THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB. II5 



his presidential address for 1896 Mr. David Howard gave us a 

 chapter on the water supply of the River Lea viewed in the light 

 of recent researches {Ihid. IX., 150). 



CONCLUSION. 



The record of work now summarised is the sequel to the 

 " Inaugural Address " of 1880. We may claim to have carried 

 out our programme, and, considering the slender means at our 

 disposal, I venture to think that our achievements are such as to 

 reflect credit upon our contributors and upon the Society as a 

 working body. The Victoria History of the County when com- 

 pleted will bear testimony to the value of our labours ; the 

 annual catalogue of papers published by the Corresponding 

 Societies Committee of the British Association bears witness to 

 our having taken a leading position among the local societies of 

 this country. Not only is the Club indebted to those members 

 who by their work have enabled us to realise the objects which 

 we had in view at the outset, but our obligations to those of the 

 executive officials who have undertaken the arduous labours of 

 administration during the past twenty-one years are too great to 

 be allowed to pass unnoticed on the present occasion. Many 

 have taken part qt various times in this administrative work, but 

 it will not, I am sure, be considered invidious if I refer to the 

 fact — well known to you all — that the whole labour of editing the 

 publications referred to in this Address has been carried out by 

 Mr. William Cole, who has also acted as Hon. Secretary during 

 the entire period of our existence. In addition to these duties, 

 Mr. Cole has been Curator of both our museums, and his brother, 

 Mr. B. G. Cole, has also given his services as Assistant Hon. 

 Secretary, while the artistic skill of Mr. Henry A. Cole has been 

 freely placed at the disposal of the Club for the illustration of the 

 pages of our publications. Without this valuable assistance it 

 would have been impossible for us to have given our members so 

 many illustrations as we have been enabled to through Mr. 

 Henry Cole's gratuitous contributions. 



The record of twenty-one years as herein set forth should 

 encourage us' to look forward with every confidence to a 

 period of equal or even greater activity in the future. It 

 might, perhaps be urged that we should Iiave done more. 

 Possibly this may be the case, but I do not think that we have 



