PATRON
On 30 October 1880, H.R.H. The Duke of Connaught. K.G., Ranger of
Epping Forest, consented to become Patron of the Club. After the death of the
Duke, his successor, as Ranger of Epping Forest, H.R.H. The Duke of
Gloucester, graciously consented to continue the Patronage. After that Duke's
death in 1974, his son, H.R.H. The present Duke of Gloucester, G.C.V.O., has
generously agreed to continue the Patronage of the Club.
CONSERVATION
From its earliest years, the Club acted strongly for the Conservation of
Essex and of Epping Forest in paraticular; opposing successfully an attempt
early in 1881 and again in 1883 to drive a railway through the Forest to High
Beach and later in that first year 1880, the Club successfully defeated a proposal
to run tramways through the Forest along the Ranger's Road.
SPECIAL MEMOIRS
All this, and much else, is contained in "A Short History of the Essex Field
Club, 1880-1930" by Percy Thompson, F.L.S., published as Special Memoir
No. VII by the Club in 1930, one of a succession of Special Memoirs or
Monographs by specialist members of the Club, written about the subject on
which each was expert. To avoid overburdening this text, a list of Presidents and
other Officials is appended on page 18 together with a list of the Special
Memoirs published in the first hundred years of the Club's existence.
THE ESSEX NATURALIST
From the outset, publication of a Journal was recognised to be an im-
portant and necessary contribution by the Club to its Members. At first, the
"Transactions" and "Proceedings" were published separately, but towards the
end of 1886. the Council decided to combine these two in a single issue entitled
(at Prof. Meldola's suggestion) "The Essex Naturalist" and as such it has
continued to be issued with reasonable regularity, in spite of war-time dif-
ficulties, reaching Vol. 33 by 1976. A new series numbered 1, 2, 3, etc followed
from 1977. The Essex Naturalist was issued at first quarterly, then in about
1910 at half-yearly intervals, even throughout the last War, although after 1942
for 3 years, the issues were not covered in stiff paper jackets because of a
shortage of this kind of paper.
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