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MUSEUM CONFERENCE AT CHESTER. 



A conference of curators and members of governing- bodies 

 of northern n\useums was held at the Grosvenor Museum, 

 Chester, on Saturday, Sept. 24th. There were representatives 

 present from the Museums at Bolton, Bootle, Bury, Chester, 

 Hanley, Huddersfield, Hull, Douglas (Isle of Man), Keighley, 

 Liverpool, Manchester, Plymouth, Rochdale, St. Helens, Stock- 

 port, and Warrington. An excellent opportunity was afforded 

 of examining the Roman antiquities and natural history speci- 

 mens in the Grosvenor Museum, under the guidance of Mr. 

 R. Newstead and Mr. A. Newstead respectively. The visitors 

 were entertained to tea in the Art Gallery by the Chester 

 Society of Natural Science, after which they adjourned to the 

 Lecture Theatre. 



Mr. F. W. Longbottom, who presided, said there had been 

 a sort of threat or promise of the municipalisation of the 

 Museum. In many ways that would be a gain, because they 

 would get more room and even a better status from the city. 

 Mr. Robert Newstead was almost the founder of their splendid 

 collection there, and it was due to him that the Museum was so 

 interesting. They hoped his brother, who had taken his place, 

 would turn out an equally competent curator. 



Mr. R. Newstead, A.L.S., of the University, Liverpool, gave 

 an address on ' The Nature of the Archaeological Collections 

 in the Grosvenor Museum, Chester.' He dealt, in the first 

 place, with the pre-historic remains, calling special attention to 

 some unique specimens, including two stone celts, a bronze 

 mace head and a small stone lamp, which, he said, were among 

 the more interesting and rarer examples of the implements and 

 utensils used by early man. He dealt with the numerous 

 inscribed stones and monuments of the Romano-British period 

 and the examples of the pottery, glass and personal ornaments, 

 coins, etc., and gave a somewhat full description of the Saxon 

 rune, which was the only known Cheshire example. Reference 

 was also made to the extensive collection of objects from the 

 submerged forest beds at Great Meols, presented to the Archaeo- 

 logical Society by Mr. T. S. Gleadowe. They covered the period 

 from the pre-historic times down to the reign of Queen Anne, 

 and included relics of war, agriculture, horse trappings, etc. 



Mr. Alfred Newstead, Curator of the Museum, described 

 ' The Nature of the Natural History Collections in the 

 Grosvenor Museum." He dealt with the geological collections 



1906 November i. 



