reconstructed, and he hoped to give a figure of the vessel, with a description of the burial-place, in the Transactions of the Society.1 The President then referred to the proposed restoration of the Chapter-house, and defended what he had previously said on the subject, as not being opposed to his formerly expressed views on restoration. He held that in this instance no harm could be done, though when rebuilt it would not be the old Chapter-house. He expressed his pleasure at finding that the present Bishop was a man who possessed much more than the ordinary knowledge of architecture, and that he was anxious, as far as possible, to preserve the works of former centuries as they have been handed down to us by our predecessors. In the Bishop, he hoped, they would have a man who would not sanction the reckless destruction of anything in his diocese which was ancient and valuable, and which had come down to us as a possession of great price.

A vote of thanks to the President was unanimously passed.

The first meeting was held at Kirby Sigston and Mount Grace, on Friday, May 23rd. At Kirby Sigston, the President and members were met by the rector (the Rev. C. S. Atkinson) at the church dedicated to St. Andrew, which was then undergoing repair. The rector gave a history of the place drawn from his own researches and then described the church. The Norman nave, and some fine carving in the chancel, were examined, and the east window, which contains ancient heraldic stained glass, was found to be of much interest. The President gave a short account of the ancient history of Sigston Church from records preserved in the Treasury of Durham Cathedral. The rector said that in Domesday Sighestun was mentioned as part of the manor of Allertonshire. The manor, having been given to William de St. Carileph, Bishop of Durham, became part of the patrimony of St. Cuthbert. About the end of the twelfth century, Bishop Pudsey granted to his chamberlain or seneschal, Philip de Colville, the townships of Thimbleby, Foxton, and Ellebeck, and this

1 This has since appeared in the Transactions, vol. III, p. 183.

family, later on, acquired the manor of Arncliffe, and, by marriage with the heiress of Ingram, became also possessed of a great part of Sigston. Their son was called John de Siggeston, and Hilary, his wife, widow of Geoffrey de Maunby, let to the master and brethren of St. Leonard's Hospital at York all the lands she had as dower in Howe for 10s. 8d. a year. The church of Kirby Sigston was a Peculiar, formerly in the jurisdiction of the Prior and Convent of Durham, who were also patrons of the living. The patronage passed at the dissolution to the King, and ultimately came into the hands of the present owner. In 1344, John Danby left a sum of money (6s. 8d.) for the restoration of Sigston Church. The church was repaired and altered at the beginning of the present century, when the tracery of the windows was destroyed. Pews were put in about 1523, the floor being filled up to its present level. About the same time, some of the walls were partially rebuilt and the church enlarged. The chantry on the north side of the chancel seems to have been founded by Sir John de Siggeston or one of the family, as the coats of arms in the east window are those of himself and his relatives. The style of the architecture of the nave, aisle and chantry correspond in date, and must have been built at the same time. He then traced the history of the Sigston estate from the time of Sir John de Siggeston down to the late owner, Sir Charles Turner Slingsby, Bart.

Mr. C. C. Hodges said we were enabled to ascertain, from what the restorations had disclosed, that a church at Sigston had existed before the Conquest, but where it had actually stood would be difficult to define. One of the most interesting features of the church was the carving of the capitals of the arcade on the north side of the chancel, reminding him of those in the Nine Altars at Durham. He thought it quite possible that the architect of the Nine Altars, who was a Kentish man, and took his name from Farnham, was the author of other work in the North of the same date, as, for instance, Ryton tower and spire, and this arcade at Sigston. The President said he thought the tracery in the east window was of a later date than 1446. The window itself might have been of that date, and the tracery afterwards

