1st February, 1855. ARCHEOLOGICAL SECTION.

THE REV. DR. THOм, V.P., in the Chair.

The Minutes of the last Meeting were read and confirmed.

Mr. Henry George Rimmer, of 6, Breckfield Road South, was duly elected an Ordinary Member of the Society.

Mr. Joseph Clarke, F.S.A., of Saffron Walden, was duly elected an Honorary Member.

The following Donations were laid upon the table:

From the Kilkenny Archæological Society. Proceedings and transactions for 1954, in three parts, viz.: Part 1 for January, March, and May; Part 2 for July ; and Part 3 for November.

From J. F. Marsh, Esq. The following collection of Maps of Liverpool:-that of 1725, Sherwood, given on the margin of his maps of 1821 and 1824; 1765, Eyes; 1769, Perry, in four sheets; 1785, Eyes; 1795, O'Connor; 1796, Conder, published by Gore; 1797, Jones; 1803, Gregory; 1807, Troughton; 1807, Kaye; 1814, Gore; in 1815, Kaye; 1821, Sherwood; 1823, Walkers; 1824, Sherwood; 1838, Austen, published by Kaye; and one, of the south side of the town, 1800, without a name.

From John Mather, Esq. Notes and Queries, five volumes; Memoirs of Captain Crow, of Liverpool, 8vo., 1830. Plan and Elevation of India Buildings, Water Street, by Maclure & Co.; Account of the visit of the Prince of Wales in 1806, a broadside, by Gore; Map of Lancashire, by James Leigh, showing all the Roman Catholic Chapels in the County in 1820.

From David Lamb, Esq. The Athenæum for 1854, in continuation of a former donation.*

From the Rev. Dr. Thom. Anthem and Epitaphs in Memory of certain of his
deceased kindred. By Thomas Macgill, Percy Street, Liverpool, 1854.
From Henry Johnson, Esq. A Roman Mortarium, found at Castle Northwich.
On the rim is the maker's name SOLVSF (Solus fecit).

Dr. Kendrick exhibited a portrait of Dr. Aikin, within the frame of which was part of a note from Miss Lucy Aikin, dated 28th January, 1854, expressing her conviction of its correctness.

Dr. Kendrick also exhibited, in illustration of his own paper, a woodcut of a summerhouse, and eight lithographic representations of buildings, entitled, "Warrington Vestigia Academica."

Mr. Hardman exhibited two brass rubbings from Dartford in Kent, of the dates 1442 and 1453 respectively.

The Secretary was directed to subscribe for the following works, to be added to the Library of the Society :

La Normandie Souterraine, ou Notices sur des Cimitières Romains, et des Cimitières Francs, explores en Normandie. Par M. L'Abbé Cochet. Anglo-Saxon Antiquities, being the unpublished Account, by the Rev. Bryan Faussett, of the Collection now in the possession of Mr. Mayer, procured in the exploration of more than five hundred Anglo-Saxon tumuli in Kent. To be edited by Charles Roach Smith, F.S.A.

The Preston Guild Rolls, illustrated biographically, and with portraits, costumes, and fac-similes.

The following Papers were then read :

A Morning Ramble through Old Warrington, by James Kendrick, M.D.; and Description of a Unique Vase in the possession of Mr. Mayer, by F. R. P. Bööcke, Esq.

* Vol. vi., p. 2.

8th February, 1855. LITERARY SECTION.

THE REV. DR. THOM, V.P., in the Chair.

The Minutes of the last Meeting were read and confirmed.

The following Donations were laid upon the table :—

From the Norfolk and Norwich Archæological Society. Original Papers published under the direction of the Committee, vol. iv, part 3, 1855.

From the Statistical Society. Journal of the Society. Parts 1, 2, and 3 of vol. xvii. (1854.)

From James Gordon Stewart, Esq. Liverpool Churches and Chapels, their destruction, removal, or alteration, with notices of Clergymen, Ministers and others. By the Rev. Dr. Thom. Reprinted with additions and alterations from the papers of the Historic Society. 1854.

From the Rev. Dr. Thom. The Ultimate Manifestation of God to the World. By David Waldie, Esq., 1847.

Mr. Hardman exhibited a copy of the Bible in Spanish, (Basle, 1569,) with curious MS. notes.

The Secretary laid upon the table the first five volumes of the Journal of the Statistical Society, now out of print. They had been purchased by the Council to complete

the set.

The following communication was read :

NOTICE OF AN ANCIENT MANUSCRIPT CHRONICLE. By the Rev. John Sansom, B.A., Oxford.

I have had put into my hands and have now before me, the unpublished manuscript of an ancient English Chronicle, a brief notice of which may perhaps be acceptable to the members of the Historic Society.

