THE ESSEX MUSEUM OF NATURAL
HISTORY.
AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CORPORATION
OF WEST HAM AND THE ESSEX FIELD
CLUB, AND THE MUNIFICENT GIFT OF
MR. J. PASSMORE EDWARDS.
THE position of the Club's County Museum up to December,
1897, was explained in the Reports of the Council for
1896 and 1897 (Essex Naturalist, vol. x., pp. 18-21 and pp.
251-252) and was commented on by our President, Mr. Howard,
in his annual address (ante p. 245).
At the meeting of the Council of the Club on June 1st, 1897,
the Secretary was empowered to make a proposal to the
Corporation of West Ham in precisely the same terms as that
previously made to the Corporation of Chelmsford, and refused
by them. The Corporation through their Library and
Technical Instruction Committee received the proposal in a
very cordial way, and after obtaining detailed explanation of the
scheme, the Committee officially visited the Epping Forest
Museum at Chingford, on October 19th, 1897. On that occasion
the President, Mr. Howard, and the Secretary demonstrated the
principles of the arrangement of the Museum to the Committee
and gave information as to the plans which were proposed for
the County Museum at Stratford. As a result of these negotia-
tions the Technical Instruction Committee reported at the meet-
ing of the Town Council of West Ham, on the 26th of October,
that they "were decidedly of opinion that it would be
advantageous to the Borough if arrangements could be made lor
the establishment of the County Museum at the Technical
Institute as proposed by the Club."
The original proposal was that rooms should be given in the
Technical Institute for the accommodation of the Museum, but
in the course of a long conference with the Committee in the un-
finished building on October 25th, it was seen that considerable
difficulties would arise on the score of space available for the
purpose, and the final decision of the matter was deferred.