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Salon: Issue 341
26 April 2015
Next issue: 10 May 2015
The Society of Antiquaries of London Online Newsletter (Salon) is a fortnightly digest of news from the heritage sector. It focuses on the activities of the Society and the contribution that the Society's Fellows make to public life. Like the intellectual salons of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Europe, it aims to amuse and to stimulate debate as well as to inform. A copy of Salon’s editorial policy can be found on the Society’s website. News and feedback for publication in Salon should be addressed to the Salon Editor.
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Inside this issue
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From the Desk of the General Secretary
Anniversary Meeting 2015: What You Missed
The Society's Anniversary Meeting, held on 23 April 2015, was well attended; comments by those in attendance also demonstrate that is was greatly enjoyed.
Treasurer Stephen Johnson presented a brief report to Fellows on the state of the past year's finances (and plans to fully explain the accounts, after they are prepared, to Fellows before an Ordinary Meeting in the autumn). Fellows can watch a recording of the Treasurer's Report on the Fellows' Area of the website (login required). Following his report, the Meeting was adjourned for tea.
When the Meeting continued, the newly elected 2015-'16 Council was announced (details are now posted on the Society's website). Notably, the Anniversary Meeting marked the final meeting for Fellow Brian Ayers (MIFA FRSA) as Honorary Secretary. Brian has been a Fellow of the Society for 25 years and has spent the last several years contributing to the governance and management of the Society as an Officer, helping to develop and execute key initiatives and strategies to help the Society flourish and thrive in the face of many challenges. Please join us in thanking Brian for his service to the Society, and in welcoming the incoming Honorary Secretary, Fellow Jeremy Warren (Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres).
Fellows who attended the Anniversary Meeting and the President's Address were particularly struck by the clarity and commitment with which President Gill Andrews outlined the past year's successes, the ongoing challenges the Society must face and the strategy (as well as the core values and vision providing the foundation for that strategy) that the Society will rely on to meet and overcome those challenges in the coming years. Council has already drafted a strategy, Vision 2020, articulating the Society's five-year plan to 'care for its collections, support research and communicate knowledge in order to foster a wider public understanding and enjoyment of the past' (a direct response to the concerns and ideas Fellows expressed during a 2013 survey of the Fellowship). Along with the Vision 2020 strategy, Council has also taken time to consider and publish a new statement of the Society's core values (now available on the website). Underpinning the strategy is the recognition that success will require the Society to be more outward looking, engage the Fellowship more in the Society's activities and increase the Society's income.
Along with the Treasurer's Report, a recording of the President's Address can be found in the Fellows' Area of the website, as well as on the 'Anniversary Meeting 2015' event page on the public side of the website. Fellows who were unable to join us for the Anniversary Meeting are strongly encouraged to watch the full recording of the President's Address to learn more.
Finally, the Anniversary Meeting concluded with a reception and a celebration of the Society's three latest publications: Sherborne Old Castle, Dorset, Dictionary of British Medieval Arms (vol. IV) and Catalogue of Paintings in the Collection of the Society of Antiquaries of London. Director John Creighton gave a wonderfully entertaining overview of the hard work, dedication, determination and expertise that went into seeing all three publications to completion. Fellow Thomas Woodcock was presented with the Society Medal for his contributions to Dictionary of British Medieval Arms. All three publications were available for sale at the Anniversary Reception and can now be purchased online.
Photos of the Anniversary Meeting have been compiled into an online Facebook Album (Facebook account is not necessary to view photos).
Exhibition Update: Magna Carta Through the Ages
There are still opportunities for Fellows to get involved. We'll soon be scheduling volunteer training workshops; if you would like to learn more about how you can help with the exhibition, please contact Head of Library and Collections Heather Rowland as soon as possible.
Open House London: 19 September 2015
The Society invites all Fellows to consider volunteering for our annual Open House London guided tours of our apartments. Following the success of the collaborative marketing and programming of last year, the Burlington House societies will once again work together to give visitors a reason to spend Saturday, 19 September, exploring the entire Burlington House Courtyard, a unique London hub for arts and sciences. Tours will run from 10.00 to 17.00, and we welcome volunteers for all or part of the day. Email the Society's Communications Officer, Renée LaDue, to express an interest in volunteering. She will maintain a list of volunteers and be in touch later in the summer with details about the different ways to help.
