44 THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB. 



Meeting in Furtherance of the Proposed Epping Forest Free 

 Local Museum. 



February 24th, 1894. 



As long ago as December 8th, 1883, a meeting, under the chairmanship of 

 Mr. E. N. Buxton, was held at his house at Buckhurst Hill, to consider a scheme 

 for the establishment in Queen Elizabeth's Lodge, Chingford, of a Public Local 

 Museum of Natural History and Antiquities for the Forest Districts and the 

 County generally (see Report in the " Journal of Proceedings," E.F.C., vol. iv., 

 pp. Ixvi. — vii.) The meeting was attended by many taking a strong interest in 

 the Forest, and resolutions in favour of such an institution, an J empowering a 

 Committee to appoint a deputation to wait upon the Conservators to solicit their 

 active co-operation in the scheme, in conjunction with the Essex Field Club, were 

 unanimously passed. But unfortunately the Committee appointed was unable to 

 proceed in the matter beyond the preliminary stages owing to the opposition of a 

 high official of the Corporation, who refused to entertain the scheme except under 

 conditions that the Club could not comply with. Although thus checked, the 

 proposal was not forgotten, and recently the Council of the Club made an 

 application to the Epping Forest Committee, submitting a scheme for a local 

 Museum in the Lodge, and asking the Committee to find the capital sum 

 required for cabinets, cases, etc. A reply was received from the City Solicitor 

 saying that the Epping Forest Committee " cannot pledge themselves to allow the 

 Banqueting Room to be used as a permanent Museum, but they are prepared to 

 entertain any application for the temporary housing of loan collections of the 

 kind indicated in the scheme accompanying your letter. ' Many local members 

 and residents being very desirous that a Museum for the Forest should hi 

 established, determined to act upon this qualified permission, and a small Com- 

 mittee was therefore formed for the purpose of assisting the Council in appealing 

 for funds to furnish cabinets, cases, etc., and then making another application to 

 the Conservators, simply asking for the use of the room and approaches, provision 

 for warming and cleaning of the same, and the services of a caretaker. It was 

 considered that promises of subscriptions of £lS0 or ^"200 would justify the 

 Club in again approaching the Epping Forest Committee with a distinct proposal, 

 which the Council had reason to think would be accepted. 



An illustrated pamphlet, fully explaining the nature of the proposed Museum, 

 and detailing the kind of specimens to be exhibited, was prepared by the Com- 

 mittee,^ and a certain amount of support having been promised, a meeting was 

 called, in furtherance of the proposal, in the Banqueting Room of the Lodge (by 

 kind permission of the Superintendent), on Saturday afternoon, February 24th, 

 1894. The Rev. A. F. Russell was, on the proposal of Mr. C. C. Black, voted 

 to the chair, and there was a good attendance of scientific gentlemen interested in 

 the scheme, of local residents, and members of the club. The company included the 

 following : Professor C.Stewart (Conservator of the Museum of the Royal College 

 of Surgeons, and President of the Linnean Society), Professor R. Meldola, F.R.S., 

 Professor Boulger, F.L.S., F.G.S., Mr. J. E. Harting (Librarian to the Linnean 

 Society, and editor of the "Zoologist"), Mr., Howard Saunders, F.L.S. (author 

 of an " Illustrated Manual of British Birds," and editor of " Yarrell "), Rev. W. T. 

 Dyne, Dr. Shepherd Taylor, Mr. Walter Crouch, Mr. C. C. Black, Rev. W. C. 

 Howell, Rev. W. L. Wilson, Mr. F. H. Varley, Mr. Porter, Mr. G. Day, Mr. A. P.' 



I " An Epping Forest Free Local Museum : a proposal." Buckhurst Hill, 1894. 



