194 HISTORY OF OUR SOCIETY. 
there, and with regard to the Old Abbey foundations, they 
were traced very carefully, and fully confirmed the plans 
given in Shaw’s History of Staffordshire. 
Of other special work, Entomology and Botany alone 
seemed to attract workers, although I must not forget the 
regular Meteorological observations so carefully made and 
recorded by our Honorary Secretary. 
During the next five years, 1882-1887, the Presidential 
chair was held by Mr. C. O’Sullivan, Mr. Geo. Allsopp 
(then Mayor), and Mr. J. T. Harris. For more than half 
this time I had a much closer association with the working 
of the Society, having the honour to act as your Hon- 
orary Secretary. 
Unfortunately this period was one during which we had 
to chronicle a gradual decline of interest, and the work of 
the Committee and Officers was more trying, I believe, 
than at any time, so few members really interesting them- 
selves in the work or success of the Society: as a natural 
result our numbers fell off considerably. Financially we 
made the necessary upward start, clearing off our debt, and 
in the last two years our economies enabled us to increase 
our balance rapidly. 
A great blow to the Society at this time was the loss of 
its originator and Honorary Secretary—Mr. C. U. Tripp, 
for, although he was followed by a most ardent enthusiast— 
Mr. J. Heron—-the latter had not been long in Burton, and 
had not, therefore, the personal influence that Mr. Tripp 
had. Mr. Heron was most active in organising our museum 
and working sections, and his enthusiastic conduct of the 
Stapenhill explorations is but faintly reflected in his admira- 
ble paper on the subject. 
If we glance rapidly over the list of papers read during these 
years we Shall find a slight reduction in the number read 
at geneval meetings, but this is more than compensated by a 
number of most valuable papers read at sectional meetings. 
