Portsmouth Literary and Scientific Society (19 january 1884)
This article is a report of the Portsmouth Literary and Scientific Society published in the Hampshire Telegraph and Sussex Chronicle on 19 january 1884.
The report is about a lecture "Archaeological and Antiquarian Notes of Hampshire" attended by Arthur Conan Doyle on 15 january 1884 where he was part of the speakers.
Report
Portsmouth Literary and Scientific Society
The fourth ordinary meeting of the Portsmouth Literary and Scientific Society was held at the Penny-street Lecture Hall, Portsmouth, on Tuesday evening. The chair was occupied by the President (Major-General A. W. Drayson, F.R.A.S., R.A.), and the company included the following gentlemen: General C. L. Nugent, General J. W. Cox, Surgeon-General J. Lamprey, M.B., A.M.D., Col. Urmston, Major F. S. Terry, Rev. Dr. Mellor, Rev. E. Riordan, Dr. Edwards, Dr. C. C. Claremont, Dr. F. Way, Dr. Conan Doyle, Messrs. W. Weston, J. M. Ollis, R.N., J. Hay, T. E. Fraser, G. Ollis, Dental-Surgeon W. H. Kirton, J. A. Wilson, R.N., J. Read, H. Murrell, M. Somers Gardner, E. Byrne, C. Foran, T. Newell, F. L. Jones, A. Howell, G. Clark, C. G. Knight, E. F. Burton, F. Blake, T., Quick, C. W. Bevis, G. Acheson, G. F. Bell, Dr. J. Ward Cousins (Hon. Sec.), &c., &c. — The Rev. H. Maxwell Egan Desmond, F.R.G.S., was elected as member of the Society.
Mr. FORAN read an interesting paper on "Archaeological and Antiquarian Notes of Hampshire." He claimed for this county that it had been inhabited by a Celtic race, though not so thickly populated as Sussex, because a great part of Hampshire was a vast forest, but the discovery of flint implements clearly showed that the county had been inhabited by a Celtic race. Throughout the county were to be found traces of the ancient Romans, and it was a Vespasian that the task of subduing Hampshire and the Isle of Wight was given, the subjugation being the occasion of no less than thirty battles. The name of the first missionary to our island was clothed in mystery, but there was a legend — it was nothing more — that the conversion of Britain was first begun by St. Paul, and the little hamlet of Pauls grove was pointed out as his place of landing. After defining the chief military positions of the Romans in the county, Mr. Foran explained the character of the principal cities. The Roman city of Seguntium was now covered by the town of Silchester; near Andover, the remains of a Roman villa 65ft. long, by 41 ft., had been discovered, and this strengthens Sir Richard Hoare's suggestion that this was the sits of the town of Vindonium. Romsey was pointed as the site of the city of Arminis; and near Southampton was the site of the Roman town of Clausentum. Parts of Portchester Castle were of undoubted Roman work, but the Castle having in turn been a Roman, Saxon, Norman, and English fortress, and each in turn having made alterations, it was difficult in some parts to assign the remains to any particular time. Winchester was the chief city of the Romans in the south, and to the Romans was known as Venta Belgarum or the town of the Belgae, the tribe who inhabited this part of the country the time of the Roman invasion. The Roman roads were a noticeable feature of Hampshire, and they were probably constructed as a means to connect great military stations. Domestic remains of the Roman period had been found at Crondall, Alresford, Clatford, and Andover. At Silchester, where extensive explorations had been carried on, the explorers discovered that under one house there was another, and finally they unearthed no less than four houses built one on the top of the other. The forum, or court-house, was also discovered in the centre of the town, and just outside was the amphitheatre. Having briefly noticed the period when the Romans were driven out of the country after an occupancy of 400 years, he touched on the interne cine struggles as well as the invasions of the Picts Scots, and Danes, till at last the Saxons were called in Hengist was asserted to have landed near Christchurch, at a place still known as Hergisbury Head, where there were still traces of immense earthworks; and about sixty years afterwards Porta, one of the allies of Cerdis landed at either Portchester or Portsmouth, and defeated the Britons. Glancing rapidly at the scene in English history that had their origin in Hampshire — and particularly in Winchester — he said this Canute fixed upon Winchester as his residence, a Southampton was spoken of as the place where the monarch rebuked his courtiers when he commanded the sea to cease rising. It was also said that Canus deposited his crown in the Cathedral and never worn it afterwards. In the same Cathedral, it was stated a few years later Emma, the mother of Edwards the Confessor, underwent the fiery ordeal, walking barefooted over nine red-hot ploughshares in order to prove her innocence of a foul charge that has been brought against her. It was at Portsmouth that Harold fitted out a fleet to oppose the Norman invasion, but the commanders seemed to have acted with greater discretion than valour, for William effected a landing without any opposition either by sea or land. From the hall of the Castle at Winchester went forth the order for the ringing of the curfew bell, and many such despotic orders from the Conqueror; but to the New Forest they must look for most of the signs of despotism, many villages, some authors putting the number at 108, having been destroyed for the sake of extending the Forest. During the Civil War the majority of the county seemed to have held for the King, and consequently became the scene of memorable battles, the first of which was fought at Alton, and Waller, being successful, pushed on to Tisted, where he was again victorious. It was this battle that Sir Benjamin Tichbourne, who had commanded the Royal troops, concealed himself in an oak at Winchester. However, the Royal troop offered a stout resistance, and it was reserved for Cromwell to capture the castle, which he caused to be blown up. Cromwell then turned his attention in Basing House, where for two years his troops had been held at bay by the determined courage of John, Marquis of Winchester, who, in answer to the summons to surrender, replied, "If the King had no more ground in England than Basing House I would maintain in to the uttermost," and he did maintain it till Oliver brought fresh troops, and then the Marquis and several other prisoners were sent to London. Very little now remained of this once grand building, at the time of the siege it was burned down, and Parliament concurred in Cromwell's recommendation for its complete destruction. The ancient monastic houses of Beaulieu, Netley, and Mottisfont were also ably and interestingly treated by the lecturer.
The PRESIDENT moved a vote of thanks to the lecturer, and said the old gateways of Portsmouth were highly interesting to the antiquarian, and none the less so because they had been done away with. With reference to the New Forest he had seen many remains, and he should not be surprised if some of them were those of old Roman churches and villas. — Mr. HAY seconded the vote, and said that up to the time that the Romans were obliged to learn the country Great Britain remained an unreclaimed waste. For the most part its surface was covered with impenetrable scrub, except those pieces of chalk grounds from Hampshire to the North Sea, where, it would not grow. Between the South and the North Downs was an almost unbroken ground of furze, ... between the South Downs and the sea, represented to some extent by the sea, there was a great clearance, and therefore the South Downs by the thier freedom from scrub and furze encouraged colonisation, whilst the other encouraged invasion. Dr. DOYLE said he thought that many of the Saxon when they wandered from their villages to others called them after their own names, or members of their families. — The HON. SECRETARY said the subject of the discovery of Roman remains was an interesting one, and some years ago, when the main drainage was being constructed at Southsea, it was thought a discovery of such had been made, but it was found to be only that singular concretion of ironstone which found in the London clay. (Laughter.) He much appreciated the paper, but would have liked the lecturer to have gone a little more into the subject of old Portsmouth. — Mr. G. OLLIS said Southsea and Hurst Castles were built at the same time, so he had in his possession the plans of the old Portsmouth fortifications. — The vote was carried unanimously, and the lecturer having replied, the meeting separated.
