Mr. Moorhouse, who has recently published a "History of Kirkburton," read a paper in which he suggested a plan for carrying out the operations of the Society in a way that could hardly fail to produce valuable results. He said,—
"I beg to offer a plan for consideration, for the more active co-operation of at least some of our members, in order to collect information illustrative of the archaeology of the surrounding districts. I would suggest that a staff of members be appointed—say two or three for each township throughout the deanery, to collect such information as may bear upon the objects of the Society, but I would especially call their attention to those evidences belonging to the sub-Norman period. Owing to the great subdivision of the landed property throughout these parishes from a remote period, there must of necessity exist vast accumulations of written evidences connected with the transfer of lands.
"It is by comparing and analysing, so to speak, these multifarious document*, that the historian brings himself acquainted with persons and families of by-gone ages—their social position, connections, and the various transactions in which they had been engaged; and not unfrequently ho may gain some glimpses of the times in which they lived, and thus be enabled to give a tolerably faithful representation of our remote ancestors.
"Among such stores of documents there are sometimes found loose memoranda of occurrences and events, which have transpired in the district, noted down by some thoughtful contemporary. The period about the Commonwealth has been designated 'The Age of Diaries;' many of these interesting documents have already issued forth to the public, and doubtless others still remain in their quiet recesses. These districts were deeply imbued with the spirit of those times, and it is not without hope that there are some remains of this class of literature to bo found among the neglected hoards of papers of families who have been long resident in these outlying townships, which may throw some additional light upon the history of those times."
As a proof of the necessity of such a Society, Mr. Moorhouse alluded to the wholesale destruction of family papers without even a cursory examination, which is now notoriously taking place in the district, remarking,—
"A painful instance of this kind, connected with this district, has just come to our knowledge in connection with a family of great antiquity and high social standing, several of its members having held offices of distinction and important trusts during some eventful periods of our national history. Could it be supposed possible that a large quantity of valuable papers and letters should be summarily committed to the flames, many of which referred to the time of the great Civil War; some of them having been written by Sir Thos. Beaumont, Knt., while filling the office of deputy governor of Sheffield Castle. Doubtless part of thorn would be confidential correspondence."
But, on the other hand, he could mention one person at least who manifested a proper regard for the preservation of ancient documents, and we transfer the passage to our pages, in the hope that Mr. Nowell may find imitators in other districts; the state of our parish registers being in a vast number of instances very unsatisfactory".
"In the adjoining parish of Almondbury, it has long been notoriously known that a portion of the parish registers were in a very deplorable conditjpn:—the whole of the first, or earliest, volume of baptisms, marriages, and burials is simply a mass of loose tattered leaves, rapidly mouldering away through the effects of damp, and are consequently now incapable of being rebound. - "In this state they have remained for many years; during that time it had been more than once suggested to the Churchwardens that they ought to be recopied at the expense of the parish, but, alas! true to their old traditions—there being no immediate benefit—they declined. Many of the influential parishioners knew their condition—were sony, but that was all!
"There was, however, one who silently grieved to see such wanton neglect of so valuable a public record, and although just completing the 70th year of his age, ho resolved upon copying the whole (if health permitted), extending over nearly 500 closely written folio pages!—written in a most difficult hand, with abbreviations and contractions—often rendering it extremely difficult to discover the correct reading: added to this, the now rapidly decomposing paper and faded ink often requiring the aid of the microscope. Notwithstanding all these obstacles and hindrances, I have great pleasure in saying that my friend, when I called upon him about five weeks ago, had achieved about three-fourths of his self-imposed labour, with an exactness and fidelity, only equalled by his indefatigable and indomitable perseverance, and in a caligraphy, for its regularity, distinctness, and beauty, not less wonderful! He was then looking forward with sanguine hope to be able to complete his undertaking before the close of the year, but such has been his diligence and devotedness to it, that, in a letter I received from him a day or two ago, he informs me that he expects to complete it in about a month. Let this be an incitement to us to emulate his example.
"It is to John Nowell, Esq., of Farnley Wood, that the parishioners of Almondbury and the public owe this great debt of gratitude."
