84
THE ESSEX NATURALIST.
a fragment only of the original house ; it exhibits an interesting stepped
gable over the entrance, and two elaborate cut brick chimneys still remain ;
internally there are some fine moulded oak ceilings, and 4-centred door-
ways with carved spandrils.
The parish church of St. Peter, Little Warley, was also inspected,
and here the visitors were welcomed by the Rector, the Rev. R. W. Cousens,
and Mrs. Cousens, who read a short account of the architectural features
of the church and its contained monuments.
The canopied tomb in the chancel, with recumbent alabaster effigies
of Sir Denner Strutt, Bart., and wife Dorothye (1641), and the fine altar-
tomb with recumbent marble figure of Dame Mary Strutt (1658) were
much admired.
After thanks had been duly expressed to Mr. McConnell and the
Rector for their kindly welcome, the visitors proceeded across country to
Great Warley, where the site of the old church, now represented by the
remaining brick tower, and later, the new parish church, erected in 1902,
in "art nouveau" style, by Mr. Evelyn Heseltine as a memorial to his
brother Arnold, were in turn visited. Lunch was taken en route.
Throughout the ramble, botanical collecting was carried on. Frit-
illaria meleagris was duly found growing in natural conditions, but, un-
happily, the field where it occurred had only a few days previously been
harrowed, and consequently the few plants found were sadly crushed
and torn. Other plants noted were Early Purple Orchis, Cowslip, Lady's
Smock, Wood Anemone, Red Campion, Great Stitchwort, Water Crowfoot.
Hedge Garlic, Blackthorn, and Sycamore in flower ; Adder's-tongue fern
was also seen in young state.
Of birds, Swallows were seen, Skylarks and Blackbirds were in full
song, a Nightingale was heard by one of the party in the woods nearer
Brentwood, a Whitethroat was seen, and Redshanks were heard over the
open country near East Horndon.
Tea was taken at 4.15 o'clock at the Greyhound inn, on the edge of
Little Warley Common, after which a formal meeting of the Club was
held, with the President in the chair, when Mr. Sydney G. Starling, B.Sc.,
F.Inst.P., A.R.C.Sc., of 61, Windsor Road, Forest Gate, was elected a
member.
The Hon. Secretary referred to the interesting proof of the occurrence
of Fritillaria meleagris made that afternoon. He said that the plant was
recorded as long ago as 1836 by Dr. Eneas MacIntyre, F.L.S., in a paper
read before the Botanical Society of London, entitled "A Notice of Plants
growing spontaneously on and about Warley Common in Essex,"1 in these
words, "only occasionally in shady groves or copses."
Gibson, in his Flora of Essex, 1862, seems to have overlooked this
record : he gives no habitat for the Fritillary anywhere near the Warley
district. It is, however, interesting to add that, in a copy of Gibson's
Flora, now in the Club's Library, but formerly in the possession of Dr.
E. G. Varenne, of Kelvedon, the latter has added a MS. note against
the species, "Pasture at Warley, 1864," this record of Varenne's being
apparently the latest one of the occurrence of Fritillaria meleagris in
the neighbourhood.
1 Proc. Bot. Soc. of London, vol. 1, pt. I, 1839, pp. l6-21 (in the Club's Library).