MORTIMER : THE HISTORY OF THE DRIFFIELD MUSEUM. 
93 
were sold (about 1872), the contents of the museum were dis- 
persed. Afterwards (in 1888), a portion of the reHcs were sold 
by auction by Messrs, Christie, Manson tt; Wood, at their rooms, 
King Street, St. James', London. 
Of the present whereabouts of this large collection (except- 
ing a small portion, including some rare specimens from a barrow 
at Kelleythorpe, near Driffield, which at the above sale found 
its wa}^ to the British Museum) I know nothing. I fear, how- 
ever, that the whole of it is lost to East Yorkshire. 
(2.) The late James Silbourn, of Pocklington, during the 
j^ears 1851-2 opened several of the barrows in the neighbourhood 
of Huggate and Warter. Since then I have reopened nearly 
the whole of these particular barrows, as I could not distinguish 
before excavating which of them had been opened by Mr. Silbourn. 
I found that he had placed a strip of lead on which his name 
was stamped in several of the barrows he had opened. 
In the spring of 1852 Mr. Silbourn, during an exploration 
in stormy weather, took cold, wdiich brought on inflammation, 
and so caused his death. After this regrettable circumstance 
the pottery and many other relics he had obtained from the 
barrows were sold by his relations, and, like the prevdously-named 
collection, their fate is unknown to me, excepting — as in the 
previous instance — a very small portion, which is now in the 
British Museum. 
(3.) The Rev. Canon Greenwell, of Durham, during a period 
of 30 years (1864-1894) excavated upwards of 300 barrows on 
the chalk wolds, immediately adjoining my field of research. An 
account of the greater number of these he published in his work 
on "British Barrows" (1877). The illustrations and descriptions 
in this very valuable book clearly indicate what a large treasure 
of relics was then obtained. That all these have been placed 
in the British Museum, and are now entirely lost to East York- 
shire, their legitimate home, is, I think, much to be regretted. 
(4.) And lasth^ I have myself explored nearly the whole 
of a series of the Wold barrows on an area of about 80 square 