This MS is contained in a folio volume of 452 pages, written on parchment in a legible black letter of the simplest character, with illuminated capitals at the beginning of the several chapters, the headings of which are in red ink, as are also some quotations occurring here and there throughout the history.

From the account given of this interesting volume by the Rev. J. S. Davies, of Pembroke College, Oxford, by whose kindness I have been entrusted with it, it appears to have been handed down in the family from time immemorial, together with certain printed books known to have belonged to the historian Speed, from whom Mr. Davies's family claim descent. Thus it is not unreasonably conjectured, that the MS may also have belonged to Speed: a supposition, however, which had met with no conclusive corroboration up to Thursday last, February 1. Previously to that date, Mr. Davies had made a careful comparison of his MS with divers published Chronicles; by which means he thinks he has ascertained, that certain minor conversations and historical fables of greater or less interest, which are found interspersed here and there throughout the volume, do not meet with any mention at the corresponding places in such of the Ancient Chronicles as he had been enabled to search. It seemed, therefore, reasonable to conclude, even prior to any distinct clue being found to the authorship or original ownership of this nameless MS, that it was not a mere copy or translation of some other, but an independent and original work. This conclusion, as well as the fact of the volume having been in Speed's possession, may be now considered as satisfactorily established.

On Thursday, Mr. Davies accompanied me through the pages of Speed's History of Great Britain; where, in the course of our search, we detected one undoubted extract from this MS Chronicle, besides other references made to it with sufficient closeness and accuracy to allow of the passages being traced and collected. The volume is, in truth, no other than the "ancient MS," "nameless old MS," and "English Chronicle MS," to which reference is made several times in the margin of Speed's history.

The solitary extract, which I think conclusive in determining the book's identity, is found in the 7th book of the History of Great Britain, chap. 12, at p. 317 of the first edition, where reference is made in the margin to "a namelesse old MS, chap. 154." The passage in the text is as follows:—

"Thus in an old manuscript we find it indited: Understand among you of Rome, that I am king Arthur of Britaine, and freely it hold, and shall hold; and at Rome hastily will I bee, not to give you truage, but to have truage of you: for Constantine, that was Helene's sonne, and other of mine ancestors conquered Rome, and thereof were Emperours; and that they had and held I shall have yourz [sic!] Goddis grace."

The original passage in the MS, which occurs, not at chap. 154, (which is clearly a mistake,) but towards the end of cap. lviij, I will now transcribe literally: "Understondeth among you of Rome yat I am kyng Artur of Britayne and frely it holde and shal holde and at Rome hastly will I be not to geve you truage but forto haue truage of you for Constantyn yat was helene's sone and oyr of myn auncestris conquerid Rome and yerof were emperours and yat thay hadde and held I shall haue yorouz goddis grace."

The word "yorouz" in the MS evidently puzzled Speed's printer: but happily the printer's darkness discloses to us, as it were, a star-to be our beacon to the only passage, which the historian appears to have extracted word for word.

There is yet another argument, by which this identity may be corroborated. The writer of that portion of Speed's History, which records the death of King John, mentions certain "nameless authors before ann. 1483," and refers in the margin to 66 Eng. Chronicles MS;" whilst it is observable of Mr. Davies's MS, that it ends somewhat abruptly with the close of the reign of king Henry vi; having the appearance of an unfinished work. So that, in all likelihood, the author of this Chronicle flourished in the succeeding reign (viz. that of Ed. iv.) which ended in the year referred to, (i.e. 1483.) It should perhaps be mentioned, that the MS commences by accounting for the name of Albion by the known fable of Albyne and her sisters; and that throughout it seems to contain the usual complement of romantic legends.

As Speed was a Chester mau, it seems highly probable, that the Historic Society of Lancashire and Cheshire, or some member, may be in possession of some facts or documents capable of throwing light upon this interesting volume. Should such be the case, not only would it be esteemed a favour by Mr. Davies, and by the writer of this notice, but it might also tend to remove an obscurity in one of the bye-paths of historic literature, if any information that may be possessed might be obligingly communicated.

A Paper was also read, of which the following is an abstract :

ANALYSIS OF THE SUBSCRIBERS TO THE VARIOUS LIVERPOOL CHARITIES. By the Rev. A. Hume, D.C.L., LL.D.

This Analysis was made in imitation of a former one, dated 1852, the intention of which was to shew the subscribers to all the Church objects in town.

The subjects were arranged under four general heads.

1. Distant Missions: Including the Church Missionary Society, the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, and the Colonial Church Society.

