14 



LOCAL ARCHEOLOGY. 



PAPER READ BY H. W. SMITH, APRIL i8tH. 



At a meeting of this Society held in January last, I reported the recent 



finding of a human skeleton and a hoard of coins. As to the human 



remains not very much can be said. On January 13th, some workmen 



employed in laying down some pipes came upon the skeleton at 



about two feet beneath the surface of the road, opposite the 



Plough public house, Crayford Road, and at the entrance of what 



was once Plough Lane, which formerly led to Northumberland 



Heath, terminating where lately stood the row of cottages 



known as Mount Pleasant. I may state by the way, and as taking 



note of the changes which take place around us, that this lane has 



almost disappeared, owing to the excavations made for brick earth by 



Messrs. White. I am told that many years ago it was a favorite camping 



ground for hordes of gipsies who might be found here nearly the whole 



year through. The skeleton was lying due east and west, with the 



head apparently resting on one of the arms, but the skull was 



broken by the pickaxe of one of the workmen. The men were not 



permitted to open up the road, so that the skeleton might be exhumed in 



its entirety, and the remaining portions are therefore still lying where 



they were buried. The point at which the skeleton was found, 



although at the entrance to Plough Lane, can scarcely be called a 



cross-road in the strictest sense of the term, or we might be warranted 



in supposing that some suicide or criminal had been there buried — such 



being the custom many years ago. Many of you may not care to look 



upon the mute relics of humanity which I have brought. I say mute 



relics ; but Bryon's lines on the skull which he had converted into a 



drinking cup occur to mind, and, in imagination, these dry bones seem to 



say — 



Start not * * * I lived, I loved • « * like thee, 



I died * * * perchance * * • another race 



When thou and thine like me are sped 



May rescue thee from earth's emlirace. 



We now come to the coins. These were found about 30 feet further on 

 towards Crayford, at two feet from the surface and about three feet from 



