preserve the landscape. The lecturer dealt in depth with a sector of West Sussex and East Hants. He showed how the geology of the landscape had determined the siting of villages in the area and how the same features gave rise to areas of cultivation, heathland, and so on.

Dr. Yates also discussed the interesting paradox of “the privileged few” of past ages who, unwittingly, preserved the landscape by building enormous private estates for their own enjoyment. It was today’s more egalitarian society in which more and more people are exploiting the countryside for their own ends that had given rise to the ever-increasing destruction of the landscape. “The landscape,” he said, “shows the sort of society we are and we get the landscape we deserve.”

The final part of the lecture dealt with changes in towns and villages. As living standards go up, Dr Gates observed, there is a demand for more space. Multiple stores, and the stereotyped fascias and shopfitting styles, are replacing the more individualistic small shops. Village markets are being replaced by car parks. Differences and character are disappearing fast and the time is coming, in Dr Yates’ view, when the villages and small towns of England will become similar in appearance not only to each other, but to their counterparts on the mainland of Europe.

Contributed by Percy Reboul.

Local History Conference

Local history is, as anyone who has dabbled in it knows, a wide-ranging subject that can lead its practitioners down many unexpected and intriguing alleys, as was made abundantly clear at the 8th Local History Conference sponsored at Guildhall by the London and Middlesex Archaeological Society on 17 November. The keynote of variety was first struck by the exhibits around the hall. They ranged from a splendid show of Local guidebooks of the 18th-19th century, collected by an individual historian, Robert Harrison, to a group of clay tobacco pipes from East London and displays of official publications from the GLC and LAMAS. HADAS was there too, thanks to the efforts of Eric Grant, who transported exhibit of booklets plus some material from the Hendon St. Mary’s tombstones survey, and set it up, incidentally selling a good number of booklets in the process.

The conference speakers offered variety too. To start with Dr J. H. Dyos of Leicester — he holds the only Chair in Urban History at any British University — spoke on the Exploration of Victorian London, taking as his text “the Dark ages are at their darkest just beyond the age of living memory”. Then Mr W. J. Smith, the beautifully lucid keeper of Middlesex records, described the information available in a clutch of inventories from the Probate Court of the Archdeacon of Middlesex between 1669-1737 — everything from details of debts and standing crops through to the minutiae of kitchen implements and feather mattresses.

Finally Mr Keith Bailey, of the Wandsworth Historical Society, talked of their work on the operation of the Poor Law in Putney from Elizabethan times to 1834, and his audience entered upon the world of penniless sailors trying to get back to rejoin their ships at Portsmouth, foundlings on doorsteps, workhouse inmates, expectant mothers being hastily hurried on their way lest their imminent offspring should enter the world in Putney and become a charge upon the parish, indigent soldiers back from the Napoleonic Wars and itinerant paupers — the whole spectrum of the underprivileged from the past.

Page 3

Perhaps the most thought provoking of these three speakers was Dr Dyos. Here is one of the most stimulating of his many ideas. He divided the approach to the local history of a Victorian district into three avenues: (a) the business and commercial network; e.g. records of solicitors, builders, land agents, tramway undertakings; (b) the public aspect: local authorities, political parties, etc. (c) private worlds: family networks, leisure groups. None of the three, in his view, has been properly explored in London; but the third has hardly been touched. He recommends it particularly to local historians. He thinks the history of small local clubs and groups should be explored in depth — use all sorts of sources, church magazines, local newspapers, posters, play-bills, school and old boys’ magazines, postcards, photographs and prints. “It’s an historians job to explore — and explore we must. Don’t just follow in other people’s tracks.”

Contributed by Bridgid Grafton Green.

Friern Barnet

A preliminary report on the history of the Friary of the Knights of St. John which gave Friern Barnet its name. The main object is to pinpoint the area and on which had stood the Friary buildings, of which no trace now survives, in order to provide a possible site for a HADAS dig.

The parish of Friern Barnet lies east of the Great North Road, near Finchley and Whetstone and includes Colney Hatch. Through it runs Friern Barnet Lane, an ancient road, older than the fourteenth century “New Road” (later the Great North Road). About half way along, Friern Barnet Lane curves sharply to circumvent the churchyard of the parish church, St. James the Great.

