Leicestershire Archaeological Society 92Nd Annual Report 1946
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THE LEICESTERSHIRE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY NINETY-SECOND ANNUAL REPORT, 1946 YOUR Committee have pleasure in presenting herewith the Annual Report for 1946. As was foreshadowed in the last Annual Report, this, the first complete year of peace, has seen a satisfactory increase in the general activities of the Society. The cessation of hostilities throughout the world has naturally not resulted in a return to pre war conditions. An upheaval of such magnitude, disrupting as it has the whole fabric of society, has introduced in the space of a few years changes as profound as would h::i.ve taken as many generations under settled conditions. Moreover, tht return to ,peace has by no means removed at a bound the limitations and restrictions incurred during the war; it is becoming, indeed, ever more apparent that many of these difficulties will persist lor an indefinite period. Your Committee and its Sub-Committees have accordingly given a great deal of thought to the problem of how best to forward the interests of the Society in the changed conditions now prevailing. In the event, a great deal of useful work has been accomplished and it may safely be said that the end of the year finds the Society in a flourishing and active state. During the period under review several lectures were arranged. After the annual meeting in May Mr. Frank Cottrill conducted mem bers round the Anglo-Saxon Exhibition at the Leicester Museum and discoursed in the most able manner upon the numerous exhibits~ To facilitate this lecture the Museum authorities kindly placed their council room at the Society's disposal, and your Committee particu larly wish to express their gratitude. Later in the year Dr. W. G. Hoskins gave another of his greatly appreciated lectures. The subject was "Local Architecture and Local History'', and numerous slides illustrating buildings of interest were shewn. It was found possible during the summer to arrange two excursions. The first of these, taken in June, was fo a number of the more important Leicester churches, and was conducted by that XVI, LEICESTERSHIRE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY great authority Professor Hamilton Thompson, D.Litt., F.S.A., who talked in his usual delightful manner, condensing the most astonishing amount of detailed information into. a series of ex tremely entertaining addresses. .Tea was taken during the tour. The second excursion, made in September, was to Oakham and Langham. Mr. Albert Herbert, F.S.A., conducted members round Oakham Castle and later the Church, and delivered in each a short and authoritative address. The Vicar, the Rev. C. 0. R. Wormald, also spoke at the church, and later exhibited certain manuscripts of historical interest. After tea, members visited Langham church, where Mr. Herbert again acted as guide. Both the lectures and the excursions were well attended, and your Committee wish to thank the speakers whose erudition and researches were so happily placed at the disposal of members. It is also recognised that the organisation of these excursions involves a great deal of painstaking work and the Excursions Sub-Committee are to be congratulated upon the success with which their endeavours were attended. The fourth and concluding part of Volume XXII of Transactions was published during the early part of the year. The principal contents were: - The Deserted Villages of Leicestershire, by Dr. W. G. Hoskins, M.Sc. (Econ.), Ph.D. Beaumanor and its Lords and their Connexions, by Mr. S. H. Skillington, F.S.A., with a preface by Sir Robert Martin, C.M.G., M.A., and a hitherto unpublished plan, with an interesting note, on the Premonstratensian Abbey of Croxton, by Mr. Albert Herbert, F.R.I.B.A., F.S.A., based upon a communication sent to him by Sir Alfred Clapham, C.B.E., F.B.A., F.S.A. Your Committee feel that this publication worthily upholds the high standard of the rest of the volume, and wish to express their thanks to the contributors and to Sir Alfred Clapham for permission to make use of his material. Your Committee are watching with care the effect of the city's planning proposals, so far as they are at present known, upon ancient Leicester. Certain of these proposals give rise to some anxiety as to the fate of notable buildings or landmarks, and repre sentations have been made in the appropriate quarters in cases REPORT XVll, where it is felt that the circumstances demand it. In particular, · concern is felt at the possibility that No. 18 Highcross Street may be threatened by the inner ring road scheme. Not only does this building possess an unusually pleasant and well proportioned 18th century front, one of the very few now left to the city, but behind this exists a unique 16th-century building. The whole of the notable painted* glass from