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Forthcoming Ordinary Meetings of Fellows
There are no further Ordinary Meetings of Fellows until October (details of the autumn programme of meetings and events for Fellows will be posted with our July newsletter mailing to Fellows). However, listed below are special events for Fellows and their Guests that we have planned in the meantime.
28 May: Summer Soirée and Fellows' Private View of Magna Carta Through the Ages
Fellows are invited to join us for a special private view of the Society's summer exhibition, Magna Carta Through the Ages, which opens to the public on 26 May. In lieu of a miscellany of papers, Fellows can enjoy our annual Summer Soirée with Pimm's and wine, and explore the exhibition in private after hours (18.00 to 20.00). Admission is by ticket only (guests of Fellows are welcome). Tickets can be purchased by contacting the Society's Executive Assistant, Jola Zduneck, by email (admin@sal.org.uk) or by phone (020 7479 7080). Details can be found on the Society's website at www.sal.org.uk/events.
24 July: Fellows' Day at Kelmscott Manor
Fellows and their guests are invited to enjoy a special private day at Kelmscott Manor (Friday, 24 July 2016, 14.00 to 17.00). Tea and refreshments will be provided (prepared by the Kelmscott Manor catering manager). After their success at Fellows' Day in 2013, the jazz band 'Impromptu' has been invited back to perform. This year, Fellows will also be able to enjoy games of croquet on the Kelmscott Manor lawn—a favourite pastime of the Morris family when they resided at the Manor! Details are available at www.sal.org.uk/events. Please contact Kelmscott Manor with questions.
6 August: Fellows' Private View of Magna Carta and the Changing Face of Revolt
This summer, the Society is lending one of its most well-known objects, the Bosworth Cross, to the Palace Green Library for the exhibition Magna Carta and the Changing Face of Revolt. To celebrate this important loan, the Society has organised a Fellows' private view of the exhibition on Thursday, 6 August 2015, giving Fellows and guests an opportunity to explore this important exhibition after hours (18.00 to 20.00). Fellows are invited to bring guests. Tickets are £12.00 each and can be booked online or by contacting our Executive Assistant (admin@sal.org.uk; 020 7479 7080). Information and booking details are online at www.sal.org.uk/events.
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Forthcoming Public Lectures & More
Public Lectures are held from 13.00 to 14.00 on Tuesdays. These lectures are very popular, so advance booking is advised to be sure of a place. Details of forthcoming lectures can be found on the 'Events' page of the Society's website.
26 May – 30 June: Magna Carta Through the Ages Six-Week Public Lecture Series
During the first six weeks of the Society's much-anticipated Magna Carta Through the Ages exhibition, there will be a weekly public lecture focused on exploring the impact of the 'Great Charter' around the world and throughout history.
These lectures are well on their way to being fully booked already, so you are advised to book early to avoid disappointment! More information can be found on the Society's website at www.sal.org.uk/events or www.sal.org.uk/magna-carta.
19 June: Magna Carta Museum Late
Join us for a unique opportunity to explore the exhibition, Magna Carta Through the Ages, after hours with special programming and a cash bar. Details online at www.sal.org.uk/events.
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May Bank Holiday Closures: 4 May, 5 May & 25 May
The Society's apartments (including the Library) will be closed on both Monday, 4 May, and Tuesday, 5 May, for the early May bank holiday. The Society's apartments (including the Library) will also be closed on 25 May for the late May bank holiday.
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Fellows' Introductory Tours of Burlington House and the Society's Library
The next in the Society’s regular series of introductory tours will take place on 7 May 2015. Tours are free, but limited to twenty-five people, so places should be booked in advance. Please contact the Society’s Executive Assistant (call 020 7479 7080 or email admin@sal.org.uk). Tours start at 11.00, and coffee is served from 10.45. Lunch is available at the end of the tour for £5, but must be ordered in advance. There will be further tours scheduled in the autumn.
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17 September 2015: 'The Cultural Legacy of the Battle of Agincourt, 1415-2015' (Conference, Society of Antiquaries)
The Battle of Agincourt has come to mean much more than simply a battle fought in northern France on 25 October 1415 between the English and French. Over the centuries it has stimulated literary, artistic and musical outputs. It has also been used as a symbol of British identity as well as of family ancestral pride, even in cases where participation in the battle is dubious. There are claims of objects associated with the battle, as well as problematic early excavations. Major wars have stimulated new interest, especially the Napoleonic wars and the First World War. This day conference explores these themes and others to explain why Agincourt has generated such a legacy in antiquarian traditions as well as in the popular psyche.
