NOTES—ORIGINAL AND SELECTED. 101
ago, in great part by earth removed from one end of the mound. The original
symmetry can be well made out in spite of this mutilation.
The name is probably derived from its being a trysting-place of the Quakers
under the old Five Mile Act, it being rather more than five miles from the
nearest market town (Braintree). It has been suggested that it is an early
British Barrow.—J. French, Felstead.
Supposed Earthquake Shock in Essex.—Our member, Dr. J. C. Thresh,
Medical Officer of Health for the Maldon and Chelmsford Rural Sanitary
Authorities, stated in the local papers that a slight shock of earthquake was felt
by himself and household at the "Limes," Chelmsford at twenty-two minutes to
twelve on Friday morning, May 27th.
Dr. Thresh has furnished the following particulars :—'"Time 11.37. Sat at
my desk, heard subterranean rumbling ; house shaken most distinctly. Went to
some workmen who are enlarging my house, and one of them had been telling
another that he was certain that it was an earthquake, as he was looking out of
the window towards Writtle, and he distinctly saw some tremor of the earth (the
shaking of the room would account for this. The man moved up and down, not
the earth). My wife, also, without any suggestion from me, said: 'An earth-
quake!' I remember distinctly the shock felt in Manchester three years ago,
and the house tremor and sound were exactly the same. I cannot tell what was
the direction of the shock. The sound was muffled, and very peculiar—quite
different to thunder."
A correspondent of the "Essex County Chronicle" writes that his wife and
daughter were seated at home at needlework about the time named, and felt and
heard a seismic vibration, so much so that the latter, fearing a thunderstorm
was impending, put her knitting pins away. Several neighbours in Fairfield also
felt the disturbance, and on May 30th, "Jessie Shortt," of Little Baddow, wrote
as follows :—"I felt two distinct though slight shocks here. Feeling so con-
vinced it was an earthquake, I at once looked at the time, which was exactly
twenty minutes to twelve—two minutes later than the time felt in Chelmsford by
Dr. Thresh. I have made inquiries, and am told it was also noticed at
Danbury. I am quite sure it was a slight earthquake, as I have had many
similar experiences abroad."
Another correspondent suggested that the vibration, which was undoubtedly
felt, was caused by the discharge of big guns at Shoeburyness; but in answer
to our enquiries, Dr. Thresh writes as follows, under date June 7th :—"A number
of people observed the peculiar noise, but few observed the shock ; probably I
should not, had I not been sitting quietly at my desk. There had been thunder
earlier in the morning, and many persons thought it was merely another distant
peal. The biggest gun ever discharged at Shoeburyness could not cause at
Chelmsford a vibration of the ground such as I felt. It was not an air wave, but
a distinct movement of the earth."
The evidence appears to be conclusive that a noticeable seismic disturbance
occurred in the centre of the county at the time stated. It is much to be
regretted that no instrumental records of these vibrations is yet possible in Essex.
Since the great earthquake of 1884, several shocks have been noticed ; but as
they were all too slight to move objects, or to cause any structural damage, it was
always open to the sceptic to suggest big guns or atmospheric disturbances as
the cause. We think it desirable, however, to put on record all observations
from skilled scientific observers such as Dr. Thresh.