A Pioneer of Prehistory

Extract

Pakt II.

In a previous article an account was given of the five years’ exploration work carried out by the Rev. John MacEnery, F.G.S., a Catholic priest of Torquay, in the extensive series of limestone caves, known as Kent’s Cavern. Beneath the thick stalagmite floor, he found the bones of mammoth, woolly rhinoceros, cave hyena, bear, lion, etc., and in association with them, worked flints which were clearly the tools, or weapons of war, of some prehistoric race of men. As these investigations were carried out a century ago, when scientific opinion was not prepared to accept the possibility of such a fact, it is of interest to relate MacEnery’s attempts to publish an account of his cavern researches. Of this intention we have ample evidence.

Writing to Sir W. C. Trevelyan, June 19th, 1826, MacEnery says :

‘Some plain account I intend to publish when the professor (Buckland) returns. Mrs. Buckland purposes doing us the honour of a visit, when I hope to have collected abundant materials for her pen (she was to draw the illustrations).’

On December 6th of the same year, Dr. Beeke (later the Bishop of Bath and Wells), in a letter to Sir W. C. Trevelyan, says:

‘Mr. MacEnery has arranged his Kent’s Hole collection very neatly. . . . He has prepared the materials for an account of the Cave, so far as his own observations extend, but waits for Dr. Buckland’s advice and assistance, and no drawings have yet been made of the more important bones.’