EDMUND J. MASON

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EDMUND J. MASON
It was with great sadness that I learned of the death of Ted Mason.

A chartered surveyor by profession Ted devoted himself to archaeology and speleology in the Bristol, Somerset and South Wales areas.  He was archaeological advisor to the Bristol Folk House Archaeological Society and for a long time president of the M.N.R.C.  He was always full of kindly encouragement and I am glad I served on the M.N.R.C. committee under his leadership.

His cave excavations include Ogof yr Esgyrn in Wales where he worked with W.F. Grimes of the National Museum of Wales and Minchen Hole, Gower, on behalf of the Royal Institution of South Wales and the South Wales Caving Club.  He also took a leading part in the formation of the Steep Holm Trust.

Caving well into his seventies, Ted was forced to give up after a stroke a few years ago, but he never lost his enthusiasm for caves and cavers.

He was always ready to listen to even the youngest and most inexperienced cave explorer and I owe much of my own prolonged love of caving to his understanding.

 

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Edmund J. Mason was born and educated in London, and was a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. An author, lecturer and radio script-writer and lived in Bristol. His particular interest is cave archaeology, and he has explored and excavated caves in the Mendips, and in Wales, while he is familiar with many other caves in Great Britain. For many years he has been a lecturer in archaeology for the W.E.A., and has made a special study of the cave art of France and Spain, taking several adult summer schools there and becoming a member of the Society Prehistorique de I'Ariege. He was chairman of the Mendip Nature Research Committee, one of the oldest caving clubs, and he played a great part in founding the Mendip Exploration Society and also the existing South Wales Caving Club. He is a founder member of the Cave Diving Group and he is an honorary life member of the Group and of the Bristol Exploration Society. He was for many years honorary archaeologist for Wookey Hole Caves Ltd and was the honorary archaeologist for Dan yr Ogof Cave.  He translated Guy de Lavaur?s book Caves and Cave Diving. 

See also Descent (112) 7 June 1993