John Robert Mortimer was a renowned Victorian archaeologist who lived in Driffield. Rob Chester MA described the man, his life’s work, and his legacy.

Mortimer, who founded the corn merchant business that still bears his name today, was inspired by a visit to the British Museum in 1851 to scientifically excavate the East Yorkshire burial mounds.

Rob reviewed some of this work helped initially by his brother and always by a pool of experienced diggers. Rob detailed Mortimer’s methods and skills, and how the lack of modern dating methods and misguided views of the time about dating by skull shapes hindered his assessments.

Mortimer opened a museum in Driffield to house his extensive collection of finds. His collection was eventually gifted to the Hull and East Riding Museum and formed their foundation collection.

Rob thought Mortimer’s greatest legacy was his book “Forty Years’ Researches In British and Saxon Burial Mounds of East Yorkshire”. This fulfilled his stated intention to supply information for future readers. 

The vote of thanks was given by Bro Robert Amos.