THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
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Black or Dominican Monks—the last portions of which disappeared in 1663, an
old tree which still flourishes in front of the Baptist Chapel being pointed out as
the sole surviving relic of the Priory garden. In the "Friar's Walk," the spot
where stood the old entry to the grounds was noted, and which was not wholly
taken down until 1856. The members then found themselves in the oldest part of
the town, known as Moulsham or Mulsham. Here some interesting timber houses
with carved work (figured in the "Pictorial World" for September 27th, 1888),
the birth-place of Judge Tindal, the ancient house in Ralph's Yard, and the old
court-yard known as "Myles Place," were inspected. Proceeding along Mildmay
Road, the Mayor led the way to the site of the Roman Villa which was discovered
in 1849, and described by him in the Trans: Essex Archaeol. Society (see above,
p. 144).
Mr. Herbert Marriage then ciceroned the party to the high ground where the
two Moulsham Halls (the seats of the Mildmay family) once stood, but which had
now entirely disappeared, although the sites could be identified by traces of the
foundations ; the kitchen-garden remains, and a venerable-looking apricot tree was
said to be the last of those originally planted. Mr. Marriage pointed out the site
of the old lake of seven acres, the ground being still often flooded in wet
weather.
Retracing their steps to the Baddow Road, Mr. Durrant called attention to the
old "White Hart" Inn, which was formerly a well-known coaching house. In
connection with this house he told the following story :—About fifty or sixty years
ago a man stole the communion plate from Baddow Church, about two miles away,
but being afraid to move on to London, he slept at the old "White Hart," and hid
the plate under his bed. He was apprehended on the following morning, and the
plate was restored to the Church, where it is still in use. The building opposite the
"White Hart" was formerly the gaol, and it was said that the Rev. William Clarke,
rector of Great Waltham, was once confined there. The rector was dissatisfied
with the authorised version of the Bible, and persisted in reading a version of his
own in church. For this he was ejected from his living, and, upon refusing to pay
costs, he was lodged in the gaol. Here he made a peculiar use of his pet Bible,
entering on its pages each morning the number and colour of all the coach
horses as they left the inn opposite. This Bible is now in the possession of
Col. Lucas.
Passing up Moulsham Street, the old-fashioned wooden front of the Cross Keys
Inn was noticed, and the party proceeded into Springfield Road. Here Mr. Dur-
rant described the "Island of Mesopotamia," for which it used to be the custom
to elect a member on the occasion of every Parliamentary election. Some local
celebrity was always elected, and at the end of the proceedings he was
ducked in the adjoining horse-pond. The party proceeded across the meadows to
Springfield Mill, the birth-place of Strutt, the engraver. Mr. Durrant pointed out
the sites of the old leather and fish markets, the salt market, (recalling the time
when salt was a bonded article, and extremely valuable in inland places) and the
old mansion house, &c.
Re-assembling at the Museum, the members spent an hour in examining the
large collection of Essex prints placed upon the tables by Mr. Durrant, and the
Museum collections, which have recently been carefully re-arranged by Mr. F.
Challis, the assistant-curator. It is impossible to give a detailed account of the
objects exhibited—a tolerably complete list will be found in Mr. Miller Christy's
"Handbook for Essex" pp. 66, 67. Among those specially noticed were the
collection of shells, the geological specimens, Mr. C. Smoothy's loan-collection of
M