Report

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON ROMAN LONDON.

The Committee appointed to inquire into, and make an Inventory of, the Roman monuments of the County of London, having now completed its investigations, begs to report to the Commission as follows:—

1. With the assistance of the Staff of the Royal Commission, we have prepared a volume on the structural remains of Roman London which were recorded or otherwise known prior to the end of 1927. We have further noted such of the non-structural finds as throw some special light on the history and development of the Roman city. We have also prepared and selected the necessary photographs and drawings to illustrate this volume.

2. The volume consists of Introduction, Inventory and Appendices. The sources of our information are indicated under each entry in the Inventory, and those of the illustrations reproduced in the volume are further specified in the List of Illustrations (p. iv). Information previously unpublished is followed by the initials of the member of the Committee responsible for the record.

3. The special nature of the subject has induced us to follow the general plan adopted by the Commission in the description of the Roman Monuments of Colchester (Essex iii).

4. Our thanks are due to the following persons, not on our Committee, who have contributed sections on particular subjects:—Mr. G. F. Hill, M.A., Litt.D., LL.D., F.B.A., F.S.A., Keeper of Coins and Medals in the British Museum, for the Appendix dealing with the Roman coins of London; and Mr. Guy Parsloe, M.A., of the Institute of Historical Research, for the Appendix dealing with the site of the Roman bridge.

5. Our thanks are further due to the following persons who have materially assisted us in our researches:—Mr. Reginald A. Smith, B.A., F.S.A., Keeper of the British and Mediaeval Antiquities in the British Museum; Mr. Felix Oswald, D.Sc, F.S.A.; Mr. H. J. Melliss, B.A., A.M.Inst.C.E., F.G.S.; Mr. D. A. J. Buxton, M.A., F.S.A.; Mr. William Martin, LL.D., F.S.A.; Mr. F. C. E. Erwood, F.S.A.; Mr. J. L. Douthwaite, Chief Librarian to the City of London; Mr. J. F. Coldwell, of the City Engineer's Office; Professor H. E. Butler, M.A.; Mr. H. Dewey, F.G.S.; Miss E. Jeffries Davies, M.A., Reader in the History and Records of London in the University of London; Sir George Macdonald, K.C.B., LL.D., D.Litt., F.B.A.; Mr. R. C. Bosanquet, M.A., F.S.A.; Mr. F. Lambert, M.A., F.S.A.; and Mr. D. Montgomerie, F.S.A., a member of the Commission.

6. We also wish to thank the British Museum, the Society of Antiquaries of London, the London and Middlesex Archæological Society, and the Haverfield Bequest Committee for the loan of blocks; and the Society of Antiquaries of London, the Guildhall Library, the Royal Archæological Institute, the British Archæological Association, and the Illustrated London News for permission to reproduce illustrations from their publications or original drawings in their possession.

7. We wish to point out that the following structural relics of Roman London are still visible:

(1) Town Wall, Wardrobe Tower and adjoining section of Wall (pp. 83 and 99).

(2) Town Wall, section standing in Trinity Place (p. 83).

(3) Town Wall, section in Cooper's Row (p. 83).

(4) Town Wall, section in Roman Wall House (p. 85).

(5) Town Wall, and bastion (wall only visible) under and adjoining All Hallows' Church (pp. 86 and 103).

(6) Town Wall, in St. Alphage's Churchyard, London Wall (p. 90).

(7) Bastion, in St. Giles' Churchyard (p. 104).

(8) Town Wall, between St. Botolph's Churchyard, Aldersgate, and the General Post Office (p. 91).

(9) Town Wall, and the Bastion in yard of General Post Office (pp. 91 and 104).

(10) Town Wall, fragment at back of Warwick Square (p. 92).

(11) Thames Street, Lower, building with hypocaust under the Coal Exchange (p. 142).

(12) Brick pier under shop at corner of Gracechurch Street and Central Avenue (p. 127).

(13) Walling under No. 50, Cornhill (p. 115).

