was a strictly private meeting, held in a villa at Champel, the country house of M. Theo. Claparède. Some thirty persons were present, all of them descendants of Claude Claparède, who, at the time of the Revocation, fled from Nîmes, and settled in the City of Refuge. Several of the most honoured families of the city still bear his name, and honour him as their ancestor. At the meeting in question, M. Claparède related some particulars concerning divers victims of the great iniquity, and gave instances of the way in which God blessed and protected the children of those, who, for conscience sake, abandoned their homes and braved the most terrible perils. Among their ancestors or their kin, were two martyrs, Charles Guiraud, transported to Martinique, and a woman who was shut up in the Tower of Constance, for taking part in a religious meeting near Nîmes, in 1730; and few of those who were sent to that prison of dark memories ever came out alive. Their names, and the names of others members of the Claparède family, were inscribed on tablets decorated with laurels, and hung round the room, in which their descendants met to do honour to their memory; one stranger only was present, a pastor from Nîmes, as representative of the great church of Languedoc, of which Claude Claparède was a member, and the chief events of whose life he recounted. Few, probably, of the victims of the Revocation, showed more courage and constancy than that young man of twenty-four, who, notwithanding the apostacy of two pastors of the Church to which he belonged, held firmly to his faith, preferring exile and proverty with a clean conscience, to wealth, ease, and violated vows.

A vote of thanks having been unanimously passed to Mr. Westall, the President called upon the Honorary Secretary (in the absence of the author) to read the following paper by Mr. S. Wayland Kershaw, F.S. A., Member of Council. REFUGEE INSCRIPTIONS IN THE CATHEDRAL AND CHURCHES OF CANTERBURY. By S. W. Kershaw, F.S.A.

In the introduction of this subject, I may allude to the copying and preservation of inscriptions, as one of the objects of our Society, in throwing much light on genealogy and family history.

I may also refer to a visit by several of the members of our Society to Canterbury, in July, 1884, when, as modern pilgrims," we investigated the past history of the Huguenots, and whence was originated the idea of having copied the epitaphs and memoranda now collected.

Canterbury, that picturesque and ancient City, which has witnessed the most stirring scenes in Christendom--at whose Minster shrines, kings, warriors, statesmen and nobles have bent-whither in the middle ages, those motley processions of pilgrims were constantly arriving, retains many a vestige of the past.

The imposing West Gate, one of the six formerly standing, makes a stately entrance to that city, which was once the metropolis of England. The little church of St. Martin, associated with the earliest Christian services, the remains of St. Augustine's Monastery-the narrow by-ways, the gabled and overhanging houses-leave a charm and romance not easily forgotten.

For us, however, there is one spot which has intense interest, viz., the under-croft or crypt of the Cathedral, consecutively used for more than three hundred years, as the place of worship of the refugees from the Low Countries, and, especially, France.

In that glorious Minster and its crypt, we seem to recognise the protection of the English Church, which aided the persecuted fugitives, and with the recurring anniversary (in July) of the foundation of this foreign congregation, the memory of the past and the present is strengthened and blended.

As a centre point of history, this crypt church has gathered round it many leading events, consequently, the refugee annals of Canterbury are of the highest interest and import

ance.

Early in the XVI century, the cruel acts of the Duke of Alva in the Netherlands, drove those persecuted for conscience sake to our land, and at Canterbury, many Walloons arrived. These were succeeded by emigrés from France, who, in 1547, and again from the terrible St. Bartholomew, in 1572, fled to this old cathedral city, as a welcome home.

In 1550, a Walloon congregation existed, and in 1561, Queen Elizabeth granted them the use of a great part of the crypt for their worship. In that historic site, stamped with the architectural skill of Prior Ernulf and William of Sens, a regular service has been maintained and approved by the Cathedral Chapter to this day, a fact the more to be recorded, as other refugee churches have ceased to exist, elsewhere than in London.

