THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB. 263 



As the party were to have tea at Toot Hill it was interesting to note the 

 origin of the name of this little country hamlet " Toot " or " Taith " was the 

 name of a Norse Goddess, and the word was quite commonly applied to places, 

 as for instance at Tooting, Tooter's Hill, Tottenham, and so on, and it 

 indicated where there had been village settlements in the times of the 

 Vikings. 



Unfortunately the rain began soon after Mr. McConnell's address and all 

 investigations in the woods was stopped. The party was obliged to press 

 forward over the field-paths to Toot Hill. By the way, Mr. Chalkley Gould 

 pointed out that the trenches were still quite distinct which had enclosed the 

 rectangular piece of ground where are now the cottages and gardens of 

 Toot Hill. The site commands a good view round three sides and across the 

 Roding valley. 



The party reached the " Green Man " in a sharp shower. But an 

 excellent tea soon comforted everybody. Then an Ordinary Meeting, the 

 2i2th, was held for the election of new members, Mr. J Chalkley Gould, 

 Vice-President, in the chair. 



The following were elected members of the Club : — 



Messrs. Edward Chichester, M.B. (London), Francis Dent (Hon. Sec. 

 Essex Bird Society), James Dietrichsen, (Mrs.) Dietrichsen, (Miss) Blanche 

 Hewett, B.Sc, Ernest C. Horrell, F.L.S. (Staff Instructor in Biology, Essex 

 County Council) John F. Rogers, Frank Sulley,* William White, F.E.S., 

 and Edward Wilshaw. 



After the meeting, the rain having ceased, the ramble was continued by 

 very pleasant meadow-paths, and through an old disused lane, which was 

 stated to have been an ancient pack-horse road leading to the church. In the 

 lane and meadows the cowslip was extremely abundant, and many other 

 interesting plants were noticed. And then the antique wooden church of St. 

 Andrew's was reached, and carefully examined under the guidance of Mr. 

 Chalkley Gould. The Club visited Greensted Church on the first Field 

 Meeting held (March 29th 1880) when the late Captain Budworth acted 

 as guide (see Journal of Proceedings, vol. i., p. viii.) and in the report details of 

 the construction of the Church will be found. It is one of the oldest Churches 

 in the world, and the nave is probably the only example of a Saxon wooden 

 Church which has come down to us. 



In the dusk of the evening the company seated themseh'es in the ancient 

 building whilst Mr. Gould gave a eloquent lay sermon on the partly legendary 

 life of Edmund, the saintly king of East Anglia, a story which from its local 

 and quaint interest may be summarised here : — 



" England in the middle of the gth century was still split up into petty 

 kingdoms, or sub-kingdoms, under the house of Wessex, that known as East 

 Anglia including the present counties of Norfolk, Suffolk and part of 

 Cambridgeshire. Of this kingdom, Edmund, a boy of 14 years, became ruler 

 in 855 and 856 i and the decade which followed shewed him to be pious 

 and studious, though not the less a sportsman and a warrior 



I It is recorded that the northern portion of East Anglia recognized his kingship in 855, 

 the southern part not until the following year. 



