The Sun.
London, England, 1863-10-19 00:00:00

British Archaeological Association.

LEEDS, Oct. 16.
The weather yesterday was very unfavourable for excur-
sions, but a large party, nevertheless, led by the President,
Lord Houghton, went to Wakefield, and thence to Ponte-
fract. At the railway station, at Wakefield, they were met
by the mayor and corporation, and the party thus strength-
ened visited, in the first instance, the chapel of Edward
IV., built on the bridge over the Calder, which at that
point spreads out int 3 a wide stream. The chapel was
built by Edward IV., on the site of a former one, in
memory of his father, Richard, Duke of York, and
those of his party who fell in the battle of Wakefield.
It is, or rather was, a fine specimen of richly de-
corated Gothic architecture. It is somewhat remark-
able that, exposed as it is to observation, and, seem-
ingly, inviting assault, it should have been suffered to re-
main almost uninjured by the devastations of civil war
and of religious fanaticism, which destroyed so many of the
Norman castles and ecclesiastical buildings in this county.
About 50 years ago time seemed to have been the only
ravager, but even then it was covered in and habitable ;
the occupant of the ancient chapel being an old woman
who was renowned for her cheesecakes throughout the
juvenile world of Wakefield. It was afterwards converted
into a warehouse, and received much damage, and in 1817
it was thoroughly 64 restored"—so thoroughly, indeed, that
the only remaining portion of the original building is a
small fragment near the old altar. The work of restoration,
however, requires to be repeated, for the Caen stone em-
ployed is fast crumbling away. The chapel is ten yards
long and about eight in width, and is supported on sterlinga
projecting from the centre of the eastern side of the bridge.
The party passed along Kirkgate to inspect some ancient
wooden houses in that street, and a short paper was read.
giving an historical description of the buildings,
which are
supposed to have been erected in the time of Queen Elizabeth.
The fine old parish church was next visited, the spire of
which is one of the highest in the kingdom, and has recently
been restored. The chancel, erected in the reign of Henry
IV. by sir John Pilkington, particularly attracted attention.
The members proceeded from the church to the Town Hall,
where their official reception by the corporation took place.
The MAYOB, made a speech expressing his gratification
at receiving the members of the Archmological Association
in Wakefield, under the presidency of Lord Houghton, to
whom he addressed some compliments on his distinguished
literary attainments, and'thanked him for the readiness he
had shown on all occasions to assist the educational efforts
of the town.