It was not only the ecclesiastical liberty which increased the number of immigrants here, but the secular power which aided them in their occupations and wants. "Guilds" and other Companies gave them direct assistance,

The

and Charles II., in 1665, granted a Charter to enable the Canterbury weavers to become a company. In that year, there were 1300 "strangers" in the City, and in 1690, the archives state that there were 1000 looms at work, employing more than 2700 people. In the admission of "freemen," many foreign names occurred, and though not necessarily religious refugees, a large portion of those so admitted, were from abroad. In process of time, as the parish churches of Canterbury were resorted to by the French and other nationalities, the registers of these churches began to abound in foreign entries. Besides silk weaving, other trades were practised. and we find mention of fullers, flax dressers, potters, dyers, &c. Along the banks of the sluggish Stour, many a mill or warehouse told the story of its busy occupation, and the parishes bordering on this river have always contained a numerous refugee colony. This fact is corroborated by the accounts or papers of the Church of Holy Cross, Westgate; among them under the head of "Overseers' Accounts," is mentioned the "French Barber," also combers of wool, and the obviously foreign names of -Decroo, Devine, Feraugh, Lanhier, Martin, &c. Among Dyers are the names of Duree, Vallanduke; Silk Weavers-Boudry, Dessentaine, Pottoo, Six, Santhum.

The above mentioned parish books of "Holy Cross," edited by J. M. Cowper, Esq., are replete with information, and great precision is found in the entries. It was not to be supposed, that these trades could be carried on without opposition, and protection was frequently sought by the foreign workers and artizans. An instance of this occurred in the support of Archbishop Tenison, whose influence was asked by the "Weavers" Company, to promote the bill to restrict the inportation of East India silks. Here may be recorded, the noble efforts of the Primates Tillotson, Tenison, Wake, and Herring, on behalf both of the spiritual and temporal welfare of the Canterbury refugees.

The year 1685 was at hand, the Edict of Louis XIV. had gone forth, and this ancient Kentish city again welcomed the exiles within her walls. For a hundred years from that date, this settlement was at its height, occupations were constant and varied, and many of the most illustrious foreign names, which have survived in theology, science, or literature, can be placed in this period.

The occasional disunion in church affairs, had the effect of dispersing the crypt congregation, and of causing the dissentients to resort to the parish churches. By this circum

stance, many foreign names are found in such registers, so that I could almost suggest, that some of our future work might be "The collection of foreign names in the registers of English churches."

The rise of Socinianism was a great cause of variance and a separate congregation was formed, which met in the once standing Archbishop's Palace, near the west end of the cathedral.

This, called the " French Uniform Church," did not, however, last long, and was re-united with the crypt church about 1745.

Towards the end of the 18th century, the weaving trade declined, Spitalfields and Bethnal Green had now taken the lead, so that in 1790, there were but ten master weavers in Canterbury, and eighty communicants in their church.

Though the foreign population was fast waning, the good traditions of the past were maintained in many ways? and the continuance of the Royal Bounty Fund enabled the French church to share in its benefits.

The long refugee settlement has left its mark on family lineage in and around Canterbury, where the annals of many persons of honorable descent form a leading feature in its ecclesiastical and civic history.

The study of names is of interest, not only to the etymologist, but to the local historian, and this foreign nomenclature offers a wide scope for research.

To this day, the old families of Delmar, Dellassaux, Durant, Fedarb, D'Ombrain, Fleury, Gambier, &c., can be traced, while by a curious process. some of the names retaining their primitive meaning, have become changed into corresponding English appellations.

Thus De l'Or has become Gould; La Planche, Plank; Corré, Carey; Chevalier, Hostler; and like changes.

In the inscriptions copied with much care by Mr. J. R. Hall, are comprised many names and particulars of the 18th and 19th centuries.

Of the Cathedral and fifteen city parishes, we find a total of two hundred and four inscriptions; this, however, does not represent the total number of names, as several are included under one epitaph or inscription.

The following analysis will show the approximate number in each Parish ::

Inscriptions around Canterbury 24.

The parishes chiefly inhabited by the refugees, and containing the largest number of inscriptions (as now copied for our transactions) are:-St. Dunstan, Holy Cross, St. Margaret, St. Mildred, St. Peters.

The following names, which I have extracted, will give you some idea of the extent of family names and lineage in each parish :