298 President's Address. 
I fear I have not space for more than a slight sketch. The original 
name of the manor was simply Ashton, and was left by King Alfred 
to his youngest daughter by will for her maintenance. King Edgar, 
in the year A.D. 694, gave it to the nunnery of St. Mary, at 
Romsey, in Hampshire, to whom it belonged for 571 years. The 
general lordship of the whole manor at the dissolution was granted 
to Sir Thomas Seymour, Lord Sudely. In 1610, it formed part of 
the maintenance of Prince Henry, son of James the First. At the 
present time the estate for the most part has become the property 
of Mr. Long, of Rood Ashton. The Church, dedicated to 8. Mary, 
was finished about 1500. The north aisle was built at the expense 
of Robert Long and Edith his wife—the south at the expense of Walter 
Lucas and his wife Maud. In the church are monuments to the - 
Long family, and to Beach and Bennett, of this parish. George 
Webb, who was Vicar here, became afterwards Bishop of Limerick 
in 1634, and died in Limerick Castle, where he was confined by the 
rebels. He was an author, and his portrait exists in one of his 
publications called the “ Practice of Quietness.” He was first 
rector of Sutton Mandeville, then of St. Martin’s-in-the-Fields, 
London, and was ejected from Steeple Ashton by the Act of Uni- 
formity. * * * Ithink that after you have examined the places 
of which I have now given you a slight outline, you will not un- 
naturally be glad to turn in at the lodge of my hospitable brother- 
in-law, Mr. Long, and enjoy the delicious shade of the noble trees 
in driving through his park. At his residence we are sure to be 
sumptuously entertained—(applause)—and I feel very little doubt 
but that the ancient dust which we have been swallowing will be 
none the worse for being washed down by modern champagne. 
(Applause.) An interesting paper on Rood Ashton, and the ancient 
family of the Longs, will be read to you by my friend Canon Jackson. 
On the third day we propose to visit the romantic town of Bradford- 
on-Avon. A very curious old town is this, and of excessive interest, 
as well to the geologist as to the antiquarian. It would be beyond 
my province to speak at length of this quaint old place, for everything 
that can be said, has been well said by the worthy vicar of Bradford 
in his contributions to our Magazine, but I may perhaps be allowed 
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