58
THE ESSEX NATURALIST.
AFTERNOON VISIT TO BARKING (741ST MEETING).
SATURDAY, 23RD MARCH, 1935.
A visit to this always interesting old town, organised by our member,
Mr. F. J. Brand, and with the co-operation of members of the newly-
founded Barking and District Archaeological Society, was paid on the above
afternoon and, in spite of most inclement weather, was attended by forty-
five persons. Mr. Winmill, the architect to the recent restoration of
Barking Church, was also of the party.
Assembled at the parish church of St. Margaret at 2.30 o'clock, the
party first proceeded to the site of Barking Abbey, where Colonel E. F.
Loftus gave a most comprehensive account of the origin and history of
this important foundation.
Next, the parish church itself was inspected in detail, Mr. Brand
conducting the visitors around the sacred edifice and pointing out the
many objects of architectural and historic interest which it presents.
Mr. Brand had kindly prepared and distributed to the party an illustrated
brochure detailing the various items of interest to be looked for at each
spot visited during the meeting, while Colonel Loftus kindly distributed
copies of an elaborate bird's-eye view of the Abbey as it (conjecturally)
appeared just prior to its Dissolution.
The parish registers were exhibited to the visitors, the entry of the
marriage of Captain Cook in 1762 being of special interest. It runs as
follows:—
"James Cook of ye Parish of St. Paul Shadwell/
"in ye County of Middlesex Batchelor and/
"Elizabeth Batts of ye Parish of Barking/
"in ye County of Essex Spinster were married/
"in this Church by ye Arch Bishop of Canterburys/
"Licence this twenty first day of December one/
"Thousand seven Hundred and Sixty two./
"by George Downing Vicar/
of Little Wakering Essex./
"This Marriage was
"solemnized between us Jams Cook
Elizabeth Cook late Batts
"in ye Presence
of John Richardson
Sarah Brown
Wm. Everrest."
The punning epitaph to Thomas More, on a slab affixed to the exterior
of the east wall of the Church, was also viewed with interest. It is as
follows:—
"Here lyes ye body of Thomas More/
"who departed this life April ye/
"6. 1670 being then Church warden/
"of this parish aged 35 yeres./
Stay heare awhile & his sad fate deplore/
"heare lyes the body of one Thomas More/
"his name was More but now it may be said/
"he is no More because that now he's dead/
"and in this place doth lye sepulchared."