Dorothy Arundel (1923–2012)
Dorothy (or Dorothie, as she often spelt it) was a long-time member of the Yorkshire Archaeological Society, and a founder member of the Pontefract and District Archaeological Society, which she represented on the YAS council. For many years she travelled every Monday by bus from her home in Carleton to Leeds, where she volunteered as YAS sales officer, sending publications all over the world, and working alongside her friend, the redoubtable Doreen Roberts.
Dorothy was a person of enormous charm, a quiet, smiling presence, whose work for the society was deeply appreciated. Her modest style concealed great strength of mind, and also an extraordinary talent for, among other things, needlework, some of which was commissioned for presentation to royalty. She was greatly missed when ill-health prevented her from continuing to visit Claremont, not only for the work she did, but also for the great pleasure of her company.
Ivor Matthews (1934–2012)
Ivor was born and brought up in Middlesbrough. His education at Constantine Technical College was followed by a five-year apprenticeship in steel fabrication at Dorman Long’s engineering works.
In 1961 he came to Leeds to work in the still thriving engineering industry and met and married Freda soon after. His early interest in competitive cycling was replaced by driving and camping as their family grew, and he was a supporter of Leeds United in its heyday. In 1995 he took early retirement from engineering because of the ill-health which was the onset of the industrial disease pneumoconiosis. Travel and orchestral music now became his interests.
His working life was not over, as in 1997 he took on the job of caretaker at Claremont as a ‘temporary measure’, which lasted for eight happy years until 2006, when an operation for bowel cancer, although successful, reduced his strength. Ivor loved his time at Claremont, both looking after the building and everyone who used it. His health gradually deteriorated and he died peacefully at home, close to Claremont.
Ivor’s friendly, unassuming but always efficient style may have gone unnoticed by many members, but was greatly prized by the society, and much missed when his health no longer permitted him to work. Together with Freda, Ivor was a staunch supporter of the YAS, and his loss is mourned by all who knew him.
Brenda Telford (1929–2013)
Brenda Telford was a long-time member of the Yorkshire Archaeological Society and a dedicated volunteer in the society’s archives. Educated at Aireborough Grammar School, Brenda worked for many years at the Post Office. With her husband John she developed a great passion for archaeology and Yorkshire’s history, which lasted throughout her life and sustained her through difficult times.
John and Brenda first became interested in early iron production in Snowdonia and spent holidays excavating iron-working sites with Peter Crew. Then in 1988 they came to the Piddington Roman Villa excavations in Northamptonshire, where they met the archaeologist Roy Friendship-Taylor and his wife, who came to play an increasingly important part in Brenda’s life. She and John became regular members of the Piddington team, going every year in both spring and summer. After John’s unexpected death in the United States, Brenda continued to work with the Piddington group, becoming ever closer to the Friendship-Taylors, with whom she stayed and holidayed, particularly enjoying her visits to the Hadrian’s Wall area.
She also became much more involved with the YAS. Before John’s death, she had been an occasional volunteer in the archives. Now she came three days a week to Claremont, where her help became invaluable. Her knowledge of archaeology and local history was considerable, and in effect she answered almost all postal and email enquiries for more than a decade. She could also turn her hand to anything, whether it was cataloguing, helping readers or managing the strong rooms. It is no exaggeration to say that without her assistance, the society could not have maintained the level of service in the archives which was then achieved, especially as numbers visiting Claremont were at a peak. At the same time Brenda was also working with the archives group of the Aireborough Historical Society.
Literally overnight, Brenda became very ill. She was eventually diagnosed with the rare Guillain-Barre Syndrome. With characteristic determination she fought her way back to health and returned to her beloved Claremont, where she continued to help in the search room until her sudden death. She also went back to Piddington, but found trowelling on her knees difficult to cope with. She had therefore embarked on a project deciphering and digitizing the site notebooks. As a way of commemorating Brenda’s work, the Upper Nene Archaeological Society proposes to designate an annual lecture the Brenda Telford Memorial Lecture.
Sir Marcus Worsley of Hovingham, 5th baronet (1925–2012)
Sir Marcus Worsley, who died on 18 December 2012, typified the enlightened country gentry, to which he belonged as the owner of Hovingham Hall. On his father’s death in 1973, he inherited the house and 4,500-acre estate, the family seat for almost four centuries. He was active in both national and local affairs, serving as a Conservative MP between 1959 and 1974 and as a Parliamentary Private Secretary.
On inheriting Hovingham, he moved to Yorkshire and assumed a prominent role in county life. Amongst his regional activities, he served on Malton Rural District Council, as a deputy lieutenant for successive periods from 1978, High Sheriff of North Yorkshire (1982–3), and Lord Lieutenant from 1987 to 1999. He was a strong and prominent supporter of the National Trust, and after York Minster was badly damaged by fire in 1984, he was keenly involved in the campaign for its restoration. A younger son, Giles (1961–2006), was a much-respected architectural historian.
Sir Marcus became involved with the YAS in 1989, when he accepted the position of patron. In 2004 he proved an enthusiastic host to a YAS weekend school at Hovingham Hall. The society was represented at his memorial service at York Minster in January 2013.
(The short obituaries have been written by Brian Barber, Robert Frost, Freda Matthews and Sylvia Thomas, with additional detail contributed by Judith Rushton and Roy Friendship-Taylor.)