this part of the building is preserved at Leicester Museum and forms the subject of an authoritative and interesting paper by Mr. Rushforth. The house is believed, on what seems good evidence, to have been the dwelling of Roger Wigston, three times mayor, a near relative of Leicester's great benefactor, to whom we owe the Wyggeston Hospital and the Wyggeston School. Wigston and Wyggeston are the same name, which was formerly spelt, as other names were, in a great variety of ways. Your Committee feel that it is of the utmost importance that the attention of the thinking public should be directed to this matter, and joint action has been concerted with the Leicester Literary and Philosophical Society towards ensuring that so im portant a heritage shall be preserved. Many members may have noted that in Dr. Hoskins's book The Heritage of Leicestershire, published towards the end of the year, there was a small advertisement of the Society. A good deal of interest has been aroused thereby amongst readers who were unaware of the existence of the Society, and it s~ems probable that a number of new members may be forthcoming. Yohr Committee wish to express their thanks to the publisher, Mr. Edgar Backus, who kindly placed the space in Dr. Hoskins's book at the Society's disposal. With the object of adding to the convenience of the Library, your Committee have appointed Miss Ludlam to act as assistant librarian and secretary, and as a result members can now use the Library every Monday between 2 and 4 p.m., instead of only before meetings or by appointment with the hon. librarian as before. In view of the large amount of valuable material in the Society's collection of books it is felt that this arrangement will be greatly appreciated by students. *It may be of interest to members to know that The Society's Transactions, Vol. IV, parts 2 and 3 {1869775), contain a paper by T. North, F .S.A., on this painted glass ; the paper is illustrated by 26 coloured lithographs. XVlll. LEICESTERSHIRE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY During the year the following new members were elected : - Bentley, Mrs. W., 46 Lutterworth Road, Leicester Birmingham University Library, Edmund Street, Birmingham Bown, T. 0., Esq., High Leas, Evington Lane, Leicester Bradshaw, D., Esq., 8 Sudeley Avenue, Leicester Bray, D. C., Esq., 13 Eastcourt Avenue, Leicester Brown, Miss Annie, 40 Stanfell Road, Leicester Carson, S. H., Esq., 38 Evington Park Road, Leicester Cartwright, the Rev. S. H., Kegworth Rectory, Leicestershire Carvell, J. P., Esq., 78 Linden Drive, Evington, Leicester Coates, J. W., Esq., Knox Leather Co., Ltd., 87 Welford Road, Leicester Collin, H. A. V., Esq., Ivy House, Farm, Rearsby, Leicester Crooks, John, Esq., 36 Spinney Rise, Birstall Duncan, Mrs., 21 Knighton Grange Road, Leicester Gray, A. S., Esq., Weir Lodge, Kibworth Beauchamp Ingle, the Rev. F. T., M.A., B.D., All Saints' Vicarage, Leicester Kirby, W. H., Esq., Glenford Grange, Blaby Kirkpatrick, Lieut.-Col.' A. W. E., Lowesby Hall Mason, John, Esq,·, 43 Conaglen Road, Aylestone Pateman, H., Esq., 41 Kirby Lane, Kirby Muxloe Pegge, P. W., Esq., Sunnyside, Rotten Row, Lewes, Sussex Roberts, A. K. B., Miss, University College, Leicester Sawday, Hugh, Esq·., Evington House, Evington, Leicester Vice, Mrs. C. ; Enderby Road, Blaby · Victoria & Albert Museum, South Kensington, London, S.W.7 Wells, A. J., Esq;, 129 Hinckley Road, Leicester Willis, Mrs. B. M., The Uplands, Market Harborough . Wykes, Mrs. L., Hampton Lodge, 322 London Road, Leicester Hon. Librarian's Report YOUR library has been maintained in good order during the year, and a rather larger number of members has made use of it both for consultation and for taking out books. The welcome appointment of Miss Ludlam as Assistant Librarian has increased its accessibility by her presence at-the Guildhall each Monday afternoon from 2 to 4. We have thus renewed the arrangement which lapsed during the war when Miss Binns retired. Members wishing to consult books in the library will find Miss Ludlam most helpful. REPORT XIX. The accretions to the library during the year have been chiefly the publications of Societies with whom your Society has an exchange arrangement or to whom it subscribes. Some of these have, like your Society, carried on amid the stresses of War, but others found it necessary to suspend their activities; these are now once more co'ming to life and producing printed work, in spite of the con tinuing paper shortage and expense of printing, which still cause delay and prevent publication as early as could be wished. Amongst 'the works received is Volume Cl of the Archaeological Journal, for 1944, published in May, 1946. It contains articles on the Technique of Air Archaeology, by D. N. Riley, D.F.C.; Comish Bronze Age Pottery; a Roman Walled Cemetery at Col chester; Sidelights on Kenilworth Castle, and other papers, besides reviews, etc.