inserted. After further examination of the building, the President congratulated the rector upon the admirable manner in which the church was being repaired, and said it was fortunate that the work had fallen into the hands of one who would be careful to preserve everything that was worth keeping. The members then proceeded to Mount Grace Priory, which lies about three miles north-east of Kirby Sigston. Here the extensive and interesting ruins of the Carthusian Priory were carefully examined. The buildings constituting a monastery of that ascetic order remain in a comparatively complete state, and enable the peculiar arrangements made for the entire seclusion and isolation of the monks to be readily understood. They consist of the church, prior's lodgings, an outer and an inner court surrounded by the cells of the monks, each having an attached garden, and the remains of the kitchen and the gatehouse. Between the gatehouse and the kitchen is a dwelling-house built above a century after the dissolution of the monastery, and which is a characteristic example of the period (1654). Mr. William Brown, the owner of the estate, and an able antiquary, whose researches have been specially directed to the monastic establishments of that part of Yorkshire, fully elucidated the history of the foundation. Mr. C. C. Hodges gave a valuable account of the architectural features of the priory, which he said was one of the most beautiful, as well as one of the most interesting of all the monastic ruins which were so thickly studded over the broad county of York. About half a mile from the priory, on the slope of a steep hill, commanding a magnificent view over the great vale of York, are the ruins of the Lady Chapel and priest's lodgings attached, dating from the year 1515. The members made the return journey to Northallerton by another but quite as picturesque a route as that which they took in going. Driving by way of Winton, a call was made at St. Thomas's Church, Brompton, the living of which is in the patronage of the Dean and Chapter of Durham. Here several fine examples of præConquest grave-covers of the hog-backed form, as well as two crosses and portions of others, were examined. At this meeting the following new members were elected: Messrs. F. B.

Jevons, M.A., North Bailey, Durham; John Graham, Findon Cottage, Durham; W. W. Tomlinson, 1 Victoria Villas, Whitley; R. D. Edwards, Durham; George Parkinson, Sherburn; W. Gray, North Road, Durham; George Neasham, Shincliffe ; Frank Marshall, Grainger Street, Newcastle; and Rev. A. Johnson, M.A., Healey Vicarage, Riding Mill-on-Tyne.

The second meeting was held on June 20th, at Edlingham and Whittingham.

Members assembled at Alnwick Station and drove to Edlingham, where the church and castle were examined. The church (unrestored) is an ancient and interesting building, and was originally given by the Earl Cospatric to the monastery of St. Alban's, but was afterwards transferred by arrangement to the Prior and Convent of Durham, in whose successors, the Dean and Chapter of Durham, the patronage still remains. The castle has been for some centuries part of the possessions of the ancient Northumbrian family of Swinburne, and now belongs to Sir John Swinburne, Bart., M.P. The history of Edlingham was related by the President, and the church and castle were described by Mr. F. R. Wilson. They then proceeded to Whittingham and inspected the church, where the lower portion of the tower still retains some characteristic præ-Conquest masonry. In the village is one of the fortified houses usually called pele towers, so frequent on the Borders. Members then drove back to Alnwick, and dined at the "White Swan." At this meeting the following were elected members: The Bishop of Durham; Mr. Thos. Tate, Allerburn, Alnwick; Mr. R. H. Edleston, Cambridge; Mr. J. F. Hobson, Durham; Mr. G. M. Watt, Durham; Mr. W. Harding, Darlington; Rev. Canon Burnet, Kelloe Vicarage.

The third meeting was held on Thursday and Friday, July 24th and 25th, at Naworth, Lanercost, Bewcastle, and Gilsland. Members assembled at Naworth Railway Station at twelve o'clock, and proceeded to Naworth Castle, once the residence of

Lord William Howard, commonly called Belted Will, whose descendant, the Earl of Carlisle, kindly allowed the Society to inspect the building. It is picturesquely situated and preserves many of its ancient features, including the tower containing the oratory and other apartments once occupied by the celebrated Warden of the Marches.

They then drove to Lanercost, where the remains of the Priory, now used as a parish church, were examined under the guidance of Mr. C. C. Hodges. Canon Greatorex said he had observed that the south wall of the nave was the oldest portion of the church. This, he thought, was of some importance in considering the history of the building, and had not been noticed by Mr. Ferguson in his account of the church. It was probable that the south wall contained original masonry in situ, and was a portion of the former church, to which extensive additions had been made by the Austin canons when the Priory was founded. It may, however, with equal probability, represent the only remaining portion of a complete church of twelfth century date, of which all, except this wall, was removed when the larger church was erected in the thirteenth century.

Lanercost Priory is a building of extreme beauty, and in addition to the church there are some of the old domestic portions of the priory still existing.

On their way to Gilsland they examined the large and important Roman station of Amboglanna, now Birdoswald, where the Rev. J. R. Boyle, F.S.A., explained the main features of the camp, and made some remarks upon the Roman Wall, giving his reasons for regarding it as being the work of Severus rather than of Hadrian. Gilsland was reached in time for dinner, at seven o'clock, where the members passed the night at the Shaw's Hotel.

On Friday, members drove to Bewcastle, through a country of much beauty and wildness, passing on the road the castles of Triermain and Askerton, which were inspected. They still retain many of their ancient features. At Bewcastle there are the remains of a Norman castle, which, as well as the church, had