THE

WILTSHIRE MAGAZINE.

66 MULTORUM MANIBUS GRANDE LEVATUR ONUS."-Ovid.

THE THIRD GENERAL MEETING

OF THE

Wiltshire Archæological and Natural History Society,

HELD AT CHIPPENHAM,

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, September 11th, 12th, and 13th, 1855.

PRESIDENT OF THE MEETING,

GEORGE POULETT SCROPE, Esq., M.P.

THE proceedings opened with a Meeting at the New Town Hall, lent for the occasion by Joseph Neeld, Esq., M.P.

The attendance was exceedingly large and influential, including the Lord Lieutenant of the county, the Marquis of Lansdowne; the greater part of the Members of Parliament for the various towns in North Wilts; almost all the Clergy and Gentry for many miles around, with numbers from a distance.

Soon after one o'clock, the noble Marquis having entered the room, Mr. G. P. Scrope, M.P. addressed the company as follows:-My Lord, ladies and gentlemen,-I am really ashamed to appear before you in my present position, in the first place because this chair by right should belong to our noble Patron, who has been kind enough to come amongst us now for the third time,-but he tells me it would be inconvenient for him to remain here for any length of time, and therefore, though feeling wholly unfitted to assume the duties of the chair, I have consented to do so. And I have another reason for feeling greater than usual diffidence on this occasion,

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and that is, owing to the overwhelming intelligence we have heard this morning, which really almost takes away ones breath and ones power of considering any other subject, (loud cheering), and especially as probably many here, as well as myself, have relatives engaged in the struggles in the Crimea, about whose fate they must be exceedingly anxious, and which anxiety is sufficient to prevent their taking much interest in battles fought three or four centuries ago, and questions relating to family history and local topography. Notwithstanding, I will do my best in introducing the report, which one of our Secretaries, Mr. Lukis, will presently read to you. You are aware that we are now assembled for the purpose of holding the third annual meeting of the Wiltshire Archæological and Natural History Society. You will shortly hear the report; but I think I may so far anticipate the tenor of it as to assure you it is of a most satisfactory nature, and that the members of the Society may rest assured that we have made from the first continual progress; and that on the whole we may consider the Society as established on a satisfactory basis, and to an extent quite as great as the most ardent supporters of it could have anticipated. (Cheers). It will not on this occasion be necessary for me to dwell at all on the advantages to be derived from the studies which it is the object of our institution to promote and encourage. Every one who takes an interest in his native country, must feel anxious to become acquainted with all those material evidences, upon which its history is founded. The facts which every historian is bound to know, are derived in a great degree from objects which the archæologist brings together and secures. The national MSS. of a country, the spots on which great events have taken place, the dwellings which have been inhabited by personages of historical importance, the buildings which piety or superstition has raised in former days, and even the decorations, clothing, armour, ornaments, coins and medals of former generations compose the real materials of history, and by giving us an insight into the manners, customs, and habits of those times, form records as important as the account of battles and sieges, and the intrigues of monarchs and statesmen. To supply these evidences is the object of the Archæologist. (Cheers). As to

the second object which this Society has in view, namely, to encourage the study of Natural History, it is quite as interesting and important. We should all know something of the beautiful world in which we live. We are scarce worthy to live in a world so replete with objects calculated to excite our admiration and gratitude, unless we feel an interest and desire to become acquainted, as far as opportunity serves us, with the wonders of the animate and inanimate creation; with the miracles of the animal, vegetable, and mineral kingdoms. (Cheers). Therefore I think you will agree with me, in saying that this Society is seeking to encourage studies, which are not altogether useless and vain. All this is very trite, but I know true; and if true of general, it is much more true and forcible with regard to the study of local history,-the Archæology and Natural History of each province of the county; and to that especially our experience and studies have been directed. All this, I say, is very trite, and I must apologize for making such observations, but I trust the truth of them will come home to every one who will examine the remarkable objects that are brought together in this room, and the adjoining ones, or who will accompany us in our excursions during the next two or three days, to objects of interest in the neighbourhood. It has been asked why we selected Chippenham as our place of meeting this year. People have said, "what is there at Chippenham deserving the attention of Archæologists? we only know Chippenham as having a railway station, and sending two members to Parliament." But the railway station is not so unimportant a thing as some may suppose; but for the railway station I believe we should not have brought together such a company as I now see before me. And then as to the members for Chippenham, we owe to the munificence of one of them the very handsome room in which we are assembled. (Cheers). But really I think I may promise myself that in the course of the next two or three days, ladies and gentlemen who have come to Chippenham, with the object of making themselves acquainted with the Archæology of the neighbourhood, will not be disappointed. I think those who listen to the paper that will presently be read by our accomplished Secretary, Mr. Jackson, will think there is a good

