106 THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
of the excavations which have been going on for the past two or three years,
including an adult human skull, cinerary urns, necklace of beads, fibulas, sword,
spear-head, &c. The majority of the relics were probably Saxon, but one pot
certainly appeared to be British ware, and Dr. Laver has described a Roman coffin,
hewn out of a solid block of oolitic limestone, from the same site. (See G. F.
Beaumont in E. N.. ii., p. 124 ; also Nat. Hist. Journal, xiii., 42—3.)
On the hill-side east of Kelvedon Bridge, the brow of an old river-cliff of Boulder
Clay protrudes through the Post Glacial gravels which mask its face and cover
the ground above it; unfortunately no good exposure exists just here. There is
a large brickyard, half-a-mile southward, on the road to Inworth, where the
Boulder Clay is used. On the railway near Feering, the bank-like form of the
Post Glacial gravel, rising above a flat of Boulder Clay, is in singular contrast
with its usual gradual sloping away. The floor of the railway cutting is clay,
the sides gravel.
The ramblers then came to the picturesque village of Feering on rising ground
overlooking the Blackwater Valley. The church (All Saints') has an interesting
porch of moulded red-brick sixteenth century work, and a niche over the south
door (see illustration in "Pictorial World" of date above mentioned). The chief
features of the church were pointed out by the rector, the Rev. W. J. Packe,
notably in N. aisle, the tomb of red-brick, and some old stained glass ; an
Elizabeth-rose in window in S. aisle (there was said to be another in one of the
windows at Feeringbury, once occupied by Ridley and Bonner); coffin-lid
(discovered behind the organ), trefoiled piscina, and an ancient stoup. The
rector read two letters which throw some light on the state of Church matters
and the feeling of Churchmen in Essex two centuries and a half ago. These
two letters were addressed to the Bishop of London by the Rev. Robert Aylett,
LL.D., who lived at Feering Hall, one being dated at that place, 30th Sept.,
1632, and the other 24th Feb., 1629. Dr. Aylett, who was made Master of the
Faculties in 1642, seems to have been a many-sided man. He published several
works in verse and prose, and was an eloquent preacher and a good man of
business. A brass tablet to the memory of his wife (who died Dec. 13th, 1623)
still exists over the vestry door.
A sentence or two from the letters may be quoted. This is from that of 1632 :—
" My most honourable good Lord,—I have yett no certainty of ye successe of
ye commission in our division for St. Paul's. This onely, I find ye people at
Colchester like them of Ephesus ; their Diana is their liberty, and none but their
Town-clerke can appease their tumult. Without a letter to ye Bayliffe's, St.
Paul's cause will have small favour."
So much for Colchester. Prospects were not much better in other parts of the
county :—
" In ye other division about Chelmsford and Dunmow, it falls out, unhappily,
ye officials visit this year ecclesiatim, and so compell ye several parishes to build
and repair their own parish churches, which is likely to hinder ye Cathedrall."
From the other letter—that of 1629—we extract the following :—
"My honourable good Lord,—I was last Tuesday at Chelmsford Lecture,
where Mr. South of Writtle preached, who in handling ye chief point of his text,
Peace, criticall spoke so pertinently of ye schisme of inconformity, and so gently
advised them all to peace that ye principal Lawer of ye toune told me as he
came out of Church a few such excellent sermons would bring again the people
in love with Conformity. I was bold to thank ye preacher in your Lordship's
name, assuring him your Lordship upon occasion would confirme it. I saw there