174 
Che Anke of Wellington and Lord Alelson. 
To the Editors of the Archeological Magazine. 
Dear Srrs, ; 
S the hamlet of Kennett in my parish is the scene of the 
following very characteristic anecdote of the late Duke of 
Wellington, which has been related to me by Mr. Butler of Kennett, 
it may perhaps find an appropriate place in your Magazine. 
In the winter of 1836 the Duke left London for Badminton, 
whither he had been invited on a visit on the occasion of the mar- 
riage of Lady Georgiana, daughter of the late Duke of Beaufort. 
Owing to a very heavy fall of snow it was with difficulty that he 
reached the Castle Inn, (now the College) at Marlborough; there 
he was compelled to remain, to the best of Mr. Butler’s recollection, 
for about forty hours, or at all events for an interval of time suffi- 
cient to enable the late George Sheppard, of Marlborough to make for 
him a pair of very strong shoes, with which he had come unprovided. 
It was then, and before the road had been traversed by any one, 
that Mr. Butler was informed to his great astonishment that there 
was a“ Bounder’’—1.¢.a private carriage in the technical phraseology 
of post-boys—with six horses making its way towards Kennett 
over the down and fields to the north of the road from Marlborough 
as it passes over Overton Hill. Mr. Butler went out and saw the 
carriage which was being preceded by the late John Godwin, then 
head hostler of the Castle Inn, on horseback who was acting as 
pioneer of the route. Mr. Butler observing that Godwin was 
leading the carriage towards a hollow in the field where the snow 
was lying at a great depth, signalled to him, and thus conducted 
them to his own house in Kennett. There the carraige was com- 
pelled to remain for about an hour whilst the late Mr. Merrifield 
(the then Surveyor), with a large party of labourers was clearing 
out the road between Kennett and Beckhampton. It is a further 

