peesident's address. 233 



vouchers of her great history — A collection which, notwithstand- 

 ing our culpable losses, no nation in Europe can equal. For the 

 purposes of local history, genealogy, &c., important evidence 

 may be found in every class of its documents. But, as regards 

 devolution of manors and lands, and the descent of families, I 

 may mention as the most generally useful the " Plea Eolls of 

 the various courts ; The Testa de Nevil ; Kirby's Quest ; The 

 Returns of Aids and Subsidies ; The Inquisitions post Mortem ; 

 the Patent, Close and Fine Rolls ; The Feet of Fines, Proceedings 

 in Chancery, &c. But I may observe there is no royal road. 

 One document leads to another, and as a student gains experience 

 the more will he become interested in his work, and the greater 

 the pleasure he will take in it. 



I had almost forgotten to mention one other depository in 

 which is a vast accumulation of papers of greater or less value, 

 with which literary men generally are not very well acquainted. 

 I allude to the vaults and garrets of the House of Lords. These 

 documents are very various in character. Amongst them is a 

 large number of Private Acts of Parliament authorising various 

 objects — diverting roads and constructing new ones, enclosing 

 commons — the partition of estates among coheirs — dissolving 

 marriages, peerage claims, and other historical materials too 

 numerous to mention, but invaluable to the general and local 

 historian and genealogist. I am glad to be able to add that the 

 Historical Commission is getting these documents calendared as 

 fast as possible, two or three volumes have been already issued, 

 and what is more they are well indexed. 



Since writing the above I have received Part I of Vol. XI of 

 the Journal of the Institution, and am very glad to see that the 

 Institution is in a very flourishing condition, both in respect of 

 increase of numbers' and literary matter. There are some 

 excellent papers. It would perhaps be invidious to mention 

 names, though it would seem unfair to pass by that of Mr. J. H. 

 Collins, F.G.S., On the origin and development of ore deposits in the 

 West of J^^ngland. This paper is continued from the last volume, 

 and is announced to be further continued. It is a very interest- 

 ing and valuable paper, though I fear it will be found somewhat 

 over the heads of ordinary lay members of the Institute. As 



