Cowbridge Close. From a lease dated

to Rob. Glover. One plott of void ground lieing nere Cowebridge betwene a close of the mayor and burgesses called Cowbridge Close on th'E. partie, the bridge on the W. partie, and the water of Kennett on the S. partie.

Castell Inn. From a lease, 20th Nov., 40° Eliz. (1597), to Roger Hitchcock.

"A barn situate upon the Town Ditch in the Bally Ward betwene a close of meadow called the Bally Close on the W. side, the yeard or backside of the Messe or Inn called the Castell on th'este side."

[Note. A "Castell Inne" existing already in 1597.]

-

Coleherbert Lane. In a lease, 20th April, 40° Eliz. (1598), to J. Cornewall.

"A lane called Coleherbert lane, alias St. Martyn's Church there." Newbridge Lane. In a lease, 10th Aug., 11o Jac. I. (1613), Newbridge Lane, in the Green Ward, is mentioned.

Almshonse. From a lease, 6th May, 16 Jac. I. (1618), to T. Millington A tenement and a void plot of ground on the E. side next unto the street in the Marsh Ward betwene the Almehouse on the N. and the land of T. Millington on the S."

[Now Sebastopol Buildings.]

In subsequent leases the tenement demised as above is described as lying betwene a tenement of the land of Giles Millington in the tenure of Rob. Stagge on the S., the Almeshouse on the N., the Streete on the E., and the Schoole close on the W."

Workhouse. In a lease, 22nd August, 1649, to Antony Awst.

A tenement or cottage heretofore in the tenure of Humfrey Ilsley and a plott of void ground thereto adioyning and extending thence to the Workhouse and lyeing in the Ballydich."

[St. Peter's Workhouse.]

Crabb's Close. In 1653 Crabb's Close was occupied by Thomas Crabb. Hart Mead and Crabb's Close. From a lease, 19th March, 1655, to Nathaniel Rashleigh.

"A close of meadow containing by estimation 1 acre with a barne thereuppon standing now in the tenure of T. Crabb lyeing betwene the Hart meade on the N. and other Chamber land lett to the 4 several tenants last mencioned (Survey Book, pp. 53 and 44) on the S."

[The Hart meade must have been to the N. of Crabbs' Close.]

Bell Inn, Kingsbury Street. From a lease, 20th April, 1654, to W. Purrier.

A messuage there new building on the W. side of Kingsbury Street. "Betwene a messuage called the Bell on the S., and other Chamber land then in the occupation of Obadiah Blissett on the N."

In a lease, 7th Nov., 1655, to T. Bryant, of a messuage in Kingsbury, it is described as newly built, where was a former messuage called the Bell "burnt by the late great fier" [April, 1653.] The sign of "The Bell Occurs at Marlborough in St. Peter's Rental, A.D. 1571. It was known about 1698 as "The Bell and Brewers." ("The Bell and Shoulder," on the E. of Kingsbury Street, occurs from 1782.)

Pound Close and King's Head Close. 1656, to W. Dickman.

From a lease, 27th Aug,

"All such part of a certen tenement called Pound Close att the upper end and on the E. side of Kingsbury Streete as adioneth to a meadow called Kinges Hed close on the N. and E. parts."

Workhouse and Hermitage Close. From a lease, 30th Sept., 1658, to W. Willing.

"A tenement over against the Workhouse betwene the street on the S. and W. partes, and a garden now used with the same tenement parcell of Hermitage Close on the N.

The Katherine Wheel. From a lease, 28th Feb., 1666, to W. Church. A messuage lately erected called the Katherine Wheele in Kingsbury Street in the parish of St Mary, "between the land of Nicholas Liddeard on the S., the land of Walter Randoll on the N., Kingsbury Street on the W., the land of the Mayor and Burgesses of the Devizes on the E. "The Catherine Wheel" is now known as The Cricketers." It was at one time called the "Barleymow," at another "The George and Dragon," and is said to have been once The Freemasons' Arms."

66

The Holy Lamb. From a lease, 27th July, 24° Car. II. (1672), to J. Lyme.

66

A messuage in Hurd Street on the E. side, nowe an Alehouse known by the signe of the Holy Lamb."

The Three Swans. From a lease, 20th Oct., 2o Jac. II. (1686), to W. Hill.

"A tenement in St. Martins called the Three Swans lyeing next the house of Gabriell Mills on the E., and the widowe Garlicks on the W.

The Angel. From a lease, 28th Dec., 1687.

"Mr. T. Hunt of the Angell.

Laney's Close. In a lease, 5 Jan., 3° Jac. II., (1688), to J. Foster. Laney's Close first occurs at this date by this name in the Survey Book. Ric. Laney, however, occupied this close as early as 1565. "Laney's Close," p. 36.