2. Home Missions: Including the Pastoral Aid, the Curates' Aid, and Church of England Scripture Readers' Societies.

3. Religious Objects General: Church building, in connexion with three local societies; and the building of other local churches, in a period of three years.

4. Educational Objects General: Building of Church Schools in a period of three years, and permanent support of the Church of England School Society.

The names of all the subscribers were arranged in alphabetical order, and in columns opposite to each name marks were put, indicating the objects to which the individual subscribed.

The general result was the following:

(1) That there are only 122 gentlemen who subscribe to the majority of these objects, or to any considerable number of them. (2) That the entire strength of their supporters-that is, of those who subscribe to any or to all of them-is 1243. (3) That

690 other persons subscribe to the Blue-coat Hospital, or to the schools connected with the various churches and districts of the town. Several of these last, including a large proportion of those who subscribe to the Blue-coat Hospital, are protestant dissenters. It is not necessary to discuss the question here, "what are charities?" Some include under the term all societies or institutions whose object is either to promote the glory of God or good will towards men; others apply the term to societies for the latter object merely; while others again, perhaps more logical and consistent than either of the foregoing, confine the term "charities" to such societies or institutions as minister to the relief of human suffering, from which others have nothing to fear. It is obvious that a fever hospital, a lunatic asylum, or a receptacle for persons with malformations, is not a charity, except in a very loose sense of the term. It is really an institution connected with moral and sanatory police, having in view prevention as much as cure, perhaps more.

Without adhering rigidly to this distinction, the institutions of which an analysis is given here are the following:

1. The Blue Coat Hospital.

2. The Northern Hospital.

3. The Southern Hospital.

4. The Liverpool Dispensaries, including St. Anne's Dispensary, and Eye and Ear Institution.

5. The Royal Infirmary, Lunatic Asylum, and Lock Hospital.

6. The Eye and Ear Infirmary.

7. The District Provident Society.

8. The Sailors' Home.

9. The Asylum for Orphan Boys.

10. The Female Orphan Asylum.

11. The School for the Deaf and Dumb.

12. The School for the Blind.

Omitting all other sources of income, such as endowments, houses, invested property, donations, and church collections, let us look to the annual subscribers alone. We easily gather from the Reports the following general statement:

Total
Sub'tions.

£

Average of
Sub'tions.
£ 8. d.

1 3 9

Northern Hospital.

Southern Hospital

Thus, speaking in general terms, there are ten thousand annual subscriptions paid to the charities of Liverpool, independent of other sums; and these amount to £14,000. The subscriptions to the Infirmary are the largest, probably because it includes several objects; there are a good many of £5 5s. Those to the Asylum for Orphan Boys are the smallest, being usually a guinea or half a guinea.

Now, it must be apparent, that though there are 9760 subscriptions, there are not 9760 subscribers, but that the name of one individual occurs in several reports. If, therefore, we take the largest list as a basis, the roll of the Blue Coat Hospital, we may compare each of the others with it, and see what proportion of their subscribers is to be found in it. It is popularly said that the subscribers to the Blue Coat Hospital support

all the charities of the town; an analysis of this kind will test the accurracy of the

statement.

Of the 1753 subscribers to the Blue Coat Hospital, the following numbers and proportions are found in the several lists:

Thus it appears that the subscribers to the Blue Coat Hospital pay from 50 to 70 per cent. of the subscriptions to the other charities mentioned here. Deducting 1733 subscriptions from the total, 9760, we have 8027 as the total subscriptions to the charities on this latter Table. The number 4568 gives an average of 57 per cent.; so that nearly three-fifths of the support to all the other charities is given by the subscribers to the Blue Coat Hospital.

The next point was to ascertain how many subscribe to only one object, and what that object is. For a variety of reasons, different individuals prefer different charities and patronise them only, while the sympathies of others are more widely extended. To ascertain this, it was necessary to throw the names of all the subscribers into alphabetical order, and to mark opposite to each in prepared columns, the objects to which he subscribed. The subscribers to only one object were then apparent, in the respective columns.

It thus appears that from 15 to 16 per cent. of all the subscriptions are given by persons who subscribe to "pet charities" only; while the remaining 84 per cent. are contributed by persons whose benevolence is a more diffusive character. But what proportion do these 1527 single-charity subscribers bear to the whole? A careful summing give us 3448 as the entire number of the names; so that of those who subscribe to the Liverpool charities, 44 per cent. subscribe only to one object. There are, of course, 56 per cent. who subscribe to more objects than one.

It is still further desirable to show how many subscribe to two, three, four or more objects, and how many to the whole. With some trouble, the whole of these facts may be gleaned from the combined list; and they form important data for further deductions.