DESTRUCTION OF JOIIX RAY S HOUSE. 33I 



The ceremony closed with a vote of thanks to the Mayor for presiding, 

 moved by Councillor Alden and seconded by Councillor Steward. Councillor 

 Aldeu remarked that, although the Mayor was practically an infant in the 

 chair, he was by no means an infant in municipal work, for he had been an 

 earnest worker in the Town Council for every good cause. 



The Mayor acknowledged the vote, after which the company made a 

 tour of inspection round the Museum and Institute. 



After the ceremony of opening the Technical Institute was over, the 

 Countess visited the Library, and was greatly interested in the arrangement 

 of the various rooms, which were explained to her Ladyship by Mr. Cot- 

 greave, the Borough Librarian. She was particularly pleased with the 

 juvenile department and the ladies' reading-room, and expressed her intention 

 of paying another visit when she had sufficient time to inspect the whole of 

 the Library. Before leaving, her Ladyship signed the visitors' book, and 

 accepted copies of the Souvenir of the Opening of the Institute and Mr. 

 Cotgreave's Contents-Subject Index to English Literature. 



[The portrait of Lady Warwick is from a photograph specially taken ; 

 that of Mr. Passmore Edwards is lent by Mr. Cotgreave, the Borough 

 Librarian, and the view of the Museum is kindly lent by the Editor of the 

 South Essex Mail. Another portrait of Mr. Edwards is given in the Museum 

 Handbook No. 3, alluded to above. Ed. 



DESTRUCTION OF JOHN RAY'S HOUSE. 



The most interesting local memorial of the greatest of 

 English botanists has perished by fire — " Devvlands," the 

 " Mecca of Essex naturalists," for 25 years the residence of 

 John Ray, can never again be the focus of such meetings as 

 those held by the Club at this picturesque old house in 1885 

 and 1898. It was on the afternoon of September 19th last 

 that this grievous disaster occurred. How the fire commenced 

 is a mystery ; one account suggests the smouldering of a beam 

 near the flue, another that linen lumg by the kitchen lire was 

 the cause. All the family were out ; the owner, Mr. Charles 

 Turner, working in the fields near, was only able at some risk to 

 rescue a few valuable articles, and by the aid of neighbours to 

 remove some of the furniture. The Braintree Fire Brigade 

 arrived in a short titne, and did good service by preventing the 

 flames from spreading to the farm buildings, but nothing could 

 be done to save the house, which burned with extreme rapidity, 

 being built of timber and plaster. The house was insured, but 