See above,

The Bear. From a lease, 4th June, 1687, to W. Greinfeild. A tenement in the High Ward" betwene the dwelling house of Humphry Wall, gent, heretofore a common inne caled the Beare on the W., the newe dwelling house of T. Seymour draper on the E., and extendeth from the street on the N. unto the land of the said W. Greinfeild being a waye that leadeth from the Marsh on the E., unto the back or yarde late belongeinge to the Beare on the S." ("A tenement called Le Bere, with an orchard and garden, and a certain way leading to a way called Kingsbury-street." Court Book D. fo. 32, A.D. 1525.) Now No. 3, High Street. Mr. Joshua Sacheverell (father to Dr. H. S.) soon after he became rector of St. Peter's, Marlborough (1669) prefixed to St. Peter's register this "Memorandum : that Mr. Humphrey Wall and heires, occupants of the dwelling and lands formerly known by the signe of the Bear, are by Composition to pay to th

Rector of this parish yearly at Easter the summe of 10s. for their seat in the south corner of the Chancell." 1

The Cock. Lease, 13th Oct., 1697, granted to Anthony Powell:"One messuage or tenement called the Cocke." In the Baylye Ward. (A note in the margin says that the Churchwardens of St. Peter's have the counterpart.) The Mount Inn, or Mount House, now the confectioner's at No. 1, Bridewell Street, near Marlborough College, was built after 1743 by Francis Greenaway. It was called "The Antelope " in 1791, and "The Fighting Cocks" in 1833. It was sold by St. Peter's parish in 1885.

The Three Cups. From a lease, 29th March, 1708, to Mary Lyppyatt. "Two messuages known by the sign of the Three Cupps in the Marsh Ward the land late in the tenure of Mary Hurll on the N., tenements in the tenure of the widow Elford on the S., and part of the close called Cowbride Close on the N. and W., the River Kennett on the S., and other gardens in the tenure of on the W. and the highway there." The sign of "The Three Cups" is traced back to 1667. It was afterwards changed (1774) to "The Chequers," and subsequently (1777) to "The Plume of Feathers."

1 This paragraph, with some others in the present set of " Notes," has been communicated by Canon Christopher Wordsworth, Sub-dean of Salisbury, formerly Rector of St. Peter's, Marlborough.

PREHISTORIC AND ROMAN SWINDON.

By A. D. PASSMORE.

The peculiar situation of Swindon Hill, half way between the high downs and the low lands, its dry soil, which soaks up the heaviest storms a few minutes after they have fallen, and the commanding outlook over an enormous tract of country, would make it exceedingly attractive to early man, who, living almost wholly in the open, could here find his two greatest needs, a plentiful food supply and a dry situation for his huts. As a defensive position it was also desirable because in prehistoric, and probably much later times, it was surrounded on three sides by swamps and water, leaving a narrow ridge of dry land towards Coate, which would be the only means of access to the hill for any considerable body of an enemy, or in a lesser degree of wild animals.

With these facts in mind, investigations were commenced some years ago, and although by no means completed, it seems desirable to place on record what facts have as yet been ascertained.

Although traces of Palæolithic man on Swindon Hill are hardly to be expected, a small pointed ovate implement, finely shaped, of that period has been picked up in the immediate neighbourhood, as well as several flakes of similar age. At various sites on the hill flint flakes of doubtful age may be found, but any definite implement in that material is rare, the beautifully-worked axe,1 from the Sands, and the finely-serrated saw,2 from behind Wood Street (south), being the only two implements which may be referred with certainty to Neolithic or Bronze Age times.

To this period the earliest remains of man as yet found belong. Since Roman times the ground on the west end of the hill has been quarried for lime and building stone, and in the Okus district the modern workings for this purpose have resulted in a huge excavation, bounded on the south side by a high wall of rock.

From time to time this is cut back as fresh stone is required, and by this means an appreciable proportion of the subsoil on the highest part of the hill has been quarried within the last few years.

In November, 1906, men engaged in removing the turf and laying bare the top beds of sand and brash, came upon a shallow grave, 3ft. in depth (the exact size of which could not be ascertained), containing a skeleton lying on its right side, head to the south, feet to the north, the face pointing east, the body only slightly contracted, the bones being spread over a larger space than usual. Behind the head and almost touching it, was the drinking cup here illustrated (Fig. 1).

At the moment of discovery a landslide on a small scale happened, the cup was badly smashed, a part of it crushed to powder, and the remainder scattered. As restored from the collected fragments it stands 6in. high, 43in. in greatest diameter at a point 2in. above the base, while the lip diameter is in. less.

The ornamentation is so well shown that it needs no description. The cup is formed of a finely tempered paste of a light brown colour, very light and thin, the pattern being incised with a pointed stick or bone. The skeleton, although somewhat decayed, is that of a young person, probably about 15 years of age and of slight build. The skull was, unfortunately, much damaged, but as restored is markedly dolichocephalic, although no absolutely reliable measurements could be taken.

This skeleton has been presented to the British Museum of Natural History at South Kensington. Twelve months later, men working at a spot roughly 50 yards east of the last interment, came upon a small heap of human bones lying on the stony brash within 18in. of the surface. They were those of a young child and seem to have been buried without the flesh and in a broken condition, no piece being longer than 4in., while a considerable part of the whole skeleton is missing. Being so near the surface they may have been disturbed in former times, but a careful examination of the site yielded nothing in support of this idea. Lying by the bones were the crushed remains of a large drinking cup, which, as restored, stands 73in. high and 5 in. in diameter at the lip. It is