This church was restored and enlarged in 1853; but the South porch preserves an original Norman doorway and there is little doubt that a church or chapel stood on the site in the twelfth century. Today Friern Barnet is a highly residential area, but in 1801 the population was 432 and in 1901 it was still only 11,566. Until well after the coming of the Great Northern Railway in the second half of the nineteenth century, the parish still preserved its rural nature with large estates and farms.

The Knights of St. John of Jerusalem were given South, or Sarnes (?), Barnet (modern Whetstone and Friern Barnet) by a Bishop of London during the twelfth century, the Charter being confirmed by King John, as was the custom, when he came to the throne in the 1199.

Can we take the history of Friern Barnet back before 1199? There is, I am afraid, little firm documentary evidence. Friern was not mentioned in Domesday Book, though that does not necessarily mean that there was no settlement there. The area may have been under the jurisdiction of the Abbey of St Albans at the time of the Norman Conquest. Fritheric, Abbot of St Albans, defied William the Conqueror and fled to Ely; so the King confiscated all the Abbey lands. Friern was granted by William to the Bishop of London, and its omission from Domesday may be because it was considered as a detached part of the Bishop’s Manor of Fulham.

Until the Dissolution of the monasteries in 1539 the Manor remained in the hands of the Knights. After 1539 Henry VIII granted it to the Dean and Chapter of St. Paul’s.

The above brief account shows that many pieces are still missing from the early history of Friern Barnet; this is equally true of his later history after the Dissolution. Various references give flashes of information. Sir John Popham is said to have lived, while Lord Chief Justice of England (1592-1607), at the Manor House; Queen Elizabeth may have stayed there on her travels between London and Hatfield; important people such as Sir Walter Raleigh and Sir Francis Bacon have traditionally been linked with the Manor, but as yet I have not proved these connections.

Page 4

The tenancy picture becomes a little clearer in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, but a new problem arises. A large landowner, John Bacon, leased the Manor from St. Pauls in 1783. Plans showed his house to have been south of the parish church. Why, then, is a building to the north of the church (today it is the clubhouse of the North Middlesex Golf Club) labelled as the Manor House from the mid nineteenth century onwards?

We know that the friar’s hospice, near the church, became the Manor House and that Bacon leased and lived in the Manor House, called Friern House. A Field Book and Plan 1780-3 shows his property as lying south of the church. His obituary in the “Gentleman’s Magazine” of 1816 states that he died “at the Manor House of the Old Priory at Friern Barnet.” Lysons, in his “Environs of London” (1795) describes the Manor house as “a very ancient structure” which had undergone many alterations while still retaining vestiges of ecclesiastical buildings, particularly cloisters. Therefore the Manor House, the original home of the friars, was south of the church, in the grounds of the present Friary Park.

What then was the other Manor House, north of the church? The Field Book and Plan suggest an answer. They show that the main building north of the church was called Manor Farm House, occupied at the time of John Bacon’s death in 1816 by his son, John William Bacon. After 1816 the estates were held in chancery and much litigation occurred; there was even a special Act of Parliament. Some time between 1816 and about 1830 John Bacon’s Manor House was destroyed. It seems probable that, the real Manor House having gone, the word “Farm” was dropped from the name of the building north of the church, and this became known as “the Manor House”. The change was probably perpetuated when John Miles, a man of wealth and a public benefactor, bought the Manor Farm property in 1851. It is his lands that now form the North Middlesex Golf Club. The publication of the Ordnance Survey 25 ins. map of Middlesex, surveyed in 1862-3, completed the change of name, by showing the Golf Clubhouse, then the home of Miles, in clear outline, labelled “Manor House”.

This is as far as research has gone at the moment. What I have not mentioned is the number of historical side-tracks which have had to be investigated, in order to ensure that they were not, in fact, part of the main highway of the story. One such, for instance, was the recurring tale of an underground passage, built originally by the friars, from the Manor House to the Church of St. James. This sounded a feasible story, but the so-called “evidence” for it turned out to be that the bricked up entrance to the passage was said to have been seen years ago in the cellars of the Golf Clubhouse — i.e., in the cellars of a house that didn’t exist when the Friars were active.

