An Autobiography of an Ancient Athlete & Antiquarian

AUTOBIOGRAPHY ground baited for several days, and when they went back North they spread extraordinary news about the prolific– ness of the Broads. Afterwards Hunt Roberts and Reay joined, and we had much pleasant sailing after Stephen Wright deserted, and we took Sam. Holmes in his stead. At Aldeby Priory I thought I detected rye ears as ornaments on the Norman door. We then renewed our voyage and had a very pleasant sail except that one of my sons dropped his purse overboard at Stalham Staithe. On the 16th September was the scene of "yeure tew rare lumps,'' at Ranworth, and later on we were run into by a loose wherry with her helm lashed near St. Olaves. This cruise was followed, as far as I was con– cerned, by an acute attack of rheumatism. A business journey by Darlington, Getherly Castle, Richmond, when I tasted grayling caught (off the hotel) for the :first time, and Berwick again was a pleasant change. Christmac; was spent by driving with B.L., by East Dereham, Fakenham, Cley, Weybourne and Aylsham. During the year (1892) I printed besides Marshland Churches a book on the Rights of Fishing, Shooting and Sailing on the ·Norfolk Broads, and edited for the Norfolk and Norwich Arch~ological Society an index to the fourth series of Norfolk Inquisitions post mortem. In February 9th, 1893, the decision of the Court of Appeal in the Hickling Case was a great disappointment to me, for we were sure of winning for the reasons given in the pamphlet criticizing it, I at once publish~d, and which I have summarised on pp. 75-77. In the same month I went over the pictures and papers of Sir Harry Verneys at Claydon House, Bucks, a most interesting man, for at 93 he had immense vitality and was as clear in his bead as possible. He was, however, not a Verney by blood in any way, but a Calvert. The house was full of valuable things, a travelling chest of the time of the Civil War especially interesting me, as did a picture of a lady bearing a scar, showing a broken rose at her feet, which I ventured to suggest referred to an unsuccessful attempt by a mother to rescue her child from fire. There I met for the first time a Mr. A. H. Cocks, a wonderfully interesting man, and a good naturalist, whose private menagerie at Maidenhead I afterwards went over. His