This full-day conference has been organised by Fellow Anne Curry. Tickets are £20.00 per person and can be booked online or by contacting our Executive Assistant (admin@sal.org.uk, 020 7479 7080). Details of the conference (including a full programme and booking details) are available at www.sal.org.uk/events.
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Regional Fellows Groups
Welsh Fellows
Friday, 5 June: Meeting at Blaenavon Ironworks.
Friday to Sunday, 16 to 18 October: Weekend meeting based at the Cawdor Arms, Llandeilo. All Fellows are welcome to join the Welsh Fellows for these events! Further details are posted in the 'Welsh Regional Fellows' Group' section of the 'Fellows' Discussion Forum' (Fellows' login required). Email Fellow Alan Aberg with questions.
South West Fellows
Want to join the South West Regional Fellows Group? If you would like to receive email updates about forthcoming meetings in York, you can subscribe online at: http://eepurl.com/MvHUr
York Fellows
Want to join the York Regional Fellows Group? If you would like to receive email updates about forthcoming meetings in York, you can subscribe online at: http://eepurl.com/8nvxL
Other Regional Events
Sunday, 21 June (13.30): Fellow and Reviews Editor for the Society, Tom James, and Fellow and former Salon Editor, Christopher Catling, are organising a group outing for Fellows in Cheltenham (see the initial post in Salon 229). The excursion will include a walking tour (13.30) of Cheltenham led by Fellow Steven Blake, founder member of Cheltenham Local History Society, former Museum & Collections Manager at Cheltenham Art Gallery & Museum and author of numerous books on the town's architecture and history. Those taking part on the walk will be asked for a donation of £10 towards the forthcoming Cheltenham volume of the Victoria County History. Tea will be served at Sydenham Lodge (12 Cranham Road, 15.00 to 18.00). RSVP by Monday, 1 June. Advanced booking is required. Contact Christopher Catling to confirm.
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Ballot Results: 16 April 2015
On 16 April, we elected 14 new Fellows!
As Ordinary Fellows:
- William Poole, MA, DPhil. Galsworthy Fellow in English Literature, New College, Oxford (his interests cover the intellectual history of the 16th to early 18th centuries; has published widely on book and printing history and early modern science).
- Ian Campbell, BA, MA, DPhil. Professor of Architectural History and Theory, University of Edinburgh (leading authority on the work of the architect/antiquary Pirro Ligorio and has written widely on the reception of classical architecture in N Europe).
- Andrew John Prescott, BA, PhD. Professor of Digital Humanities, Glasgow University (interests include the history of libraries and archives, and aspects of British social history from the Peasants’ Revolt onwards; a pioneer in digitising historic materials, for example, Electronic Beowulf).
- Lorna-Jane Richardson, BA, MA, PhD. Local Heritage Network Co-ordinator, Council for British Archaeology (leading researcher in public archaeology, on which she has published many articles).
- Arthur Graves Credland, MBE, BSc. Retired museum curator (has made outstanding contributions to maritime history, arms and armour and to the local history of Hull and the E Riding, and has published numerous articles and books).
- Kathryn Jones, BA, DipArtHist. Curator of Decorative Arts, Royal Collection (has been responsible for a number of Royal Collection exhibitions and has lectured and published extensively).
- Gary Robinson, BA, MA, PhD. Lecturer in Prehistoric Archaeology, Bangor University (expert in the archaeology of western Britain and Ireland, particularly maritime communities between the Mesolithic and Bronze Ages, on which he has published book chapters, articles and a monograph).
- Timothy Paul Loughton, MP, BA, PhD. Vice-Chair, All Party Parliamentary Group for Archaeology (lifelong involvement in archaeology with particular interest in Roman Britain; active on parliamentary committees relating to cultural heritage).
- David Rundle, MA, DPhil. Lecturer, Dept of History, University of Essex (expert in the humanist tradition in Britain in the 15th and early 16th centuries and in the history of Renaissance manuscripts, on which he has published widely).
- Christian Steer, MA, PhD. Finance Manager (has specialist knowledge of 12th-16th-century London, particularly burials; has also lectured widely on church monuments and brasses).
- Barbara Borg, MA, PhD. Professor of Classical Archaeology, University of Exeter (known for her work on mummy portraits and on Greek and Roman iconography; her latest publication is on tombs and burial customs in Rome).
