s 



prepared for submission to Mr. A. Ridley Bax, F.S.A., and Mr. Bruce 

 Bannerman, F.S.A. (hon. secretary of the Harleian Society), who 

 had been appointed a Committee by the Surrey Society. 



The principal points were that every fact, however trivial, must be 

 recorded, but that formal phrases such as " Here lyeth, &c.," and 

 religious expressions such as " In hopes of a joyous resurrectfbn," and 

 texts and verses need not be given. Although an exact copy was best 

 of all, it was felt that no great progress would be made with the work 

 if it were insisted on. It was suggested that the transcripts should be 

 lodged in the Libraries of the Societies or other suitable places ; where 

 possible they could be published by Archdeaconries, Rural Deaneries, 

 or as might be most convenient. 



The Rev. Canon Warren, hon. secretary of the Suffolk Institute, 

 gave an account of the Scheme adopted by them. Circulars had been 

 sent to all the Clergy, but the responses had not been numerous ; on 

 the other hand Mr. Partridge, at whose instigation the scheme had 

 been adopted, had himself copied the inscriptions of 64 Churchyards, 

 and it was probably on the work of similar enthusiasts that Societies 

 must rely. 



Mr. C. Partridge, F.S.A. , in response to calls, gave an account of 

 his methods, and stated that it was his custom to draw rough plans of 

 the Churchyards for convenience of recording in sections. He was 

 now publishing some parishes in East Anglian Notes and Queries ; 

 the oldest churchyard tombstone he had found was dated 1662, and 

 there were a fair number of the 17th Century. 



Mr. R. T. Andrews (East Herts.), handed round copies of his 

 publication of the inscriptions at All Saints and St. Andrew's 

 Churches, Hertford, and pointed out the value attached to the former 

 since the Church had been burnt down and the monuments destroyed. 



Sir Edward Brabrook, C.B., instanced the work done by Mr. L. 

 Duncan, F.S.A., in recording and publishing the inscriptions at 

 Lewisham Church of which he had also published the Registers ; 

 many of the inscriptions had since become illegible. 



Prof M'Kenny Hughes (Cambridge), thought that the value of the 

 Record might be increased by notes on the present existence of groups 

 of names in the different villages, he had found such records to have 

 distinct ethnographic value. 



Mr. C. J. Williams thought that Churchwardens as local men 

 would often be more interested in the scheme than the Clergy and 

 might give assistance, but other members stated that they were very 

 often the cause of destruction of tombstones. 



Lord Balcarres thought the subject one of extraordinary interest ; 

 Prof. Hughes' object might be attained by inspection of the polling 

 lists, which gave a full list of the Inhabitants in a convenient form ; he 



