biaaeoe pease fa eae 
The Report for 1874. 119 
been brought forward, both from public and private sources ; and, 
in short, there is scarcely any branch of historical and antiquarian 
research in connection with this county, the knowledge of which has 
not materially been advanced by the labours of our various contributors. 
Tangible proof of this remark is furnished by the fourteen volumes 
of the Magazine now before the public, of whose merits let an 
appreciative public judge. 
“There is, however, one point on which the Committee in alluding 
to the Magazine cannot be silent, and that is the very deep debt of 
gratitude it owes to the labours of Canon Jackson; by whose pen 
every one of these fourteen volumes has been greatly enriched, and 
‘without whose accurate and interesting contributions our publication 
would be very inferior to what it is. -To Canon Jackson the Com- 
mittee desires to tender its most hearty thanks at this period of its 
history, and to assure him that it is keenly sensible of the large 
share he has had in promoting the success of the Society during the 
twenty-one years of its existence, while it earnestly hopes he will 
continue his invaluable labours in its behalf. 
“With such substantial evidence of progress and prosperity the 
Committee cannot but review the first twenty-one years of the 
Society’s existence with satisfaction, and pleasure. From small 
beginnings it has advanced to its present numbers, which (we are 
enabled to state on the authority of the Financial Secretary) never 
stood so high at any previous period of its history as now, for we 
have to-day 341 names on our books, and these members of the 
Society, scattered throughout the length and breadth of the county, 
if not all active in its cause, are all apparently well disposed to aid 
in carrying out its numerous and diversified objects. That it should 
in the long interval since its inauguration have lost many active 
supporters is only what was inevitable: many a head and many a 
hand that worked willingly with us twenty-one years ago is now 
cold in death ; though many during that period have come worthily 
to fill up the ranks thus broken, and to give promise of continuous 
vitality to our archeological and natural history pursuits; and 
several of us who are now engaged in celebrating its majority, took 
an active part in the formation of the Soeiety twenty-one years ago. 
02 