deal to interest them even in connection with the town of Chippenham. And with regard to the neighbourhood, those who will accompany the learned Recorder of Devizes this evening to the "Abbeys of Lacock and Stanley, and the Priory of Lockswell," will find that there are undoubtedly objects of great interest to be met with here as elsewhere, and, notwithstanding that we have not at Chippenham an Old Sarum, a Stonehenge, an ancient Castle, nor a Cathedral, as at those towns in which we have formerly met, yet we shall find that there are many objects of interest in this neighbourhood, as well as in those. We shall have the opportunity also, of opening one or two remarkable barrows;-one of them "Hubba's Lowe," which marks the site of a very remarkable battle between the Saxons and the Danes, as the result of which Alfred took possession of the British throne. There are other interesting places to be visited, besides several churches; Lord Methuen has kindly opened Corsham Court to our inspection, and another noble lord, our Patron, has had the kindness and generosity to invite the members and subscribers to visit his house and grounds, (cheers), where they will have the opportunity of seeing the perfection to which high art can attain, under the patronage of the most consummate taste. I am sure those who are assembled here, and look around this room, who listen to the papers that will be read, and follow our excursions, will not be disappointed. difficulty will be to find time to inspect the objects of interest that will be presented. With these remarks I beg to introduce Mr. Lukis, who will read the report of the Society for the last twelve months, and thereby give you some idea of our position and progress.

REPORT.

The

"The Committee of the Wiltshire Archæological and Natural History Society, in presenting their annual Report, deem that it will be sufficient on the present occasion, to place before the meeting a brief statement of the position of the Society, at the close of the second year of its existence.

It has made a most satisfactory progress since its formation in the year 1853. At the period of the Inaugural Meeting in the

October of that year, the members numbered 137. At our second general meeting, held in Salisbury last year, they reached the number of 281; and up to the present time the total number of persons who have been admitted is 375, being an increase of 94 during the last twelve months. We have to regret the loss by decease of 4 Life Members, and of 3 Annual Subscribers, and by withdrawal or removal from the county of 13 Annual Subscribers; leaving a total at the present time of 355, of whom 20 are Life Members.

With reference to our financial position, your Committee have to report that the subscriptions and donations have amounted, during the year, to £354 15s. 7d.; the disbursements to £227 14s. 2d.; we have in hand, £134 18s. 11d., and arrears of "subscriptions, £97 10s. 6d. Many subscriptions having continued unpaid, it was resolved at a committee meeting held in Devizes, June 20th, 1855, that forms of receipt should be printed and supplied to the local secretaries, who were also requested to collect subscriptions from members residing in their respective districts. By these means many arrears and subscriptions have been gathered in, which it would have been found difficult and troublesome to obtain in any other way.

The Committee desire to impress upon the consideration of the members the necessity of their zealous co-operation. The objects which the Society has in view are so extensive, viz.-the collection of accurate information on the Archæology, Ecclesiology, and Natural History of the entire county, that without such co-operation, it will be impossible for the Committee to prosecute their labours with success, or to accomplish that which the members in general expect from them. We look to you for materials for our Magazine, and we would even invite those gentlemen residing in the county, or possessing subjects of interest relating to it, who are not members of the Society, to communicate with us. It is sometimes not convenient, or possible, for them to incur the risk and expense of printing their collections, whereas at a trifling cost to themselves for postage, and by means of our Magazine, they may make known much very valuable information. However essential the subscriptions of the members may be for the support of the Society, its