THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB. 115
his presidential address for 1896 Mr. David Howard gave us a
chapter on the water supply of the River Lea viewed in the light
of recent researches (Ibid. IX., 150).
CONCLUSION.
The record of work now summarised is the sequel to the
"Inaugural Address" of 1880. We may claim to have carried
out our programme, and, considering the slender means at our
disposal, I venture to think that our achievements are such as to
reflect credit upon our contributors and upon the Society as a
working body. The Victoria History of the County when com-
pleted will bear testimony to the value of our labours; the
annual catalogue of papers published by the Corresponding
Societies Committee of the British Association bears witness to
our having taken a leading position among the local societies of
this country. Not only is the Club indebted to those members
who by their work have enabled us to realise the objects which
we had in view at the outset, but our obligations to those of the
executive officials who have undertaken the arduous labours of
administration during the past twenty-one years are too great to
be allowed to pass unnoticed on the present occasion. Many
have taken part at various times in this administrative work, but
it will not, I am sure, be considered invidious if I refer to the
fact—well known to you all—that the whole labour of editing the
publications referred to in this Address has been carried out by
Mr. William Cole, who has also acted as Hon. Secretary during
the entire period of our existence. In addition to these duties,
Mr. Cole has been Curator of both our museums, and his brother,
Mr. B. G. Cole, has also given his services as Assistant Hon.
Secretary, while the artistic skill of Mr. Henry A. Cole has been
freely placed at the disposal of the Club for the illustration of the
pages of our publications. Without this valuable assistance it
would have been impossible for us to have given our members so
many illustrations as we have been enabled to through Mr.
Henry Cole's gratuitous contributions.
The record of twenty-one years as herein set forth should
encourage us to look forward with every confidence to a
period of equal or even greater activity in the future. It
might, perhaps be urged that we should have done more.
Possibly this may be the case, but I do not think that we have