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THE ESSEX NATURALIST.
In 1862 he consented to give a demonstration of his methods
in London before a meeting of the Geologists' Association, when
he astonished his audience by his dexterity in fabricating spurious
specimens before their eyes. Selected examples of his handi-
work are exhibited in the Royal Scottish Museum at Edinburgh,
while in the Blackmore Museum at Salisbury is a series of these
made to order, together with a photograph of the maker, taken
in 1863.
Worthy successors of "Flint Jack," though in a different line
of work, were two labourers of Tower Hill in East London, known
as "Billy and Charley" (William Smith and Charles Eaton),
whose activities lay in the production of spurious antiques of
spelter, now usually referred to as "dock forgeries," since the
objects were alleged to have been excavated during the formation
of a new dock at Shadwell in the late 50's of last century. They
were of diverse shapes and purported to be of mediaeval date,
and their elaboration showed very considerable ingenuity on
the part of their makers.
The output of these two forgers must have been extensive,
since specimens of their work are to be found in many museums
and are even yet occasionally offered for sale as genuine antiques.
The writer, a few years since, saw one in an antique-dealer's shop
in Leyton and enquired its price, which was 12s. 6d. ! The
dealer was, or affected to be, most indignant when told that
sixpence was its fair value as a curiosity and expressed his
emphatic opinion that the writer did not know what he was
talking about.
A more recent follower in "Flint Jack's" footsteps as a forger
of prehistoric stone implements was George Glover, the subject
of the present article, whose technique was fully on a level with
that of his famous predecessor and calculated to deceive the
very elect. George Glover was well known to many London
students of prehistory—too well-known to some—and as a local
worthy, resident, until his death three years ago, in West Ham,
deserves our particular notice. The details which follow were
derived from himself during conversations with the writer in
1928, 1930 and 1932.
George Glover was born at Dry Drayton, Cambs., on
December 17th, 1854, and worked as a lad in various gravel pits