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THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
a preparation for the white-wash, beloved of churchwardens, paintings of Christ,
Mary Magdalen, etc., were discovered, but were of course whited over again. In
restoring the chancel about 1884, a highly interesting and valuable discovery of
religious art decoration was made. The decorations cover the whole of the apsidal
chancel ; they were very skilfully restored by Mr. Daniel Bell, and the Essex
Archaeological Society had drawings made of the whole, which still await publica-
tion. Under the soffite of the chancel arch is the zodiac, a similar example of
which occurs in Salisbury Cathedral and in a very few other churches. On the
ancient door one of the members of the party detected a small fragment of skin,
and in the vestry the rector showed a larger piece which he had taken off the door
some time ago. This skin was undoubted human, and similar remains have been
discovered at Hadstock and at Worcester Cathedral. The fragments afford grim
evidence of the reality of the punishment of flaying for sacrilege in former times,
and the skin was traditionally said to be that of a marauding Dane, whose hide
was tanned and nailed on the Church-door as a warning to like evil doers.
The Hall closely adjoining the church was pointed out as somewhile the
residence of the notorious Bishop Bonner, and it is even said that he planted the
shady walk of trees leading to the church.
Thanking the rector warmly for his kindly aid, a rapid drive back to Colchester
was made, and the party was soon engaged upon a substantial tea at the "Cups
Hotel," preparatory for the evening meeting which was held in the large room of
the inn. Many members and friends had brought specimens, and quite an
interesting exhibition of local natural history, etc., was the result.
At the commencement of the proceedings an Ordinary Meeting (the 90th)
was held, Mr. E. A. Fitch, President, in the chair. The following were elected
members:—Dr. S. Hahnemann, Rev. Lancelot L, Sharpe, B.D., Messrs. J. D.
Cooper, F. Finch, C. F.J. Jennings, and Frederick Watkins.
Mr. G. F. Beaumont exhibited an adult human skull, a cinerary urn, four beads
of red earth ornamented with green and yellow (the ornamentation of two of
them consisting of an encircled snake) a large amber bead, a cross-shaped bronze
fibula, an iron buckle and an iron knife-blade or spearhead, all of which he believed
to be of Saxon date. These remains were exhumed by Mr. Beaumont in the
south corner of a field situate near the river bridge at Kelvedon, and numbered
7 in the Ordnance Survey map for Inworth Parish. M. Beaumont remarked that,
although the ground had been levelled and there were no external signs of barrows,
he had ascertained from an old survey (A.D., 1758) that the field was called
"Barrow Field" and the lane running along its south-west side bore the significant
name of "World's End Lane." The fields numbered 436A and 437 (Ordnance
Survey map, Feering Parish), and which adjoin No. 7 (Inworth Parish) towards
the north, are known as "Barrow Hills." A great many antiquarian articles
similar to those exhibited were found in this locality some years ago, notably in
the disused gravel pit, No. 9, Inworth Parish map, but unfortunately they have
for the most part either been destroyed or lost. Mr. Beaumont announced that he had
decided to hand his exhibits to the Essex Archeological Society for the Colchester
Museum.9
In the course of a conversation on these remains, and others which had been
9 Mr. Beaumont has been followed in his explorations by Mr. Hills, Jun., of Prested Hall,
Feering, and this latter gentleman has recently disinterred many skeletons and a fine collection
of urns, fibulae, beads, a bronze ring, knives, a sword, etc. Mr. Hills has been good enough to
send us an account of his finds, and we trust that they will be carefully preserved, and, if necessary,
described by some specialist.— Ed.