Although many gaps still remain in the Friary’s story, one important fact has been established — that the site of the Medieval buildings should be sought in Friary Park, not elsewhere. In due course, if the Borough of Barnet agrees, HADAS hopes to carry out a resistivity survey in the Park, and thus to establish further evidence for the monastic site.

Meanwhile, if anyone has knowledge of the whereabouts of manuscripts, plans, maps or other sources of information about Friern Barnet — either Manor or Church — I would be most grateful to know of it.

Contributed by Ann Trewick.

Bowes Park Methodist Church

(At the junction of Bowes Road and Palmerston Road, Bowes Park) The registrar of this church, Mr A. J. New has written to ask if any of our members have had links in the past with the Church. Recently completely rebuilt, the church is anxious to regain contact with scattered friends; further information can be obtained by sending a stamped addressed envelope to Mr New.

Page 1

As the Newsletter goes to press we learn that of the Borough has granted HADAS an extension on the Church End site until March 1974. This is good news, although the vagaries of an English winter may cut digging time considerably. This is all the more reason for welcoming all volunteers that can come to help at this excavation, bearing in mind that fog, heavy and persistent rain or snow will cause cancellation. Otherwise the dig will be open on Saturdays from 2.00p.m. to dusk and on Sundays from 10.00a.m. to dusk. For those of you who are free mid-week it will be open on Wednesdays from 10.30a.m. to dusk. Because of special commitments there will be no digging on 17 November nor on 1st or 2nd December.

Christmas Party

Special announcement. There was such a successful social evening last December, that many requests have been received for a repeat occasion this year. The committee have arranged that a Christmas Party will be held on Friday 14 December 1973 from 7.30 to 10.00p.m. at 166 Station Road, NW4 as last year. We hope that the food, drink and games will be as enjoyable as before.

Tickets will cost £0.50 (30p for juniors) and be obtainable from Richard Deacon or at the door on the night. Transport to and from the party can be arranged if requested. Dorothy Newbury will be running a Tombola during the evening and will be very grateful for suitable gifts for this.

Brockley Hill Weekend

Last winter’s two weekend work-ins on pottery from the Brockley Hill Roman kiln site proved so useful and popular that on 1st/2nd December next a further working week end will be held at the Tea House, Northway, NW11. We must record again how greatly indebted HADAS is to Mr John Enderby and the Hampstead Garden Suburb Institute for the use of the Tea House, an ideal venue for this kind of project.

Members who are interested in helping to sort, collate, index and study these finds are invited to attend between 10 and 1 and 2.30 and 5.30 on both Saturday and Sunday 1st/2nd December. Experienced and inexperienced workers will be welcome, but as accommodation is limited would you kindly inform the Hon. Secretary beforehand if you propose to take part, so that if necessary a rota system can be introduced.

Lectures

Our lecture on 4th December will be on “Developments in Industrial Archaeology” and will be given by Paul Carter, a dedicated worker in the field of Industrial Archaeology. At the end of this newsletter is an article describing his new project in the Borough of Barnet. Once again we regret that the Hendon Library is not able to house us, so that this lecture will be given at St. Mary’s Church House, Church End, NW4 at 8.15p.m.

On 6 December HADAS Chairman, Councillor B. A. Jarman will be presiding over a lecture given by Lady Wheeler on “The Egypt of the Pharaohs” at 8.15. Entrance is free. This engagement is noted as being held in the Hendon Library, but alternative arrangements will be made if the building is not yet available for public use.

Exhibition

At Church Farm House Museum from 20 October until 25 November, there will be on show “Police Uniforms of the World”. Part of a private collection, this material has been featured on television in several countries and ranges from very early material such as uniforms of Bow Street Runners and “Peelers”, manacles, leg-irons from the eighteenth century down to the more recent uniforms of British and foreign police forces.

