THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
317
After lunch a visit was paid to the Town Hall, and the visitors, taking
advantage of the fine weather, ascended to the top of the tower, whence
a fine view was enjoyed.
Proceeding from the Town Hall to the Castle a thorough inspection
of the interior of that building was made. Mr. Gurney Benham, speaking
in the quadrangle, gave a short account of the Castle and of its vicissitudes
and various changes of control and ownership, culminating in its acquisi-
tion last year by the Colchester Town Council.
The prisons were visited, and the tale of martyrdom of the young
Quaker, James Parnell, who died here as a prisoner in 1656, at the age of 18
years, was recounted.
The walls of the Castle were found to be covered with a number of
wild plants, among which were recognized the following :—
Ranunculus bulbosus, Malva sylvestris, Draba verna, Cheiranthus cheiri,
Sedum acre, Silene. Otites,1 Medicago lupulina, Hypochaeris radicata,
Taraxacum officinale, Veronica arvensis, Echium vulgare, Lolium perenne,
Dactylis glomerata, Festuca ovina.
Later in the season, of course, many more species would have been
noted.
The recently opened up "Romano-British Room" in the Castle
(formerly the Castle Library) was utilized for the first time, and here the
party was entertained at tea by the Chairman of the Museum Committee
(Alderman Gurney Benham) and Mrs. Gurney Benham. Mr. Jarmin,
Dr. Philip Laver, Counsellor H. Harris, Councillor Durrant, and other
members of the Museum and Library Committees, were present, and the
company also included the Mayor and Mayoress of Colchester (Mr. and
Mrs. Arthur J. Lucking), the Town Clerk (Mr. H. C. Wanklyn), and Mrs.
Wanklyn, Mr. A. G. Wright (curator of the Museum), Mr. George Rickword,
F.R.Hist.S., etc.
After tea Mr. Jarmin gave an excellent account of the Museum exhibits
and of their great interest as giving a continuous illustration of local
history from prehistoric times to the nineteenth century, all periods being
well represented, except perhaps the periods of Saxon and Danish rule,
of which, for some reason, difficult to account for, few remains have been
brought to light in Essex. The President, on behalf of the Club, expressed
thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Gurney Benham for their hospitable entertainment
and for all the arrangements made, also thanking Mr. Jarmin for his valu-
able co-operation and guidance.
The alteration made in the Museum by the addition of the room formerly
the Castle Library elicited many expressions of approval as a very useful
and desirable improvement.
After tea the visitors were shown the various objects of interest in the
museum, Mr. A. G. Wright, Mr. Jarmin, Dr. Philip Laver, Mr. E. Laver,
Mr. Duncan Clark, and the Chairman of the Committee (Alderman Benham)
acting as guides.
On Saturday the visitors inspected the Colne Oyster Fishery, proceeding
to Brightlingsea by rail and embarking there on the steam-dredger Pye-
fleet, by permission of the Colne Fishery Board. Amongst those accom-
1. For an account of the introduction of this plant to this station, see Essex Naturalist,
vol. i., 1887, p. 95.