44 THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
Meeting in Furtherance of the Proposed Epping Forest Free
Local Museum.
February 24th, 1894.
As long ago as December 8th, 1883, a meeting, under the chairmanship of
Mr. E. N. Buxton, was held at his house at Buckhurst Hill, to consider a scheme
for the establishment in Queen Elizabeth's Lodge, Chingford, of a Public Local
Museum of Natural History and Antiquities for the Forest Districts and the
County generally (see Report in the "Journal of Proceedings," E.F.C, vol. iv., .
pp. lxvi.—vii.) The meeting was attended by many taking a strong interest in
the Forest, and resolutions in favour of such an institution, and empowering a
Committee to appoint a deputation to wait upon the Conservators to solicit their
active co-operation in the scheme, in conjunction with the Essex Field Club, were
unanimously passed. But unfortunately the Committee appointed was unable to
proceed in the matter beyond the preliminary stages owing to the opposition of a
high official of the Corporation, who refused to entertain the scheme except under
conditions that the Club could not comply with. Although thus checked, the
proposal was not forgotten, and recently the Council of the Club made an
application to the Epping Forest Committee, submitting a scheme for a local
Museum in the Lodge, and asking the Committee to find the capital sum
required for cabinets, cases, etc. A reply was received from the City Solicitor
saying that the Epping Forest Committee "cannot pledge themselves to allow the
Banqueting Room to be used as a permanent Museum, but they are prepared to
entertain any application for the temporary housing of loan collections ot the
kind indicated in the scheme accompanying your letter.' Many local members
and residents being very desirous that a Museum for the Forest should be
established, determined to act upon this qualified permission, and a small Com-
mittee was therefore formed for the purpose of assisting the Council in appealing
for funds to furnish cabinets, cases, etc., and then making another application to
the Conservators, simply asking for the use of the room and approaches, provision
for warming and cleaning of the same, and the services of a caretaker. It was
considered that promises of subscriptions of £150 or £200 would justify the
Club in again approaching the Epping Forest Committee with a distinct proposal,
which the Council had reason to think would be accepted.
An illustrated pamphlet, fully explaining the nature of the proposed Museum,
and detailing the kind of specimens to be exhibited, was prepared by the Com-
mittee,1 and a certain amount of support having been promised, a meeting was
called, in furtherance of the proposal, in the Banqueting Room of the Lodge (by
kind permission of the Superintendent), on Saturday afternoon, February 24th,
1894. The Rev. A. F. Russell was, on the proposal of Mr. C. C. Black, voted
to the chair, and there was a good attendance of scientific gentlemen interested in
the scheme, of local residents, and members of the club. The company included the
following : Professor C. Stewart (Conservator of the Museum of the Royal College
of Surgeons, and President of the Linnean Society), Professor R. Meldola, F.R.S.,
Professor Boulger, F.L.S., F.G.S., Mr. J. E. Harting (Librarian to the Linnean
Society, and editor of the "Zoologist"), Mr. Howard Saunders, F.L.S. (author
of an "Illustrated Manual of British Birds," and editor of "Yarrell"), Rev. W. T.
Dyne, Dr. Shepherd Taylor, Mr. Walter Crouch, Mr. C. C. Black, Rev. W. C.
Howell, Rev. W. L. Wilson, Mr. F. H. Varley, Mr. Porter, Mr. G. Day, Mr. A. P.
1 "An Epping Forest Free Local Museum : a proposal." Buckhurst Hill, 1894.