- Charles Woodburn, MA. Retired Deputy Engineer-in-Chief, Royal Engineers (expert on historical fortifications in Asia, particularly N Pakistan and Afghanistan, on which he has published and lectured extensively).
- Jodie Lewis, BA, MA, PhD. Principal Lecturer in Archaeology, University of Worcester (has extensive experience of archaeological fieldwork, focusing on the prehistoric landscapes of western Britain, on which she has published).
- Adrian Gascoyne, BA. Historic and Built Environment Manager, Essex County Council (has particular expertise in the management of the historic and natural environment and has published on the archaeology of Colchester and the landscape of Essex).
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Developing AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Awards with the Society of Antiquaries of London
From the Society’s Director of Research, John Creighton and Heather Rowland, Head of Library and Collections:
The AHRC have announced the 2015-'16 call for their Collaborative Doctoral Award scheme with a deadline of 7 July 2015. These awards provide opportunities for doctoral students to gain first-hand experience of work outside an academic environment. The support provided by both an academic and non-academic supervisor enhances the employment-related skills and training a research student gains during the course of their award. The Society would like to encourage research of its own collections both at Burlington House and Kelmscott Manor.
Amongst its outstanding collections are those of local historians which include printed materials, manuscripts and artefacts, such as Peter Prattinton’s collection on Worcester, a little known collection of over 20,000 photographs and lantern slides from the 19th and early 20th century mainly of architectural and archaeological subjects, demonstrating how Fellows were early adopters of photography. The museum collection at Burlington House could be described as one big cabinet of curiosities, and it could tell us much about the role of the Society in the history of collecting in the 18th and 19th centuries. At Kelmscott there is collection of Islamic metalwork and ceramics, which is an aspect of Morris’s interests that has never been fully explored. These are just some examples with research potential.
Any UK Academics wishing to consider a proposal researching the collections whether for this cycle or for next year is invited to contact Heather Rowland in the first instance (hrowland@sal.org.uk).
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CoLAT: New Research to Shed Fresh Light on the Impact of Industrialisation
 The Museum of London has announced a ground-breaking research project to explore the effects of industrialisation on Londoners. The research hopes to uncover new clues about the very nature of disease and how it has affected people as Britain has moved into the age of industrialisation. The research has been made possible by a City of London Archaeological Trust grant from a bequest made by the late Rosemary Green (£80K over three years).
Fellow John Schofield, Secretary of the City of London Archaeological Trust, said: 'The City of London Archaeological Trust is very happy that the Rosemary Green bequest is used to gather this cutting-edge data on the signs of industrialisation in the skeletal collections on the Museum of London.'
Leading the project is Jelena Bekvalac, based at the Museum of London’s Centre for Human Bioarchaeology, along with her research team, Gaynor Western and Mark Farmer. Bekvalac, said: 'The most tangible evidence we have for the long-term consequences of the industrialisation process upon us is, quite simply, written in our bones. Using the very latest digital technology, we will examine the skeletal remains of over 1,000 adult men and women from industrial-era London in addition to a further 500 skeletons from the medieval metropolis. Modern health trends have seen a shift towards increasing life expectancy but we want to look again at what are often thought of as ‘man-made’ conditions like obesity and cancer. Given today’s more sedentary lifestyles, far removed from the physically active and natural existence of most of our forebears, there are some big questions about the origins of these diseases and how they relate to the modern environment.'
The research aims to address some of these questions by analysing diseases affecting the human skeleton. The museum will use the latest clinical techniques, including digital X-Ray scanning, to get a better understanding of what the bones in its collection tell us and to assess their change over time.
For further information on the Trust's activities, see www.colat.org.uk.
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Wymondham Abbey: Medieval Architectural Design Uncovered
Fellow Roland Harris reported the following discovery from Wymondham Abbey. Current work there, for construction of new buildings at the east end of the church, has been accompanied by excavation and building recording. As anticipated this has revealed more of the plan and detail of the Norman Benedictine priory (founded as a cell of St Albans in 1107), and a few tantalizing details of an earlier church: the origins of Wymondham Abbey probably lie in a Saxon minster on the site. More unexpected has been the sheer quantity of Gothic architectural mouldings recovered from the excavation and from above ground, which is providing new insight into the later development of the medieval priory. The most substantial quantity of worked stone has come from the unblocking of the former opening from the 12th-century nave north aisle into the north transept. More exciting still, this unblocking has revealed a substantial incised architectural design on the newly exposed respond (also forming the rear of the north-western 12th-century crossing pier).