Page 2

News from HADAS

Recently HADAS passed a landmark in its history. We acquired our 200th member. Membership today is the highest we have ever had. The Society offers a warm welcome to all who have joined since last May, and hopes that they will enjoy their membership and find many opportunities for taking part in the Society’s various activities. New members are: —

Mrs. Janet Abrey, Hendon; Michael Bird, Finchley; John Bowman, Edgware; P. J. J. Corrigan, Edgware; Albert Dean, Hendon; Mr & Mrs de Launay, Edgware; Christopher Doe, Hendon; Angela Fine, Hendon; Francesca Frachi, Golders Green; Mr. & Mrs. Hadley, Kenton; Miss Una Hall, Hendon; Miss Barbara Hobden, Finchley; Charles and Mark Howard, Hampstead; Miss Ann Kimber, North Finchley; Miss Rebecca Klein, Hendon, Hendon; Mrs. Sophia Kroll, Golders Green; Jonathan Jones, Woodside Park; A. J. Lamport, Hendon; Gerard Leonard, Cricklewood; Dr. Ruth Lever, Elstree; Mrs. Lissack, Garden Suburb; Miss Linda McKiernan, Hendon; Anthony Maddison, Hendon; Miss Nina Mallett, Hendon; Jonathan Martin, Hendon; Dermot Musgrove, Finchley; Miss Hilary Nicholls, N2; Miss Fiona Plumley, Barnet; Clive Smith, Hendon; Mrs. A. Smullen, Hendon; Miss C. Stavrou, Balham; Arther Stutt, Golders Green; Miss Dorothy Thomas, Finchley; Mr. A. V. Turner, Garden Suburb.

The Treasurer is going through the lists of present members and will be most grateful if anyone who has not yet paid their subscription for the current year will immediately post it to him. It will save postage money and a great deal of time if he does not have to send reminders out to all members to renew their subscriptions.

It has been suggested that if members collect all British and Overseas stamps that come into their hands, it would be a way for the Society to make a small profit. Stamps can be carefully torn off envelopes and brought to lectures or meetings for Richard Deacon, the Treasurer. When a sufficient number has been acquired he will take them to a stamp dealer for realisation.

Autumn Book Feature

Contributed by Celia Gould.

“The Archaeology of the Industrial Revolution” Brian Bracegirdle and a distinguished list of contributors, published by Heinemann. This is the first photographic record in colour of the remains of our industrial past — canals, railways, docks, mines, factories and hundreds of other sites and artefacts. More of special interest to industrial archaeologists, the selling price £6.50 may all but the most enthusiastic! There will be a Paladin paperback published and the end of November on “Industrial Archaeology” by Arthur Raistrick for 75p.

Members whose curiosity concerning the mysterious Etruscan civilisation may have been aroused by the recent “Chronicle” programme on BBC2 may like to read “The Search for the Etruscans” by James Wellard, recently published by Nelson. Illustrated in black and white and full colour, the book brings together all the available evidence to reconstruct a picture of Etruscan society and achievement. (£4.50 hardback — Sphere paperback £1.95)

“Petra” by Ian Browning, published by Chatto and Windus at £5. With 200 photographs, drawings, maps and archaeological reconstructions, this book aims to offer general readers and archaeologists an introduction to one of the most remarkable cities of the ancient world.

The Illustrated Paladin paperback edition of V. Gordon Child’s “The Dawn of European civilisation” has been published at £1.

For a fascinating account of the Aztecs try “The Aztecs” by Nigel Davies (Published by Macmillan) or “The Ancient Sun Kingdoms of the Americas” by Victor Von Hagen.

Page 3

BUY-A-MAP for HADAS

The October Newsletter described the problem the Society faces in completing its collection of 25 ins. O.S. for maps of the Borough. A Finchley member, Margaret Musgrove, reacted quickly — and generously — to the emergency. She wrote:

I see the Society needs 25 ins. O.S. maps. I enclose a cheque for you to buy on my behalf a map of your choice for the Society to keep, with — if you think it a good idea — my name at recorded on it. Perhaps if other members had the idea of giving money for maps to be lodged in their name with HADAS, the Society could complete its collection of maps quite soon, in the same way as one buys a brick for rebuilding a church. The recording of the name of the donor would make one feel one had a personal interest in the collection. By the way, my “map offer” made no whole in my pocket; the money came from trading stamps redeemed by my friendly local grocer. Glory without sacrifice!

Hot on the heels of this letter two new members, Jules and Louise de Launay telephoned. “We’d like to make a donation as well as our subscription,” they said.”A sort of entrance fee to the Society. We suggest you use it to buy maps.” And along came the cheque for two maps.

