THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB. 309
to the Museum and Public Library, where they were received by Mr. Waites,
the librarian and curator. The Hope Collection of Birds in the Museum
was inspected, its great rarities being the specimen of the Needle-tailed
Swift from Great Horkesley 1846, and the Sacred Ibis shot at Danbury
in November, 1911, the latter probably an escape from an aviary. The
Library was also inspected with interest, the collection of Essex books,
which is commendably large and growing, being naturally specially
attractive.
At 6.30 o'clock the party assembled at the motor-coach starting
point, but owing to a reported breakdown on the road, considerable delay
occurred in getting the whole of the party embarked for the homeward
journey.
FIELD MEETING AT LAINDON HILLS (657TH MEETING).
SATURDAY, 11TH MAY, 1929.
A nature ramble, combined with an inspection of some of the older
buildings in the district, attracted over thirty of our members, notwith-
standing most unpromising weather at the outset, but which happily
soon improved.
Mr. Laurence S. Harley acted as guide to the party, which assembled
at Laindon station at 11.50 o'clock.
The parish church of St. Nicholas, Laindon, picturesquely perched
upon its isolated hill, a mile north of the railway, was first visited. The
rector is recently deceased and at present the church is in charge of a
licensed lay-reader, Mr. W. Lammine, who kindly showed the visitors
the church plate, parish chest and other possessions of the fabric. The
curious carved oak spandrils inside the porch, representing a dragon and
a salamander, attracted attention, and the possible meanings of the
figures were discussed. Two good brasses to unnamed priests, vested
in chasubles, one considered as dating from circa 1480 and the other from
circa 1510, are now affixed to the chancel walls. The massive chamfered
curved oak supports to the shingled spire, which, as in other of our Essex
churches, frankly exhibit themselves inside the nave, have been utilised
to carry a small organ-gallery, which somewhat detracts from their
proportions. The original open timber roof of the chancel is also in-
teresting.
One chief feature of interest in this church is, of course, the two-storied
timber-framed western annexe, usually referred to as the "Priest's
House," but probably of early 17th century date and built for the
purposes of a school.
The evidence for or against this annexe having been formerly used
as a priest's domicile is somewhat conflicting. On the one hand, so Mr.
S. Barns kindly informs us, a board fixed between the upper storey and
the nave of the "church reads as follows:—
" Soli Deo Gloria.
" John Puckle of this parish by his last will dated the 6th May
" 1617 Gave all his Copyhold lands to the maintenance of a School
"master for teaching a competent number of poor children of