The incised design measures 1.9m x 1.3m and is a scale drawing for a gable and window tracery. The design is largely complete, with gaps in the lines mostly due to surviving patches of later medieval paint, and includes various setting-out lines, circles and points (see the images below).
The significance of the discovery is threefold. First, the completeness of the design is remarkable—indeed, rather more complete than well-known examples such as those in the Galilee Porch at Ely Cathedral, the Roslin chapel crypt, and Christchurch Priory. Second, the design does not relate to surviving Gothic additions to Wymondham Abbey and, therefore, almost certainly relates to the monastic buildings or, much more probably, the eastern arm of the abbey church, demolished at the Dissolution: as such, it provides an important insight into the lost parts of the building. Third, and more tentatively, the combination of elements suggests a date before the end of the 13th century and raises the question as to whether—like its sister cell at Binham Priory with its precocious west front design of c.1240—Wymondham was at the forefront of bar tracery design in England in the mid-13th century.
Please note that the incised design is not accessible at present, as it is in the middle of a construction site, but visitors will be able to see it from the new room on the site of the medieval St Margaret’s chapel when this opens in the autumn of 2015.
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SAVE Britain's Heritage Report
Fellow Sabrina Harcourt-Smith would like to make Fellows aware of the latest campaign by SAVE Britain's Heritage, which is focused on a set of buildings on the Strand owned by King's College London that may be in danger.
SAVE objects to a planning application from King's College London to demolish four buildings on the Strand that went to a planning committee in the City of Westminster (Tuesday, 21 April). The proposal is to demolish 154-158 Strand to form a new academic building and to retain only the façade of 152-153 Strand.
Fellow Marcus Binney, SAVE President, says: 'Wherever these narrow frontages survive, in the City or streets leading up to it such as the Strand, it is vital that they are preserved. In this case they provide the frame for the picture within and form an essential part of the townscape of one of London’s best known streets. This is one of the most historic streets in the City of Westminster and must be safeguarded'.
According to the statement SAVE released: 'These are historic buildings of great charm on one of London’s most historic and central thoroughfares: the procession route from St Paul’s Cathedral to Buckingham Palace. The existing buildings also provide the setting for the Grade I listed Somerset House and St Mary Le Strand. This streetscape has already been damaged by King’s College’s Brutalist building to the east of Somerset House. No further encroachment of this kind should be allowed. The character of central London depends on a balance between large institutional and commercial buildings and smaller scale buildings on narrow plots. The entire group of threatened buildings are in the Strand Conservation Area, while one of them is listed Grade II. The ones slated for demolition are singled out in the Conservation Area Audit as Unlisted Buildings of Merit, which contribute to the character and appearance of the Conservation Area. This should, according to local planning policy, safeguard them from this kind of proposal.'
The Ancient Monuments Society, the Victorian Society, LAMAS, The Courtauld Institute and the Somerset House Trust have also objected to the scheme. Historic England (formerly English Heritage) has not objected, stating that the loss of the buildings would cause ‘less than substantial harm.’* SAVE strongly disagrees with their assessment of the planning application and considers that harm outweighs public benefit in the proposed scheme.
*'Less than substantial harm' refers to the National Planning Policy Framework paragraphs 133 and 134, which state: "Where a development proposal will lead to less than substantial harm to the significance of a designated heritage asset, this harm should be weighed against the public benefits of the proposal, including securing its optimum viable use."'
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News of Fellows
 Fellow Annti Mitikkala has announced a new publication, Perspectives on the Honours Systems: Proceedings of the Symposiums Swedish and Russian Orders 1700–2000 & The Honour of Diplomacy (The Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities, Stockholm, 2015), which he co-edited with Staffan Rosén. Both Matikkala and Fellow Tuukka Talvio contributed articles ('Gustaf Adlerfelt, Orders of Knighthood and Charles XII' and 'The Diplomatic Orders of Gustaf Mauritz Armfelt', respectively).
Current Archaeology has published an article on work by Fellow John Ashdown-Hill at Clarence vault in Tewkesbury Abbey, investigating the supposed resting place of of the Duke of Clarence, elder brother of Richard III, plus those of his young wife. Dr Ashdown-Hill says, 'This work was actually set in motion by the late Dr Richard Morris FSA, who contacted me first in 2006, following publication of my discovery of the mtDNA sequence of Richard III and his siblings.' Read about it issue 302.
