Edward Clive Rouse (15 October 1901 – 28 July 1997) was an English

archaeologist Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of Artifact (archaeology), artifacts, architecture, biofact (archaeology), biofacts or ecofacts, ...

and writer on archaeology, who specialized in medieval wall paintings. He served as President of the

Royal Archaeological Institute The Royal Archaeological Institute (RAI) is a learned society, established in 1844, with interests in all aspects of the archaeological, architectural and landscape history of the British Isles. Membership is open to all with an interest in thes ...

from 1969 to 1972. He was known as Clive Rouse, and was usually credited as E. Clive Rouse.

Background and early life

Rouse was born on 15 October 1901 in

Stroud Stroud is a market town and civil parish in Gloucestershire, England. It is the main town in Stroud District. The town's population was 13,500 in 2021. Sited below the western escarpment of the Cotswold Hills, at the meeting point of the ...

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( , ; abbreviated Glos.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Herefordshire to the north-west, Worcestershire to the north, Warwickshire to the north-east, Oxfordshire ...

, the son of Edward Foxwell Rouse, a furniture-maker in Acton, West London, and his wife Frances Sarah Sams, whose family had been dairymen to

Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a royal official residence, residence in London, and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and r ...

. He was educated at St. Ronan's School,

Worthing Worthing ( ) is a seaside town and borough in West Sussex, England, at the foot of the South Downs, west of Brighton, and east of Chichester. With a population of 113,094 and an area of , the borough is the second largest component of the Br ...

, then

Gresham's School Gresham's School is a private school (English fee-charging boarding and day school) in Holt, Norfolk, England, one of the top thirty International Baccalaureate schools in England. The school was founded in 1555 by Sir John Gresham as a f ...

, Holt, and the St Martin's School of Art.

Career

After training as an artist, Rouse developed a passion for medieval wall paintings and worked with E. W. Tristram, Professor of Design at the

Royal College of Art The Royal College of Art (RCA) is a public university, public research university in London, United Kingdom, with campuses in South Kensington, Battersea and White City, London, White City. It is the only entirely postgraduate art and design uni ...

, on their recording and conservation. With assistants, he spent years removing or reducing wax coatings which had been misguidedly added to paintings, and conserving them using authentic materials, particularly slaked lime. He was also a lecturer and worked to educate clergy and church architects in the care of wall paintings. He collected Chinese armorial porcelain, and built up the largest private collection in England. He gave away many pieces, some to the

Ashmolean Museum The Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology () on Beaumont Street in Oxford, England, is Britain's first public museum. Its first building was erected in 1678–1683 to house the cabinet of curiosities that Elias Ashmole gave to the University ...

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

War service

Rouse served from 1939 to 1945 with the Intelligence unit of the

Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve The Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (RAFVR) was established in 1936 to support the preparedness of the U.K. Royal Air Force (RAF) in the event of another war. The Air Ministry intended it to form a supplement to the Royal Auxiliary Air Force ( ...

. He was awarded the MBE for services to the

Medmenham Medmenham () is a village and civil parish in south-west Buckinghamshire, England. It is on the River Thames, about southwest of Marlow, Buckinghamshire, Marlow and east of Henley-on-Thames. The parish also includes Danesfield, a housing estate ...

Central Interpretation Unit MI4 was established in 1915 as a section of the Directorate of Military Intelligence (United Kingdom), Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI). Section 4 was the designation for the Topographic Section, General Staff, later the Geographical ...

Private life and death

Rouse never married. He died on 28 July 1997 in

Gerrards Cross Gerrards Cross is a town and civil parish in Buckinghamshire, England. It lies immediately south of Chalfont St Peter and a short distance west of the London Borough of Hillingdon, from which it is separated by the parish of Denham, Buckinghams ...

Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire (, abbreviated ''Bucks'') is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-east, Hertfordshir ...

Publications

*''Guide to Buckinghamshire'' (1935) *''The Old Towns of England'' (1936) *''Collins Guide to English Parish Churches'' (1958) *''Discovering Wall Paintings'' (1968) *''Mediaeval Wall Paintings'' (1991, reprinted 1996)

Honours and other positions

*Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, 1937 *Member of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

, 1946 *

FRSA The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, commonly known as the Royal Society of Arts (RSA), is a learned society that champions innovation and progress across a multitude of sectors by fostering creativity, s ...

, 1968 *Liveryman of the

Worshipful Company of Fishmongers The Worshipful Company of Fishmongers (or Fishmongers' Company) is one of the 111 livery companies of the City of London, being an incorporated guild of sellers of fish and seafood in the City. The Company ranks fourth in the order of precede ...

, 1962 *Vice-President,

, 1965–1969 *President, Buckinghamshire Archaeological Society, 1969–1979 *President, Royal Archaeological Institute, 1969–1972 *Honorary

DLitt Doctor of Letters (D.Litt., Litt.D., Latin: ' or '), also termed Doctor of Literature in some countries, is a terminal degree in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. In the United States, at universities such as Drew University, the degree ...

University of Sussex The University of Sussex is a public university, public research university, research university located in Falmer, East Sussex, England. It lies mostly within the city boundaries of Brighton and Hove. Its large campus site is surrounded by the ...

, 1983

References

*''Who's Who 1993'' (A. & C. Black, London, 1993)
Obituary
by Jane Rutherfoord in

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

, 6 August 1997
Edward Clive Rouse, M.B.E., M.A., D.Litt.
– obituary at web site of Society of Antiquaries of London {{DEFAULTSORT:Rouse, E. Clive 1901 births 1997 deaths English archaeologists Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of London People educated at Gresham's School Members of the Order of the British Empire Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve personnel of World War II Presidents of the Royal Archaeological Institute Fellows of the Royal Society of Arts