Of these we recommend Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 11 as especially worthy of preservation.

8. We wish in conclusion to express our thanks to Mr. R. E. Mortimer Wheeler, M.C., D.Lit., F.S.A., Honorary Secretary of our Committee, for the extremely able and thorough way in which he has discharged the duties of his office.

Signed:

R. G. COLLINGWOOD (Chairman).

M. V. TAYLOR.

PHILIP NORMAN.

FRANCIS W. READER.

T. DAVIES PRYCE.

A. W. CLAPHAM.

QUINTIN WADDINGTON.

WM. PAGE.

J. P. BUSHE-FOX.

R. E. MORTIMER WHEELER,

9th February, 1928.

Hon. Secretary.

ROYAL COMMISSION ON THE ANCIENT AND HISTORICAL MONUMENTS AND CONSTRUCTIONS OF ENGLAND.

REPORT TO THE KING'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY.

1. May it please Your Majesty.

We, the undersigned Commissioners, appointed to make an Inventory of the Ancient and Historical Monuments and Constructions connected with or illustrative of the contemporary culture, civilization and conditions of life of the people in England, excluding Monmouthshire, from the earliest times to the year 1714, and to specify those which seem most worthy of preservation, humbly submit to Your Majesty the following Report on the Monuments in Roman London, being the Eleventh Interim Report on the work of the Commission since its appointment.

2. We tender to Your Majesty our respectful thanks for the gracious message which accompanied Your Majesty's acceptance of our Inventory of the Monuments of Huntingdonshire.

3. We have to record with great regret the death of our colleague Sir John Francis Fortescue Horner, a Knight Commander of Your Majesty's Royal Victorian Order, and an original member of this Commission.

4. Owing to the exceptional character of the research required to determine the extent and nature of the occupation of Roman London, we felt it necessary in connection with the present Inventory to devolve a large part of our duties on experts from outside. At the same time, we placed our Investigating Staff entirely at their disposal, and we are glad to report that on our invitation the following authorities on the varied aspects of Roman London as disclosed by the visible or reasonably authenticated finds in connection therewith, placed their services freely and unrestrictedly at the disposal of Your Commissioners.

5. Under Mr. R. G. Collingwood, a Referee to the Commission on Roman Monuments, as Chairman, and with Dr. R. E. Mortimer Wheeler, Keeper of the London Museum and likewise a Referee on Roman Monuments, as Secretary, a Committee was formed consisting of Mr. J. P. Bushe-Fox, Mr. A. W. Clapham (Technical Editor to the Commission), Mr. W. Page (a Commissioner), Mr. T. Davies Pryce, Mr. Francis W. Reader, Miss M. V. Taylor, and Mr. Quintin Waddington. They were desired to report on the structural remains of Roman London, as recorded or otherwise known prior to the end of 1927, and to take note of such of the non-structural finds as might throw light on the history and development of the Roman City.

6. The unanimous Report which they have presented to us precedes immediately this our Report and has been accepted by us in its entirety. So great indeed is its value in our opinion that we humbly submit it to Your Majesty as the considered Report of your Commissioners, and, at the same time, we wish to recognize our special indebtedness to Mr. Collingwood, Dr. Wheeler, Mr. A. W. Clapham, Mr. T. Davies Pryce, Dr. G. F. Hill and Mr. G. Parsloe, for the important contributions for which they are individually responsible, as well as to our investigators, Mr. J. W. Bloe and Mr. P. K. Kipps, for the photographs and drawings which illustrate the text.

Signed:

CRAWFORD & BALCARRES (Chairman).

DILLON.

J. G. N. CLIFT.

E. J. HORNIMAN.

ARTHUR J. EVANS.

C. HERCULES READ.

M. R. JAMES.

D. H. MONTGOMERIE.

WILLIAM PAGE.

C. R. PEERS.

HARTINGTON.

GEORGE H. DUCKWORTH,

19th April, 1928. Secretary.