A new online article, 'Three Late Bronze Age Hoards from North East Norfolk', is now available, written by Fellow Andrew J Lawson, with an important contribution on metal composition by Fellow Paul Craddock, Fellow Mike Tite and Caitlin Buck. Local HERs (Historic Environment Records) are a key resource when researching the archaeology of a particular area. Moreover, because the majority of them have been digitised, it may be possible to interrogate them online, thereby saving the time and expense of travel. The Norfolk Heritage Explorer, the access portal to the record maintained by Norfolk County Council, is no exception. Not only does the portal enable researchers to search for individual site records but it also offers a range of summary articles to assist those with limited knowledge of the region’s archaeology.
On 1 April, Mediterráneo Antiguo published an interview with Fellow Edward Harris: '[Harris] has passed into history of Archaeology due to his decisive contribution: the Harris Matrix. A complex method that has spread around the world since 1973 and is still using by a lot of archaeologists.' The interview focuses on the development of the Harris Matrix, a model of stratigraphic interpretation of archaeological records to illustrate the relationship between layers and features. Read the full interview online.
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Memorials to Fellows
 We included this window in Issue 339, but we have some additional information to share from the contributor, Fellow Roderick O'Donnell:
'Frederick A Walters (who seems to have gone by ‘Fred’) was both archaeologist and architect at and to Buckfast Abbey, Devon, from 1883 until his death in 1931. He is here depicted at his prie-dieu in front of with the west front of the Abbey church (1906-1932). The arms are those of the Society, an unimaginative choice given Walters’ own delight (following Pugin) in the decorative possibilities of heraldry. His features are evidently taken from a photograph. The window was designed by his son (took over the work of rebuilding the Abbey from 1928) made by Burlison & Grylls. Walters (1849-1931) was educated in France, at the RA schools, then as his father’s pupil, and later at Goldie & Child;setting up on his own in 1882, he was to be one of the most prolific Catholic church architects either side of 1914.He was elected to the Society in 1886, probably at the suggestion of St George Jackson Mivart, although his proposer was Everard Green, later Somerset Herald. Walters was a highly skilled draughtsman, who always signed his drawings with the FSA suffix. Buckfast Abbey, History, Art and Architecture, 1018-2018 edited by Peter Beacham FSA, with contributions from eight other Fellows, including this writer, will be forthcoming in 2017.'
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Lives Remembered: Margaret Rule, FSA
 Margaret Rule, CBE, archaeologist, was born on 27 September 1928 and died on 9 April 2015, aged 86.
Below are extracts from the obituary that appeared in The Times on 17 April, who reported that Margaret Rule was the archaeologist who 'led two of the most dramatic British excavations of the last century—the discovery of the Roman palace at Fishbourne and the raising of the wreck of the Tudor warship, the Mary Rose, in the Solent'.
Margaret Helen Martin was born in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, in 1928 to Ernest, a sales manager, and Mabel. She said that as a child she disliked dolls, but read voraciously and was fascinated by archaeology.
However, at school she was encouraged to study science and read chemistry at London University. Working at the International Chemistry Company after the war she met Arthur Rule, a microbiologist. They married in 1949. His work took them to Essex and then to Havant.
They were both keen archaeologists, they took campervan holidays around Europe and went camping to Stonehenge. Rule became involved in local archaeological societies and digs, starting with wartime bomb sites in London, and her husband suggested she should give up work to pursue her passion—'So I was very lucky,' she said. He took a call from a contractor laying a pipeline in a field to the discoveries of the Roman palace at Fishbourne. She worked on its excavation and became the museum's first curator.
In the 1950s, the couple began renovating a watermill in Sussex, their home for much of their lives. Their son, Nick, born in 1958 and now an IT project manager, also recalled that it was the focal point of Mary Rose parties. He survives her, but her husband died last year.
She gave up her job at Fishbourne after 1978, and was integral to establishing the new museum at Portsmouth devoted to the Mary Rose—although she warned the public at first 'what they will be seeing is a workshop—noisy, cold, wet and smelly, but very exciting'. The permanent museum was opened in 2013.
Over the years, Rule was consulted on a multitude of projects around the world, from exploring wrecks off Cape Verde to advising on the lifting of Roman merchant ship in Guernsey. She was working on writing her memories of the Mary Rose until weeks before her death. When the vessel's anchor was retrieved in 2005, she was there to see it and exclaimed it's 'almost like family coming home'.