The Committee, delighted with the idea, resolved to invite other members to join the scheme forthwith. If, therefore, you would like to “BUY-A-MAP” for HADAS, will you send the Hon. Treasurer £1 for the purchase of a single sheet of the 25 ins. O.S. somewhere in the Borough of Barnet. The O.S. 25 ins. maps are now published only in double sheets, so each double will be shared by two donors. In fact, if a single sheet were available alone, it would cost 82 1/2 p. But we suggest £1 as an easier contribution to send by post. The additional 17 1/2p will go to swell a general map-fund, and donations to this fund from those who wish to contribute less than £1 will be most welcome. An artist member, William Morris, has kindly offered to design a sticker which can be put on the corner of each subscribed map, recording the donor’s name.

Industrial Archaeology in Barnet Project

by Paul Carter.

One aspect of archaeology that has come to prominence in recent years is industrial archaeology. But many people are not too clear what is meant by industrial archaeology. There seemed to be a number of conflicting thoughts as to what is or is not within the realms of the subject. Dr. R. A. Buchanan in his book “Industrial Archaeology in Britain” says “… that industrial archaeology is a field of study concerned with investigating, surveying, recording, and in some cases, with preserving “industrial monuments”. For the purposes of this definition an “industrial monument” is any relic of an obsolete phase of an industry or transport system.” He then goes on to comment that although in some cases this could mean going back to Neolithic flint mines, in practice, and because of the sheer mass of material dating from the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, attention is mainly confined to the relics of the last 200-250 years.

Until now the Society has not looked in detail at industrial archaeology in Barnet, although a certain amount has been done, mainly by members of the Research Committee. Now the Society is to undertake, under the joint direction of two of our members, Alec Jeakins and Paul Carter, a systematic investigation of this aspect of the Borough’s archaeology. The Project which will be carried out over the next two to three years, has three main aims:

Page 4

1) to locate and compile an adequate record of the industrial archaeological remains within the London Borough of Barnet, and to understand their significance;

2) to house this record in the most satisfactory manner, so that it is both safe, and as accessible as possible to future researchers;

3) to collect enough material on the subject to enable the Society to produce a booklet, in line with previous Society publications.

Although from time to time it may be necessary for there to be Group field-work sessions, either because of imminent demolition, or because of the size of the feature, normally it will be the practice to encourage much of the work to be carried out by individuals working alone or in small groups. Provided there is adequate co-ordination and a general overall direction this method can be employed very successfully in a project of this type, for unlike the majority of archaeological activities in the field, work of this sort can be undertaken any time, when time permits. This is very important to those members who are engaged in other Society activities, such as excavation.

Quite a lot has already been done on aspects of Barnet’s industrial archaeology, and one of the first jobs of the Project Group is to find out what has been done and where the results of this fieldwork are published. In recent Society Newsletters there has been an article by Ted Sammes on Milestones within the Borough, and a William Morris reported an unusual post box. London Transport publications include “Sixty Years of the Northern” which includes quite a lot of material on the railway between Golders Green and Edgware, including several photographs of Golders Green and Hendon Central stations. All these, and many other sources have got to be indexed. The Group is obviously going to be busy!

Until the coming of the railways began to turn Barnet into part of Suburbia, the area was mainly agricultural, and this is one of the first areas of study the Project Group will look at, locating and recording the remaining farms or former farms and related industries. The Northern part of the Borough around Arkley and Totteridge still retains much of its rural character, and these areas should particularly be worth closer study. The Borough’s hospitals are another aspect that will be looked at, as many are likely to have their own electricity generating plant, and this is sometimes quite old.

Already the Project Directors have contacted some Society members who are known to have undertaken some work in the I.A. field, or expressed an interest in Post-Medieval Archaeology, but if you haven’t been contacted directly, but would like to help either contact the Project Directors, via Alec Jeakins, or come along to the first Project Group meeting, which will be on Friday 23 November at 8.00p.m. at 166, Station Road, NW4. Alec and Paul will be most happy to see you, and don’t worry if you think you know nothing about this aspect of archaeology – you will find out you will be able to help.