Lord HOUGHTON thanked the corporation, on behalf of
the association, for their kind reception, and
expressed
their regret that they could not remain longer there. The
wealth, the credit, and the position of his family, he added,
were mainly owing, not only to their residence in Wake-
field, but to the honest trade they pursued there in old times
--(applause)—and in which they contributed much, he be-
lieved, to the prosperity of the borough. That was an origin
of which no Englishman should ever be ashamed, of which,
indeed, every Englishman ought to be proud. (Hear, hear.)
It was from the commercial classes that justly sprang
the
best portion of their nobility, and it was thus that all classes
in England,from the highest to the lowest, were always in-
timately connected ; and a man felt, when elevated to any
other class, that he lost nothing of the privileges of the class
front which he was elevated. (Cheers.)
Mr. WILSON then read a paper on the ancient chapel on
the bridge, and, after the exhibition of some antiquarian
relics, the party lett Wakefield by the railway train for
Pomfret, by which name, under the correction of the Pre-
sident of the Archaeological Association, the borough he re-
presented must now be known. They first visited the Old
Hall, supposed to have been commenced in the reign of
Elizabeth, as a residence for the Harewood family, but it
was never completed, and it remains a fine premature ruin,
which attracts much observation. After a short visit to the
church the party repaired to the castle. The ancient
glories of Pomfret Castle are most incorrectly symbolised
to the present generation by the representation of its gates,
with a dove perched on the top, impressed on that most
refined of all preparations of liquorice, " Pomfret cakes."
The gates there shown bear no resem'olance to any part
of the remaining structure, and the bird of peace is a
most unfitted emblem of the deeds of murder and bloodshed
perpetrated within its walls. Lord Houghton directed at-
tention to those portions of the building which have most
historical interest, and the Rev. Mr. Hartshorne pointed out
the chief architectural features, though there are now few
remains of the once famous fortress. It stands on a high
hill, and the meat perfect parts that are visible are the walls
of the keep, which, being of extraordinary thickness, have
best withstood the ravages of the destroyers who have
worked its ruin. The whole area occupied by the castle
was seven acres, and it is now chiefly used for growing
liquorice, for which purpose the great depth of soil renders
it peculiarly suitable. The archaeological objects of the
excursion having been completed, the members proceeded
to the Town Hall, where a sumptuous collation had been
provided by the corporation. The Mayor presided, sup-
ported.by Houghton and Dr. Lee (ex-president).
After the usual loyal toasts had been drunk,
The MAYOR, in eulogistic terms, proposed the health of
"Lord Houghton, the President," who had been the repre-
sentative of that borough for 25 years, and whom, although
ho had been elevated to the peerage, they could still recog-
nise as a neighb mr and friend. (Cheers')
Lord HOUGHTON, who was warmly cheered, observed
that, during the long period he had been associated with
that borough, he had witnessed many interesting scenes in
that hall. There he was first elected a member of Parlia-
ment, now about a quarter of a century ago. Since that
time there',had been great mutations of empires and great
historical events in the world ; they had seen the fall of
Ministries, changes of Governments, deaths of good Men
in whom they were all interested, the loss of many friends,,
and many other things had occurred which were beyond
their circuit to inquire into. During that period he had
seen in that hall many different assemblies, met for different
objects, but hitherto no such event had occurred as the
arrival of a literary and philosophical society in that town,
to be entertained by the mayor and corporation. (Hear,
hear.) He was sorry the elements had net been propitious,
but he should be glad if anything had happened to obli-
terate the memory a! the darkness and damp, and that they
would carry away with them some warm feeling towards
the borough of Pontefract, for no town in England was
mere worthy of the attention of such a society as that most
ancient borough. (Hear.) Archaeology, instead of making
the best of everything, now made the worst of everything,
and the oppenness of Mr. Hartshorne's statement had very
much diminished the personal respect he had for him,
(Laughter.) He thought he might have concealed the fact
that there were larger castles than that of Pontefract, but
he told it with an archaeological love of truth which might
be very virtuous but was rather discreditable. (Laughter.)
There might have been fortresses greater than theirs, but
they would all agree with him that there was hardly one
that had gone over so varied a space in British history,
or which illustrated in such a singular manner the

changes of our constitution, our manners, our habits,
our religion, and our laws. (Applause.) In conclusion
the noble lord proposed the health of his predecessor in
that office, Dr. Lee, who, he said, was an antiquary of
great reptile in the south of England. (Cheers.)
Dr. LEE returned his grateful thanks for the compliment,
and referred with satisfaction to the change of public opinion
respecting archaeological pursuits. Formerly people re-
garded them with suspicion, but now they were welcomed
by corporations and civic authorities wherever they went.
They felt greatly obliged to the Lord Mayor and corpora-
tion of Pontefract for their kindly reeception, and he begged
to propose their healths, (Cheers.)
The MAYOR having briefly responded,
Mr. PHlLLirrs proposed " The Borough Members," Mr.
WATERHOUSE returned thanks, honourably defending the
corporation from the censure which the noble president had
cast upon them in his inaugural address respecting their
negligence of the castle, which, he said, belonged to the
despite the untoward
Duchy of Lancaster, and not to the borough.
and
n
Some other complimentary toasts and speeches were pro-
posed d responded to,st andstate
e of
ththeepwaretaythreer.
returned by train to
Leeds, highly gratified with the proceedings of the day
At the
Fountain evening
meeting Mr. G. HILLS read a paper "On
.Abbey," which was illustrated by a large ground
plan of the building, they •
To give emus parts of which he explained.
more extended • interest to the subject, he exhibited
plans, drawn to the
same scale, of several other distin-
guished Cistercian
monastic establishments, including seve-
ral of those in Ireland, whichwere all of much smaller di-
mensions than the English
followed by a discussion, inmonasteries. The paper was
Hwhich Mr T. Wright, Mr
artshorne, Mr Planche,
took part. Mr O'Callaghad, and Mr Roberts
Mr. O'CALLAGHAN, the local honorary
read a paper describing an ancient secretary, then
a discovered at
Giggleswick, in this county, which is now
of the Philosophical Society of Leeds. Theneantheee was Museum
dis-
covered in May last, by a workman who was
employed
in
draining land, oloa to the ruargia of a drained 19,ke that was