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Forthcoming Heritage Events
13 May 2015: '2015 John Coffin Memorial Lecture in Palaeography' (Beveridge Hall, Senate House, London, 18.00)
The lecture will be 'Who Wrote Magna Carta?' by Fellow Nicholas Vincent. Book your seat online.
2 June 2015: 'Archival Afterlives: Life, Death, and Knowledge-Making in Early Modern Scientific and Medical Archives,' (Conference, Royal Society of London)
Further information and registration details available online.
4–5 June 2015: 'Heraldry and Piracy in an Age of Chivalry...' (Conference, Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery, Exeter)
For details, download the information sheet. To register, please email n.ramsay@ucl.ac.uk.
13 June 2015: 'Virtuosity and Variety: Silver Research and Patronage Today' (Seminar, The Silver Society, London)
Several Fellows will be speaking at this seminar during the Art Antiques London summer fair. Download this PDF for details.
22-28 June 2015: Chalke Valley History Festival
The programme of speakers includes Fellow Caroline Dakers ('The History of Fonthill', 25 June). Find out more about the programme of events on the Festival's website.
26 June 2015: 'Gold Boxes: Manufacture and Marketing From the 18th Century to the Present Day: A Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection Study Day (The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge)
This day conference is by ticket only (£10). Details available on the attached PDF.
3 July 2015: Deadline for paper proposals for 'Being Medieval: Archaeology, Society and the Human Experience' (Conference, December 2015, University of Central Lancashire)
For full information, visit the website.
21-24 July 2015: The 2015 Harlaxton Symposium: Saints and their Cults in the Middle Ages (Harlaxton Manor, Harlaxton, Lincolnshire)
Organised by Fellow Susan Powell. Details can be found online.
28 October 2015: ‘Beyond Agincourt: The Funerary Achievements of Henry V’ (Conference, Westminster Abbey)
Book tickets at online.
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Vacancies
Principal Inspector of Historic Buildings and Areas, Historic England
Closing date: 29 April
For further information and to apply please visit the website.
Chief Executive, Collections Trust
Closing date: 26 May
The Collections Trust is looking for a dynamic and entrepreneurial Chief Executive to lead the organisation into a new phase of development with a new vision and operational model. The CEO needs to have good experience of leadership, a track record in managing people and resources, and a proven ability to innovate and advocate, along with an understanding of museums, libraries or archives. Salary is £50-60,000 depending on qualifications and experience. For further information and application details visit the website. |
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Feedback
In the previous issue of Salon, we published an obituary for Fellow Fiona Roe. However, we've received a few corrections to the obituary. The third and fourth paragraphs should have read:
Fiona was born in Hambledon, Surrey in 1939, the eldest of five children. She was educated at North Foreland Lodge School before reading archaeology at Edinburgh University under Stuart Piggott, graduating with a MA in Prehistoric Archaeology in 1962. At this time she also worked for two seasons on the excavations of the important Turkish Neolithic site, Çatal Hüyük. Fiona extended her interest in stone implements with post-graduate study at Newnham College Cambridge, receiving her MLitt in 1969 for her thesis on ‘Bronze Age battle-axes and maceheads’. She published her seminal paper in 1966, ‘The battle-axe series in Britain’ (Proc Prehist Soc 32).
She met her future husband Derek, the palaeolithic archaeologist while they were both in Cambridge, and they moved to Oxford in 1965, where she continued to develop her passion for prehistoric stone around bringing up her two children.
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Propose a Lecture or Seminar
Please email Renée LaDue, the Society's Communications Officer if you are interested in giving a lecture at one of the Society's Ordinary Meetings (Thursday evenings at 17.00) or as part of our Public Lecture series (occasional Tuesday afternoons at 13.00). When proposing a lecture, it is helpful to provide a working title, a few sentences about the topic and its significance, and how you will make it relevant and accessible to the entirety of the diverse Fellowship. We welcome papers based on new research on themes related to the Society's field of interest: the study of the material past. You can view our current lecture programme in the Events section of our website.
Fellows are also encouraged to propose topics or themes for conferences or seminars that bring scholars and professionals from a variety of disciplines together to explain, discuss and debate our material culture. Please email Renée LaDue, the Society's Communications Officer, if you are interested in helping us organise such an event.
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