Page 1

After a long and dry summer that we hope will have given members a tonic climate, they will enjoy the winter programme that is planned. It has been a busy and energetic some for many members, since apart from the usual outings there was an extra one for which an account appears later in this newsletter. The Dig Has Been Proceeding Near St. Mary’s Church In Hendon, And It Is Hoped that Ted Sammes will give a report on this in our next newsletter. Details of the last outing for this season — to Middleton Stoney and Blenheim Palace — on 15 September are enclosed, and we do hope that members will join in force, thus continuing their splendid record for the current season.

Lectures

The important point for members to note is that we are now reverting to our 1normal practise of holding lectures on the first Tuesday of the month. This was in anticipation of are returning to the Hendon Library, but unfortunately the alterations there are not yet complete and our opening lecture will therefore be given in the lower hall at St. Mary’s Church House, Church End, Hendon, at 8.15 p.m of turned for 8.30 p.m. on Tuesday 2 October 1973, when one of our members, Mr Eric Grant, will speak on “The St. Ninian’s Isle Treasure” — the discovery of an eight century silver hoard in Shetland. Subsequent lectures are set out below and it is hoped that they will be held at the library from November onwards at 8.15 p.m. for 8.30 p.m.

1973 November 6 The Changing Face of the English Countryside, by Dr. E. M. Yates

December 4 Developments in Industrial Archaeology, by Paul Carter

1974 January 1 Field Archaeology – Recognition of Sites and Problems Associated with Motorway Building, by Harvey Sheldon and Bernard Johnson

February 5 Rome and the East, by Malcolm A. R. Colledge

March 5 Documents and Manuscripts in the Westminster Abbey Library, by N. H. MacMichael

April 2 Verulamium, by D. Gareth Davies.

The Railway and Canal Historical Society have sent us notice of a Public Lecture entitled “Road Transport and its relevance to Waterway and Railway History” to be given by Professor T. C. Barker, M.A., Ph.D., in the Lecture Hall of the Science Museum, SW7 on Saturday 6 October at 5.30 p.m. Admission free but by ticket only, obtainable from: A. C. F. Hadfield.

Study Courses

1. Diploma in Archaeology

Early Man (Year 1). This course is primarily concerned with the hunting peoples of the Pleistocene epoch and their natural background. It also provides a broad introduction to archaeology (Weds. 7.30-9.30 – Desmond M. Collins, M.A.)

The Archaeology of Western Asia (Year 2). From the beginnings of settlement and early farming communities through the period leading up to the first cities in the Near East. (Tuesdays 7.30-9.30 – D. Price Williams, B.A.)

2 Geneaology and Palaeography – an introductory course discussing early examples of pedigree, Census Returns, Parish Registers, Wills, etc. Palaeography and its sources will also be considered and a visit arranged to the College of Arms. (Thursday 8-9.30 p.m. – Stella Colwell, B. A.)

Golders Green Library

Roman Archaeology (Tuesdays 8 p.m. – Mrs. M. M. Roxan)

Barnet College

Certificate in Field Archaeology – Course 2 – Field archaeology and the Romano-British period in S.E. England. (J. J. Schwiese – Weds. 7 p.m.)

Institute of Classical Studies

Roman Pottery (Mons. From 24th September – R. A. H. Farrer, M.A.)

Institute of Archaeology

The European Early Ice Age (Mons from 7th January 1974 – J. A. Alexander M.A., Ph.D.) For

Page 2

The Diploma in Archaeology

Contributed by Liz Holliday

For the student of Archaeology, the London University Diploma course is both challenging and stimulating. A word of warning however — it is not a course to undertake lightly. Students are not obliged to sit for the examinations, but if you decide to do so eligibility is determined by the standards of completed written work, attendance at classes and visits arranged during the year. Preparation of written work necessitates a good deal of the reading and after the first year frequent visits to specialist libraries (e.g. Institute of Archaeology) are essential. Granting of the Diploma also depends on attendance at authorised training digs. Personally I have found the lectures most interesting and I have certainly learnt a great deal.

Visit to Woodchester Roman Pavement

Contributed by Anne Thompson.

