276
THE ESSEX NATURALIST.
of the Royal Exchange Assurance, of each of which large con-
cerns his father was Governor for so many years.5 He was
elected F.L.S. in 1800. In 1816 he published his "Flora Tonbrig-
ensis," having, as he says in his Preface to that book, "paid par-
ticular attention to the climate, to the variation in the soil, and
to the natural productions of this part of England" ; but he seems
never to have returned to any active participation in his two
brothers' records of the local Walthamstow or Essex plants.
THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB—REPORTS OF
MEETINGS.
VISIT TO WARLEY PLACE, GREAT WARLEY (563rd
MEETING).
SATURDAY, 28TH APRIL, 1923.
The full complement of 35 invited Members paid a fifth visit to our
Member, Miss E. Willmott's, celebrated garden at Warley Place in de-
lightful weather on the above afternoon. Assembling at Brentwood station
at 2.11 o'clock, the party walked to Warley and was welcomed by our
hostess at shortly before 3 o'clock.
The garden was in its full vernal beauty, and attracted great admiration
on the part of the visitors. Where all things were lovely it seems invidious
to select any for special notice, but the glorious Spetchley Primroses, patches
of which, of all shades, were seen at their best, cannot be passed over, seeing
that they are a special outcome of Essex fioricultural art and patience.
Erodium romanum, so named from its habitat on the walls of the Coliseum
at Rome, and scattered specimens in the grass of the beautiful little Narcissus
triandrus, were other outstanding delights. The rock gorge, with its trickling
streamlet, which forms so charming a feature, was gay with rock and water
plants. Lathraea clandestina, the beautiful-flowered root-parasite, was seen
forming large masses of lilac flowers at the foot of a poplar.
Tea was taken in the garden-room at 5 o'clock. After tea, by our
hostess' kind permission, a short meeting of the Club was held, with our Vice-
President, Mr. R. Paulson, F.L.S., in the chair, when nominations of two
candidates for membership were read.
The Hon. Secretary apologised for the unavoidable absence of our new
President, Dr. Smith Woodward, who was detained on official business at the
Natural History Museum.
He called attention to the impending demolition of the old Elizabethan
Court House at Barking, which had been ordered by the District Council,
and gave notice of a special meeting of the Club to be held for the purpose
of inspecting the Court House and to protest against its demolition, on the
following Saturday.
5 A portrait of Edward Forster, senr., Governor of the Royal Exchange Assurance, engraved
by Chas. Turner, after a painting by J. J. Hoppner, R.A., is in the collection of the Guildhall
Library, London. It was published March 24, 1810, two years before his death.