S EL BORNE SOCIETY NOTICES 157 
Square, \V., on Monday, July 25, at 5.30 p.m. ; and the Publications Committee 
on Wednesday, jidy 13, at 5.30 p.m. 
New Members.— G. F. Pollard, Esq., Totnes : King Eilward VI. School 
(Nat. His. Soc.), Totnes (Junior Hranch) ; Miss Edith Welch, Forest Hill; 
Francis Lys Smith, Es(|., Norwood ; .Mrs. Addis, Kensinsjton ; (ieo. H. Coltam, 
Esq., Hampstead : Mrs. Allen, Kentish Town ; Miss Florence E. Watson, 
Ealing; Miss C. Watson, Ealing; Cecil Clarke, Estp, West Hampstead; Miss 
Jessie George, Hampstead ; Mrs. A. Hyaid, Hampstead ; Miss E. Hurden, 
Bloomsbury. 
NEWS FROM THE BRANCHES. 
Birmingham and Midland. — On May 28 an e.xcursion was made to 
Dodder Hill Common and Hanbury. On arrival at Stoke Works station the 
Members walked to the Common, where tea was kindly provided by Mrs. Wm. 
Gibbins and Mrs. Waterhouse Gibbins. .-Vfter tea Hanbury Church was visited, 
from which there is a most e.vtensive view. Thence the party walked through 
Hanbury Park to Droitwich station, some of them being fortunate in seeing the 
experimental garden at Droitwich, which is under the management of Mrs. J. 
Udale, F.K.H.S. 
On June 17 there was an excursion to Hurcot and Cattespool. I' rom Black- 
well station the Members walked to Burcot Grange, the residence of P'. H. 
Osier, Esq., who kindly conducted the patty round his gardens and grounds, in 
which many rare flowers and trees were to be .seen. P'rom thence they walked to 
Cattespool, an interesting old timbered house belonging to Richard Peyton, Esq., 
where tea was kindly provided by the host and hostess. After tea a pleasant 
field-path brought the party to Blackwell station. 
FIELD CLUB RAMBLES. 
On May 14 a large detachment of Selbornians went to Waltham Abbey, where 
Mr. H. Plowman, P'.S..A., gave a lecture. He described how, in the days of 
Canute, the district was a tract of rich alluvium lying between the two great 
forests of Essex and Middlesex, and was conferred by Canute on his standard- 
bearer, one Tovi, who was an astute statesmen and a wealthy nobleman, having 
estates in different parts of England : it was at his nuptials that King Hardi 
Canute met his death from over-indulgence. At Tovi’s estate at Montacute, in 
Somersetshire, a pious smith dreamed that buried beneath a certain hill was a 
holy rood or cross. An excavation was made and the holy rood was duly found, 
and was placed upon a waggon drawn by twelve red oxen and twelve white cows 
and brought to Waltham, where it was duly installed in a church which had been 
built by Tovi for two secular priests. After Tovi’s death, Athelstone, his son, got 
into political difficulties : he was deprived of his estate, which reverted to the 
Crown, and it was conferred by Edward the Confessor on his brother-in-law, 
Harold, the Earl of the West Saxons. Harold then proceeded to build a very 
magnificent church for the period ; it was intended to vie with Edward the Con- 
fessor’s church, which was then in course of construction at Westminster. Mr. 
Plowman then stated that in his judgment a great part of the existing church is 
the work of Harold. The church was cruciform with a central tower, and was 
intended for twelve secular canons and a dean. It was consecrated on May 3, 
1060, by Kinsize, Archbishop of York, in the presence of the King, Harold, 
Harold’s brothers, Tostig, Gyrth, and Leofwine (Harold’s father-in-law), Allfgar, 
the great Earl of Mercia, Norman William, Bishop of London, Leofric of 
Exeter, Wulfwi of Dorchester, .-Ethelric of Tilsey, and some others. Six 
years after came the memorable field of Senlac, where Harold was slain. Although 
one chronicler slates that he escaped and went on a pilgrimage, ultimately dying 
at Chester, William of Poiton states that he was killed and buried under a cairn 
by the seashore ; but the author of “ De Inventione Sancta; Crucis Waltham- 
ensis,” who wrote in the time of Henry I., states that Harold’s body was identified 
by two canons and Edith of the Swan Neck. It was brought to Waltham and 
there interred. The fact of the matter seems to be that William allowed the body 
to be removed from the cairn and buried at Waltham, as up to the time of the 
