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and the Bradford of modern times, producing the
grey cloth which clothed the hardy yeomen of England, and the
ironworks which supplied her traders with that most useful metal.
All those who have travelled through the towns and villages of the
Weald, will have observed traces of this in the old manors and
farmhouses which abound in that part of the county of Kent, and
indicate the time when the abundance of timber had created a
peculiar style of architecture—quaint, graceful, and beautiful—the
remnants of which are still objects of interesting study, and the
features of which this Society no doubt will record. Upon the
number of interesting old churches in Kent I need not dilate.
Then, again, there is that branch of antiquity which has reference
to traditions, to legal privileges, and to various rights and
usages which can be most fitly studied in a district where one of
them—the law of gavelkind—has existed from the times of the
Saxons until the present day. This county also has a large number
of corporate towns, and the records they possess will, no doubt,
yield a large store of treasure to those who may undertake to
unravel them. With respect to architectural antiquities, I need
not dwell upon them, assembled as we are today in one of the most
curious of those ancient buildings which abound in this county,
and which, having been fortunately preserved through the chances
of time, has now become the receptacle of the County Museum,
itself being one of the greatest curiosities of that Museum. It
cannot be said that our county has been heretofore neglectful of
its antique relics. I believe that Lambarde's 'Peregrinations
through Kent' is one of the oldest county histories extant, and it
is still of great value. At a later date, Hasted's 'Kent
written at the close of the last century, is the most full of
matter, and one of the most valuable works of its class; and
we have now one of our Members collecting materials for a still
more elaborate and valuable county history. Upon Canterbury
Cathedral we have several valuable works. Dart's history of that
cathedral is a work of great research, and one of standard
authority. In later days we have that ingenious treatise of
Professor Willis on its architectural history; and still more
recently the picturesque essays of one whom, although he has been
but a sojourner among us, we all cherish and respect—Canon
Stanley. These are only the records of one building in one town;
but there are many other boroughs which have had
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