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Journal of Proceedings.
king of the English, and son of Alfred the Great, built a " town " A.D.
913:—" Afterwards, the same summer, betwixt gang-day [Ascension]
and Midsummer, King Edward came with some of his forces in Essex to
Moeldune, and abode there, while men worked and built a town at
Witham. And a good deal of the folks submitted to him, that were
before under the dominion of the Danes." Here was the market granted
by Richard I., which in olden time was held on Sundays, and here also
is the church, dedicated to S. Nicolas. It is of various dates, having
been added to and repaired from time to time. The walls are of flints
and ancient, apparently Roman, bricks. The fine south door is
supposed to date from Stephen's time, but the nave and aisle are later,
and are reputed to be the work of the Knights Hospitallers of S. John.
Unfortunately the church has several times been "restored," lastly in
1877, and the ancient, timber tower was removed about the middle of
the eighteenth century. Witham was touched with the " Spa " supersti-
tion about the middle of the last century, by the revival of a belief in
the virtues of a mineral spring (distant about three-quarters of a mile
from the town), encouraged by the publication of " An Essay upon the
Witham Spa ; or, A Brief Enquiry into the Nature, Virtue, and Uses of
a Mineral Chalybeate Water at Witham in Essex, &c., 1737," by Dr.
James Tavener, a local physician.
Naturally the camp was the main object of interest to our members.
Mr. F. C. J. Spurrell sent a paper upon it, with copies of an engraving
of the camp from his own survey. [This paper was published under the
title " Withamburg," in the ' Essex Naturalist,' vol. i., pp. 19-22. The
reader should also consult Mr. Spurrell's papers on Danbury Camp and
the camps at Benfleet and Shoebury in the ' Essex Naturalist,' vol. iv.,
pp. 138-140 and pp. 150-168.]
Prof. Meldola mentioned that Mr. Symons and himself had
surveyed the camp the previous evening, and he added a few words in
corroboration of some of Mr. Spurrell's views. From the camp the
visitors proceeded to the " Spread Eagle " Hotel, where a capital cold
collation was served.
After luncheon, an Ordinary Meeting of the Club (the 60th) was
held for the proposal and election of new members, Prof. Meldola in the
chair. The following were elected :—Rev. N. R. Fitzpatrick, Mrs.
E. T. Stringer, and Messrs. P. W. Lewis and W. Pleader,
Cordial votes of thanks were passed to Canon Snell, Col. Lucas, and
Mr. Spurrell for their papers and expositions, and shortly afterwards a
saunter was taken through the High Street to visit the fine avenue of
lime trees near the station. The grand old trees were seen to great
advantage, and their shade was very pleasant, for the sky was cloudless
and the sun at its highest and hottest. An opportunity was thus
afforded for viewing Witham ; a pretty town, "for neatness inferior to
none of its bigness," and with many lingering traces of old-world times
in its gable-end cottages and houses, pointed roofs, and over-hanging