Our party of 52 were among the 70,000 visitors this summer to the little village of Woodchester near Stroud, which is in the news this year for uncovering its fourth century Roman mosaic pavement, considered the finest example north of the Alps for its size and degree of elaboration. A rich 64-roomed courtyard villa once occupied the wooded site and much of it still awaits discovery. Only this one room is on view this year, a massive task in itself to remove the 2-3 feet of earth overlying it. The now disused churchyard covered the site and it is surprising that the pavement was not even more damaged by the operations of grave-diggers. Well known by tradition, it was excavated by Samuel Lysons in 1794 and only uncovered five times since (the last time in 1963). On each occasion it was filled in again as the most effective and economical means of preservation. 27 August will be the last opportunity to see this splendid work, open to the public daily.

The 48′ square pavement as a design of concentric circles, depicting birds and wild animals subdued by the music of Orpheus — a tantalising glimpse of his cloak, leg and lyre only are visible. Creatures such as a bear, tiger and tigress, lion, stag, leopard and wild boar are lovingly shown in the circular frieze, surrounded by a flowing circular design with a head of Neptune, and a whole wealth of elaborate abstract patterns in the surrounding square area. On the edge of the outside circle four pillars held up the roof, with two lively sea-nymphs shown on the mosaic.

Proceeding to Cirencester we were shown round the interesting Beeches Road site, where excavations over the past few years brought to light two 3rd/4th century Roman town houses. A delightful mosaic floor found here, depicting a hare in the centre of an abstract design, is in the Corinian Museum that we later visited. The style is similar to Woodchester, and Cirencester (Roman Corinium) is considered possibly the greatest of the three or four “schools” of mosaic, with craftsmen supplying the numerous villa’s of this very wealthy area. Mosaic work is an art of which Britain possesses some of the best examples in the Roman Empire.

In those days second only to London in size, Corinium was sited at the meeting point of three roads, and was once a walled fort with a grid street plan underlying the present town centre. Objects found over the years are well displayed. A beautiful mosaic floor depicting the Seasons was brought up from under the present day Dyer Street, which lies over the Roman Ermin street. A most enjoyable walk through the town was led by Miss Barker and Mr Jackson of the Cirencester Archaeological and Historical Society. I was attracted especially by the charming streets of this quiet town, such as Cicily Hill leading to Cirencester Park, and Coxwell Street with its stone-built would-staplers’ homes from the seventeenth century. Finally we were shown the very large fifteenth century Parish Church, built from the wealth of wool merchants. Of particular interest was a superb “wine glass” type pulpit of the period, unique for its open tracery and painted in pink, green and gold. There is much to see on further visits — time did not permit us to view the amphitheatre site where hundreds of Roman skeletons are being unearthed.

Our thanks are due to Jeremy Clynes whose hard work in preparation and cheerful guidance made it such an enjoyable outing, and one we shall remember with pleasure.

Page 3

The Neeld Saga

From notes compiled by George W. Ingrams.

The Saga began, as you may remember, in the last Newsletter, with the story of Philip Rundell, jeweller and one of England’s first millionaires, who was buried in Hendon St. Mary’s churchyard in 1827. He left much of his huge fortune, including land in Hendon, to a great-nephew, Joseph Neeld.

This Joseph Neeld — who will call Joseph junior — was one of five brothers, sons of and Joseph Neeld senior (1754-1828) and his wife, Mary, nee Bond (1765-1857). This couple had been married in Hendon Parish Church and brought up their family in Hendon. Joseph senior’s vault is in St. Mary’s churchyard, not far from that of Philip Rundell; the vault of his wife’s family, the Bonds, is nearby, and it contains, too, a Neeld grandson, Edward died in 1808, aged two.

Joseph junior was 38 when he inherited his uncle’s wealth. One of his first actions was to buy himself the Manor of Grittleton, near Chippenham, in Wiltshire, and to stand for Parliament. He became Member for Chippenham, and began to alter and enlarge the seventeenth century Manor House. Money, time, labour and thought were to be spent on this virtually new house over a period of 30 years. “It is really sad,” wrote a local historian years later, “that it should have resulted in the creation of something as hideous as Grittleton House.

Within three years of his inheritance, too, Joseph married Lady Caroline Ashley Cooper, eldest daughter of the 6th Earl of Shaftesbury and sister of the 7th Earl, the famous philanthropist who is commemorated by the statue of Eros in Piccadilly Circus.

