REPORT OF THE COUNCIL 
OF THE 
YORKSHIRE PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY. 
February ioth, 1902. 
The Council has, with deep regret, to record the death of 
its patron during the past year. A special vote of condolence 
on the death of our Royal Patroness, Queen Victoria, and of 
sympathy with King Edward VII., was passed at the Annual 
Meeting and graciously acknowledged. Queen Victoria had 
occupied this position since 1835. T'he Society was fortunate 
in securing a continuance of the Patronage of both His 
Most Gracious Majesty the King, and Queen Alexandra, 
who as Prince and Princess of Wales became Patrons in 
1866. The letters expressing their willingness to continue 
this favour have been duly entered on the Society’s minutes 
as a record of the facts. 
In summarizing the doings of the past year, the Council is 
fortunate in being able to report steady progress. The item 
that chiefly calls for special comment is the continued 
excavation in the Choir of S. Mary’s Abbey Church. This 
work has been steadily pushed forward and the portions of 
the wall exposed have been put into a condition to withstand 
weather, but no attempt at “ restoration ” has been made. A 
review of the results of the work will be found in the 
latter part of this report. 
One of the most interesting events in the city’s history was 
the discovery in Bootham of a Roman coffin containing 
indisputable proof of the local acceptance of Christianity 
during the early Roman occupation of York. The coffin 
contained a bone tablet inscribed as follows : 
“ Soror ave in Deo vivas.” 
(Farewell, Sister! live in God!) 