The marriage seems from the start to have been ill-fated. In July 1831, this paragraph appeared in the Morning Herald: “Mr. and Lady Caroline Neeld. These distinguished parties, whose union has not turned out as happy as was expected, were united on 1 January of the present year at Warwick Castle in the presence of the nearest connections of the noble bride. The auspicious ceremony … had not long taken place e’er it was publicly rumoured that if a separation had not already taken place – it was on the eve of being effected.” There followed much washing in public of dirty matrimonial linen, in a series of court cases — one for restitution of conjugal rights by Lady Caroline, followed six months later by her suit for divorce on the grounds of cruelty. The Wiltshire Gazette headlined the revelations of the Neelds’ family life as “The Farce of Low Life above Stairs”. Lady Caroline failed in her divorce, but a separation was arranged.

A century later it had come down as a tradition in the Neeld family that the marriage began to break up on that day in January 1831 when Joseph and Lady Caroline arrived back at Grittleton from their honeymoon. She asked the name of the little girl who was playing about the place; he replied that she was Anne Marie Neeld, his natural daughter by a beautiful French woman. Whether or not that really did cause the break-up it is certain that the little girl was brought up at Grittleton — and she re-appears later in the Neeld story.

Joseph Neeld had no legitimate children. When he died in 1856, he left a Will which laid down specifically the future of the Neeld fortune. This went first to his brother John, by then the only survivor of the five brothers, who was M.P. for Cricklade and was later created a baronet.

Page 4

One John’s death the Neeld properties — now greatly increased, and still including a large part of Central Hendon — were to pass to the oldest of John’s six sons and his male heirs; then to the second son and his heirs, and so on. When John Neeld died in 1891, his heir was Algernon William Neeld, his eldest son. In 1900 the estate passed to Audley Dallas Neeld, John’s third son, who died in 1941, aged 92 — the last of John’s six sons.

There was then that no male Neeld heir; nor did Mrs. Boldero, Joseph junior’s sister, have any male issue; and under the terms of a Joseph’s will the properties past to the last person he named when he laid down the lines of descent — to the heirs of Anne Maria, the little girl who had played at Grittleton.

She had married, in 1844, Colonel Inigo William Jones (whether or not he was connected with the famous architect has not been established). She died in 1889. In 1942, Lionel Inigo-Jones (there was a hyphen by then), her descendant, succeeded to the property and changed his name to Neeld; and on his death in 1956, the property passed to his brother Ralph Inigo-Jones.

This story of inheritance and other links with a Manor in Wiltshire, has given modern Hendon many street names. The first Neeld residential property was a row of small terraced houses at the West Hendon end of Station Road, where an inset stone inscribed “Neeld Terrace – 1870” can still be seen. During the time of the extension of the Underground Railway from Golders Green to Hendon the Neelds developed a triangle of land between Station Road, Park Road and Hendon Way. A cluster of names commemorates the family:

Algernon Road, after Algernon William Neeld, John’ eldest son

Audley Road and Dallas Road, after Audley Dallas, the third son

Elliott Road, after Elliott Arthur, the 6th son

Graham Road, after Mortimer Graham, the 5th son.

Rundell Crescent, after Reginald Rundell, 4th son, named for Philip Rundell.

The only son who is not commemorated is the second, Edward John, who died in 1862 at the age of 17.

There are, too, Neeld Crescent and Vivian Avenue, after the Hon. Edith Vivian, wife of Sir Audley.

And carrying forward the links of the Neelds with Wiltshire, are these street names, all connected with places on the Grittleton Estate:

Alderton Crescent

Foscote Road

Sevington Road

Allington Road

At the foot of the bell-tower in Hendon St. Mary’s a gilt-lettered board refers to a codicil in the Will of Joseph Neeld of Grittleton, dated May 28, 1855. £500 was to be invested in 3% consols, the interest to go to the upkeep of the vaults of Philip Rundell, Joseph Neeld senior and the Bond family. Joseph junior was buried in a family vault at Leigh Delamere Church (on the Grittleton Estate) which he had rebuilt. Sir Audley and his wife are buried in Grittleton Parish Church.